There’s an interesting article on Bloomberg about how the IOC doesn’t get what BMX is all about.

The BMX does have some spills and jumps, but I have to agree it isn’t perhaps as exciting as what the build up to it was. My suggestion to the IOC would be to get rid of greco-roman and replace it with some kind of mixed martial art fighting.

The cult heroes of BMX are half-pipe stunt artists like James Bestwick, Mike Spinner and Daniel Dhers. They were recently medalists, as well as major audience attractions, at ESPN’s X Games. They’re in Portland, Oregon, this week, headlining the AST Dew Tour stop. America’s three male BMXers in Beijing — Kyle Bennett, Mike Day and Donny Robinson — are about as famous as America’s fencers.

The author continues how the current Olympic sport’s program doesn’t relate to today’s youth (at least youth in the United States).

Take the Modern Pentathlon — please. Baron Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympics in 1896, created the event in 1912. He wanted a test of cavalrymen’s skills, combining pistol-shooting, horseback riding, running and more.

Modern Pentathlon

Gotta hand it to the Baron, it’s pretty eclectic. Yet this is nearly a century later and a world virtually devoid of cavalrymen. It’s also pretty irrelevant. The International Modern Pentathlon Union has shot down de-listing efforts — with a pistol no doubt — and secured its sport’s place in the Olympics at least through the 2012 games in London.