Goodell Wants American Football Included in Olympics

[Sarge]

Goodell needs to step down.......like............off a cliff down.

 

[MapleLeaf]

I'd find it very entertaining.

...Olympic rules state there are only two downs, 16 players a side and the field is 90 yards wide by 150 yards long.

I would give the international community a chance in a game... but then Cam Newton would own a game like that one.

I think Goodell is nuts, but I could see flag football being an Olympic sport.

Isn't there a rule that the Olympic sport must be played by a minimum percentage of the world's population to be eligible?

Flag football should meet that requirement and give the Khazakstans and Thailands of the world a chance to develop teams and athletes.

NFL style football - not a chance.

 

[JonJon]

I think it is a good idea except I wouldn't want NFL starters playing. I think it would be a good opportunity for practice squad and developmental players.

 

[DallasEast]

Isn't there a rule that the Olympic sport must be played by a minimum percentage of the world's population to be eligible?

Flag football should meet that requirement and give the Khazakstans and Thailands of the world a chance to develop teams and athletes.

This would most likely happen in my opinion. It is a good compromise which the International Olympic Committee would possibly consider.

 

[burmafrd]

Goodell's just being more of a blowhard than usual. Terrible idea, but it makes for some sort of vaguely relevent soundbyte right now.

that has been the NFL mantra (expand NFL overseas)long before Goodell. Now I do agree the olympics thing is stupid

 

[burmafrd]

I think that Tennis,Basketball,Baseball,Soccer shouldn't be olympic sports as it is.

We have premier league/World Cups already for soccer. It's on TV all the time. Same with the other sports. In Tennis we had basically the exact same matchups that they show on tv regularly with Sharapova/Serena matching up.

Those feel more like professional games. They should be excluded from the olympics.

It should consist of: Track and Field,Gymnastics,Swimming,Archery etc. In my opinion.

The sports you never get to watch live.

I agree that team sports should not be a part of the Olympics. Relay teams are the closest that should compete.

Also frankly things like Badminton do NOT belong there.

 

[DallasEast]

I think it is a good idea except I wouldn't want NFL starters playing. I think it would be a good opportunity for practice squad and developmental players.

I highly doubt anyone would see NFL starters playing in the Olympics. They barely wish to play in the Pro Bowl for goodness sakes.

Practice squad members are one step away from realizing their career dreams. I doubt that many would volunteer to compete against amateur competition which could wipe out their opportunity. The main pool, which I see volunteers coming out of, would be from semi-professional leagues, some college and even the high school ranks.

There are three things which Goodellphobia has masked for some if American style football is ever adopted by the Olympics:

• The sport would be in its infancy for all non-American participants. The rest of the world would need to develop the sport before they would threaten the American competitive advantage. That could possibly mean decades.
• American style football is played by many thousands of amateur athletes, who either acknowledge to themselves that they have little or no hope of playing professionally in the NFL or even CFL.
• American Olympic "Dream Teams," which we witness in basketball or hockey, would not be as enticing to NFL players due to risk of injury. Even though injuries do happen in the other two sports as well, they are not considered as commonplace and potentially career threatening as in football. Patriotic determination to compete would have a very difficult problem overcoming that possibly devastating outcome.

Now, if davidyee is right, I could see NFL stars competing in the Olympics in flag football. The potential for career-ending injury drops considerably to that of, say, soccer. Goodell should ask for international amnesty if that ever happened though.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

The Olympic Summer Games typically last 16 days. Basically, that's enough time to play 2 games. What kind of qualifying and medal round are you going to be able to put together for Football? You can't really play more then one game a week if your actually playing the game the way it's supposed to be played.

Not a very realistic idea, even if you started play before opening ceremonies. mean, you would have to start it 2 months before opening ceremonies. It's crazy.

 

[JonJon]

The Olympic Summer Games typically last 16 days. Basically, that's enough time to play 2 games. What kind of qualifying and medal round are you going to be able to put together for Football? You can't really play more then one game a week if your actually playing the game the way it's supposed to be played.

Not a very realistic idea, even if you started play before opening ceremonies. mean, you would have to start it 2 months before opening ceremonies. It's crazy.

A possible solution would be to reduce the minutes per quarter. The NFL and NCAA has 15 minutes per quarter, but high school only has 12. Maybe the Olympic Committee could agree on a quarter length of 8-12 minutes which cuts down on fatigue and injuries which could allow for games every 3 days or so.

 

[The30YardSlant]

Goodell is a *******, I love football more than any other sport but only 2 countries on Earth would be competative.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

A possible solution would be to reduce the minutes per quarter. The NFL and NCAA has 15 minutes per quarter, but high school only has 12. Maybe the Olympic Committee could agree on a quarter length of 8-12 minutes which cuts down on fatigue and injuries which could allow for games every 3 days or so.

