Olympic football

[hooknladder]

i know we would probably beat everybody, but if badmiitten and all that other silly crap is in, why not football? check this out:

 

 

 

NFL needs global growth to make football an Olympic sport

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Posted: August 15, 2008

When George Costanza and Jerry Seinfeld were pitching their "show about nothing" to NBC, the obvious question was, "Why would anyone watch it?"

 

"Because it's on TV," Costanza said.

 

 

And that pretty much sums up my attitude toward the Olympics.

 

The only difference is that the Olympics are on TV, but I don't watch them. I don't watch them because, for the other three years and 50 weeks of every four-year period, I don't watch swimming or gymnastics or fencing or weightlifting or wrestling or any of the other sports that are overlooked and ignored until those 16 days when, all of a sudden, these lower-tier athletic competitions become the focal point of the sports (and, to a certain extent, non-sports) world.

 

It boggles the mind to think that so many people who otherwise know so little about these sports spend so much time obsessively following the events for that two-week period. The explanation could be that, because it's something we're "supposed" to do, then maybe there's something wrong with us if we don't. (Disclaimer: I freely acknowledge that there's something wrong with me).

 

Of course, my position is influenced in large part by the fact that the Olympics don't include American football. Seriously, how can any collection of sports aimed at gaining credibility and respect omit football ... and include badminton? (Amazingly, frolf has yet to make the list of Olympic events).

 

Though American football primarily is played in (duh) America, it's gradually becoming a global sport. Even if our brand of the game never overtakes "futbol" as the most popular sport in the world, American football already is at least in the top four, if not the top two.

 

Regardless of why it's been omitted from the Olympics in the past, American football could -- and should -- eventually be included in the eclectic array of events. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello expressed optimism on Thursday afternoon regarding this possibility. "Eventually," Aiello told me via e-mail, "football will be an Olympic sport as it continues to grow in popularity around the world."

 

But there's a dog-chasing-his-tail phenomenon at work here. American football might not truly grow in popularity around the world unless and until it's an Olympic sport. And so it would be very wise for the NFL to do whatever it can to make that happen.

 

The organization carrying the flag for now is and has been the International Federation of American Football. Formed in 1998, the IFAF has been working toward expanding the influence of football, with one of the stated goals being acceptance into the Olympics.

 

And, surprisingly, the sport already has migrated beyond the obvious countries of the United States and Canada. In fact more than 20 teams participated in the 2007 IFAF World Cup, with Japan, Sweden, France, Germany, South Korea, and the United States earning berths in the finals. (The United States won, which likely didn't prompt Al Michaels, or anyone else, to wonder aloud about the existence of miracles).

 

The question becomes whether the sport can grow beyond our borders to the point that inclusion in the Olympics becomes a no-brainer proposition. Its ability to do so depends in large part on the ability of the NFL to export regular-season contests to other countries. Hopefully, the next collective bargaining agreement will expand the regular season to 17 or 18 games, creating ample opportunities to send games that count to other countries.

 

And so the message to any fans of American football who prefer not to watch every four years a cicada-style emergence of otherwise unknown athletes participating in otherwise uninteresting events is simple: Don't complain about NFL games going to other countries. By giving up a little, we might just end up with Olympic games that include a sport worth watching.

 

Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a regular contributor to Sporting News.

[kpholmes]

It will never happen, and if it does it won't feature our best players.

No NFL starter would risk their salary to injuring themselves for Team America, and no NCAA player would risk their future contract/career.

 

The Pro-Bowl is a joke, I doubt competing against other countries would be any different.

[Big John]

Another consideration is the 2-week window for the olympics. Players would not have enough time to recuperate between games in than kind of schedule.

[peepinmofo]

It will never happen, and if it does it won't feature our best players.

No NFL starter would risk their salary to injuring themselves for Team America, and no NCAA player would risk their future contract/career.

 

The Pro-Bowl is a joke, I doubt competing against other countries would be any different.

F**K YEAH!!! COMIN' AGAIN TO SAVE THE MOTHER F-IN DAY YEAH!!

[Randall]

Summer or winter Olympics?

[Seahawks21]

No chance. Softball is about to be taken out of the olympics because we dominate it too much. Good luck getting kids from other countries lined up to get hurt by our savage beast linebackers.

[Big John]

Summer or winter Olympics?

Not usually played on snow or ice, so it would be summer.

[tazinib1]

Could you imagine Team America playing Pakistan or the Philippines in the first round? Ever see Terry Tate office linebacker? It would be a stretcher fest.

[BeeR]

I think ping pong and softball in the olympics is idiotic, but that doesn't make the idea of football in it any less so. Therefore it'll probably happen.

[nuke'em ttg]

Arena dudes would kill for a chance for more exposure

[Randall]

Not usually played on snow or ice, so it would be summer.

 

 

Then it wouldn't fit schedules unless they used college players.

[Big John]

Then it wouldn't fit schedules unless they used college players.

Note that the NHL suspends their schedule during the Winter Olympics.

[Jimmy Neutron]

I think ping pong and softball in the olympics is idiotic, but that doesn't make the idea of football in it any less so. Therefore it'll probably happen.

 

At least those are kind of sport-like - how bout those girls that run around the gym with the sticks with ribbons tied on the end?

[gasface]

college players would be the only way this would happen, and even that is highly doubtful

Edited August 16, 2008 by gasface

[Seahawks21]

Both Arena players and college players would murder players from other countries. The closest we could get is some kind of Canadian/American game. At least in the next 20 years or so.