AFC wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) of the Miami Dolphins carries the ball against NFC cornerback Tariq Woolen (27) of the Seattle Seahawks and outside linebacker Za'Darius Smith (55) of the Minnesota Vikings during the flag football event at the NFL Pro Bowl, Feb. 5, 2023, in Las Vegas. Flag football took a key step toward becoming an Olympic sport in 2028, a victory for the NFL and organizers in Los Angeles who will bring a distinctly American sport to the Summer Games as they return to the United States for the first time in 32 years. (AP Photo/David Becker, File)
By Eddie Pells
Flag football took a key step toward becoming an Olympic sport in 2028, a victory for the NFL and organizers in Los Angeles who want to bring a distinctly American sport to the Summer Games as they return to the United States for the first time in 32 years.
Two people familiar with a proposal from the Los Angeles organizing committee told The Associated Press on Monday that the committee had delivered its proposal to the International Olympic Committee, setting it up for a vote at the IOC's meeting that starts Friday in Mumbai, India. The people did not want to be named because the LA committee was expected to release the information later Monday.
Other sports on the list included baseball and softball — which were in the Tokyo Games in 2021 but will not be played next year in Paris — lacrosse, squash and cricket, a sport with a much wider global reach that will go over well in Brisbane, Australia, which is hosting in 2032, and in India, where the vote will take place.
Out is breakdancing, which will be a one-and-done after its debut in Paris next year. Others not making the cut: motorsports, kickboxing and karate.
Unclear is whether other sports will have to trim the number of disciplines to help the IOC adhere to the limit it set of 10,500 athletes at a Summer Olympics. The addition of five team sports will inflate the number of participants.
Flag football is a less-violent cousin of America's most popular sport, one the NFL has been selling in Europe, Mexico and Japan for decades. This year, the NFL placed three games in London and two games in Germany on its schedule.
Flag football, in which “tackles” are made by pulling a flag off a belt worn by each player, would be a 5-on-5 affair played on a 50-yard field. There aren't offensive and defensive linemen. At the World Games last year, the U.S. men won the gold medal but the women fell to Mexico in the final.
While flag football will feel familiar to the home fans, cricket will be a steep learning curve. Hugely popular in India, Australia and Britain, it is virtually unknown in the United States. A version called Twenty20 — a shorter version of the original game — is proposed for the schedule in Los Angeles. Cricket was played once before at the Olympics — in Paris in 1900.
Carlo and Baker cover Facebook's big rebrand, the latest on Biden's economic agenda and more. Plus, ranking the best Halloween candy and the worst couple's costumes.
Michael Jenkins, host of 'The Daily Tip,' gives his pick for Thursday night's Packers-Cardinals duel, while VSiN sports betting reporter Josh Appelbaum breaks down the other top NFL games this weekend, and Bookies.com sports betting expert Dan Kilbridge says to back the Spartans in a pivotal Big Ten battle on Saturday.
Sponsored by BetMGM
New controversy emerges in the MLB surrounding comments from commissioner Rob Manfred. While speaking to reporters before game one of the World Series, Manfred shrugged off questions about the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal, and also offered support for the Atlanta Braves to keep its name, which the National Congress of American Indians has already condemned. Forbes SportsMoney senior contributor Maurey Brown joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss this and other storylines in the MLB.
Josh Appelbaum, VSiN Sports Betting Reporter, joins 'Cheddar Bets' to break down lessons learned from lopsided games from a betting perspective, if the Saints can keep it close against the Buccanneers, and the Cowboys red-hot offense.
Sponsored by BetMGM
Dan Kilbridge, Bookies.com Sports Betting Expert, joins 'Cheddar Bets' to break down this week's matchup between undefeated Michigan and Michigan State teams. Plus, is Georgia in danger this week?
Sponsored by BetMGM
Michael Jenkins, Host of 'The Daily Tip', joins 'Cheddar Bets' to break down the Thursday Night Football matchup and which player props to hit with Davante Adams out; Michael and Hana play a round of Buzzer Beater.
Sponsored by BetMGM
Boxing Legend Mike Tyson, Chief Brand Officer, of Tyson 2.0 and Chad Bronstein, Chairman of Tyson 2.0, joined Cheddar News to discuss venturing into the cannabis industry.
Dems race for a deal on President Biden's economic agenda ahead of his big foreign trip. What to make of the latest threat assessment in Afghanistan. Plus, the meme cryptocurrency of the moment that's now worth more than many Fortune 500 companies.
Jill and Carlo discuss the pending approval for Pfizer's vaccine for kids, the state of anti-Semitism three years after Tree of Life, potential criminal charges in the 'Rust' prop gun shooting and more.
DraftKings is walking away from a deal to buy Entain, a major company in the international gambling industry, for $22.4 billion. The deal reportedly fell through after the companies could not come to agreements about BetMGM, the exclusive sports betting division of MGM, and a joint venture between MGM resorts and Entain. Sportico sports business reporter Eben Novy-Williams joined Cheddar Nws' Closing Bell to discuss.
