Olympian1010

It should be, but alas it is in these games instead.

Yes, which is why I’m a bit conflicted on the issue. The NCAA has run university sports like a monopoly, and they make millions, if not billions, or dollars a year off the athletes merchandise. I believe the bill makes universities give athletes money to use their names on t-shirts, jerseys, etc.

Many NCAA athletes do get financial aid. The bill in California states that must be paid on top of that.

@bmo being the College Football expert you are, Do you have an opinion in the “Should college athletes by paid” debate?

California has just become the first state to pass a bill mandating that university level athletes be paid their fair share. Earlier this year, the NCAA threatened to kick out all California universities. There’s a few ways this goes down, but I’m going to grab some popcorn and enjoy the fireworks.

In all honesty I wouldn’t be that disappointed with the Dutch team @heywoodu. The majority of qualification systems were rather good, but a few left quite a bit to be desired. This is a new event on the international calendar. It may take awhile for nations to start sending bigger teams. Plus, it’s not like the Netherlands are powerhouses in any of the sports besides sailing. If Candy Jacobs competes, you guys might just have a medal chance.

Well we’re talking about real sports, so no.

A then because European nations all have a bunch of never used, incredibly stupid laws; I crush the forum as well

I quite like Matthew. I think it’s the perfect name for me. If had to be born with a different, Joshua (gross), wouldn’t be it. I having nothing against Joshua’s of the world. The name just isn’t a good fit for me. I could see myself as a Jack, Dylan, or Alexander, but not Josh. I would have most preferred Mathias over Matthew.

Especially for a nation that after climate change will be one big beach

Well Berlusconi wasn’t allowed to stay in power. Hopefully the spirit of the Arab spring stays alive in its birth place. I’d be par for course for another autocrat to rise up though. It would also follow the international trend of countries trying to screw themselves over that I mentioned earlier.

Those are the final Team Sizes for all teams. The US seems to have still been given the quotas promised to them as the original hosts for some reason. I like the amount and diversity of countries. 97 NOCs in total qualified. There are 19 from Africa and 5 from Oceania, which is great. The America’s have 21 NOCs with Asia having a few more. Europe either had 32 or 35 countries represented, which isn’t terrible. Looking forward to these games after the success of other Beach games. If a mod ( @Sindo, @vinipereira, or @hckosice) could combine those lists and them to the first/main page/post or give me the ability to do that; That would be great.

Sometimes I forget about Akwasi Frimpong, one of my favorite athletes, but he’s been in the news quite a bit lately. Ghana Gas, Ghana’s State Gas Company, just signee him into a four year sponsorship. He helped run Nigeria’s bobsled tryouts. He helped set up , , and new Bobsled federations (and they have or are about to join the IBSF. He also launched his own sportswear company. Talk about a busy man and great Olympian. Hopefully he really does become a medal contender for 2022. His company recently began manufacturing skinsuits (racesuits) for those on the IBSF circuit. Here’s the one he made for a Mexican athlete @mrv86

Yes, I am impressed. Don’t vote for a megalomaniac please and thank you. I’ll be cheering for democracy

Know I only found this out because my dad dropped a random story on me today. I was telling him about how athletes are sometimes just selected out of the blue by a country to keep for them at the Olympics. Then out of the blue he goes “You know I think I went to college and played American Football at the University of Montana with a guy who made the Belize Olympic Team in 1984. So obviously I immediately head for the Wikipedia page to see if we can’t find his results, and sure enough, he was 100m athlete for Belize. He ran 10.96 (pretty respectable) at the 1984 games. However, I looked at the 1988 games and saw that he didn’t run. I just happened to up the Cycling section be accidental, and bam ?. This dude was also a Track Cyclist from Belize and actually made it out of the Sprint qualification round that year (he was eliminated in first repechage). Sometimes man dad drops little bits of knowledge like this. I swear he does it like once a year. Some examples “I was once hired to coach American Football in Finland” (mind blown), “I could have died at sea” (mind blown), “I wanted to name you Josh” (didn’t talk to him for a week), “My friend played in the NFL for 11 seasons” (meh), “My friend decided to invent the first broom certified by the PGA to clear sand off the fairway” (mind blown, Also we don’t you have good ideas). So glad he’ll be my traveling bunny for the 2020 Summer Olympics

Right, that’s what I’m saying. I could be the GAISF’s (IOC’s) version of the X Games. Call it the freestyle games and add a few more sports.

