Should Magic be consider for the Olympics?

[BigBlue]

WotC of course would love for this to happen, which is why they are pushing to be considered with the rest of the "Mind Sports" for the 2004 olympics. See Ask the Wizard for more info, though this isn't the first time I've heard it mentioned by them.

I personally think that while the game is very strategic, it should not be considered, too much is based on chance. Now, if they were to create like tournament packs and boosters, and run a sealed with equal cards, I might rethink this. . . But truly the game is not completely strategic like Go or Chess.

Oh yeah, thread #9985 JP, 15 to go.

 

[Spiderman]

Sorry, I don't even think chess should be in the Olympics. Maybe they should redefine Olympics as "physical sports".

Plus, they're thinking of trimming it down anyways...

 

[train]

I don't see how ballroom dancing could be in the Olympics and Magic not - Chess was the official mascot for Chinese gaming, but Magic is now... That's some serious recognition.

I agree there is a difference between physical sports and mental sports, but some of these physical sports don't require the meta-intelligience necessary to be tolling on an individual, it does take a lot of stamina to make it through a major event... It may not be let me knock you over, or run faster than you, but it sure is... let's see how well you play your hand!!!

 

[Shiro, Time Devourer]

O.O

Magic? In the Olympics? Everything, I have seen. I doubt this'll last very long. In fact, there could be a Mental Olympics made over a few years so as to make sense of everyone wanting their piece of the official Olympic pie.

 

[BigBlue]

Yeah, but would there be a Special Mental Olympics. . .

Just Kidding, and Yes it is rather cold and insensitive, so sue me.

 

[Spiderman]

I don't think ballroom dancing should be in the Olympics either. Lots of stuff shouldn't be in the Olympics, I think. I hope not to add Magic to it

 

[train]

I got it!!!!

Olympic Cake Baking...

or even

Olympic Cross-Stitching, yeah buddy!!!!

 

[BigBlue]

Well, why not Underwater Basket Weaving then?

Or Creating Olympic Hype (A marketing extravaganza).

Well to get back on topic, I don't think this will happen. I really wouldn't mind seeing Chess or Go as a mental sport, but not Magic, it simply is too random.

Have they ever run a limited tournament where all the players start with the same cards? That would be interesting and boring, boring due to the similar decks, but interesting to see what came of it. . . It wouldn't be that hard to do, pick a random Starter and 2 boosters, then simply duplicate them.

 

[Spiderman]

I think one of Invitationals had that format once...

 

[train]

They could run that format as part of the cake-baking... the packs would be prizes inside the cakes...

Day 1 - bake your cakes...

Day 2 - eat them - take your prizes and make a deck...

Day 3 - the winner is pronounced the best Cake-Sealed Player. Take that Betty Crocker!!!

 

[theorgg]

YES!

Why? Well, beyond people being exposed to the desese and potentially contracting interest, that's one of Richard Garfield's biggest dreams.

If it only happened one year(and I will hope for a tape of it!), I would be incredibly happy.

Richard Garfield has given all of us a gigantic gift in Magic. I hope that some of his big dreams come true because of it.

 

[Spiderman]

You might as well make any game part of the Olympics then. Merge the Scrabble championship so that it comes during the Olympics. Move the Poker World Championships to it (and it even has a luck factor like Magic)...

I'm not really against it being in the Olympics, but I think there's a difference between "games" and "sports" and Magic is NOT a sport, despite people's claims that it is or should be

 

[Chaos Turtle]

Seems to me that Magic is too unstable to play in the Olympics.

The fact that the game itself changes so frequently would seem to preclude its inclusion.

 

[EricBess]

To me, it depends on how you look at it.

They are constantly trying new things at the olympics. Not everything that the do at the olympics is considered an "olympic sport" and, it is my understanding, that not everything that they do is a medal sport.

Personally, I think it is about time that they recognize certain mind games that have long been considered sports. Chess and Checkers, for example, are indeed considered "sports", but have not been included.

Backgammon is a borderline issue. Predominantly, this is due to the luck factor. However, I have heard it referred to as a sport, though I don't know if it really is technically considered one as chess and checkers are.

I don't think that the luck factor plays any more part in Magic than it does in Backgammon. Both have large elements of luck, but a good strategy is implemented to minimize the effect of luck on your particular game.

So, if Backgammon is being played at the olympics, I would also like to see Magic played. If neither event is played for a medal, then so be it (I'm not sure I think they should be), but the inclusion in and of itself is certainly worth something.

 

[Istanbul]

B'HAHAHAHAHAHAHahahahaHAHAHAHAHA...

*wheeze*

hahahahahaHAHAHAHAHAhahahahahaha...


Um...no.