Disc Golf in the Olympics!

[Mike Clark]

Follow the link and make your voice heard. How cool it would be to see Disc Golf in the Olympics. It takes two minutes to add your name to the list of supporters.

http://www.petitiononline.com/discgolf/petition.html

Copied this from a PDGA post.

[El Mexicano]

I hope this is getting out to the Europeans, Canadians and Japanese also since they have a large following as well. Coming only from the United States I don't think it will have much sway. I needs to be represented on more than one continent. With the before mentioned that would cover 3. I don't think the players in Antartica count.

[Jon Brakel]

It doesn't matter if it is available for the rest of the world because there is a process to get new sports into the Olympics. Bruce explained it to me once but I don't remember any more. There are lobbyists involved. It is very political. An online petition, no matter how many people sign it, is not going to do anything.

[Bruce Brakel]

It is too late to get a new sport in for 2012.  It is too late to get a new sport in for 2016 unless you are already on the short list of finalists. 

It is political, in the sense that there is a lot of graft and corruption involved.  You have to know somebody and you have to know how to pay them in a way that does not look like a bribe.  You give $250,000 to someone's favorite charity, and then his favorite charity buys 2,000 copies of his lame-o ghost written book and gives them out to people who donate money, and he gets 20 grand in book royalties, and everyone is happy and you get your sport in for a year.  Why do you think every politician running for president writes a book no one reads?  People buy hundreds of copies to end-run the campaign donation laws. 

Everywhere in the world people play golf.  Golf has not been in the Olympics for 100 years because they won't grease palms to get in.  Back when it was in the Olympics, the medalists use to turn down the medals because it violated golf's rules on amateurism for them to accept the medals. 

If every PDGA member would sign the petition and send me $10, I'll get us in for 2020. 

[Sr.]

Follow the link and make your voice heard. How cool it would be to see Disc Golf in the Olympics. It takes two minutes to add your name to the list of supporters.

http://www.petitiononline.com/discgolf/petition.html

Copied this from a PDGA post.

Every disc golfer should sign this. That is a big problem with the United States. The first Amendment is ignored to much. The right to assemble is powerful!  When all people come together it can work. Especially when there's nothing to lose. How sweet would that be to see a shot from a cliff coming in and banging the chains in HD. Cameras could be put right in the basket. I'm not saying it's going to happen, but why not try?

[Jon Brakel]

The reason not to try is because there is already a process in which one gets a sport into the Olympics and it does not involve making a petition. There's nothing wrong with petitions and if someone was interested in showing someone the support, it makes sense. Petitions can and do work in many cases but I don't think they work in getting a sport into the Olympics unless, as I said, it is to show support to someone or some entity that has the money to make it happen.

[Sr.]

The reason not to try is because there is already a process in which one gets a sport into the Olympics and it does not involve making a petition. There's nothing wrong with petitions and if someone was interested in showing someone the support, it makes sense. Petitions can and do work in many cases but I don't think they work in getting a sport into the Olympics unless, as I said, it is to show support to someone or some entity that has the money to make it happen.

Maybe the petition will bring someone along with the money, or the political factor. It's free to sign that petition. Can't lose a thing. Outside of getting it into the Olympics it shows support for the game, and it shows interest towards the game. Maybe it's a very slim chance, but only a positive can come from this petition with zero negatives. It shows unity. We all know the sport needs as much of that as we can get. 

[duain]

it's worth a try.

[Sr.]

CRITERIA FOR BEING AN OLYMPIC SPORT:
In order to be included on the Olympic program, a summer sport must fullfill, amongst others, the following conditions: Must be widely practiced (by men in 75 Countries on four Continents) (By women in 40 Countries and on 3 Continents)

The World Anti-doping code must be applied.

It must not rely on mechanical propulsion. (Such as a motor)

Todays winter sport must be widely practiced in at least 25 Countries and on three Continents in order to be included on the program. No distinction is made beetween men and women events.

[Abelardo Arenas]

CRITERIA FOR BEING AN OLYMPIC SPORT:
In order to be included on the Olympic program, a summer sport must fullfill, amongst others, the following conditions:

The World Anti-doping code must be applied.

Uh-oh. Houston, we have a problem.

Just kidding. 

[Jon Brakel]

The biggest problem there is widely participated in 75 countries. Disc golf is widely participated in the U.S. but not really anywhere else. I think disc golf is big enough in the U.S. to be considered widely participated in. But you look at the other countries' courses and it's really just pockets of participation in some very select areas.

[pickax]

The other thing, if the Olympics are in Chicago, who would want to showcase the sport with area courses?

[Sr.]

Reading into some information on this petition it was very interesting to see that this petition is being passed around World wide to gain support in other Countries that dont practice disc golf. I was surprised to see the amount of Countries that do practice the sport. It is increasing as we speak. I am convinced more than ever that signing this petition is the right thing to do for the game of disc golf.

[Chainmeister]

I think Jon and Bruce are correct in that a petition will likely have no impact on getting disc golf into the Olympics.  Certainly, an argument could be made the Ultimate may be a better choice for inclusion if disc sports ever had a chance. That being said there is no harm in signing the petition. I did a few days ago when I received a link from Bart Zandstra. I signed just before Avery Jenkins.  The poor guy is always just a step behind me in this sport.    This may not effect the Olympics but its always good to show support.  I have posted elsewhere about my feeling that some large event should take place in the local area (hopefully at a new course) when the Olympics come to Chicago in 2016.

[Bruce Brakel]

Yeah, I wouldn't want to discourage anyone from signing Bart's petition, but it's like that petition in the fifth grade to get "Maya" back on TV.  It doesn't work that way. 

If disc golf ever makes it to the short list, public support might help.  To get on the short list, you need to  spend large amounts of money in the right way. 

And, also, I wasn't the kid circulating that petition in the fifth grade.  I was the kid fruitlessly explaining the Neilsen rating system to the kid circulating that petition!   

[Sr.]

You hit it right on the head, that petition is public support. To compare that petition to something in fifth grade shows ZERO support!