U.S. women’s softball loss might be a victory for the sport
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
Yesterday I posed the idea that the thing that could really kill Olympic softball forever was the way the women’s team steamrolled through their competition in Beijing by no-hitting several teams and basically making minced meat of the world.
Shortly afterward, Team USA was upset by Japan, and although softball won’t be an Olympic sport at the next Olympics, perhaps the loss will help the IOC think twice about keeping the game on ice, Bill Dwyre writes.
‘We’ve been telling you guys there is parity, but nobody would listen,’ [U.S. Coach Mike] Candrea said. ‘Not parity of 16 teams, but four or five now.’ The first time the IOC can reverse itself is at a meeting in October 2009. Between now and then, [softball federation head Don] Porter, a bulldog with a bit in his mouth, will keep pushing for reversal.
Read the whole story here.
-- Tony Pierce
Bloomberg News photo, of the Japanese women’s softball team throwing coach Haruka Saito into the air as they celebrate their gold medal victory, by Natalie Behring