CSUSOP: Which is More Important? Flag Football or Deaflympics.
The CSUSOP Website Added the Sept. 6 Hearing Video and Transcript.
Flag football?! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! The IOC is a joke and has turned the Olympics into a joke. There is literally nothing that involves human movement that those clowns wouldn’t accept as an Olympic event. Apparently, the idea is to broaden TV viewership by putting everything in the games. Let’s remember that BMX bike racing, skateboarding, and break dancing are now Olympic events. Frisbee golf soon will be. The first time I saw a BMX bike race at the Olympics–I think 8 years ago, I laughed: it looked like a kiddie event one would see at a state fair. We can be sure that jump roping, hopscotch, and pick-up sticks will soon be Olympic events. I suspect that flag football has been included in the Games primarily because the NFL got behind the idea–seeing the weekend game as a hook by which it can improve and broaden the appeal of professional football. It’s hard to take the Olympics seriously anymore.
This comment is a response to SwimSwam's article, “Why Was Flag Football Added To The Olympics? It’s The Future, Says LA28 Sports Director.”
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell exclaimed, “I think it's a great opportunity.”
Does the writer of this comment know about the Deaflympics? I bet the writer doesn’t.
The reason is that the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) has yet included Deaflympians in its USOPC program since the 1998 enactment of the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act (TSOASA) and has refused to recognize Deaflympics since 2001.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) website says, "The IOC recognized the ICSD (International Committee of the Sports for the Deaf) in 1955 and has granted patronage to the Deaflympics since 1985." On June 13, 2023, the ICSD website announced, "ICSD President meets with IOC President Bach in Lausanne."
The First International Silent Games were the inaugural edition of the Deaflympics. The Games were held in Paris, France, on August 10-17, 1924. The name was changed to the World Games for the Deaf in 1965. Since 2001, the games have been known by their current name Deaflympics.
Next August will be the 100th Anniversary of the Deaflympics. Will the USOPC join this celebration?
“Being a part of the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028 is going to show the world what this sport is all about. Flag football is so competitive, it’s so creative and it’s so inclusive. This is a sport for everyone – men and women, boys and girls – and this can be a dream come true for them too because now they can see that there’s a path for them to compete at the highest level. I’m thankful to have been part of this journey, to see the sport grow and reach this point, and to rep the flag as part of the U.S. National Team,” said Vanita Krouch, quarterback for USA Football’s U.S. Women’s National Team.
But please compare with what Deaflympian runner Emily Wilson explained to HearingLikeMe in response to “When asked why there is so little deaf representation in athletics”:
“We lack representation because so many people quit sports or never try it because of their fear and lack of accommodations. They would rather avoid it altogether. I can’t help but think about how many deaf people are missing out on the experience of being a phenomenal athlete or a collegiate athlete… not just within the Deaflympics, but as a whole. We deserve to be seen and allowed an equal opportunity to get into sports. The Deaflympics are all about celebrating the hardships deaf people have gone through, the culture, and [on] a totally equal world stage where we don’t feel like we are the odd ones out. Instead, we get to be surrounded by thousands of deaf people. Some of us have never met other deaf people. It’s life-changing.”
Most Commission on the State of U.S. Olympics and Paralympics (CSUSOP) members are fully aware of the Deaflympians’ campaign to include the Deaflympics in our National Olympic Committee's program. But the question is, “Will the CSUSOP recommend that Congress amend Deaflympics to the TSOASA?”
Finally, the CSUSOP website just added the hearing to its section.
Click the 7-hour & 18 minutes video. Or try to read the 118-page transcript.