Snowboarding in the Olympics? I Don't Like it

Snowboarding

I was watching the snowboarding tonight and i just couldn’t help feeling that it just isn’t right. This should not be a sport in the Olympics. I’m not saying it shouldn’t be a sport, at least not right now, i’m just saying don’t put it in the Olympics. Anyway ,here are my main complaints:

  1. Hasn’t been popular long enough. In almost all the other sports in the Olympics, they’ve been around for decades. They’ve ironed out all the rules, they’ve tailored the games to be the most exciting and competitive, and they’ve established some tradition and records. The 100 yard dash has always been 100 yards. They didn’t start with 90 then go to 120 and then settle for 100. It’s been this way for a long time. Snowboarding is so new, it is in the larva stage of production. It’s like the inside of a tomato – it just isn’t quite developed yet. Wait a couple more X-Games, wait for it to be understood by some more folks – then if it is really played across the world, you can bring it in. There aren’t even world-record holders yet, are there?
  2. Too popular. To me, the Winter Olympics is all about letting the folks who have really put their sport above sex shine. You look at the speed-skater, the nordic skier, the bobsledder or the luger and you see a guy who, for the first time in 4 years, is being noticed. I can feel them thinking to themselves “I’m finally here in the Olympic Village – my one chance to get some ass.” And i say let them get ass – let the entire world watch them – let us applaud their dedication and devotion to being the best in the world. This ins’t the case for the snowboarders. They are already the cool kids. They already have groupies – this event does not make or break them, and you can tell. There isn’t the same passion, the same level of excitement or dispair. Maybe this is because the X-games is on every year so this is just a side-show that that. Maybe they should only allow X-Game winners to participate in the Olympics – that’d make it more prestigious wouldn’t it and provide a good feeder system. It runs the risk of being like tennis or soccer where you already have Wimbleton and the World Cup so Olympics is pointless. It just seems like it doesn’t fit in yet.
  3. Too American. America dominates snowboarding. I see snowboarding’s addition an Olympic sport as a shameless attempt for the Olympic committee to try to get more marketing dollars from the US. One of the good things about the Olympics is that it is a global affair. These are sports that all countries play. Why introduce one that is mostly done by Americans? That just doesn’t seem fair.
  4. Too fun. All other sports seem grueling and painful and tough. There’s not another sport i can think of in any Olympic Games that people would want to get up off the couch and do in their free time (with the exception of beach volleyball – and i have the same complaint there). Snowboarding on a half-pipe is just too fun – it can’t be a sport. It’s like wakeboarding, water skiing, or tubing on a lake. That’s a blast and some people can do some amazing things, but that doesn’t mean it should be a sport in the Olympics, does it? Check out Shawn White’s post victory interview – is he even taking this seriously?
  5. Drugs. I’m sure they’re not all stoners, but they’re not doing a good job of shedding that stereotype. Especially when even the announcers are saying things (and i seriously heard this), “I bet she’s pretty stoked she landed that one.” Come on.
  6. Judges. I hate it when a sport has to be defined by other people giving scores. It sucks during the slam dunk competition and it sucks here. I want to know, and i want the competitor to know, immediately whether they’re in first or last place. I fully back downhill races and/or any race because you have a clear winner and you are the fastest. In snowboarding competition – a winner is what, the best jumper? trickster? i just don’t buy it.

It makes you wonder why skateboarding isn’t an Olympic sport. It’s been around longer, has just as many people do it, and is just as dangerous. Oh well, that’s my rant for the night.

But, before i go. Toby brought up a completely random good point tonight – we never see a zamboni while watching speed skating. But yet the ice is always incredibly smooth which means that they must zamboni between every race. Those things can take a long time. Can you imagine how boring that is?!

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23 thoughts on “Snowboarding in the Olympics? I Don't Like it
  1. Argh. FINE. I like pointy-toed shoes, but I think they’re definitely on their way out. Cowboy boots will always be in, and they have pointy toes…I guess that’s not the object of this “rant, though. I’d say no to shoes shaped like the feet. Feet aren’t particularly attractive and that’s why we have great shoes to cover them up, pointy or no. (: How’s that?

  2. Argh. FINE. I like pointy-toed shoes, but I think they’re definitely on their way out. Cowboy boots will always be in, and they have pointy toes…I guess that’s not the object of this “rant, though. I’d say no to shoes shaped like the feet. Feet aren’t particularly attractive and that’s why we have great shoes to cover them up, pointy or no. (: How’s that?

