London Olympics: Which bizarre event could you do without? [Poll]

Quick! Can you name the events that make up the modern pentathlon?

What are the basic rules to handball?

How did your alma mater’s synchronized swimming team do this year?

What violations can cause a racewalker to receive the dreaded red paddle?

Photos: London Olympics Day 10

Which is your favorite apparatus in rhythmic gymnastics?

In which event can you see a horse perform a piaffe, pirouette or half-pass?

And one more question: Why in the world is softball no longer an Olympic sport?

I really don’t want to offend anyone — more likely, I’m just showing my ignorance — but there really seems to be some bizarre sports in the Summer Olympics. Walking? Dressage? Synchronized anything?

Yet as columnist Philip Hersh points out on The Times’ website, softball was eliminated as an Olympic sport following the 2008 Games even though it is played competitively in 127 countries.

Everyone knows the rules to softball. A lot of us have played in leagues. Little League and college championships are televised nationally. Seems like it would have a lot of viewer appeal if it was brought back to the Olympics.

We can easily make room for softball by eliminating one of the more obscure events. Which one should we get rid of? Well, that’s up to you. Please vote in the poll, then leave a comment explaining why you voted the way you did.

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