Rummy on Wrestling
You may have heard by now that the International Olympic Committee made a surprise decision earlier this week to keep wrestling out the 2020 summer games (which will be held in either Istanbul, Madrid, or Tokyo). That's got wrestling fans in a huff. Unfortunately for the IOC, one of them happens to be a former Secretary of Defense.
It turns out that Donald Rumsfeld has taken to the opinion pages of the Washington Post to challenge the decision. The whole piece is well-argued, but this passage is priceless -- and a reminder of how much more fun the world was back when Rummy was giving press conferences on the regular:
While I have tremendous respect for athletes of every Olympic sport, it is difficult to understand why wrestling was singled out for exclusion. I would imagine that it has at least as many fans across the globe as ribbon twirling, trampoline and speed-walking.
I've got to side with the former SecDef here. It's Senik's First Rule of Olympic Sports: if it consists of people inflicting violence on each other, it's in.
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Comments:
Sep '10
Re: Rummy on Wrestling
I bet he's got binders full of women wrestlers.
May '12
Re: Rummy on Wrestling
The Olympics have never had anything to do with War and the Skills of Warriors, and they never will!
May '10
Re: Rummy on Wrestling
Is the Secretary trying to imply that these men are not world class athletes?
If he's not careful, they might speedwalk on over to his house and give him a beat down.
Sep '10
Re: Rummy on Wrestling
Drones will enter the Olympics within 10 years time.
May '12
Re: Rummy on Wrestling
I looked up Silly Walks and found a lot of John Cleese, and this:
WWRS (What Would Rumsfeld Say?)
May '10
Re: Rummy on Wrestling
The Secretary would do well to consider how many lives could have been saved in Iraq and Afghanistan, if he took speedwalking just a bit more seriously:
May '12
Re: Rummy on Wrestling
Are the Ring Girls in there too?
Here's a link of images from the USGWA event at Eastern Michigan University:
BTW, when I googled "girls of wrestling" I got such an interesting array of images!
Re: Rummy on Wrestling
I've long been troubled by the IOC's choice of sports.
Don't poke fun at me (please!) but my Bocce Team, "Quattro De Seno" (all family members) placed second in New Jersey's bocce championship.
Bocce has been petitioning the IOC to be a recognized sport for years.
I figure if that game where they throw a tea kettle across a hockey rink and sweep the ice in front of it is a sport, then so is bocce.
But wrestling? Holy cow! Isn't that one of the original contests from when the ancient Greeks had Olympics?
Edited on February 16, 2013 at 12:03amMay '12
Re: Rummy on Wrestling
I've watched Bocce being played in Bryant Park, and long before that in Prospect Park.
It is difficult, and fascinating.
And easier to understand the scoring of than Figure Skating (which is, I admit, lovely).
I am told that if you want to see Olympic Figure Skaters at their best, you attend the shows they perform in after their done with the Olympics.
Tommy De Seno: I've long been troubled by the IOC's choice of sports.
Don't poke fun at me (please!) but my Bocce Team, "Quattro De Seno" (all family members) placed second in New Jersey's bocce championship.
Bocce has been petitioning the IOC to be a recognized sport for years.
I figure if that game where they throw a tea kettle across a hockey rink and sweep the ice in front of it is a sport, then so is bocce.
But wrestling? Holy cow! Isn't that one of the original contests when the ancient Greeks had Olympics? · 6 minutes ago
Edited 4 minutes ago
Sep '10
Re: Rummy on Wrestling
They should have to square off with Alexander Karelin before they're allowed to get rid of the sport. I'd pay money for that. I'd pay big, big money for that.
Oct '10
Re: Rummy on Wrestling
Troy Senik, Ed.:
…if it consists of people inflicting violence on each other, it's in.
And if it involves people holding up numbers, it's out.
Apr '11
Re: Rummy on Wrestling
I miss Rummy.
Jul '11
Re: Rummy on Wrestling
A number of questionable judges calls have marred the past few Olympic wrestling games. On a side note, my badass stepson made it to the semifinals of the Texas state championship in his weight class. He had a nasty GI illness or he may have had a shot at the title. In the earlier rounds he vomited during the match and pinned his opponents head in it for the win. Not exactly cool but he never was sweet when competing.
May '12
Re: Rummy on Wrestling
It sounds like he'd make a good Marine.
Apr '12
Re: Rummy on Wrestling
Definitely agree!
Besides, wrestling was a feature of the original Ancient Olympics of Greece.
But then, so was poetry.
Edited on February 16, 2013 at 5:08amMay '11
Re: Rummy on Wrestling
Troy, are you an fan of mixed martial arts?
Aug '12
Re: Rummy on Wrestling
"And if it involves people holding up numbers, it's out." John Walker, you beat me to it! Any activity that needs a committee to determine the winner is not a sport.
Re: Rummy on Wrestling
Is that the same young man who plays football?