Text The Times.

Text The Times.

There is more than a sporting chance that a new sport – break dancing – will be introduced into the 2024 Paris Olympics. Sport is now differently defined from how I understand it.

A number of sports have been recently introduced into the Olympic list including tennis which is clearly recognized as a sport. Some sports shouldn’t be in the Olympics especially boxing as it is not a positive sport. Some have been removed for obvious reasons including live, yes live, pigeon shooting which was in the 1900 Paris games. Some just didn’t seem logical such as Solo Synchronized Swimming, which was in the games from 1984 to 1992. People watch the Olympics with great interest because they could play those that are considered real Olympic sports even if they didn’t do it as well.

Pretty much everyone has ran the 100m, tossed the shot putt, had a swim in a pool or rode a horse at some time. Not as many however have been breakdancers and the ‘sport’ seems to have faded from its high point in the 1980s.” Let’s return to the original ideals of being the best you can and having a go at a sport that we all know. [ Editor’s Note: Eh, let’s hold on a minute here.

I’m not super up- to- date on what all is and isn’t considered an Olympicworthy sport, but you don’t get to decide ( and neither do I). While I guess breakdancing isn’t your traditional “ do something with the ball” type of sport, neither are the two original Olympic events, running and wrestling. Let’s not forget that there’s an actual gold medal awarded in something called “ ice dancing” at the Winter Olympics. Not to mention synchronized swimming and whatever they call that routine where the dancer has a long flowing ribbon.

Did you know the earliest revivals of the Olympic Games in modern times had a ballroom dancing competition. So, look down your nose at break- dancing all you want, it’s no less a competition and an athletic display than other events already in the Olympics.

And did you really poohpooh boxing as “ not a positive sport”? I feel like whatever point you’re trying to make gets lost there.

And while we’re on the subject, I’m still pretty upset they took baseball and softball out of the Olympics in 2000. The argument was that there weren’t enough competitive national teams ( especially after the U. S. dominated the softball scene for two decades), but that just seems silly. It’s literally one of the most popular sports in the entire world]

*** Well, you’d think that with all the rain and as cold as its been we wouldn’t have to deal with all the beggars and panhandlers in West Memphis but even in the pouring rain Saturday there they were. Come on West Memphis mayor or council or police!!!

Enough is enough [ Editor’s Note: I’m with you on this one. We were just talking about this very issue in the office the other day. I get that there are people who, for a variety of reasons — some legitimate, some not so much — find themselves destitute, homeless or what have you. And I don’t know the life these folks have led and what circumstances befell them that they end up on the street corner begging for money, but there are places they can go to get fed and have somewhere to sleep, so at a certain point, the decision to remain a homeless person panhandling for change is just that… a decision. As much as I am a proponent of free speech, I can’t fathom how an educated judiciary can look at this sort of behavior — which by the way, is both a nuisance and a danger to the public — in any ways qualifies as free speech]

*** There is a weird glowing ball of light in the sky. The Evening Times needs to do a story on it!!! [ Editor’s Note: On the plus side, I now live on some scenic lake side property!]

*** How dumb do you have to be to skip school to rob a store in one of the most recorded parts of town?

[ Editor’s Note: I’m no criminal mastermind, but I’m not sure how much thought went into that particular heist. The way I understand it, he left campus ( which was captured by the high school’s SkyCop, went over to the store ( which has video surveillance), robbed the place ( armed with nothing more than his fist), and then went back to school for lunch ( again, seen on the SkyCop). The WMPD put a clip of the video on Facebook and the guy was identified in about five minutes. He was even wearing the same clothes from the video when the police at the school showed him the pictures.

So, to answer your question, I guess at least that dumb]

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