THE OLYMPICS: Official Thread of All-Things Games! (Sportsmanship Required)

[EugLoven]

Posted: 8/8/08 at 12:43pm

THE 2008 BEIJING OLYMPICS kick-started with a lavish Opening Ceremony at 8pm on 08/08/08. Though the city is 12-hours ahead of New York, the competitions and pageantry is already under-way.

Let's use this thread to talk about ANYTHING Olympics. The ceremonies, the medals, favorite performances and athletes, pending scandals.

***** PLEASE, in the manner of sportsmanship, let's keep this conversation as positive and patriotic (preferably politics-free) as possible. Respect everyone's opinions on the games and relish in the coming-together of the world! *****

Beijing Olympics Official Website
(coverage per China time-zone)
http://en.beijing2008.cn/

NBC Official Olympics Website
(USA air-time friendly)
http://www.nbcolympics.com/

ON THE SUBJECT OF TIME-ZONES, please please please remember to use a
***SPOILER ALERT*** if you feel so-inclined to ruin surprises. As many users on this thread are American TV-watchers, let's really try to be respectful up-to-date-ness.

Updated On: 8/8/08 at 12:43 PM

[EugLoven]

Posted: 8/8/08 at 12:44pm

NY TIMES SNEAK PEAK COVERAGE of the Opening Ceremony
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/09/sports/olympics/09china.html

Updated On: 8/8/08 at 12:44 PM

[joe5]

Posted: 8/8/08 at 12:57pm

Well its more sad news for the US team; Bantam Weight Boxer Gary Russell Jr.,Collapsed while trying to make weight. He will be coming home to the states.

And thats after his family raised 10,000 dollars to send him.

Thanks for making this thread, Eug.
Updated On: 8/8/08 at 12:57 PM

[Marianne2]

Posted: 8/8/08 at 1:02pm

That's a shame.

I'm mostly looking forward to watching gymnastics. I'm not a huge sports fan, so anything like that I always look forward to.

[Biff AKA Levi]

Posted: 8/8/08 at 1:04pm

Gimme men in speedos and those leotard things and I'm set!

It's a shame the Hamm brothers can't participate.

[clever name]

Posted: 8/8/08 at 1:19pm

I love the olympics! The competitions, the personal stories, the controversy, Michael Phelps!! Love em!! And then when it's over I go through withdrawls.

[EugLoven]

Posted: 8/8/08 at 1:19pm

You're welcome, Joe5.

Yeah, I'm also hella bummed about the Hamm brothers (they were so excellent last games, and cute!). And sad news about Gary Russell Jr.

It is always SO MUCH work for these athletes to train train train and get themselves to the games. And the amount of stress and challenge they put themselves through once they GET there is always so precarious. It must be such a difficult decision to pull-out of the games or to be too injured to continue.

HERE'S HOPING THE BEST HEALTH TO ALL OUR ATHLETES WHILE THEY'RE THERE!

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 8/8/08 at 1:25pm

I hope the atheletes stay healthy too...with the air quality, it may be tough!

Mexillent thread, Eug.

I hope everyone uses spoiler alerts!

[joe5]

Posted: 8/8/08 at 1:29pm

I can't wait for the opening ceremony. The pictures that are coming out look very Cirque du Soleil, with an Asian twist,

[Biff AKA Levi]

Posted: 8/8/08 at 1:34pm

Don't give Dragone any ideas!

[Jane2]

Posted: 8/8/08 at 2:31pm

I also love everything olympics. I even love watching the sports I hate!

That photo of the gym looks fabulous-wish I were there. Well, not really. I'm ok watching it on tv.

[Greekmusicalfan]

Posted: 8/8/08 at 7:32pm

Well, IN MY OPINION, this was the most BORING, Heartless, Uninspired, ROBOTIC and Cold Opening Ceremony ever !!! I was really looking forward to it and I almost fell asleep ! Also, I kept having the feeling, that if any unfortunate soul made a mistake, he was going to be dragged and executed, right there on the spot !

[EugLoven]

Posted: 8/8/08 at 8:21pm

OPENING CEREMONY THOUGHTS/BREAKDOWN:

One resounding feeling: Beautifully and artistically executed with a cast of thousands! A breath-taking view with an enormous crowd and stage for the entire world's best athletes.

THE DRUMMERS

I thought the beginning of these revolutionary games was a perfectly inspiring and intimidating -- exactly what the host country hopes to instill in the hearts of their people and the over 4-billion people watching the games.

There were 2,008 drummers in PERFECT synchronization! Can you imagine seeing it in person.. or rather... hearing it! I can't wrap my head around what rehearsal must have been like and how proud the Chinese must feel.



*commercial break*

FLAG RAISING/ANTHEM

Here was a perfect example of just how much MONEY China has sunk into this project -- $300 million as stated earlier. Those footstep-fireworks leading from the heart of Old Beijing to the National Stadium were gorgeous.

Seeing children carrying the flag was cute, as always, and how eerie to see those robotic soldiers raise the flag. They aren't missing a STEP! (It looks like they even installed a mini-fan somehow on the flag pole to make it billow!)



