Deaf-Cultured Deafies Should Represent USA in Men's Flag-Football in 2028 Olympics!
Two days ago, the International Olympic Committee approved five sports to be included in the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles: Baseball/Softball, Cricket, Flag Football, Lacrosse, and Squash.
How to become an Olympic sport? The Olympic Charter indicates that to be accepted, men must widely practice a sport in at least 75 countries and on four continents and women in no fewer than 40 countries and on three continents. The sport must also be compliant with the World Anti-Doping Agency’s standards.
Flag Football
There will be two flag football groups: Men’s and Women’s.
"You know how amazing it would be to assemble a superteam to play in the Olympics," said Tyreek Hill, the Miami Dolphins' All-Pro wide receiver, recently. “That would be amazing.” Rob Gronkowski is in.
Whoa! Hill might not know that, currently, over 70 nations are members of the International Federation of American Football (IFAF.) The IFAF first held world championships for men’s and women’s flag football in 2002, with tournaments occurring biannually.
Imagine that the USA men’s team did not win the first four championships, and the USA women’s team finally won the 9th of ten titles. See the chart.
I am sure most other nations’ flag football teams are lighter and quicker than the NFL’s and Hill’s dream team.
So I suggest that besides the United States Olympic and Paralympics Committee, the USA Football, the National Football League, and the NFL Players Association would consider sending a Deaf-cultured team to play in the 2028 Olympics.
If Tim Russert, the longest-serving moderator of Meet The Press (1991-2008), were alive, he could support my claim.
“During my first year, I played for the [basketball] game I remember most clearly was against St. Mary’s School for the Deaf [of Buffalo, NY]. Our opponents got to a quick lead because we were distracted: while we called out our plays like every other team, they were communicating with hand signals, and it was hard not to watch them. It was something to see, and it was impressive, especially at a time when you could almost go through life without ever being aware of a deaf person,” wrote Tim Russert in his book, “Big Russ & Me.”
The Deaf-cultured team, consisting of deaf athletes, CODAs, SODAs, and RODAs, could be the quickest, thanks to communicating with hand signals between plays. Oops. CODA is an acronym for Child of Deaf Adult(s), such as CFL’s Stefan LeFors. SODA = Sibling of Deaf Adult(s). RODA = Relative of Deaf Adults(s), such as NFL Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson Jr, Minnesota Twins Kyle Farmer, and former minor baseball league player Jerrick Suiter.
I fear this team might have a little problem if they face the New Zealand flag football team with its haka performance.
Watch the haka video.
"We actually were going to shake hands with them afterwards because we knew that that was a really neat thing to do and it's part of their tradition, and we admire that," said Duke University Head Basketball Coach Mike Krzyzewski after the haka dance in the FIBA Basketball World Cup game against New Zealand in 2014.
Lacrosse
Actually, the sport to be played in the 2028 Games is SIXES — a fast-paced, high-scoring hybrid of box and field lacrosse with smaller rosters (five players and a goalie), shorter games, and more relatable rules. Yes, the women’s Sixes will also be included.
Watch the “What is Sixes Lacrosse” video.
The sport of lacrosse has been played in the United States by Native Americans long before European exploration. The World Lacrosse currently has 90 members across four continental federations.
Remember Cleveland Browns Fullback Jim Brown, who The Sporting News named the greatest professional football player ever. If he were alive and 40ish years old, Brown would prefer to play lacrosse in the 2028 Games. Why? The National Lacrosse Hall of Fame regards Brown as the greatest lacrosse player ever!
Yeah, I played that sport for the Ohio University Lacrosse Club (1965-68.)
Lacrosse has often been called “the fastest game on two feet” because of how quickly the ball can be moved across the field.
Pssst. As a midfield, I had one disadvantage - wearing a lacrosse helmet prevented me from looking for any opponent running toward me from my back, while I, being deaf, did not hear their stomping toward me.
I want to “brag” by telling you one story. There was free admission to my home games, with one exception. The Notre Dame lacrosse club team decided to come to Athens, Ohio, to play against us. The cost of the admission was 20 cents. The game result was that they destroyed us, 20-0. Fast forward to May 2023, when Notre Dame won the first NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship.
Baseball/Softball
More than 100 nations play baseball, while the international women’s softball keeps growing, with 69 countries and territories.
We are glad both sports returned to the Olympics after 16 years of absence.
Japan won the 2023 World Baseball Classic over the USA team, while the USA team captured the 2022 Women's Softball World Cup over Japan.
The baseball world is dying to know if Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani will play for his native country of Japan in the 2028 Games.
Squash
WOW, this sport has around 50,000 courts in more than 185 nations worldwide.
I recall that Squash was one of the hottest sports in the USA in the 1980s. I have no idea about the current one. The ex-husband of my oldest first cousin of the maternal family was one of Minnesota’s top players in the 1980s.
Cricket
Sorry that I know nothing about this sport, but I must respect the millions of devoted fans of 104 countries registered with the International Cricket Council (ICC).
When I lived in Washington State for four years (2012-16), I had friends with a deaf couple “living” in the picturesque Red Willow Vineyard. The husband is a die-hard sports fan of the Seattle Mariners, Seattle Seahawks, and Gonzaga University. His Indian-born wife becomes a “sport” widow when he watches the games on television. But it could be the opposite of him becoming a “cricket” widower while she gets hooked on her laptop to follow the game cast of her favorite cricket teams in India.
The vineyard owner and his late wife are parents of three deaf children and two non-deaf ones, so I have no idea if they have completed the understanding of watching cricket. Of course, all of them are using sign language for communication purposes.
Why not think of the USA Deaf-cultured flag football team in the 2028 Games?