Should Cheerleading be an Olympic Sport?

Only if they have a companion sport for the Cheerleading Killer Moms.

Fuck no.

R2 those cheerleaders are in much better athletic shape than you.

Of course not.

just no.

Yes.

That would totally deplete the Olympic swim teams.

They even have their own World Championship competition

So how can it NOT be an Olympic sport?

No, but that would be hilarious.

If cheerleading can be in the Olympics, colorguard should be as well.

I think synchronized swimming would be much more interesting if they threw a shark into the pool.

[quote]So how can it NOT be an Olympic sport?

It could actually be put in there provisionally in 2020. I looked at their international federation and 105 different countries are members of it, more then enough to put it in contention as an Olympic sport. Also, it's a huge moneymaker and cheerleading competitions actually do pretty well ratings wise on ESPN.

Cheering is not the Russians.

[quote]Think of the ratings, especially in the mid-west of the US

You sound like you're 100 years old.

No. The last thing the Olympics needs is yet another sport subject to the whims of "judges" who determine the winner.

Cheerleading outside the US is very different. It's basically hot chicks in bikinis and pom-poms at football games who fuck the players at half time.

Now [italic]that[/italic] I'd watch R16 (provided the half-time action is also included.)

It should be allowed. For most of them, it is their one brief moment in the sun.

This way they'd at least have a medal to look at, instead of an old, tattered yearbook.

I think the possibilities are wide open since the Russians got ribbon twirling in as an Olympic sport.

The test should be: Is it as much a sport as ribbon twirling?

R16 you couldn't be more wrong.

[quote][R2] those cheerleaders are in much better athletic shape than you.

But, is that the standard? Anything that requires athletic prowess should be in the Olympics?

It is a pretty athletic sport. It's also incredibly stupid and we really don't need another judged sport.

I'd like to see Olympic plate-spinning on flexible poles.

[quote]Think of the ratings, especially in the mid-west of the US

I would think any sport of the "shooting things until they are dead" variety would be an even bigger hit.

Anything with a subjective judging component is not a sport. Artistry is by definition not a competitive sport.

Figure skating, gymnastics, diving, synchronized swimming, trampoline, freestyle skiing et al.

Are they athletic - yes.

Do they require skill, dedication - yes.

Are they sports - no.

What's the real difference between skateboarding and freestyle skiing? We might as well ballroom dancing, parkour, and surfing.

R23 according to your logic anything that requires someone scoring a goal or crossing a finish-line is a sport.

Everything else is not

Correct?

I'd say that any primarily athletic pursuits with objective measures qualify as sports - so, fencing, judo, weight lifting would also be sports. Chess is not a sport.

I'm not trying to suggest that diving or gymnastics or figure skating are not demanding. Nor am I suggesting that all athletic pursuits be included in the Olympics. We need to separate out the question of legitimacy from the equation.

Activities which attempt to rank outcomes based on subjective measures, especially artistry, reflect more about taste. Look at Albertville and Natalia Mishkutenok and Artur Dmitriev or Elvis Strojko - two ends of the spectrum with opposing outcomes.

You can argue that gymnastics and figure skating have attempted to standardize, but just look at the controversies from the last Olympics. But, can you honestly say that scoring to three decimal places truly makes sense. Precision machine shops often cannot manufacture parts to such levels of precision, but we're supposed to believe that the judges can see such small differences in execution of skills?

True, you could argue baby/bathwater on the question of scoring in competition, but I don't see how that would be possible. I have a great deal of admiration and respect for the athletes who achieve such success, but it still doesn't make it a sport.

I'm with R18. If playing with a cat toy is in why not cheerleading?

And the cat toy event would be better if cats were part of the action.

Baseball and softball were dropped from the '12 games. Wrestling will not appear in the '20 games (no singlets for you!). Do you think they're going to approve an activity that mainly only Americans participate in or excel at?

R27 over 100 countries compete in cheerleading competitions around the world.

When I was a kid, the biggest hometown heroine was a baton twirler. She won baton twirling competitions across the state and she was featured in every town parade. Girls either adored or envied her. Her name was Star Miranda, baton twirling champion.

No!

lawd no

Yes, for both men and women. And there are no gay male cheerleaders. Ever.

I am astonished to find that there is cheerleading outside the US! But how many countries have competitive cheerleading? Enough to make it a truly international sport?

Japanese cheerleaders at link.

One two, tell me who is through

The Jews

Three, four, tell me whom we abhor

The Jews

Five, six, tell me who's ass we'll kick

The Jews

Seven, Eight, whom do we really hate

The Jews

Nine, ten, bomb them again

The Jews

Say it again

The Jews

ugh

This 6+ month old thread was ressurected by r35 so he could write "ugh."

Such dedication should be rewarded by at least one response.

Why isn't straw-wrapper blowing an Olympic sport?

ugh