*commercial break*

PAPER

Okay, that massive LED painting was incredible. From the nation that provides us with some of the world's most-impressive and innovative technology... they aren't skipping a beat! A breath-taking marriage of Modern Dancers creating an Ancient-style Painting on technology of the Future!

This is such a visually-stimulating ceremony... and I feel its pacing is purposeful. One more impressive work of art after another, each its own image and meaning, but building and building for what is sure to be a killer finale.



*commercial break*

PRINTING

OH MY GAWD! "And how did they do it? They did it with people! Not with computers. Not with hydraulics. People!"

This is just blowing me away! Massive scale, Minute precision! These Chinese are leaving me speechless!

The scroll rolling out, caligraphy and paper's history, and then the printing-blocks "dance".... They must be so proud! And what a wonderful tribute to Chinese culture and history!

*commercial break*

NAVAL HISTORY

Thank goodness we have Bob Caustus, Joshua Cooper Ramo, and Matt Lauer reading those informative cue-cards, to tell narrate for us what we're seeing. This is unbelievable!

Hundreds of oarsmen doing an almost "color-guard" routine about sailing and magnetic compass and their fleet. And look at that stadium, and how the complete venue is their canvas! The entire stadium feeds to the opening ceremony and the ceremony to the stadium! Let's see Broadway stage this!



*commercial break*

RED COLUMNS/FEMALE DANCERS

This was just a moment to soak in the colors, costumes, and splendor! I'm glad the cameras focused in on some of the female dancers and their make-up, so we can really step-back for a second and realize what contained-beauty the Asian people have in their face and culture. So regal and preserved and ancient. Their culture is SO OLD... I'm remembering all of my elementary-school Chinese history (isolated-nation, then opened-doors, contributions to art and science)...



And that 500-feet LED screen makes this a cinematic life form!

*commercial break*

REFORM/COMING TO LIGHT

2,008 glowing green men (surrounding a world renown piano player) running into different shapes (like a dove and the Bird's Nest stadium) symbolizing the final-opening of their country. Letting the Chinese people "plug-in" to the rest of the world, express themselves.

A kite flies over the entire mass, with a little girl flying holding the rope. Very harmonious.



*commercial break*

TAI-CHI

2,008 tai-chi masters in perfect sync performing their moves and perfect circles (sometimes running at full speed), around a band of colorful children (who added a smiley-face to the painting). Culminating in a flurry of colorful birds soaring around the "membrane" or scrim of the theatre.

*commercial break*

THE GLOBE

Chinese astronauts hang in the air as a paper-like globe opens in the middle of the theatre with "globe-trekkers" running all around the perimeter (8-months of training for the runners) while images of the world were projected onto it.

"YOU AND ME"



At the top of the globe is a Chinese pop-star and a glamorous doe-eyed Sarah Brightman. Together, they sing the newly-penned Olympic song "You And Me" while hundreds of people beneath them open umbrellas with faces of children from ALL over the world. And blue-whales swim along the scrim. A pretty song, and the audience cheered a lot for both singers.



FINALE FIREWORKS DISPLAY



CONGRATULATIONS CHINA ON A VERY VERY LARGE IMPRESSIVE NATIONAL-PRIDE AND TECHNOLOGICAL AND ARTISTIC MASTERPIECE!

*commercial break*

THE PARADE OF NATIONS

Announcements in French, English and Chinese. Traditionally, Greece comes-out first while the host-country (China) comes-out last. Flag-bearers proudly lead their national contingent onto the stadium floor.




NOTE: Instead of entering in ABC-order, the nations are entering the stadium in the order of which the "number of Chinese strokes needed to write the country name"

Went from Greece to Guinea to Turkey.... USA comes 2/3s into the parade.

The United States contingent walked in approximately 2-hours into the Parade of Nations.



The China flag was carried in by Yao Ming, holding hand with a darling little boy who was one of the few survivors of his crumbled school in the Szechuan earthquake this May.

The Olympic Flag was entered and flown, with the anthem sung.

*commercial break*

THE OLYMPIC FLAME

After being carried for 180 days through over 130 cities, the Olympic Flame was run into The Bird's Nest and passed from one Chinese Olympic champion to another, making one rotation around the entire stadium.

The final torchbearer was former Chinese gymnast Li Ning, who went air-bourne! and carried the flame up up up and "ran" in the sky around a perimeter to light the towering cauldron!



ASTOUNDING FINALE!!! My heart clenched-up as soon as that music started playing, the flame burning SO HIGH and the fireworks just booming! All over the city of Beijing... must have been exhilaratingly!
Updated On: 8/9/08 at 08:21 PM

[Jane2]

Posted: 8/8/08 at 8:25pm

I loved the ethereal raising up of the olympic rings with that heavenly music playing and the flying angels weaving in and out

[scott68]

Posted: 8/8/08 at 8:37pm

The overall visual spectacle so far is unbelievable, but (although I guessed it) the fact that they had people under those printing-press keys was kind of creepy and dehumanizing.


