Hi everyone, as you know at Drew Sports we love talking about Sports. Today since it is Summer Olympics Time we are going to discuss the Sports that we as a Country only watch once every four years. So sorry that Basketball and Soccer (Olympic Sports) are not on this list. We also don’t have popular XGames Sports such a Skateboarding and Snowboarding on this list. As always this list is for banter and discussion so please respond on Twitter, Facebook or this page. Thanks again for your Support and enjoy your Wednesday.
12. Archery
When have you ever watched someone shoot a bow and arrow at a target outside of during the Olympics? That’s what I thought!! Archery is a fun game to watch however as it takes serious skill and talent to hit those targets as precisely as the athletes do. It’s not as easy as it looks.
11. Fencing
Fencing is known as a prep school sport (It kind of is). But I will say that Fencing is a popular sport in the Olympics that many drove to watch. I will stop making prep school jokes now. Being a fencing beast does make you kind of a bad ace.
10. Bobsledding
With the Winter Olympics coming next Winter in China you think we are just doing just a summer Olympics Sports you are here for the wrong list. Bobsledding was made more popular with the Early 90’s John Candy movie Cool Runnings. About the creation of the Jamaican Bobsledding team that qualified for the 1988 Olympics. However, Bobsledding has always been a fun Winter Olympics sport to watch. It takes a lot of precision and skill for those teams to move those heavy sleds through ice at speeds at times in excess of 90 mph.
9. Wrestling
Wrestling is a sport that we certainly never watch (even though some of you may say hey I watch Pac 12 Wrestling on the Pac 12 network and I will say you are likely lying!). The WWE does not count, we all know the WWE is more Choregraphed than a Lady Gaga Music Video. Just like Fencing being a Wrestling beast certainly makes you a bad ace in all walks of life.
8. Water Polo
First off Water Polo looks crazy hard and a game I really have no desire to learn. That being said Water Polo is an incredibly fun sport to watch. Even though many universities have a Water Polo team I’m sure the vast majority of American’s are not spending their Sunday afternoon’s watching Auburn Vs Vanderbilt in a Water Polo match on the SEC Network.
7. Surfing
We watched Keanu Reeves become a fictional surfing beast in Point Break. Surfing is a popular hobby amongst many (especially people who live in Coastal areas, derp). But surfing is not a sport that many of us are watching on the Tube except during the Summer Olympics. I am an expert at boogie boarding, surfing well it would mostly just be me falling into the water.
6. Curling
I am guilty of watching Curling during the Winter Olympics. Of all of these sports on the list this is the sport I watch the most actually. Who knew that someone making a concrete puck move through ice and a precise motion would garner so much viewership but it is one of the most intellectual and strategic sports out there. The link below is USA winning their first ever curling Gold Medal back in the 2018 Winter Olympics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiQeLGqBfcs
5. Volleyball/Beach Volleyball
If you read my fun summer sports piece last month Volleyball is a crazy popular game to play with some friends. But for watching it on television is not something that many people will say they do on a regular basis. But during the summer Olympics volleyball and the newly added beach volleyball is among the sports with the higher viewership every Olympics cycle, we love watching some spiking and I’m not talking about fruit punch.
4. Figure Skating
Outside of Hockey and skiing (and skiing can be argued with) the most watched winter Olympic sport is figure skating. Most people I know (myself included) can’t even stand up straight with ice skates on. So watching athlete’s do pirouette’s and triple flips while on ice skates is mind boggling to me. A true sport of elegance and skill.
3. Swimming
Swimming is mostly known for what kids love to do on a hot summer day. Other than that swimming is not spoken of in general life and especially in World of Sports. This subject is true except for once every four years when the USA tries to dominate a sport that we have for most part thus far in the 21st Century in both men’s and women’s swimming. Even with Katie Ledecky being upset in these Olympics in the 200 free I will not say quite yet the swimming is not a sport that USA has had a stranglehold on for some time.
2. Track and Field
In America we love things fast. Fast food, fast cars, fast lane. So of course one of the most popular sports is going to be a sport that is predicated on being the fasted man or woman on Earth. Track and Field is a general term though for many sports from racing (100, 200 or 400 meters) to hurdles, to long jump. Pretty much track and field events comprise of awesome athletes and is a crazy fact that Track and Field sports are primarily only watched during the Summer Olympics.
1.Gymnastics
First off I want to wish Simone Biles the best and hope that she gets all the help she needs to get through this tough time. That being said Gymnastics is the most watched Olympic sport that is not viewed during other times. Simone Biles was so popular and accomplished that gymnastics garnered some viewership during other non Olympic events more often than in the past (World Championships is an example). But primarily Gymnastics events are just watched during the Olympics and is one of the highest rated events during every Summer Olympics. Hope you enjoyed the list, there are many events like Handball and Table Tennis that didn’t even make this list which shows how many sports we only watch once every four years, hope you are enjoying the Olympics as well and have a great Wednesday!