"Olympics" Topic

What is your favorite Olympic sport?

Running. Anything from 100m sprint to the marathon.

I still run nearly every day. Obviously a LOT slower than Olympic athletes but it's my sport.

Don't watch the Olympics, so don't care.

Triathlon

Don't watch the Olympics.

Refuse to watch the Olympics.

Shorter T&F racing and swimming. But honestly, I'd watch practically any of it.

No interest. I don't watch the Olympics.

I used to love the Olympics, growing up, but not any more.
They have admitted too many events that I either don't consider "sports" or, if the are "sports", don't rise to the level of what "Olympic" should mean. I do understand it's all about the money, but breakdancing, pickle ball, surfing, skateboarding, etc have no place there, in my opinion. Also, a pet peeve: if I had my way there would be no events where there was any subjectivity in the scoring: none. You want to race: race – fastest wins. Hard to dispute it, or to politicize the scoring, even with a panel of judges. I have more ideas too, but you don't want to hear them any more than you signed on to hear this rant. I'll watch a few events, but the "Olympic" glow is going, going,…gone!

My favorite event is ignoring the olympics.

Luge.

Any event where 5 of the top judges in the world cannot agree on the score is not a sport, no matter how athletic it is.

I haven't watched an event in over two decades. I like sports but I don't care for the Olympics.

I have lost all interest in the olympics.

Olympics = painting time.

"I know. Let's have a spelling contest!"

Fencing. Finally the USA is doing well in the sport, increasing the likelihood that it will be shown by the network bozos who probably still think it has something to do with posthole diggers and barbed wire.

I also like archery, though I don't like all the usage of sights and other mechanical assets.

I will say that the Pentathlon has some interest, as being military in origin— a test of the skills of the mounted courier.

The sailing competition also is of interest to me.

I watch very little of the Olympics. I'm not opposed to watching, nor bored by it— though some things get old quickly as they go through round after round.

I have little to no interest in the big team sports— Basketball and soccer are both a big yawn to me. But that's year-round, not just at Olympics time.

Oh, it has to be break dancing! Just kidding. Like Parzival it is fencing. I coached fencing for the college where I teach. I also like seven's rugby. However, after the mockery of the Lord's Supper I doubt I will watch anything more.

Javelin, but they hardly ever show it… :o(
Most of the rest is – I mean since when was break dancing a sport?

Rugby

When DOM told me she would be playing 7s in college, I was like, "Oh? Do you play on a modified pitch or something?"
"No. It's a full pitch."
"[explitive deleted]! That's a lot of running."
"It certainly [explitive deleted] is …"

The overwhelming majority of the things that people complain about being subjective in sports actually have objective criteria. They're just significantly harder to evaluate in situ.

Likewise, all team sports resolve down to a referee's opinion on whether or not an action constitutes a foul. (My dad used to say there's holding on every football play, it's just whether or not it's relevant holding.) The explosion of video review in professional sports reinforces that idea, as does the persistence of contention no matter how much technology is applied to a call.

>>rant on<< But, back in my day we respected the refs. You didn't talk to them unless you were talked to, and then it was "Yes, sir." or "No sir."

EDIT: USA just beat GBR 17-7.

Tom Molon has encapsulated my views quite nicely.

"but breakdancing, pickle ball, surfing, skateboarding, etc have no place there,"

Just wait until they introduce a dog show… ;-)

"Next up, a Pomeranian from Pomerania…"

Bicycling. But I doubt I will watch any of it.

I'll watch every single event I can, I like them all.

ABC destroyed any interest I had with the "Up close and personal" segments. Particularly the ones that showed how Mary Decker deserved a gold medal more than anyone else in the whole wide world!
Then she tripped over Zola Budd's foot, who was leading her, and crashed. The next day, ABC had a pity party for Poor Little Mary Decker. We were all supposed to cry, but somehow I held my composure.

Not watching. But my favorite is curling. Yes I know it is a winter sport.
Summer maybe rugby.

Not interested. (But sometimes pretend to be when my wife watches.

+1 Tom Molon.

If I had to pick, it would be any distance foot race. They have much more drama than a sprint.

Swimming is pretty boring because it's so predictable. Plus I hate the artificial strokes. Why do they exist? There's no 100 yard dash by hopping on one foot.

That and the fact that the same person can win a variety of events just means you have too many similar events!

Summer – Track Bicycle racing with the team pursuit being the favorite

Winter – Short track skating.

Not of you paid me to watch

Mine are:

I like team sports.

Men's and Women's Basketball
Men's and Women's Volleyball
Men's and Women's Hockey
Men's and women's Water Polo
Track and Field
I do watch plenty of others but those are my favorite.

I am hearing a lot of issues that people need to get over. It isn't 1968 or 1980 for that matter. Things have changed, and are much better, and best of all no Russians.

Gymnastics, don't care who wins or what the score is, just impressed that people can do all of that flipping, tumbling and jumping without breaking or pulling something important. Of course, I can't do any of it, and only watch if it happens to be on.

I like the Olympics. Obviously, not so many on this thread.

Seriously, if you hate it, fine. No one could pay me enough to watch American football either.

OZ is coming fourth at the moment. That will change but not bad for a country of only 25 million.
(it helps to have the best swimming team – also drug-free – in the world).

Did I see that Beach Volleyball is a sport?

Oh yeah! 🍆

I am not a fan of the sports with professionals involved who are not there for the spirit.

I am an admirer of the dedication of the athletes who train for years, working menial jobs to achieve an Olympic dream. As an ex swimmer and rower who froze his nuts off every morning to train, I got a glimpse of their world, but they possessed the drive I lacked. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I respect the effort they make, whether some one watches them or not.

They may think a middle aged man pushing metal around a table whilst arguing about arcs of fire is a load of ; each to their own.

@Louis XIV – I played in one of the first beach volleyball tournaments in Australia in the 80's. We got knocked out early, so they asked if we would help out on the next days competition. My job? Day 2, carrying a pump pack of sunscreen and helping apply if needed by the players and/or spectators. My playing partner hated me for years because he was a line umpire and couldn't move.
I was 17, it was a day I remember fondly.

OZ coming third!
(US is 6th – quite creditable).

Watched at one time, but stopped as individuals competing for the US decided to use it for personal political statements.

For those watching, enjoy.

Haven't given up on the Olympics yet?

No interest at all.

Olympics? Yeah, I heard they were still holding them. But I adhere to Piepenbrink's Two Rules of Athletics.
1. Take no interest unless you have money on the game.
2. Never bet on sporting events.

I don't have a single favorite. I usually prefer to watch individuals and small teams (fencing, volleyball) over large teams (basketball, soccer).