LEFT: Neymar of Brazil, right, controls the ball under pressure from Jorge Enriquez of Mexico during the Men's Football Final between Brazil and Mexico at the London 2012 Olympic Games at Wembley Stadium, Aug. 11, 2012. RIGHT: Chris Paul attends the PBA Chris Paul Celebrity Invitational Bowling Tournament at Lucky Strike Lanes at L.A. Live in Los Angeles, Jan. 12, 2012.
Drop it: Men’s Soccer
There must be an argument in favor of getting rid of men’s soccer but keeping women’s, which has been exhilarating throughout these Games. It’s impossible to believe that the male players truly care about Olympic soccer, with it taking place just before many domestic seasons start, and the fans don’t take to it as they do for domestic and international competitions. The fact that Brazil still has never won gold in men’s soccer shows that the greatest footballing nation in the world might not take the Olympics quite as seriously as it does other major tournaments.
Add it: Ten-pin Bowling
As much as I’d love to see cricket added (it was in the 1900 Olympics in Paris) I think it’s too much of a stretch to expect major nations to take part, let alone be medal contenders. Instead, my nomination would be for ten-pin bowling; not only did 20 nations compete in the discipline in Seoul in 1988 when it was a demonstration sport, but everyone knows how to bowl; and if it was lit as imaginatively as the fencing was in London this time around, it would surely get some serious traction.