London got the Olympics!!!!

[Guest]

[ferdinand_the_yak]

Do you realise how old we'll be in 2012 Roz? :'(

[Roz]

I shall be in my early 30s... scary! (you see by then I will be getting vague about my age when people ask )

[savage727]

I am so glad the Olympics are coming to England instead of stinky ole France!     I think you folks can thank Tony Blair for a big part of this win as he personally jet setted around the world visiting in person the IOC voting members to plead England's case in person whereas Chirac of France did not.      I plan to be in England with Mark & Roz to see these games in 2012 provided I am still around!   

[Roz]

Excellent! We plan to make all efforts to get tickets, if events are in London that's no problem - but I fancy some rowing events too which take place in Weymouth at the centre of the South Coast and within easy reaching distance of my parents - so it sounds like we are all sorted

I believe you have to buy sets of tickets 2 at a time - so if you buy a popular event you also have to buy a rubbish one too.

I look forward to Tennis at Wimbledon too - Wimbledon is a BEAUTIFUL place to go (and it's not often you can say that sort of thing about a Sports Venue)

[savage727]

The news this morning that the IOC has dropped Baseball and Softball as an Olympic sport for the 2012 games in London is devestating to Americans and the criticism of the IOC's decision is hot and heavy here.  The IOC had a secret ballet vote on all Summer Olympic sports to determine which 2 would be eliminated and they are not releasing the results of that vote.  This is unbelieveable as these two sports have generated huge sums of revenue for every Olympics they were featured in.  Baseball and Softball are played around the world so it is not as if it is only a U.S. sport.  This marks the first time in 69 years that events have been cut from the Olympics.       The IOC said part of the reason for their decision to drop Baseball is that the best players do not participate as they are playing for Major League Baseball.  Well folks these guys are Professional and as I recall the Olympics were all about amateur athletes until the IOC changed their rules several Olympics ago allowing Professionals to participate in various sports.  To give this as a reason to eliminate the sport is bogus.   Softball is a woman's event in the Olypmics and this eliminates many women from all over the world whose dream it was to play for their country.  What a shame.

[grecopa]

No baseball or softball?   That's an absolute CRIME!  Softball, womens soccer, and gymnastics have been the 3 sports I watch the most of in the Olympics.  What a shame.

[Roz]

*looks embarrassed at having no idea what softball is*

And perhaps they'll substitute baseball with rounders, it's identical but old and British and has a smaller bat and a more round shaped thing to run around

_{Erm please note I am kidding - sorry about this}

[savage727]

Roz:

Softball is very similiar to baseball except it is played on a smaller field, has a larger ball, and in the Olympics is a woman's sport.

[Roz]

So is it really played the world over? It seems that mostly the Olympics is expanding it's repertoire, so it seems peculiar to drop some if they are popular

[ferdinand_the_yak]

We play in Oz, in fact I think we won the silver medal for it in Athens... or was it Sydney

Edit: It was silver in Athens and bronze in Sydney and Atlanta

[MakTheYak]

We play in Oz, in fact I think we won the silver medal for it in Athens... or was it Sydney

Edit: It was silver in Athens and bronze in Sydney and Atlanta

So you guys are "ok" then Wow you Aussies do so well in sport - which is surprising given the heat you guys must practice in. when it gets hot around here I want to go inside and collapse in a small heap

Unless it's skating, for some reason I can skate in the heat, perhaps that's because there's always the option to skate to an ice cream van and cool down