Golf in the Olympics
We went to the USA Baseball Complex here in Cary last night with our good friends the Coopers and the Stokes to watch the World Cup USA team take on Canada. In baseball, not curling or hockey. It was a lot of fun. Cool to see the USA team in action.
The USA World Cup Team in Cary
It got me thinking of golf in the Olympics. I mean, it is pretty cool to play any sport for your country, but is golf a good choice?
Quick quiz – which sport has been played in the Olympics the fewest times: Golf, Tug Of War, or Rugby?
Answer: Golf – only twice in 1900 and 1904 (Tug of War was hotly contested 6 times before from 1900 to 1920, and rugby 4 times between 1900 and 1928).
I’ve always pictured a good Olympic event as 1) a sport I don’t ordinarily see and, 2)an amateur sport.
Rule 1 takes out golf for sure, as well as baseball, hockey, tennis and basketball. I love watching the luge in the Olympics but wouldn’t change the channel with a remote to see it any other time. On the other hand, I don’t really care if “The Dream Team Part 10″ wins a game.
Rule 2 takes out golf for sure, as well as baseball, hockey, tennis and basketball – and track, skiing, figure skating, volleyball – heck, just about everything. But I don’t follow track much, unless the Tug of War is one of the events, so I don’t think of it as a typical professional sport and it gets a pass from me. Same is true for all the other lesser known professional sports. The big American team sports – not Olympic events in my book.
Golf has plenty of tournaments, many of which the best players already don’t care about. Do the best players in the world really care about playing for their country in yet another tournament? We already have widespread apathy for the President’s Cup. Is Olympic golf any different?
I say, leave golf out and let’s get Tug of War back!
A True Olympic Event!
I would definitely tune in for a match of Tug of War!