The Popcorn Stand: Synchronized boxing with the ‘Cutman’ would be a cool Olympic sport

I’ve been watching Carson City’s Krysta Palmer compete in 10-meter platform synchronized diving at the U.S. Olympic Trials and that’s gotten me into the Olympic spirit.

I have to admit, though, as I’ve said before, I’m an old fuddy, duddy, so I’m still not used to the “synchronized” sports as part of the Olympics. I never did get used to synchronized swimming as an Olympic sport even though it’s been part of the Olympics for more than three decades now.

But there are some “synchronized” sports I would like to see in the Olympics:

Synchronized boxing: Can you picture it: Jab, jab, hook. And I would love to see the “Cutman” analyze this sport (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdID_lAV2aE).

Synchronized pole vaulting: I don’t know how Carson City’s Mike Arnold (who has an excellent chance of becoming an Olympian by the way) would feel about this, but a sport in which two athletes vault a bar with a pole at the same time I think would be pretty cool.

Synchronized hot dog eating: OK, it’s not an Olympic sport, or really a sport for that matter, but I would love to see duos having to eat as many hot dogs as possible in a synchronized manner.

Others I’ve thought about include synchronized discus, synchronized javelin and synchronized ski jumping.

That’s probably going too far.

— Charles Whisnand