IOOC sticks it to wrestling again

[ViseGrip]

http://intermatwrestle.com/articles/18311

[Bob H.]

The Olympics has become nearly unwatchable.  In an effort to appeal to more women, especially with all of the studio yapfests NBC has, I've lost interest in their broadcasts.

[mspart]

Well, obviously they are not trying to interest you!!  I am lucky and can watch it on CBC which has really good coverage.  A little Canadian centric but nothing like the US centric and fluff pieces you get on NBC.  While hearing how great the US is and all the fluff pieces, the actual competition is about 1/5 of the broadcast.  NBC only shows heats with US participants - generally.  CBC shows all the heats.  Much better. 

mspart

[Bob H.]

They've also lost my wife.  She wants to watch women's gymnastics and the "pretty sports", but they made it so difficult that she gave up.  NBC would show some gymnastics, then cut over to swimming.  My wife was already in bed and asleep by the time they returned to gymnastics, so she missed all of the medal awards.

[mspart]

I hear you.  I had women at work complain of the same.  Get CBC if you can.  Much better.

mspart

[a guest]

Wait, there are more sports at the Olympics than swimming?

[mspart]

Indeed.  And they get to swim in as many races as they qualify for and we get 3 participants in just about each race.   Can't say that about wrestling.  Never been a case where any country swept the medals in a given weight in Wrestling.

So this does not  change the weights or styles in Wrestling at the Olympics.  It sounds like they are moving to 16 man brackets to make the competition shorter.  So I guess it will be a little more difficult to qualify.  Molinaro would not have made it last year even though he ended up 5th.  With 16 man brackets they should go back to double elimination.  Or do like in MN HS tourney:  First round loss does not move on unless the winner of that match wins the next match.  Then double elim.  That shortens the competition up. 

mspart

[OkieSpladle]

With the advent of online streaming of every event, I see more actual competition than ever these days.  I'm not sure I watched NBC itself at all during the Rio Games and the other channels only a little.  With just a little effort, you too can have the Olympic experience you've always desired!

As for the cuts, unfortunately, we're in no position to take a meaningful stand against the Olympics due to the amount of funding we get from Olympic organizations around the world.  We're between a rock and a hard place.  UWW is doing the right thing by going to 10 weights and doing a non-Olympic weight worlds every four years.  If the cuts get deep enough, I know for a fact that certain members of UWW have the idea of going to a full Worlds every year (like they did for the women when they only had 4 Oly weights), but the money side of that would have to make some sense.

[Gimp]

Indeed.  And they get to swim in as many races as they qualify for and we get 3 participants in just about each race.   Can't say that about wrestling.  Never been a case where any country swept the medals in a given weight in Wrestling.

Actually the USA swept all 7 weights (yes all 21 medals) at St Louis in 1904 in Freestyle.

[mspart]

Well that can't be done anymore.

mspart

[ViseGrip]

I think the Olympics are the tail waging the dog anyway.

[a guest]

If they keep the amount of weightclasses, but shrink the size of the bracket entrants, does that mean:

1. There will be less parity in Olympic wrestling (i.e. continually seeing USA, Russia, Iran, Japan and Cuba  in the brackets while losing burgeoning countries like Nigeria, India, etc.)?

2. Only having the best competing against the best lead to televised wrestling matches that are 2-1, 1-0, 2-0 in nature?  These matches will be hard to watch/understand for the non-wrestling fans...which could lead to even less viewership. 

[RYou]

2. Only having the best competing against the best lead to televised wrestling matches that are 2-1, 1-0, 2-0 in nature?  These matches will be hard to watch/understand for the non-wrestling fans...which could lead to even less viewership.

If NBC even opts to televise them.