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Originally Posted by EdJW
The only way softball gets reinstated is for fans to let GE/NBC and Coca Cola that we won't watch the 2012 olympics without softball. I have no understanding whatsoever as to why ASA Softball, who screwed this up beyond belief, continues to try to be a good guy with a scumbag like the Belgium Frog.
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You are correct, you have no understanding.
ASA spent more money and time promoting, marketing, lobbying, shmoozing and kissing *** than any other organization in the world and I'm not just talking softball. This was even a subject of conversation during the NCAA broadcasts with some of the present and past Team USA members on how much they courted IOC members' vote. Even since then, ASA is still busting their hump wooing the folks who they believe can be influential in getting the game of softball back on the schedule for 2016. Strickly hearsay, but I have heard that Rogge has openly showed his disdain of some of the women's sports in the past. I'm sure that hasn't helped, if true.
If you want someone to blame, talk to Jim Easton. The vote shouldn't have been that close as the preliminary polls showed there was about 30% more votes in pocket than needed. Obviously, you cannot trust some of you allies including countries which are members of the ISF. However, USA's vote WOULD have made the difference and Mr. Easton was not informed by the chair (Rogge) that his vote would be a conflict of interest which is supposedly the customery procedure in IOC meetings.
Nonetheless, many of the IOC members admitted they knew nothing about the sport and had no idea softball wasn't baseball. Those same members openly stated that they would not embarass themselves by approving a request by the ISF to submit an appeal for another vote.
These "people" only give a damn about their social standing and have very delicate egos which usually doesn't go very well with American arrogance.
Getting the sponsors to pull would be a great idea, but the softball world is only a drop in the bucket and wouldn't carry enough weight to even make them consider such a move.