Pyle of List

Ah, the Olympics are in full swing.

Every four years I get to pretend I know something about obscure sports that we would never televise in America.  Things like water polo and field hockey.

In addition, we all get reminded of a sport we have bastardized in a bad way.  Let’s face it, in most case America has improved on a sport.  Soccer begot Football, Cricket begot Baseball.  We have a pretty good track record.  But when it comes to wrestling the idea that scripting and doping make for better drama is sickening to a sports purist like myself.

But during the Olympics, we get reminded of a wrestling that doesn’t include big breasted arm candy and roided guys screaming into microphones.  I get a pure, if not interesting form of the sport that doesn’t leave me shaking my head in disgust….until now.

Have you heard about this guy?

That’s Sweden wrestler Ara Abrahamian screaming at Olympic officials after a ruling that caused him to lose a semifinal match against eventual gold medalist Italy’s Andrea Minguzzi.

But Abrahamian, the defending silver medalist, didn’t just lose it after a closely contested match.  That would have been understandable.

After losing the semifinal match on the contested call, Abrahamian had to be restrained from attacking the Olympic officals.  Then family and friends had to talk him into competing in the Bronze medal match, which he won.  But Abrahamian didn’t feel he’d made his point.  So on the podium, after receiving the bronze medal, he ripped it off his neck stepped down to the wrestling mat and dumped the medal in the middle before exiting.

The Olympic Committee has stripped the Swede of the medal, responding to the disrespect he showed to the games and his fellow athletes.

Maybe, Abrahamian should look into the WWE.  He can wrestle, attack referees and whine about the outcome and get paid well for it.  But I doubt he’ll be back at the Olympics in 4 years.

Oh boy, gotta go….Woman’s Badminton Finals is on.