i had no idea what flag football was until yesterday but to me it appears tag rugby is the same sport, or would that be wrong.

Do any of you from the US even know what cricket is? As an Australian that has this as it's predominant summer sport blows my mind.

Yes, this seems to be tag rugby but played with 5 a side on a half pitch, you're allowed one forward pass per play.
Mercifully I can't imagine that it will be included in Brisbane. There may be 74 national American Football feds affliliated to IFAF but . . .
T20 should be absolutely massive, assume will be deconflicted with IPL. Is sure to stay for Brisbane.

For endurance sport fans there is another interesting change.

Leightweight rowing is out.
Coastal rowing is in.
Distance for rowing has been reduced from 2000m to 1500m due to the available facilities.

---

Strava

Heard on the radio today that only 6 countries will get a cricket slot.
3 medals.
That’s just weird.

It could go the way of breakdancing. Get included in Olympics and removed from the Olympics for the following Olympics before said sport even gets to “showcase” in the Olympics…..oooof

**IF** NFL players play in the Olympics and the NFL is "wanting" that to happen, flag football will stay in the Olympics, no brainer.

---

Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

Yesbut. Twelve (M+W) teams with (at least)12 players each is 144. Way more athletes than triathlon. Six teams implies 15 matches round robin, and then semi-finals and gold and bronze medal matches: 38 (M+W) matches to be fitted into a ten day calendar. How many cricket grounds has Los Angeles (et environs) got?
To get more medals for 'other' sports some sports with ridiculous numbers of athletes doubling trebling (or more) up for multiple individual events (all with medals) need to be rationalised: swimming I'm looking at you.

Before the Patriots running back tore his knee and ruined his career (anyone remember that?) the NFL stars would play a flag football game against the US National Champion team. The only people in the world who can remotely guard NFL WRs are NFL defensive backs.

https://swimswam.com/...dFyX93-3kpzmOqbGWw3Q


In the 141st session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Olympic Programme Commission and Executive Board officially approved the addition of five new sports to the Olympic program. The vote, which took place earlier today, marks the official decision to add baseball/softball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse, and squash to the schedule for the 2028 Olympic Games, which will take place in Los Angeles. This decision comes on the heels of the LA28 Organizing Committee proposing these additional sports last week.

IOC OFFICIALLY APPROVES FIVE NEW SPORTS TO BE INCLUDED AT LA 2028 OLYMPIC GAMES
IOC OFFICIALLY APPROVES FIVE NEW SPORTS TO BE INCLUDED AT LA 2028 OLYMPIC GAMES

---

Kiwami Racing Team

That was one of the worst knee injuries I've ever seen. Gronk has stated he's all in on this for what it's worth, hell US could play retired players and likley win.

---

Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

Coastal rowing can FRO. It's being brought in on aspirations of universality, which will not happen - overwhelmingly the same nations will win other than the occasional medal from a country which lets FISA give itself a hug, and brings chance into the equation far too much. You can be the fastest in the event and lose because someone else cracks it for a wave and brings them right through you.

Getting rid of LWT rowing - can't honestly say that I care. You're never going to see a reputable cycling or running event at an elite level with an athlete-greater-than-n-kg, and those are sports where weight has a much greater speed impact than in rowing. Clydesdae is going to be about the only division in triathlon where I'd be any good, but I don't pretend there's a representation issue and universality - if I wanted to be good at a sport, it wouldn't be triathlon, but I do it because I enjoy it. Olympics should be elite and best of the best, not just for enjoyment.

My "Rules for Deciding if a Sport should Be In the Olympics":

1. The sport needs an established, well-recognized code. Flag football doesn't qualify. Sailing does.
2. The sport needs a broad fan base, preferably world-wide. Baseball emphatically DOES qualify (at least on this criteria), Softball does not.
3. Crucially: the Olympics should be the biggest competition for the sport. Baseball, soccer (football), tennis and basketball all don't qualify. Swimming, T&F, volleyball, rowing and alpine skiing all do.
4. The need for expensive facilities should be miminized. Kayaking and canoeing both require ridiculously expensive artificial runs that might never be used again. Building a basketball or baseball arena in a country that couldn't care less about basketball or baseball. Ski jumping hills and bobsled runs that are never used again etc. The need for these new facilities shouldn't be an automatic exclusion criteria but it should weigh heavily against the sport. The IOC should consider stopping rotating the event around and holding it in a permanent spot for this reason.
5. Controversially: the sport should be as quantitative as possible. Sports that rely on timing, have a finish line, keep score etc all qualify. Sports with nebulous, ajudicated "artistic merit" scores should be minimized, sorry diving, gymnastics, half-pipe and figure skating.

I'm in for this - I'd go further and take any sport with judging out of the Olympics.
Perversely, I'd keep combat sports in them though - it's a count of hits, and shouldn't be judged. I'd move towards automated judging like fencing for these sports. Not sure how it'd work.

But we could also get the prettiness element out of ski-jumping as well. That really drives me nuts. It's either judged or not, not both!

What is "code" mean in this context? What about defining "well established" ? What does this mean?

This narrows sport to soccer/football, swimming, running/athletics.
Womens' sport disciplines are going to struggle compared to mens'.

WMM ($$), NFL ($$$$), Nike ($), Adidas ($), Mizuno ($), etc., marketing for the other 3yrs 49weeks between Olympics probs would not agree.


Yep. This is always an issue. And why host nations seem to struggle.

The Olympics are headed in the opposite direction because it can reach a broader base (and more rev streams) by bringing emergent sports into the fold.
Also, Tony Hawk Pro Skater on X-box is a very lucrative franchise.

Above all else, the Olympic Games is a business,

---

no sponsors | no races | nothing to see here

I can see them adding events that don't add to the athlete count. Likely means the 55 slots for the Oly distance would see a cut to make it happen. Open water had 25 slots, but only has 21 in Paris.

The standards just to get an "A" cut for swimming are insane in some events like mens 400IM at 4:12.5, my sons team mate is on track to make that cut and he was 9th at worlds last year (3rd at Jr Worlds 4:12.8) .

All these new sports mean that universality slots will be trimmed and regular qualification gets harder in existing sports.

---

___________________________________________
http://en.wikipedia.org/...eoesophageal_fistula
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebral_palsy
2020 National Masters Champion - M40-44 - 400m IM
Canadian Record Holder 35-39M & 40-44M - 200 m Butterfly (LCM)

softball is a world wide sport, and is played by just as many people as baseball.

Never seen it played in Europe