As a sports fan, I am watching the Olympics in London and I have to admit I am disappointed in many fronts, not to mention confused about what sports represent to people. This 2012 Olympic Games have been made "famous" for not so good things, including stories about how many condoms were distributed to the athletes. Surely that is what families of athletes wanted to hear. By the way, the condom story and how much sex there is among athletes was covered much more than the fact that an amputee athlete from South Africa was the first amputee ever to qualify for the Olympic Games to compete against the big boys... Now, that is something to talk and write about!
Instead, we find out that many rules have changed and in the "interest of equality", instead of the interest of excellence. Gone are the days when a country could finish 1,2,3 in all sports (i.e. gymnastics) because in the "spirit of equality", each country can only send two athletes to the finals, never mind that some that qualified did not have a chance to win or even place. That rule needs to change. The same goes in swimming and several other sports. Face it, just to represent your country in the Olympics is as big a deal as it gets. The athletes know that. The fans know that. And if you make the finals, let the best of all be in the finals, even if the best of all are from one country. And yes, the best will probably win, but the second best could be left in the shadows and their names never heard of because they happen to be in the "Tiger Woods" team of any sport.
Other rules that need to be changed:
1.- Since when losing a match would give you a better chance to play against a weaker opponent? That rule needs to be changed. The athletes who were disqualified in badminton for not giving their best were just using the system that the Olympic Committee came up with. Yes, they were wrong in not doing their best, but frankly, those rules are as "guilty" as the players, and those who wrote the rules should leave the committee as well.
2.- Similar to the badminton happened in one of the cycling races. A team -that ultimately won- had a start in which the rules allowed the cyclist to have a second start if he fell down.. guess what: the cyclist did not like his start, fell down in purpose, and started all over again. This time winning the race and a gold medal. Here is an analogy, you hit a bad drive on the first hole so you purposely turn sideways, aim out of bounds so you can have a new start? Would you think Tom Watson or Jack Nicklaus do that? Would you do it?
In short, the Olympic Committee needs to revise the rules on certain sports so that mediocrity or bad play is not rewarded. There needs to be seeding like in golf or tennis. You pair up #1 vs 64, #2 vs 63, etc. You give the better seeded players, because of their previous performance, a better chance to keep going, not the other way around. If the Olympic Committee (probably coming from the U.N.) ever got hold of the NFL, they would probably want every team to finish 8 and 8!
When golf comes around, it is more of a game than a sport and I suggest a few changes to make it an Olympic sport:
1. ABSOLUTELY NO CADDIES - LIKE AMATEUR COLLEGE GOLF.
2. NO PROS ADMITTED - SOME GAMES IN THE OLYMPICS SHOULD BE FOR AMATEURS ONLY: GOLF, BASKETBALL, TENNIS AND SOCCER INCLUDED.
3. LIKE THE BIATHLON, THERE IS A SCORE (YOUR ACTUAL SCORE) WHICH COMBINES WITH TIME TAKEN. YOU TAKE MORE THAN 3 1/2 HOURS, YOU ARE OUT. DURING THE ROUND, IF YOU TAKE MORE THAN 30 SECONDS FOR ANY ONE SHOT, YOU GET A PENALTY STROKE.
4. THE TOP FOUR IN THE WORLD RANKINGS OF EACH COUNTRY QUALIFY FOR THE OLYMPICS... IF YOU WANT TO SEND THEM EVEN IF YOU ARE RANKED 453rd.
5. THE TOUGH GETS TOUGHER: ALL QUALIFIERS WILL PLAY 36 HOLES STROKE PLAY IN TWOSOMES AT THE TUNE OF A ZAMBA. HIT WHEN YOU ARE READY AND FINISH INSIDE 3 HOURS. TOP 64 MAKE IT TO MATCH PLAY WHERE EXCELLENCE IS REWARDED: 1 vs 64, 2 vs 63, 3 vs 62, ETC.
6. MATCH PLAY IS MODIFIED: IF THERE IS A TIE, THE PLAYERS WITH LESS TIME TO COMPLETE HIS ROUND IS THE WINNER. IF THERE IS A TIE, THEN THE ATHLETE WHO HAD LESS STROKES IN HIS ROUND.
7. AND LAST, BUT NOT LEAST, WHEN -HOPEFULLY AN AMERICAN PLAYER-, WINS THE GOLD MEDAL, HE WILL PUT HIS HAND OVER HIS HEART WHEN THE NATIONAL ANTHEM IS PLAYED!