What sports should they bring back to the Olympics?

[loras]

American here, who won state in rugby. It's always fun to see football return to its roots with scrumming. However, it's beyond time for the stereotype of American Football (college subvariant specifically) only being played in NA to die, though I appreciate your recognition that it's no longer just a yank thing.

I can name teams in Canada, Mexico, Ireland, England, Wales, Scotland, Australia, NZ, Japan, Germany, France, Greece, Italy, and Spain. While it's true that most of these teams are outside the governance of the NCAA, they still have recent rules developments such as targeting. To me, that's a close enough ruleset to warrant an olympic competition, especially when Olympic Quidditch is a thing.

We have a team or two here as well, and my country is not on your list.
Thing is though that it is indeed like olympic quidditch, which also shouldn't be a thing (Edit: On second thought Quidditch might actually really have a more prominent genuine international following than Anerican football, given HP's wide reach).

An olympic sport really needs a decent reach, especially one that surpasses diplomatic, cultural and political boundaries.

All countries you mention are firmly part of "the west" (or in the west's orbit, like Mexico), while a relatively minor sport like ice speed skating is also played beyond in countries like China and Russia.

Which is part of why it is an olympic sport, and american football is not.

- - - Updated - - -

There are twice as much people playing rugby worldwide then gridiron. Gridiron is inferior to rugby in countries like Ireland, England, Wales, Scotland, France, Italy, New Zealand and Australia. The latter also has Aussie rules. I like gridiron, also played it myself but that stuff is pretty much non-existent outside North America. NFL Europe was a failure, especially with that homegrown rule. All of them were kickers, with soccer experience.
There are about 6 million people play gridiron in the US. On a population of what? 320 million?
Over here 1.2 million people playing association football. With a population of 17 million. And we have 6 teams in gridiron.
But hey, almost every single post of you in this thread had so many false claims.

Mooie naam.

[craigw]

to be an olmypic sport, the sport must be widely practiced by men in at least 75 countries and on four continents AND by women in no fewer than 40 countries and on three continents. sorry but american football is not widely practiced by woman much less by woman in 40 countires on 3 continents. it isnt even widely practised by woman in the counrty it is the most popular in. not even .00001% of the sport is represented by women. this is according to the international olympic committee. now with that said i dont see men anywhere in any country doing syncronized water dance. but yet for some reason it is an olmypic sport.

[loras]

to be an olmypic sport, the sport must be widely practiced by men in at least 75 countries and on four continents and by women in no fewer than 40 countries and on three continents. sorry but american football is not widely practiced by woman much less by woman in 40 countires on 3 continents. it isnt even widely practised by woman in the counrty it is the most popular in. not even .00001% of the sport is represented by women. this is according to the international olympic committee. now with that said i dont see men anywhere in any country doing syncronized water dance. but yet for some reason it is an olmypic sport.

Politics and power tend to play the bigger part of the actual reasons. The formal rules are mostly just for show.

Still, it should be played across a scale that exceeds the limits of "blocks" of power, politics and culture, otherwise it does not serve the true purpose of the olympics: To bring people of all countries and creeds a little bit closer to one another, for the betterment of all.

[Shurkien]

To say that American Football is an only NA sport is kinda rude.

They had the first NFL game here in germany in november 22 and couldve sold millions of tickets for it.
Atleast in germany, the fanbase is absurd

[Logwyn]

to be an olmypic sport, the sport must be widely practiced by men in at least 75 countries and on four continents AND by women in no fewer than 40 countries and on three continents. sorry but american football is not widely practiced by woman much less by woman in 40 countires on 3 continents. it isnt even widely practised by woman in the counrty it is the most popular in. not even .00001% of the sport is represented by women. this is according to the international olympic committee. now with that said i dont see men anywhere in any country doing syncronized water dance. but yet for some reason it is an olmypic sport.

I wonder if Flag Football would catch on. Or dodge ball.