But my real problem so far is the COMMENTATORS. I understand that you think you're supposed to fill the time with your comments, but when they're completely nonsensical and distract from the actual opening ceremony, you aren't doing your (already unnecessary) job.

[Greekmusicalfan]

Posted: 8/8/08 at 8:55pm

Of course it was dehumanizing ! This is a government with no respect of human, animal or opponents' life ! You can see behind all these poor people's fake smiles the fear of doing something wrong ! There's no human enthusiasm, no joy, no celebration, they are just robotically going through the motions ! And yes, fireworks look nice and they were invented in China, but enough is enough, it's not the circus ! They have such a wonderful culture and history and they didn't even show half of it ! IMO
Updated On: 8/8/08 at 08:55 PM

[EugLoven]

Posted: 8/8/08 at 9:00pm

Hey, you guys. Calm down. Of a country of 1.3 billion (1/6th the world-population), they got 15,000 volunteers! Remember, this is a big moment for China. Those who WANT to perform, did.

We see the same en-masse performances from the hundreds of kids in Camp Broadway during the Thanksgiving Day Parade. If the Olympics came to your hometown and there was a cattle-call to be part of the ceremony, I'd like to think a very-many of us would sign-up to be part of the BIG show.

And (please don't make me say it, but) can we admit that part of the "dehumanization" of these images comes from, yes, the fact that a lot of these Chinese performers "look the same"... and that factually comes from great racial-pride and former-national-isolation. We, as American TV-viewers, are used-to many kinds of faces on our street and on our screen (and from Ceremonies of the past).

Updated On: 8/8/08 at 09:00 PM

[scott68]

Posted: 8/8/08 at 9:04pm

If the commentators mention that there are "two thousand and eight so-and-sos!" one more time, I will reach through my screen and strangle them.

LOVE the tai-chi men in white. Fantastic precision.

[lakezurich]

Posted: 8/8/08 at 9:09pm

I am just going to say it now... the Chinese are CRAZY!!! This has to be one of the coolest things I have ever seen.

And the section with the printing blocks... how cool was that?!

[Jane2]

Posted: 8/8/08 at 9:22pm

The printing blocks were unbelievable. Kudos to every single one who performed with such precision!

[BNN]

Posted: 8/8/08 at 10:31pm

I turned it on at the Tai-Chi and was blown away, the 2008 participants were great, especially with all the leaps and constant running. I'm sure whomever choreographed and designed the opening are probably giving the biggest sigh of their lives

[Greekmusicalfan]

Posted: 8/8/08 at 10:34pm

"Those who WANT to perform, did."
How sure can we be about that ??? Do you think there is a way of EVER knowing if they indeed volunteered or were forced to be a part of it ?


"If the Olympics came to your hometown and there was a cattle-call to be part of the ceremony, I'd like to think a very-many of us would sign-up to be part of the BIG show."

Actually the Olympics DID come to my hometown and I WAS part of of the big show ! And today I felt really proud of the small 11 million people Greece ! We gave a fabulous spectacular Opening Ceremony full of HEART and EMOTION, that all people could easily understand, WITHOUT comments or knowing anything about our History. And if you could have seen the faces of all of us that night, you would understand, that tonight's robots, didn't even come close to the joy and the exhilaration we were all feeling !
I seriously expected to be blown out today and instead I almost fell asleep and if not for the commentators, I wouldn't have understood a thing !!! A piano-playing queen with a little girl looking miserable doing nothing and then SARAH BRIGHTMAN ??????? Was this farce even comparable to Barcelona, Sydney, Athens, or even, yes, Atlanta ???? Of course there were some great things, but on the whole I thought it was really bad and everyone I talked tonight thought exactly the same ! And what abouth those dreadful plans of the parade, where you could only see a couple of athletes from the whole team and that mixed up inaudible music ???
Sorry for my rant, but I was just soooo dissapointed by this hugely miseed opportunity, when I waited for something mind-blowing, for so long !






Updated On: 8/8/08 at 10:34 PM

[EugLoven]

Posted: 8/8/08 at 11:01pm

I don't want to fight with you, Panos, because I know you're a nice dude! And coming from Athens, I respect your first-hand experience from the last Summer Games. But these Opening Ceremonies in Beijing are about the smiling faces of those 11,000 athletes. And one of the single most-important moments for the history of Modern China.

I warrant to speak for others in that any future ire-driven comments are not welcomed in this thread. For these 2.5 weeks, is it so difficult to seek an ideal and maintain a level of harmony, both in these games and this thread?

I put faith that you will add some fun and passionate comments about the actual games as the days progress. Thank you for your contributions, in advance.


Updated On: 8/8/08 at 11:01 PM

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 8/8/08 at 11:44pm

While I probably won't watch the Olympics, I do have to say that the opening ceremonies were a stunning, elegant, well-paced and thoughtful production.

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 8/8/08 at 11:55pm

Holy crap! The torch-bearing thing was off the chain!