The Big Question in Powerlifting: The Olympics?

[johnnys]

Neither the networks nor the IOC who feeds upon them are interested in hairy men doing "manly" things.

This seems mostly true, but I came across a lumberjack competition yesterday when looking for the NFL. What makes that and Worlds Strongest so much better than Oly or power-lifting?

[guyonabuffalo]

Preeeeeeecisely. Neither the networks nor the IOC who feeds upon them are interested in hairy men doing "manly" things. Such things are just barely tolerated in polite society anyway, and there is certainly no room in popular culture for them. PajamaBoy is the embodiment of popular culture, and the media, and thus the IOC. Usain Bolt is only barely tolerated because he has no hair.

All the Powerlifters need to change their names to Iron or Hitch so that they can be to powerlifting what "Bolt" is to running.

[internet_god_of_fitness]

There's money in archery? Handball? Synchronised fucking swimming?!

Let's face it: unless you're a lifter, powerlifting is boring to watch. Nobody wants to watch one guy and six of his buddies lift a weight, nor is anyone interested in looking at the top of your head or your crotch while you press a heavy weight off your chest. Plus as well as the plate changes there's changes of rack height etc - so it takes fucking ages.

That's why snatch, clean and jerk, and (previously) clean and press made it in there - it's just one person and the barbell. People can get into that.

Plus, if it did get into the Olympics, we'd have even more drug use than now. If people will pay a thousand bucks a month just so they can win the Backwoods Half arsed Special Equipped Over-50s Push-Pull, what will they stick into themselves for Olympic gold?

This! Agree 100%!

Powerlifting is boring as hell to watch and I love the sport lol

It's a long ass day mostly made up of weights being loaded, monolifts being adjusted and people wrapping their knees lol

I honestly can't see it happening anytime soon.

[twnutt]

Preeeeeeecisely. Neither the networks nor the IOC who feeds upon them are interested in hairy men doing "manly" things. Such things are just barely tolerated in polite society anyway, and there is certainly no room in popular culture for them. PajamaBoy is the embodiment of popular culture, and the media, and thus the IOC. Usain Bolt is only barely tolerated because he has no hair.

Mark, I think you have pointed out a great way to get powerlifting into the Olympics: Shave all of the lifters!

[dpg]

This seems mostly true, but I came across a lumberjack competition yesterday when looking for the NFL. What makes that and Worlds Strongest so much better than Oly or power-lifting?

"Powerlifting" is just a strength contest, not a sport. Real sports require a high degree of skill and finesse. It takes skill and finesse to chop through a girthy log, but no one ever finesses up an 800 lb. squat. Kind of like Rap is not music, it's just talk. Poetry, perhaps, but not music. Not all worthwhile pursuits are sports, but only sports are included in the Olympics.

[Immortal_k]

Mike Tuchscherer commented on how Powerlifting can be made into more of a spectator sport during the interview with Rip.

[elVarouza]

"Powerlifting" is just a strength contest, not a sport. Real sports require a high degree of skill and finesse. It takes skill and finesse to chop through a girthy log, but no one ever finesses up an 800 lb. squat. Kind of like Rap is not music, it's just talk. Poetry, perhaps, but not music. Not all worthwhile pursuits are sports, but only sports are included in the Olympics.

Wat.

I forget, are you one of the new trolls?

[tfranc]

Preeeeeeecisely. Neither the networks nor the IOC who feeds upon them are interested in hairy men doing "manly" things. Such things are just barely tolerated in polite society anyway, and there is certainly no room in popular culture for them. PajamaBoy is the embodiment of popular culture, and the media, and thus the IOC. Usain Bolt is only barely tolerated because he has no hair.

I agree with you and the fact that the olympics are a spectacle for modern culture, thus the news, etc. won't cover things that are more "underground". There's no money in televising powerlifting. The media is a business and they know where their money comes from. The Olympic committee knows where its money comes from also. So, it's all cultural essentially. Weightlifting is an olympic sport because China and other countries across the seas revere the sport like America did in the 1970's.

People ask, "Why ping pong? Why volleyball? Why fucking badmitton? (I think that's in there)". The answer is still popularity, believe it or not. I personally think that powerlifting should be an olympic sport for many reasons. The quintessential test of pure strength, determination and will combined exists in powerlifting. However, it will never be in the olympics until popularity overcomes doubt in the eyes of news corporations. It's bullshit, but perhaps with the way things are going with the sport in this country and in others, maybe one day it will get a more serious look by the olympic committee.

[alagon]

I do support this notion, but only if the lifts are executed in this manner.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y86GiDSr3Tc

None of that mulit-ply bullshit.

[ecj]

I do support this notion, but only if the lifts are executed in this manner.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y86GiDSr3Tc

None of that mulit-ply bullshit.

Honestly, I think some of the problems powerlifting faces in getting more general interest is that there are so many different levels of equipment assistance that it's impossible to figure out what the records are or what lifts are impressive for a casual observer.