Craig’s Friday Countdown - Olympic Sports

The IOC announced the addition of six new sports to the 2020 Summer Games in Japan.  Baseball and softball are coming back (as they should) and surfing, skate boarding and sports climbing are also joining the 2020 games, because … well, there are young people on the planet.  I was surprised to see bribery become an official Olympic sport, but I suppose it’s basically the return of tug-of-war, without the rope burns.  USA !  USA !  USA !

Which brings me to the definitive ranking of Olympic sports. 

Let’s get this out of the way, and move on.  There’s only two Summer sports worth watching; badminton and women’s vault.  Both are insane, at the Olympic level.  Handball could make a run at watch-ability, but not until they swap the ball to nothing bigger than a 12” Clincher.  And not a mushy one (that might be a Chicago thing – as should these 2016 Olympics have been).  I’m boycotting Rio.

15.  Cross Country Skiing

14.  Figure Skating

13.  Snowboard

12.  Speed Skating

11. Nordic Combined

10.  Short Track Speed Skating

9.  Biathlon

8.  Ski Jumping- If they added shooting during the jump, it would move at least to #3.  Seriously, they are almost there with Nordic Combined. 

7.  Bobsled

6.  Luge

5.  Hockey - Olympic hockey is the best hockey.  After high school hockey, that is.

4.  Alpine Skiing – By “Alpine Skiing”, I mean downhill. All the others are pretenders to the throne of watch me throw myself down this mountain like I’m immortal.  Because the great ones are.    

3.  Freestyle Skiing – Nuts.

2.  Skeleton – More nuts.

1.  Curling - Attractive people, with a penchant for neatness, playing marbles on ice.  Uniquely soothing.