  3. what the fuck is wrong with you, it takes so much time to prepare and practice for the olympics in any sport and the skill it takes to do the things those people do is incredible, you really need to look over all the facts and then make a comment also another point, snowboarding has been around since the late 60’s. Another thing on that crug issue there are as many skiers smoking and doing other drugs as there are snowboarder’s, and at that there are very few that do drugs these days, so why dont you piss off

  4. what the fuck is wrong with you, it takes so much time to prepare and practice for the olympics in any sport and the skill it takes to do the things those people do is incredible, you really need to look over all the facts and then make a comment also another point, snowboarding has been around since the late 60’s. Another thing on that crug issue there are as many skiers smoking and doing other drugs as there are snowboarder’s, and at that there are very few that do drugs these days, so why dont you piss off

  5. You think that the whole sport is just fun and games and revolves around drugs thats your problem it takes big ass balls to throw down the shit they do. I dont know if you have ever snowboarded to be able to appreciate the sport. And i can understand that i could say the same thing about figure skating cause i think its boring as hell to watch too but i dont do it but i’m sure there are people out there that do enjoy watching it and do appreciate the sport

  6. You think that the whole sport is just fun and games and revolves around drugs thats your problem it takes big ass balls to throw down the shit they do. I dont know if you have ever snowboarded to be able to appreciate the sport. And i can understand that i could say the same thing about figure skating cause i think its boring as hell to watch too but i dont do it but i’m sure there are people out there that do enjoy watching it and do appreciate the sport

  7. The stuff they do is really difficult and its no more fun and games than skiing or skating. It takes just as much skill and practice to do as anything else. Anyone who gets up off there couch to do it does so because they love the sport, just like any other olympic sport. Also, I snowboard and I’ve never even seen drugs. The scoring by judge is just like diving and figure skating, you don’t seem to have a complaint about those. I think the reason you went on this “rant” is because you tried snowboarding and couldn’t do it.

  8. The stuff they do is really difficult and its no more fun and games than skiing or skating. It takes just as much skill and practice to do as anything else. Anyone who gets up off there couch to do it does so because they love the sport, just like any other olympic sport. Also, I snowboard and I’ve never even seen drugs. The scoring by judge is just like diving and figure skating, you don’t seem to have a complaint about those. I think the reason you went on this “rant” is because you tried snowboarding and couldn’t do it.

  9. Ha, good points! I agree with you that it’s just like figure skating and diving and i think that’s lame too. I just don’t like sports where others decide subjectively how you’ve done. Also, i also snowboard and really like it. I’ve totally abandoned skiing.

  10. Ha, good points! I agree with you that it’s just like figure skating and diving and i think that’s lame too. I just don’t like sports where others decide subjectively how you’ve done. Also, i also snowboard and really like it. I’ve totally abandoned skiing.

  11. are you serious?
    you have obviously never been on a snowboard!!!!!
    i would like to see you in a 22 foot halfpipe (you know, the event that is so easy and fun that everyone will want to get up off the couch and do it) i doubt that you will be able to even drop in.
    the fact that you do not understand something, does not make it wrong.
    talking about drugs……that is interesting, at least snowboarders are not taking performance enhancing drugs, if anything, a stoner should get two not one medal for winning…..
    in your last comment you go on to put down diving and figure skating!!!!!!!! so what are we left with? how about gymnastics and the 9 mil different events that are included in gymnastics, they are all judged, and there is no clear winner until the judges decide…..what should we do about that? i think you have just reduced the olympics to a couch sitting event. just a note: there is such a thing as olympic soccer.
    and one last suggestion: actually 2 or 3 ….. 1. do not lie about how much you love snowboarding, because playing a video game does not count. 2. anyone who has tried to snowboard knows how tough it can be the first few times, and just how tough it is to progress into 60 – 80 foot kickers. 3. a more friendly remark: take a 3 day weekend in mammoth mtn. CA, maybe sign up for a class or two (smoking is optional) and then write a rant about how difficult it was, or maybe in your case how easy it was… i dont know, good luck.

  12. are you serious?
    you have obviously never been on a snowboard!!!!!
    i would like to see you in a 22 foot halfpipe (you know, the event that is so easy and fun that everyone will want to get up off the couch and do it) i doubt that you will be able to even drop in.
    the fact that you do not understand something, does not make it wrong.
    talking about drugs……that is interesting, at least snowboarders are not taking performance enhancing drugs, if anything, a stoner should get two not one medal for winning…..
    in your last comment you go on to put down diving and figure skating!!!!!!!! so what are we left with? how about gymnastics and the 9 mil different events that are included in gymnastics, they are all judged, and there is no clear winner until the judges decide…..what should we do about that? i think you have just reduced the olympics to a couch sitting event. just a note: there is such a thing as olympic soccer.
    and one last suggestion: actually 2 or 3 ….. 1. do not lie about how much you love snowboarding, because playing a video game does not count. 2. anyone who has tried to snowboard knows how tough it can be the first few times, and just how tough it is to progress into 60 – 80 foot kickers. 3. a more friendly remark: take a 3 day weekend in mammoth mtn. CA, maybe sign up for a class or two (smoking is optional) and then write a rant about how difficult it was, or maybe in your case how easy it was… i dont know, good luck.

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