With no softball, what will fill the void in 2012 Games?
Mr. Monday: With no softball, what will fill the void in 2012 Games?

Published: August 25, 2008

The summer is over, sports fans. The Olympic flame has been extinguished.

All we have to do now is look forward to a possible national championship run out of the Sooners and NBA hoops coming to Oklahoma City.

But, really, isn't it about time we started talking about the 2012 Games in London?

It's never too early for a good comedy conceit, friends, so Mr. Monday's gears are already spinning about the next Olympics.

We all know about Mr. Monday's love of superfastpitch softball.

Not only is the Women's College World Series one of the most enjoyable moments of the year for the OKC area, it also gives Mr. Monday a chance to revel in some American dominance.

That is, until last week, when Mr. Monday got the double whammy of the last Olympic softball game for the foreseeable future — which was a gold medal game LOSS by Team USA.

Ouch, Japan. Mr. Monday's going to have to walk it off.

That's right, sports fans, while Mr. Monday is grimacing in pain, everyone needs to come to grips with the fact that softball (as well as that other stick and ball sport) have been booted from the Olympics in 2012.

Didn't the English get the message in the War of 1812?

It's not the fault of the British, but the rest of the world, who had been pummeled by Jenni Finch's combined riseball and hotness for far too long, apparently.

Instead, they'll be searching for other sports for 2012, which brings us to the punch line portion of this week's wad of mirth. What games should be added to the 2012 Olympics in London?

(And if I hear anyone say cricket, it's off to the Red Dawn re-education camps with ya.)

How about golf? This is a nice little hot potato. Tiger Woods might even express some emotion. (If he shows up.) If not, there's always the tacky-shirted splendor of the Ryder Cup.

Mixed martial arts. Olympic boxing is pretty namby-pamby. But add MMA, and Mr. Monday will be rooting for the biter from Tajikistan.

Bowling. Wait until you see how mad China gets when they lose the beer frame.

Competitive eating. At last, America's struggle with obesity is rewarded. (Michael Phelps, meet Joey Chestnut.)

We'll have to wait another four years to see what happens. But if you want Phelps back, you might want to institute a game they should have had in China this time. Marco Polo.

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