by ike
I am on my way to Oklahoma City tomorrow to watch the final four days of the WCWS(Womens College World Series). I would challenge anyone who doubts this is a skill sport to watch it on ESPM these next few days and nights.

by Carman Dawley
On behalf of the many great athletes who have been playing the game of fastball, or fastpitch softball, as it is often called to distinguish it from slo-pitch, for probably close to a hundred years, I take offense to your comments on "softball" not being a game nevermind one worthy of the Olympics. Those numbers included a number of professional hockey players, who spent their summers playing to keep in shape and stay competitive. The reason women's fastpitch was included in the first place was because they had to have a female equivalent to the men's sport baseball. Fastpitch has always been an amateur event with the exception of some pretty good semi-pro leagues in the fifties, sixties and seventies. To say it's hardly a game proves you've never stood in the batter's box 46 feet away from a guy throwing a 90 mph ball that is hardly "soft" at your head. Before you get on your soapbox, do your homework and go watch a men's fastball game. Hitting a 130 yard iron over water will seem much a much simpler task.

by Jurgen Diethe
Correction!
Softball has been an Olympic sport already, alas! And basketball has been around for many decades at the Olympics (remember the famous Russian win after the added second and a half?), it's only that the pros were accepted for 1992, with the first Dream Team.

by Hugh Hanly
You are correct that the pro's should not play in the Olympics, but your comments should end there, in my opinion. The Walker Cup is still battled for international pride and there are very good amateurs that could vie for Olympic gold. Isn't golf thriving around the world - especially at the amateur level? I think it would have been quite entertaining to see Trip Kuenhe compete for such a prize - or Gary Cowan in his heyday.
As for softball I couldn't disagree more. Have you ever watched the NCAA Ladies World Series? Fabulous athletes performing at the highest level of amateur sport.

by C LloydJones
If you allowed two golfers from each country that qualified to play in the Olympic games the chance that you would see a Tiger Woods or an Ernie Els competing would be slim to none. Maybe Boo would be happy to play for the USA as he did in the World Cup but he wasn't listed in the top twenty for the US and a lot of the other golfers who were asked gave it a miss as well. It might be a good showcase for top ranked amateurs from countries around the world. That used to be the spirit of the Olympic Games. Professionals are going to be the demise of Olympics before too long.

by Matthew Sculnick
If you are going to sit back and write this article, especially to have it as a lead article please at least have some low level intern take a look at the facts you are ambiguously spewing about and question where it is you were informed of this information. As previously stated by another commentator, softball is an Olympic sport, so it is not being considered; it already has been. Baseball's problem arises from the fact that it is a team sport and the Olympics fall right in the heart of the playoff race. Finally when did having millions of dollars take away your right to represent your country; whether is be the Jamaican bobsledders who simply wanted the joy of carrying their countries flag or Eric Moussambani from Guinea swimming absurdly slower than any other competitor. Do not make judgments for where the pros will hold this competition, that comes every 4 years, in comparison with other tournaments. If you are the best at your sport, for your country, you deserve the right, regardless of your wealth, to wear your countries colors proudly.

by RB
" SELFISH " ?? .. Hey Tim, why don't you jot down the address and phone number of your Learning Center, where literally thousands of underprivileged kids get a real shot at making a dream come true .. No Learning Center ? OK just give us the phone number of your Foundation. We'd like to give it a call and see what cause you so unselfishly support.. Golfers shouldn't be chastised for getting paid to play a game we all wish we could play. Would you play for pay ?, Would you spread the wealth ? Golfers aren't egotistical millionaires, they are a fortunate bunch talented enough to make millions on a " sport " that touches us all. AND they do spread the wealth ...

by chauncy
One of the best replies I have read!
The truth is golf takes longer than a marathon to finish and wouldn't make for good television which is what the olympics have become. Golfers are athletes that give away millions to charity each year while most olympians need some sort of sponsorship to be able to compete at the world level. There are a lot of sports or events that are not as athletic as golf is but are traditionally part of the Olympics. The shot put comes to mind, but if you put every sport in the games then pretty soon it will be skateboards, dirt bikes and skidoos being part of the highlight package on the delayed evening coverage of the new Olympic Games

by Thos. W. Hicks
(name is Tom)
I couldn't agree with you more. As much as I love golf I have never considered it an athlete's sport, though good golf requires athleticism and most big time athletes who take up golf become annoyingly good at it. It requires a lot of qualities, but they don't show up well on TV unless you're a golfer.

by Andy
OK Tim, you have been sufficiently scoured.
Care to respond?