GO FOR THE GOLD!
Here's everything you need to know about the Olympics eye-raising events
Dec 11, 2020, 1:45 pm
There will be 339 events in Tokyo next year. Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images
Breakdancing will be a full-fledged, medal sport in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Yeah, I know, hysterical. All week, I've been listening to sports talk hosts snickering, wondering how the hell the International Olympic Committee ever approved breakdancing as a sport.
Here's how. Breakdancing is physically demanding, takes creativity and strength, it's popular with young people, especially inner city minorities … and don't even think about trying it yourself. You'll wind up in traction at Ben Taub Hospital. As Bob Dylan once said, "don't criticize what you can't understand."
The fact is, breakdancing isn't much different from the floor exercise in gymnastics, In some ways, breakdancing is tougher - there's no breaks to catch your breath, and no padding on the floor. Simone Biles can jump through the roof doing a barefoot Triple Lindy, but can she spin on her head on a piece of cardboard? Can she airlfare, windmill and toprock like those downtown kids?
I think it's the "dancing" part that has folks wondering why breakdancing is coming to the Olympics. Actually, the name of the sport in the Olympics will be "Breaking." And it's one of five new medal sports for 2024. The others are surfing, karate, sport climbing (like wall climbing at the mall), and skateboarding (like at the mall after closing).
The Olympics are smart to invite new sports, to get younger. It's not like the Olympics are a growth industry. The 2018 Games in South Korea were the lowest-rated Winter Olympics ever. The 2018 Games averaged 19.8 million viewers in the U.S. The 2014 Games in Sochi, Russia averaged 21.3 million viewers. The 2002 Games in Salt Lake City averaged 31.9 million viewers. That's called trending in the wrong direction.
Ratings for the 2016 Summer Games in Rio were the lowest in 50 years, down 17 percent from the 2012 Games in London.
What do the Olympics have to lose by adding hip millennial events like breakdancing and skateboarding? They might actually gain viewers. If swimming and gymnastics and figure skating and ski jumping are so popular, how come Americans care about them only every four years? Go ahead, name one U.S. ski jumper. Or any ski jumper anywhere in the world.
There will be 339 events in Tokyo next year, that is, if the postponed once already Games are held. I'm thinking another false start, this time a complete cancelation. There will be too many athletes, judges, officials and possibly fans coming from too many places where COVID-19 still will be raging. Paris in 2024 already is downsizing, only 329 events will be held. Cross country is one of the sports on the chopping block.
If breakdancing isn't a sport, and shouldn't be in the Olympics, then what's rhythmic gymnastics doing there? That's totally dancing with a ball or ribbon or a hula hoop. You don't have to be the world's greatest athlete to be the second or third guy in a four-man bobsled. Synchronized swimming?
If ESPN can show the spelling bee, poker, hot dog eating and calf roping (all having nothing to do with sports), then breakdancing definitely belongs in the Olympics. What's next or ESPN, Parcheesi? Call of Duty?
It's not the first time the Olympics have held competition in non-traditional sports. Over the years, the Olympics have awarded medals in tug of war, croquet, motor boating, two-handed discus, and jai alai. I would love to see jai alai return to the Games, so I could play the 2-3-5-8 parlay, my standard bet at the Dania fronton in Florida.
Just to clear something up, I heard one national sports host saying he couldn't wait for the baseball competition at next year's Summer Games in Tokyo because he loves watching the U.S. dominate.
He might consider that the U.S. baseball team, ranked No. 2 in the world behind Japan, might not even qualify for the Olympics. Only six teams will compete in Tokyo, and four countries already have locked up berths: Mexico (which beat the U.S. in the Americas qualifier), Japan, South Korea and Israel. I know one of the Israeli players, Jeremy Wolf, the slugging leftfielder from the 2016 Trinity University D3 College World Series Champions. Go Tigers!
Two slots for the Tokyo Games have yet to be decided. The U.S. team, comprised of AA and AAA minor leaguers, will get one last shot in another "lucky loser" qualifying tournament.
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A new challenge awaits, and the Astros know what’s at stake
Jun 27, 2025, 2:05 pm
The Houston Astros didn’t just sweep the Philadelphia Phillies. They sent a message.
In three tightly contested games against one of the best teams in baseball, the Astros leaned on their elite pitching and timely offense to secure a statement sweep. Hunter Brown was electric in the finale, shutting down the Phillies’ lineup and showing the kind of dominance that’s become a defining feature of his game. Bryan Abreu slammed the door with four strikeouts to close out the win, and rookie Cam Smith delivered the deciding blow — an RBI single in the eighth to drive in Isaac Paredes, lifting the Astros to a 2-1 victory.
It wasn’t a series filled with offensive fireworks, but that’s exactly the point. Both teams sent out top-tier pitching throughout the series, and Houston was the team that kept finding a way. For much of the season, the Astros’ inconsistent offense might’ve been a concern in a series like this. But this time, it felt different. The bats showed up just enough, and the pitching did the rest.
Now, with Houston on pace for 96 wins at the halfway point, the question becomes: Is the league officially on notice?
Maybe. Maybe not. But one thing is certain, the Astros have the third-best record in baseball, they’re 17-7 in one-run games, and they’re playing with the kind of rhythm that’s defined their near-decade of dominance. Unlike last year’s uneven campaign, this version of the Astros looks like a team that’s rediscovered its edge. Whether or not they need to take care of business against the Cubs to validate it, their recent run leaves little doubt: when Houston is clicking, there are very few teams built to stop them.
Off the field, however, a bit of long-term uncertainty is starting to creep in. Reports surfaced this week that extension talks with shortstop Jeremy Peña have been put on hold as he recently signed with super-agent Scott Boras. The combination has led many to wonder if Peña might follow the same free-agent path as Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, and others before him. Boras clients rarely settle early, and Peña, now one of the most valuable shortstops in the game, could command a price tag the Astros have historically avoided paying.
If Peña and even Hunter Brown are likely to get priced out of Houston, the front office may need to pivot. Isaac Paredes could be the most logical extension candidate on the roster. His approach — particularly his ability to pull the ball with authority — is tailor-made for Daikin Park and the Crawford Boxes. Last year, Paredes struggled to leave the yard at Wrigley Field, but in Houston, he’s thriving. Locking him in long term would give the Astros offensive stability and the kind of value they’ve typically targeted.
As for Cam Smith, the breakout rookie is far from free agency and will remain a cost-controlled piece for years. That’s exactly why his contributions now, like his clutch eighth-inning knock to beat Philadelphia, matter so much. He's one more reason why the Astros don’t just look good right now. They look dangerous.
And the rest of the league is starting to feel it.
There's so much more to get to! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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