This is a huge problem in video games now IMO. Any card game everyone plays the same decks, in MOBAs everyone builds the same and prioritizes the same picks, in MMOs everyone wants only the BiS gear and specs the same way, etc. Basically so many games are "solved" and there are so many people who min-max the games become totally unfun.

Funny the author brings up the Olympics because I always complain that the most aesthetically pleasing figure skating runs never win because they aren't crammed wall to wall with "technical requirements". Also re: baseball, I wonder how many more ads there are today?