Is the addition of flag football as an Olympic sport a good idea?
First, who runs the Olympics?
The Olympic Games are run by the International Olympic committee (IOC). They are responsible for organizing and overseeing the Games, making sure everything runs smoothly and fairly. It’s a big job, but they do a great job of bringing athletes from all around the world together to compete in the spirit of sportsmanship. This means that they are also responsible for deciding which sports will be incorporated into the upcoming Olympics.
Why was it added?
Flag football was added to the Olympic game roster by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) because it promotes diversity withing the games itself. Due to Flag Football’s similarity to American Football, it can be assumed that the introduction of this sport, will increase the viewership of the Olympic games in America. Also, Flag Football is a sport that requires immense teamwork and athleticism, which makes it competitive and easy for a fan to get attached too.
What is the affect of Flag Football on the Olympic games?
So far, the introduction to Flag football, has had a positive effect on the Olympics and its preposed viewership. Like I mentioned earlier, Flag Football is going to pull in more American viewers towards the games, because of their attraction to American football. Comparatively, Flag Football is going to bring more diversity to the games, as there are no sports like it. While it is like American football, it is not as quite the same, as it is less contact-oriented, which decreases injuries and increases player longevity, which is crucial to a sport that is hosted at a tournament, only every four years. Flag Football is often overshadowed by American football, so its inclusion to the Olympic games provide a stage for those who excel at the sport and to put Flag Football on the map.
Will not just professional American football players play for the team?
Even though all star weekend entailed flag football for American Football professionals to play, they still will not necessarily play when it is hosted in the Olympics. It is important to understand that the Olympics tailors towards amateur players and the Games have specific eligibility criteria that these pros will have a hard time meeting. This means we will likely see only people who specialize in flag football participate in it in the Olympics. However, it is still possible for professional American football players to play Olympic Flag Football.
Then surely America will be dominant, right?
While I understand why people might this is not necessarily true. At the point of publishment, America are seeming like favorites to get the gold, however, other countries are and have been developing strong Flag Football programs that give these countries solid chances for winning as well.
The Main question: Is the addition of Flag Football good for the Olympic Games?
While the full answer to this question will be answered after the 2024 summer Olympics finish, the information that I have collected today, makes me believe that the addition of Flag Football as an Olympic sport will be a grand success, not just for the Olympics, but for the sport of Flag Football too, as it will surely gain more publicity. It will give more diversity to the Olympics, increasing viewership, and could possibly open the flood gates for more sports to be added to the Olympic games roster, which could be a good thing. However, its most notable positive will be for the sport of Flag Football, as it will gain more viewership to push it out from American Football’s shadow.
-Benjamin Saylor
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