No, that won't work. Even if you took it down to 8 or 12 minutes, it takes the body a week to recover from the hitting. Heck, if you played to games a week, it would not be enough time still. No way you can play real football in the Olympics IMO.

 

[Doomsday101]

I don't think at this time it would be a good idea but I do like the fact that the NFL continues to promote football. 20 or 30 years down the line who knows.

 

[DWhite Fan]

If Goodell is serious about an international expansion team, Mexico City and Toronto are more practical options and should receive teams at the same time if the expansion occurs...
:starspin

 

[MapleLeaf]

No, that won't work. Even if you took it down to 8 or 12 minutes, it takes the body a week to recover from the hitting. Heck, if you played to games a week, it would not be enough time still. No way you can play real football in the Olympics IMO.

...the IOC has freaked out over the bobsledder who died in Vancouver I can't imagine another sport where even the 4th string US players would not seriously injure or end the walking abilities of players from any other nation not presently playing in the football world cup.

Goodell has no idea how much he is sticking his neck out on this one. It would take years for other countries to just get to a point of playing a game relatively injury free.

Up until that point you would be sacrificing players who are not only learning, but learning to meet the US competition. Not a good thing.

It wouldn't surprise me if a D3 college team would win the Gold medal in the first ever held Olympic Football event.

 

[Rynie]

The NFL has gotten it into its head that somehow we can transplant our football there.

With no real evidence its ever more than a curiosity or minor draw there.

Just stupid- no other words for it.

There will never be enough support in Europe for a full NFL franchize.

Well said. Having been to London, I can tell you FOR SURE THEY DO NOT GIVE TWO ****S about American football.

This is why people in other countries hate us. We think we're so special that everyone will automatically embrace our sport. Goodell is ********.

 

[Muhast]

I agree that team sports should not be a part of the Olympics. Relay teams are the closest that should compete.

Also frankly things like Badminton do NOT belong there.

Badmitton may be kicked out after the controversy lol

 

[Doomsday101]

Well said. Having been to London, I can tell you FOR SURE THEY DO NOT GIVE TWO ****S about American football.

This is why people in other countries hate us. We think we're so special that everyone will automatically embrace our sport. Goodell is ********.

You mean like trying to promote soccer in the US?

People in other countries hate us? that makes it harder to explain why more people wish to immagrate to the US than any country in the would. Go figure

 

[NinePointOh]

the reason why rugby is not an olympic sport

It will be from now on.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympic_games/8292584.stm

 

[NinePointOh]

You mean like trying to promote soccer in the US?

MLS has the third-highest average attendance among US professional sports leagues, having surpassed the NBA and NHL. Soccer's also the only sport in the US that ranks in the top 5 most popular youth sports for both boys and girls.

If American football was that popular around the world, it would most likely be in the Olympics, easy.

People in other countries hate us? that makes it harder to explain why more people wish to immagrate to the US than any country in the would. Go figure

Not sure that's the best way to measure anti-American sentiment, nor does it excuse having certain attitudes toward other countries.

The better argument would be to say there's absolutely nothing wrong with setting big goals, and that nothing Goodell said implies he expects everyone to just "automatically embrace" the idea. It's part of a larger, long-term initiative to increase the global market for the sport, which any businessman would be a moron to not do. People don't have to like something if they don't want to, but it's just as absurd to say "nobody else will ever like it, ever" as it is to say "everybody should like it because we say so." If you think your sport is so unappealing that nobody will like it, you shouldn't be a commissioner.

 

[Doomsday101]

MLS has the third-highest average attendance among US professional sports leagues, having surpassed the NBA and NHL. Soccer's also the only sport in the US that ranks in the top 5 most popular youth sports for both boys and girls.

If American football was that popular around the world, it would most likely be in the Olympics, easy.

Not sure that's the best way to measure anti-American sentiment, nor does it excuse having certain attitudes toward other countries.

The better argument would be to say there's absolutely nothing wrong with setting big goals, and that nothing Goodell said implies he expects everyone to just "automatically embrace" the idea. It's part of a larger, long-term initiative to increase the global market for the sport, which any businessman would be a moron to not do. People don't have to like something if they don't want to, but it's just as absurd to say "nobody else will ever like it, ever" as it is to say "everybody should like it because we say so." If you think your sport is so unappealing that nobody will like it, you shouldn't be a commissioner.

Yes soccer has grown in the US but it did not happen overnight it took years. No one is forcing football on anyone, yes they have brought football to europe some like it some don't but then soccer was that way as well.

As I mentioned before it may be 10, 20 years down the line but the one thing you do want to do is promote it and try to bring a taste of it to others. I don't feel anyone has to like football and believe it or not some of us still don't care for soccer. :laugh2: