We are in prime Olympics time. Happening in Rio now are the summer 2016 Olympic Sports Games. But what makes something an Olympic sport? Obviously there are organizations that go through a process to agree on what qualifies something as an Olympic event, but there are some events that make me question why that event is considered an Olympic event.
For example, basketball. Basketball is a sport that is pretty much played all year round. You can even play basketball in your backyard, or neighborhood court, or even at your local gym. Basketball is a team sport that allows a player to rely on four other players on the court at one time. There are also other team members who sit on the bench and wait to sub in for when a player gets too tired. Basketball doesn't actually require anyone to feel exhausted.
Some Olympic events go on for too long as well, such as volleyball. Don't get me wrong, I love watching beach volleyball during the Olympics, but I think we can all agree the event is extended just a tad too long. And don't even get me started on table tennis.
And why is golf an Olympic sport? Golf is more of a social activity, or an informal way of doing business. I see the golf team from my high school and at the college that I go to, and they work hard! They work out very often. But it doesn't require a ton of energy to actually play the sport, and you don't leave the court feeling exhausted.
And what about archery? I mean, we did archery in gym class. Archery is not a sport that requires a ton of working out and such. You don't leave an archery event feeling like you just ran 10 miles.
Individual sports that require physical skill are ones such as swimming, diving, bicycling, gymnastics, track and field -- sports that push someone over the top with physical activity. Those are sports that one does not need to rely on a team for. They are sports that impress me because you have to be born with such a talent, and work hard to improve it as you grow older. Those sports you don't just pick up as a child, and learn to play better over the years.
I am not saying that all the events in the Olympics don't require effort or skill. Watching those athletes compete in table tennis and archery -- they do better than I ever could! But those sports are somewhat boring to watch, and don't impress me much.
When I watch the Olympics I want to watch something that gets me pumped; a sport that keeps me on the edge of my seat and makes me yell at the top of my lungs. I want to watch an event that doesn't go on for hours, and keeps me interested.
So, in your opinion, what do you think should be allowed to be considered an Olympic event, and what events do you think are a little old school, and should be removed from the Olympic games?