I was today years old when I found out Simone Biles is both a citizen of the US and a citizen of...Belize

I’m actually ok with the inclusion of indoor rowing because it’s a thing that people in cities with no access to water do, so it is “urban”. I definitely think the should rebrand these as the World Freestyle Games. Skateboard Park and Street should be added. Drone racing should be added. BMX Flatland should be added. Frisbee can then remain (that discipline has been around since ultimate pretty much in the WFDF, it just gets less press). Wakeboard should be added as well. 3x3 should be 16 teams and not U23. I guess they could add Cheerleading if they wanted to. Laser run doesn’t need these games. Bouldering should be here instead of the beach games, since Sport Climbing, not Outdoor Climbing, isn’t a beach sport. As I kind of alluded to earlier. I think these games could totally work, or at least be fun little tie over competition like the Beach Games. I also think they should take place every two years. I’d prefer the Olympic years actually. Hopefully these games do a bit better with more sure hosts in the next cycle, and hopefully the programs make much more sense. The 2021 World Urban Games are already scheduled by the way. They will be held in Budapest again.

The twitter hashtag for the v. games is #NIRGER. Black Americans all feared that Trump has tweeted and misspelled a word with similar spelling . What a time to be alive! Also, people have decided that it’s best if never faces that hashtag would be...bad to say the least. I’ll leave you this hint NIG is the abbreviation for Niger.

British political system is falling apart in front of our very eyes. I’ve never really seen anything like this before. It’s like first world country after first world country is competing to see who can fuck themselves over more. It’s just an odd time politics. This is what happens when people fall for hate, fear mongering, and ethnic voting lines. It’s honestly just sad. The 1990s and 2000s were such a wonderful hopeful time in world politics, and now we’re just fucking it away. Unbelievable. I hope LIB/DEM win the election. Labor is toast and Johnson is shaky at best.

@NearPup I know you and me seem to be the ones most interested in the more “X-Games” or “extreme” or “freestyle” type sports, so I was wondering what your opinions about this event are? I really don’t see a huge need for it, but I think it’s great for the athletes involved because most them in these events tend to get overlooked by most international sports fans. I like the if the games were X Games were more family fixedly and mini-Olympics feeling, but I’m seriously questioning if the sports calendar needs an event like this.

Interesting stats here. Suicide rates appear to be highest in quickly developing countries, and countries with major internal strife or economic downturn. Also, countries that are see as “epicenters” of suicide may not actually as bad as countries with lower populations. One worrying thing is that the international suicide rate is rising, I believe (don’t quote me on that), and there’s a bunch of reasons for it, but a lot of “developed” countries are struggling with ways to combat the rise. If you or anyone you know may be at risk for suicide never hesitate to find or ask for help. You are human, your allowed to have emotions, make mistakes, feel down, etc., but it’s your ability to overcome that with the help of others that makes humans truly unique. Should a user or even guest on this forum ever feel they “cant go on”, “are losing faith in themselves as a person”, “are feeling lost”, “are feeling forgotten”, “is going to end it”; don’t not hesitate to contact me. I’ve helped prevent suicides before, and have almost been the cause of a potential suicide. I myself once thought about suicide, but I was lucky enough to have a support system around me, that stopped me before I did anything terrible. I will go great lengths, and people who’ve been on here a while should know this, to prevent a tragedy. Your life matters to me whether you think so or not. Your just a friend I haven’t gotten to know yet, but would love to get to. If you ever feel like I said something that really made think negatively please contact me. I will immediately work to stop that habit, and take those words out of my vocabulary. Again, life is great. It can rough. It can be fun. It can be dark and sad. It can be wonderful and happy. You matter. My PM, DM, social media, email, text, and phone are always available should you need someone.

Ugh, what a bland park for such a “big” event. If your going to call it the urban games and celebrate urban culture, then at least make a park with really unique features, not this: I would have liked to see the WUG as it appears in the logo as jumps along the back side, a cool box jump in the direct center, a box jump with a rail somewhere in the middle, a Hungarian flag stair type feature (3 levels, each colored as part of the flag) next to where the rail is, a rail on the opposite side, a quarter wall to quarter wall transfer with a gap on one of the side borders, and just some insane rideable (barely) sculpture by a local artist. That would’ve been the proper way to celebrate urban sports and culture. I really hope that I get a crack at planning a multi-sports games one day. It would be a fucking masterpiece of design, with great marketing, and have a lasting impact on the community.

becomes 74th member of IFF

Oh they lost this week. Any week the Lions play is a loss