Why no Tug-O-War in Olympics?

Why no Red Rover?!?!?!?!?!!

Tug-o-war would be AWESOME!!!

tug of war would be fun to watch and should be brought back along with cross country.

But they were turned down by IOC this time? Alternatively, why isn't Tug-O-War part of IAAF?

I think the word "War" scares them. Maybe if they came up with a sufficiently convenient euphemism.

The event I miss most is running deer shooting (both single-shot and double-shot) :( Note: real "running deer" were not used.

IOC inside scoop wrote:

Tug-O-War was an INCREDIBLY popular Olympic sport (track&field) back from 1900--1920!! Multiple clubs from a country could compete. UK was the best (2 golds).

Is there a women's event?

Jamin would be a lock for getting onto the US Tug team, right?

But they were turned down by IOC this time?

My guess is that the "Tug of War International Federation (TWIF)" made insufficient bribes to the relevant IOC mobsters, and so failed the Transparency criterion in organizational administration for acceptance.

Tug of War is a bad model for war. The goal is to drag the enemy into your territory, while in war the goal is to invade your enemy's territory.

There should be Push of War instead. This is already done traditionally in parts of Britain where they have contests where a scrum forms around an object between teams competing to carry it to different places.

I'd vote for Paintball.

Orienteering should be in the Olympics! It's a great sport - try it if you haven't already. It's not as popular in the US as it is in other parts of the world - especially Europe.

Tug-of-war would be an awesome event. How sweet would it be to have the US v Russia in the gold medal match and have Obama and Putin chopper in right before the match to be the "Captains" of the teams. Have the theme song from Rocky 4 (?) playing in the stadium. Sellout for certain.

I disagree. War can also be about forcing the enemy to do your will (enslavement), rather than just to obliterate their territory (kill). Rather than invade Africa, the New World slave traders shipped blacks westward. This was the best of both worlds, as it could be called "trade" rather than "war", and there were many Africans who were eager to profit by rounding up the slaves-to-be for them, saving them the trouble.

As you point out yourself, the African slave trade wasn't a war.

Maybe the Babylonians dragging the Hebrews back home with them was a war.

But if that's the kind of war the tug is about, the defeated team should be "enslaved" by the winning team and join them. The final match will involve hundreds of people and there will be incentive to want a tough draw instead of easy opponents who weaken your final squad.

f*cking chess?

Or dodgeball?

Bad Wigins wrote:

Tug of War is a bad model for war. The goal is to drag the enemy into your territory, while in war the goal is to invade your enemy's territory.

There should be Push of War instead. This is already done traditionally in parts of Britain where they have contests where a scrum forms around an object between teams competing to carry it to different places.

I am sorry Bado Wiginisio.

This pure sport has been ruined forever by the infamous Irish Leprechaun Cheater-Doper Debacleâ„¢in the year 2012. I remember it very well Wigins.

O'Boy.

Tug-of-war is the second most deserving sport in the Olympics. Underwater basket weaving is one hell of a sport

Underwater basket weaver wrote:

Tug-of-war is the second most deserving sport in the Olympics. Underwater basket weaving is one hell of a sport

No trampoline sports? C'mon now, this is the summer games.

Fact. As recently as 1952, the Olympics awarded medals for fine arts including music, literature, painting, and sculpting.

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/when-the-olympics-gave-out-medals-for-art-6878965/