Friday, July 08, 2005


IOC Drops Baseball, Softball From Games - Yahoo! News
Must be they have been watching the Cubs also. After dropping eight straight, the last one in completely horrific fashion, I'm about ready to drop baseball. (not really- just frustrated right now.)

SINGAPORE - Baseball and softball weren't big hits among International Olympic Committee members.

Both American-invented sports were dropped Friday from the program for the 2012 Olympics in London — the first events cut from the Summer Games in 69 years. The IOC couldn't agree on their replacements.

Each of the 28 existing sports was put to a secret vote by the IOC, and baseball and softball failed to receive a majority required to stay on the program. The other 26 sports made the cut.

The IOC then voted from a waiting list of five sports: golf, rugby, squash, karate and roller sports. Squash and karate won the ballots, but then were rejected in final confirmation votes.

Requiring a two-thirds approval for inclusion on the program, squash was rejected 63-39 and karate 63-38.

It was a stunning conclusion to a long, complex voting procedure, and means that 26 sports will be contested at the London Games.

"I would like to thank you very much because this was a very, very important day for the International Olympic Committee," IOC president Jacques Rogge said. "You have taken important decisions — and this was a very democratic process."

Baseball and softball, which will remain on the program for the 2008 Beijing Games, are the first sports eliminated from the Olympics since polo in 1936.

Seriously, I'm rather disappointed about this. Baseball is played the world over now- and they wanted to vote in squash?

Eh.