Since the Nats are out of it, I'll be trying to watch games featuring contenders. Tonight I'm at Fenway Park for a game between the Red Sox (61-39) and Blue Jays (49-46). The BoSox lead the AL East by one game over Tampa Bay, while the Blue Jays are 9 1/2 games back.
Softball is exciting. Japan gets a run home on an infield sliding single in the top of the fourth. It's 1-0.
Team USA missed a pretty great opportunity to score in the first inning, as Japan successfully executed about the best throw/catch/tag out after a passed ball with a runner coming home from third that you'll ever see.
Softball has a weird history at the Olympics. Despite U.S. and Japanese advocacy for the sport since the 1940s, softball was not first contested at the Olympics until Atlanta 1996. It was back for Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008; was not contested at London 2012 or Rio 2016; was back at Tokyo 2020, and is not to be contested at Paris 2024.
I don't think any sports should ever be eliminated. Once you're in, you're in. If nobody shows up to play your sport, no medals are awarded in that event for that Olympics--but you're still on the docket for the next Olympics. If it turns out there are too many sports for an Olympics, have Spring and Fall Olympics, Indian Summer Olympics, Blackberry Winter Olympics, This Week's Olympics, whatever. Why would I ever want less Olympics?
Team USA won the first three gold medals in the sport; Japan beat the United States in the 2008 final. And ... spoiler alert ... TURN AWAY FROM THE SCREEN IF YOU'RE STAYING UP TO WATCH THE TAPE DELAY AND DON'T WANT TO KNOW THE FINAL SCORE ...
By the way, some friends from Ottawa just shipped me some Canadian snacks--ketchup-flavored Cheetos (delicious), maple-leaf-shaped Goldfish Crackers (fine--taste like Goldfish Crackers) and "Cap'n Crunch's Canuck Crunch (haven't opened it yet).
While I would not eliminate it, basketball is not one of my favorite Olympic sports. When it comes to the Olympics, as I often say, I Prefer Handball.™
Which is why I would never eliminate it--because you and plenty of other people love it. Soccer and trampoline gymnastics also aren't my jam, but far be it from me to ever take away your pictograms.
I love Sue Bird. She just chased down and leveled a Nigeria player on a breakaway (because she can with the international reffing), hustled back down and received a pass wide open at the three-point line, declined the attempt (she's 40 percent for her WNBA career) and bounced in to wider open Brittney Griner for a short turnaround (for which she's probably about 95 percent for her WNBA career). This sequence is amid a 17-point run for Team USA, and this is not the conclusion of my women's basketball watching during Tokyo 2020.
Since the Nats are out of it, I'll be trying to watch games featuring contenders. Tonight I'm at Fenway Park for a game between the Red Sox (61-39) and Blue Jays (49-46). The BoSox lead the AL East by one game over Tampa Bay, while the Blue Jays are 9 1/2 games back.
ReplyDeleteHelpful. Thank you, Buzzfeed, for the knowledge.
ReplyDeleteAccording to 538, here are the standings after today:
ReplyDelete1. United States: 25 medals (9,8,8): 1 below expectations
2. China: 21 medals (9,5,7): no change from expectations
3. Japan: 18 (10,3,5): minus 4
4. Russia: 18 (7,7,4): plus 8
5. Great Britain: 13 (4,5,4): plus 1
I think this means that Japan wins the softball game I'm watching.
ReplyDeleteYes, but we are only one medal below expectations.
DeleteAlso helpful. Thank you, LivingBobby of YouTube.
ReplyDeleteThe curry puffs look really great.
ReplyDeleteSoftball is exciting. Japan gets a run home on an infield sliding single in the top of the fourth. It's 1-0.
ReplyDeleteTeam USA missed a pretty great opportunity to score in the first inning, as Japan successfully executed about the best throw/catch/tag out after a passed ball with a runner coming home from third that you'll ever see.
Well, heck. I messed up and saw the result of this game on Wikipedia.
