Olympics

Worldly and otherworldly topics
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HighlyIrregular
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Re: Olympics

Post by HighlyIrregular » Mon Jul 26, 2021 2:09 pm

Of those three I just like Hope Solo. And I like the gymnast Jade Carey. I've liked female weightlifters. They're not skinny.

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Ferrus
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Re: Olympics

Post by Ferrus » Mon Jul 26, 2021 6:27 pm

I don't really understand why baseball is an Olympic sport and not cricket seeing as cricket has far more of an international reach.
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C.J.Woolf
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Re: Olympics

Post by C.J.Woolf » Mon Jul 26, 2021 6:46 pm

Ferrus wrote:
Mon Jul 26, 2021 6:27 pm
I don't really understand why baseball is an Olympic sport and not cricket seeing as cricket has far more of an international reach.
I question that. Baseball is popular in the US, Central America, northern South America, the Spanish-speaking Caribbean, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. Emphasis on Japan, the host nation. London 2012 had its chance to include cricket but didn't.

When it comes to how much of the world doesn't care about baseball vs. doesn't care about cricket, it might be a wash. :)

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Ferrus
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Re: Olympics

Post by Ferrus » Mon Jul 26, 2021 7:44 pm

C.J.Woolf wrote:
Mon Jul 26, 2021 6:46 pm
Ferrus wrote:
Mon Jul 26, 2021 6:27 pm
I don't really understand why baseball is an Olympic sport and not cricket seeing as cricket has far more of an international reach.
I question that. Baseball is popular in the US, Central America, northern South America, the Spanish-speaking Caribbean, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. Emphasis on Japan, the host nation. London 2012 had its chance to include cricket but didn't.

When it comes to how much of the world doesn't care about baseball vs. doesn't care about cricket, it might be a wash. :)
If you were to count countries it would be the same. If weighted by population though the cricket watchers would vastly outnumber baseball watchers due to India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
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C.J.Woolf
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Re: Olympics

Post by C.J.Woolf » Mon Jul 26, 2021 8:23 pm

Ferrus wrote:
Mon Jul 26, 2021 7:44 pm
If you were to count countries it would be the same. If weighted by population though the cricket watchers would vastly outnumber baseball watchers due to India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
I know about the Subcontinent providing the vast majority of cricket's fan base. It really is a pity cricket isn't in the Games if only to give those three nations a serious shot at a gold medal. Otherwise, they're vastly underrepresented in the Olympics.

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Ferrus
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Re: Olympics

Post by Ferrus » Mon Jul 26, 2021 8:52 pm

C.J.Woolf wrote:
Mon Jul 26, 2021 8:23 pm
Ferrus wrote:
Mon Jul 26, 2021 7:44 pm
If you were to count countries it would be the same. If weighted by population though the cricket watchers would vastly outnumber baseball watchers due to India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
I know about the Subcontinent providing the vast majority of cricket's fan base. It really is a pity cricket isn't in the Games if only to give those three nations a serious shot at a gold medal. Otherwise, they're vastly underrepresented in the Olympics.
Yes. Although they are strong in field hockey too.
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Utisz
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Re: Olympics

Post by Utisz » Mon Jul 26, 2021 9:23 pm

Just want to throw my hat in the ring for hurling becoming an Olympic sport. :hat:

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Ferrus
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Re: Olympics

Post by Ferrus » Mon Jul 26, 2021 9:33 pm

Utisz wrote:
Mon Jul 26, 2021 9:23 pm
Just want to throw my hat in the ring for hurling becoming an Olympic sport. :hat:
Apparently it was a demonstration sport at the 1904 Olympics in St Louis.

As tug-of-war, cricket and jai alai (aka Basque pelota) were at various early olympics too.

It is a crying shame tug of war was dropped.
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C.J.Woolf
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Re: Olympics

Post by C.J.Woolf » Mon Jul 26, 2021 10:47 pm

A rugby question:

How do you force a turnover? The ball carrier can hand off to a teammate when they're tackled and on the ground.

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Utisz
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Re: Olympics

Post by Utisz » Tue Jul 27, 2021 3:49 pm

C.J.Woolf wrote:
Mon Jul 26, 2021 10:47 pm
How do you force a turnover? The ball carrier can hand off to a teammate when they're tackled and on the ground.
I guess this is rugby union, rather than rugby league?

The most common type of turnover in rugby league happens because of a rule whereby when a player of the opposing team gets tackled and goes to ground, they have to let go of the ball once on the ground within a couple of seconds. A player that is on their feet (from either side) can then try to grab the ball. So if a player gets "isolated", this means that they get tackled away from sufficient teammates for their teammates to retain the ball once the tackler is released. For this reason you have "rucks" involving several players when a tackle is made (usually the forwards, the more "sturdy" players, with teammates trying to retain possession and the opposing team trying to contest the ball; teammates have an advantage as the tackled player will often roll to face them and release in the ball in their direction). There are some rules on how the ball is contested, mainly each player has to be on their feet, and they have to approach the ruck from their team's side; they cannot go around the side of the ruck, or from the opposing side. Also the player who makes the tackle has to clearly release the tackler before trying to contest the ball in this way. Of course, professional teams are good at retaining possession, but there is a bit of a risk/reward dynamic in that a player who makes a break is in danger of getting themselves isolated if they do not have support players close by.

There are other types of turnover possible (without handling errors), like intercepting a pass (quite rare), or a "choke tackle" where a player is tackled on their feet and unable to do anything (this is sort of a trick as this is considered a "maul", a sort of standing mob of players huddled together pushing forward, where the team with the ball are expected to force progress or lose possession).

I think the rules for rugby union are among the most complicated in the world, but its also one of the best refereed sports in the world.

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