When I read that the IOC was dropping wrestling,...

Well it would be less dangerous than Aussie Rules.

KTK

 

I detect a little death ideation there Greybeard...Yes i played 7 years of Aussie Rules...broke every finger, my leg and smashed almost all my teeth ( i wear dentures these days - a mouth guard probably would have been a good acquisition methinks : )
You can catch the hammers greybeard : )

 

hehe... : ) Can you remember which team you picked? The game has "improved" since i played, too many worried mothers sending their kids to soccer instead! So the League had to put in head high tackle rules and charging is being phased out...like NFL...one can "sheppard" the ball if your team mate has it or not...deprive the opposition posession. The "white maggots" as the umpires were called are no longer, they wear bright colours these days...
No padding is allowed, however soft "helmets" are now allowed (but almost never used at any level)...mouth guards were always in...but where i played (Hobart Tasmania and Darwin NT) they were rarely used...i just never thought about it... Go figure on that one.

And just in case you were wondering, i follow Collingwood...Black and White...Known as the Magpies...or Pies...or Maggies...or the Woods...its a low socio economic suburb in Melbourne (Victoria is the home of Aussie Rules - the game used to be called VFL or the Victorian Football League) So all the teams originally came from Melbourne:

Collingwood (The Magpies)
Hawthorn (The Hawks)
Carlton (The Blues)
Richmond (The Tigers)
North Melbourne (The Kangaroos)
South Melbourne (now the Sydney Swans)
Footscray (The Bulldogs)
Fitzroy (The Lions)
Essondon (The Bombers)
Melbourne (The Demons)
Im sure im forgetting a couple...Today, there are teams from Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide...Nothing yet from Tassie (a big footballing state) Nothing yet from the NT...We have a state side the Territory Thunder...a great team (aboriginals can play the game like you wouldnt beleive!) We will be in the AFL inside of ten years i think.

Just "You Tubed" Aussie rules...The very first offering is "What is Aussie rules football?" - Then goes onto explain the rules using footage from games...it ends with "Want to play yet??" - you can in the "American Aussie rules football league"...SO there you are fellas...no excuse now! : ) You can play at any age...sort of.

 

If I remember correctly the Aussies built a giant stadium for the Aussie Rules playoffs, maybe one of the Aussie could refresh my memory.

Thanks

KTK

 

A chance to boast again? Well thankyou for asking... : ) You're probably referring to the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground)...The MCG or "The G" as its known has been for decades the biggest stadium...at least in the southern hemisphere...Aussie rules gets on average about 50k people to each match (to the envy of all other codes) It held the world record for ages for largest sporting crowd...about 112k? or something like that...but its even bigger these days...getting 100k to a grand final is pretty normal. You tube MCG Aussie rules...you'll get an idea of size and above all...the roar that 100 thousand people can generate in an exciting game...
You're probably wondering why football is played on a cricket ground...1. to fit the large crowds 2. Because Aussie rules was invented to keep cricketers fit in the off season...

 

The "Modern" part of "Modern Olympics" refers to the re-establishment of the Olympic Games in 1896, not the games of Ancient Olympic Games of Antiquity. But I sort of understand what you mean there.

Traditional track and field type sports should be kept in I believe, but that doesn't mean the have to be televised. Those disciplines can be lumped together like they did with the decathlon, triathlon, the pentathlon and whatever "athlon" they have left over. Any why limit it to 20 days or so? Let the networks pay to carry the games for as long as it takes to finish them.

 

Now we're thinking...

 

I'm thinking that it's beer-thirty right about now.

 

Anytime is good for beer o'clock...(not that i drink

 

A pint of 4X would hit the spot.

KTK

 

Bloody Queenslanders! They sneek in with the humans...You're busted Mr Kanuck!

Oh and its a schooner here...bloody poms.

 

Indeed. My criteria would be if it requires judges to score it it's a performance art and not a sport and should be dropped from the Olympics. That would make room for a considerable number of addtional real sports.