Why isn't Armwrestling an Olympic Sport?

[simon]

Apr 10, 2009 3:22:23 GMT -5 Chad Handy said:

Don't take this the wrong way. But when most tournaments are in bars, and many of the contestants are drinking, and I've even seen some of the refs drinking, it's going to be very hard to be taken seriously as a sport. Do I think it's a sport? Hell yeah. But to an outsider looking in, you can see some of the stereotypical problems they perceive.
I know there are a number of tournaments that take place at gyms or non-bar atmosphere's, but as long as one "sanctioned" event takes place in a bar, it will be a strike against legitimacy.
Fair? No. The Marine Corps was founded in a bar. "Tun Tavern". If it's good enough for my Marine Corps, it's good enough for me. Sadly, those in charge of public perception aren't always so patriotic or open-minded.

This has absolutely nothing to do with anything, I assure you, from the aspect of National support or interest in the sport it may hurt us but the IOC could care less. Don't flatter our sport enough to think they know enough about us to even take that aspect into consideration.

Our only avenues into the Olympics are if we join an existing org or if Armwrestling becomes a media darling cash cow.

As to the other GAISF sports we could apply for this level and make it onto the list of sports however that is a long and unlikely road to the Olympics in this day and age, so don't waste too much time fretting over those sports on that list getting in as just like us they will sit there until they join another org or become a world renowned spectator sport.

It is kind of like a line outside of a NY City Nightclub, you can stand in line and feel like you have an eventual shot to get in, while the hottest women walk right by you and past the velvet rope.

[John Wilson]

"It is kind of like a line outside of a NY City Nightclub, you can stand in line and feel like you have an eventual shot to get in, while the hottest women walk right by you and past the velvet rope."

Excellent analogy. We can become a hot chick ourselves- which would require EXTREME TV VIEWERSHIP MAKEOVER, or we can go make friends with a hot chick and get in because of her.

This issue has been beaten to death for the last twenty years. Something else to consider is what becoming an IOC controlled event would do to the sport. I'm not a fan.