Which sports would you like added to the Olympics? (football, baseball, golf)

[Tom Lennox 70]

Which sports would you like added to the Olympics? Check 2.

[Tom Lennox 70]

I personally would love to see NASCAR and MMA in the Olympics. These two are very fast-paced, exciting and have great entertainment value. Motor racing is actually popular in many countries though Europe does Formula 1. NASCAR is trying to expand interntionally starting with Canada and Mexico. The Olympics used to have water motorsports but that was discontinued. However if they can ship horses to China for equestrian events they can ship cars too. It would be great to see America compete against Japan and Germany especially. If not specifically NASCAR they can also do a Grand Prix kind of thing through the streets of the Olympic city.

MMA would combine everything like karate, kung fu, boxing, kickboxing, jujitsu, etc etc. The popularity of no holds barred and cage fighting is increasing rapidly especially among younger people. I've read in the news about middle school kids learning mixed martial arts. It would be nice to see so many martial arts style compete without being so structured and regulated like a specific tae kwon do event or a specific kung fu event. Opponents can use whatever moves and tactics they want to win. This is a sport that can be promoted around the world. MMA is a truly global sport IMO because it combines fighting arts from many cultures.

Football would be great but not as practical. The games take a long time and its going to pose challenges for TV coverage, especially if they want live prime time broadcasts of the games. I personally won't suggest bowling but I guess the definition of whats a sport and isn't is changing. After all they now have the WOrld Series of Poker on ESPN.

[Drover]

I'd like to see baseball added back. "Not enough international interest" they said when they cut it, having apparently failed to take a cursory look at your average MLB roster. But not to worry, the internationally hailed sports of trampolining and twirling a ribbon on the end of a stick are still part of the Olympic games.

I don't see football getting to be an Olympic sport any time soon. Very little interest outside of the U.S. and Canada. I also don't see auto racing either -- way too expensive.

[mattyj46]

Rugby 7s, I can see that happening in the next 2 olympics, very very widely played around the world and would be good to see, already a success in the Commonwealth games.

[Stormcrow73]

Lacrosse and rugby are really the only ones on that list with much chance. NASCAR: too many issues here from the environmental black eyes, far too narrow an international audience, cost issues, venue issues, geez, the list against it seems almost endless. MMA is not the type of sport the olympics wants to promote I think, far too much intrinsic violence. Boxing and wrestling have measures in place to limit things like blood spillage whereas MMA seems to like promoting itself as a bloodsport of sorts. American football: the world could care less, you're almost as likely to see Aussie Rules in the olympics, LOL. Horse racing: well, as sort of implied, there is some precedent for animal-human "sport" in the form of equestrian so maybe this isn't as far fetched as I initially thought. Bowling: seriously...bowling????

My vote is for lacrosse because it's one the fastest growing sports participation wise in the world.

[gnab gib]

I'd love to see rugby union. It's played all over the world and has a huge following outside North America. I always hear that it would be a logistical nightmare trying to accommodate 15-man teams, not counting the reserves ... although I'm not sure why that would be the case. So it means more hotel rooms to book and more medals to hand out ... that doesn't seem so difficult.

Sevens is an odd version of rugby, to say the least, but I guess I'd rather see that than no rugby at all.

Interesting trivia: Team USA is the reigning Olympic rugby champion. They beat France for the gold in the 1924 Olympics! Rugby was discontinued as an Olympic sport after that ... and most people in the States forgot all about rugby, as gridiron football caught on in popularity.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by Stormcrow73

Bowling: seriously...bowling????

If archery, shotgun, trampoline and twirling a ribbon on the end of a stick can be Olympic events, I don't see why bowling can't be.

[brikag]

Rugby and Lacrosse by far! bowling? nascar? mma? football? Please. Those will never get past the committee for a vote. Those sports are not embraced by everyone in this world. And nascar is not a sport! Please. Going around an oval making left hand turns avoiding other driver and "chicken bones" doesn't qualify as a sport, IMO. Yeah, it draws the crowds and makes Billions of dollars in the US. But the world has F1 and Grand Prix curcuits! Now, that's racing. And they make right hand turns as well.

That's my two cents, please don't ask for change!

USA!!! USA!!!! Beijing 2008!!!!!!!

[jrmontag]

Whoops, I mistakenly only checked 1. I picked rugby but my other choice would have been either MMA or lacrosse.

[jrmontag]

I'm surprised golf isn't up there though.