ReplyDeleteSoftball has a weird history at the Olympics. Despite U.S. and Japanese advocacy for the sport since the 1940s, softball was not first contested at the Olympics until Atlanta 1996. It was back for Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008; was not contested at London 2012 or Rio 2016; was back at Tokyo 2020, and is not to be contested at Paris 2024.
ReplyDeleteIt's a TBD sitch WRT LA--softball, baseball, cricket and flag (American) football apparently could yet make the docket for XXXIV Olympic Summer Games, Los Angeles 2028 (July 21-August 6, 2028), per Wikipedia.
Here are the sports that should be dropped:
Delete3x3 basketball
Cycling BMX freestyle
Golf
Marathon Swimming
Sport Climbing
Surfing
Trampoline Gymnastics
Triathlon
I would probably also drop baseball, but I would keep softball.
DeleteOn the other hand, I have to admit that my kids were very interested in surfing.
DeleteI don't think any sports should ever be eliminated. Once you're in, you're in. If nobody shows up to play your sport, no medals are awarded in that event for that Olympics--but you're still on the docket for the next Olympics. If it turns out there are too many sports for an Olympics, have Spring and Fall Olympics, Indian Summer Olympics, Blackberry Winter Olympics, This Week's Olympics, whatever. Why would I ever want less Olympics?
DeleteIsn't softball in this one because they are now letting the host countries pick a few sports to highlight when they host?
DeleteYes. But I think softball should be permanent.
DeleteTeam USA won the first three gold medals in the sport; Japan beat the United States in the 2008 final. And ... spoiler alert ... TURN AWAY FROM THE SCREEN IF YOU'RE STAYING UP TO WATCH THE TAPE DELAY AND DON'T WANT TO KNOW THE FINAL SCORE ...
ReplyDeleteCanada wins the bronze at Tokyo 2020, and this concludes my softball coverage for the XXXIII Olympic Summer Games.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, some friends from Ottawa just shipped me some Canadian snacks--ketchup-flavored Cheetos (delicious), maple-leaf-shaped Goldfish Crackers (fine--taste like Goldfish Crackers) and "Cap'n Crunch's Canuck Crunch (haven't opened it yet).
ReplyDeleteOh, good. Dawn Staley is coaching Team USA women's basketball. I think I knew that.
ReplyDelete8:53 to go in the first quarter: Nigeria 2, Team USA 1.
ReplyDelete5:14 to go in the first quarter: Team USA 9, Nigeria 8.
ReplyDeleteThrough Q1: Nigeria 20, Team USA 17.
ReplyDeleteIf this doesn't start going the other direction fast, this might conclude my coverage of women's basketball at Tokyo 2020, as well.
While I would not eliminate it, basketball is not one of my favorite Olympic sports. When it comes to the Olympics, as I often say, I Prefer Handball.™
ReplyDeleteThere are three great basketball tournaments:
Delete1. The NCAA Tournament
2. The KHSAA Tournament
3. The Olympic Tournament
I enjoy them all.
Which is why I would never eliminate it--because you and plenty of other people love it. Soccer and trampoline gymnastics also aren't my jam, but far be it from me to ever take away your pictograms.
DeleteThe USA Network play-by-play guy, Bob Something, just said that A’ja Wilson of Team USA was named after her dad's favorite song.
ReplyDeleteI love Sue Bird. She just chased down and leveled a Nigeria player on a breakaway (because she can with the international reffing), hustled back down and received a pass wide open at the three-point line, declined the attempt (she's 40 percent for her WNBA career) and bounced in to wider open Brittney Griner for a short turnaround (for which she's probably about 95 percent for her WNBA career). This sequence is amid a 17-point run for Team USA, and this is not the conclusion of my women's basketball watching during Tokyo 2020.
ReplyDeleteOh, wow! Dan Hughes is one of Dawn Staley's assistant coaches. I love Dan Hughes. And Dawn Staley.
ReplyDeleteAlso, tennis should be dropped.
ReplyDelete