No softball in 2028 Olympics

[Hillhouse]

Considering the NCAA's current trajectory of allowing transgender men to compete on women's teams, college softball may be gone by 2028.

I told Heather Tarr not long ago that I still have 4 years of eligibility for a college team. If someone would do the school work for me, I'll sign with the first school that offers me. I'll have a few conditions for my training schedule and a few other things (beers after games, etc.) but nothing that can't be worked out.

 

[Hillhouse]

Yes, it's about money.
Always.

But 20 people per team is not the barrier...the cost of moving a few hundred people around is de minimis.

It's about the facilities, specifically, the multiple baseball stadiums needed to host the ~10 day tournament.

Around LA and Tokyo, baseball stadiums are in great abundance.
But elsewhere (Rio, London, Beijing, Athens, Sydney, Barcelona) not so much.
And building a stadium for the Olympics that will only be used for a week or two has fallen out of favor.

Plus, the Olympics are (still) Euro-centric and guess where baseball/softball is not popular?

Plus, the MLB won't interrupt its season to release its stars for international play, making the prospect of a big-dollar draw to the Olympic tournament a no-go.

So, yeah, not worth the money for the organizers.
And, sadly for softball, it probably never will be.

I didn't mean to suggest 20 people was a limit. I'm saying team sports in general are all what the Olympic cities want to cut. Again, because of money. NBC is paying Billions to host the games, regardless of what sports are in the games. Either way, the host city has their money. Attendance at the games is peanuts compared to the TV money.

Final roster of games isn't put in until 2023. So there's time for someone to bribe an IOC official and get softball reinstated. I can promise you, nobody is wanting softball in the LA Olympics more than UCLA whom I'm sure will use any new Olympic stadium as their own since their facilities are awful.

 

[Shiloh]

I didn't mean to suggest 20 people was a limit. I'm saying team sports in general are all what the Olympic cities want to cut. Again, because of money.

Got it.

But it’s really the dedicated facilities that are the problem, moreso than the number of players per sport.

22 for Soccer? No problem.
26 water polo players? Sure.
52 swimmers? You got it.
28 for basketball
26 for cycling
24 fencers
20 gymnasts
37 rowers
26 rugby players
30 for shooting
24 for volleyball
125 for track and field

- all no problem

Dedicated stadium each for 20 softball players and 24 baseball players? No way.

 

[YOCOACH]

Guys, this is about money. Pure and simple. Olympic cities have to pay for housing, transportation, meals, medical care, etc. for all athletes. Softball has 15 players per team, plus coaches and staff. Up to 20 people per team. This is why Tokyo only had 6 teams when others had 8 teams.

You might think softball belongs. I don't disagree. But breakdancing is individuals, not team sports. Or the teams are small. Not 20 people. This is what it's all about, the money.

I definitely agree it's about money and I agree to some extent that the above highlighted is a consideration. However, I think that having sports that all olympic participating nations can compete in and have a possibility of winning a medal is more of a consideration as the Olympic Committee is playing PC police. Let's face it, only about 8 countries have the necessary infrastructure to produce top teir teams to compete at that level and there are 3 that are more developed than others and they usually end up 1,2 and 3 in the standings every 4 years. Thus, other countries don't even try to build the SB infrastructure (due to money and time as they'd be so far behind skill-wise) to play at that level and instead lobby for things like breakdancing and handball. With sports like these, with a minor infusion of money, they have an almost instant infrastructure and an opportunity to win a medal to give them some national recognition and pride. God forbid their feelings get hurt and their self-esteem suffers as a nation because those smaller, poorer nations don't/can't win a medal.

 

[YOCOACH]

Softball should be.I'm Olympics, just have USA/Japan play a best of 7 series. Those are the only teams that are any good.

Never count the Aussie's out.

 

[Westwind]

Chinese Taipei (Taiwan?) lost to Team USA 18u 1-0 in the final of the Pan American games a week or so ago.

 

[_MIA_]

This thread should have been titled “The Elitist and Intolerant Attitude of US Sports Fans: A Case Study”

 

[eagle6]

This thread should have been titled “The Elitist and Intolerant Attitude of US Sports Fans: A Case Study”

Because a fastpitch softball message board is the last place anyone would expect to hear folks wanting softball in the olympics.

 

[_MIA_]

Because a fastpitch softball message board is the last place anyone would expect to hear folks wanting softball in the olympics.

Yeah because that is exactly what I was referring to…

 

[schwabach]

Given the widespread corruption in the IOC and other BS associated with the Olympics I am at a loss why people still watch.

Because, every 4 years, the athletes save the IOC from itself. I really enjoyed track and field in the Tokyo Olympics. U.S. women were great and two women from my state - McGlaughlin and Mu were just outstanding.

Olympic softball - well, nothing is quite so good as high level NCAA softball.

Other events, not so much because of inconvenient scheduling.