THE OLYMPICS: Official Thread of All-Things Games! (Sportsmanship Required)- Page 13

[uncageg]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 5:23pm

Jane, I already signed up, we can be the next woman's 2 person team! (Yes, that is me in my avatar!)

[Jane2]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 5:26pm

LOL! I see victory ahead!

[DayDreamer]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 5:31pm

Well ... as irritating as it is, long ago I learned to take the Olympics - and most major sporting events - with a grain of salt. There has been cheating and corruption from the countries (East Germany, anyone) and the IOC practically since the games began.

edited to actually finish my sentence.

Updated On: 8/13/08 at 05:31 PM

[Jane2]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 5:34pm

That bothers me, DD. I guess I'm naive or too hopeful for humankind to think that. I'm disgusted. The competitions don't mean anything to me if they are conducted unfairly.

And if anyone thinks that it doesn't make a difference how old the Chinese gymnasts are, ask yourself why this would have happened. Why didn't they put in their 16 and older girls? Why do you think they pulled this?

[DayDreamer]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 5:38pm

Jane,

It saddens me too, but I think it just makes them look worse. When, truth be told, if their 16-year-olds had come out and performed at that level, and with the mistakes by the U.S. team, they probably would have won anyway, and legally. I think this tarnishes their image more than the bragging rights of winning the gold.

And for every instance like this you have all the folks that volunteer for testing. They far outnumber the cheaters. And - cheaters almost always get caught. I'm certain they will too. Eventually.

[uncageg]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 5:43pm

I will play in drag! Or better still, I have 4 years to get the operation done. What a nice little "featurette" story that will make during the games!!! Spike it babe!!!

Updated On: 8/13/08 at 05:43 PM

[Jane2]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 5:54pm

I hear you, DD, but my point is how CAN anyone cheat? Not unless the IOC allows it. Don't tell me an athlete just walks through the door and says "yeah, I'm 5'11" and then everyone goes, oh, ok, go right in. There's no measuring, no checking on passports, no nothing? oy. never mind. I'm disgusted.

[supportivemom]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 6:27pm

Well Jane, based on their skills, I did not dispute that these girls were of age. Do I think that they look their age- no. However, when my daughter competed in gymnastics and cheerleading, I saw plenty of girls who looked way younger than their age. Years ago, when the Russians were in power, they used to substitute girls in event finals to take the place of athletes who were "injured". Gymnastics is never fair. When you are up against the clock- there is no dispute. When you're being judged by humans- it gets too political. Thanks for letting me clarify as I know I don't have the popular opinion here. On the Today show, Meredith was trying to be more diplomatic when Bela was accusing China of cheating. I just say there needs to be proof before you can accuse. Just sayin'

[EugLoven]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 6:51pm

After a LONG day at work, it was so refreshing to come back to this thread and find those Michael Phelps photos starring me down. Thanks boys and girls!

This is what we have scheduled for tonight:

8:00p - 9:00p
Primetime
Coverage of the women's road cycling individual time trial which is contested along a nearly 15-mile course near China's Great Wall. Often called the "Race of Truth" since riders race only the clock - the fastest time wins, no drafting or team strategies allowed. Also, the men's 3m synchronized springboard diving final.

9:00p - 10:00p
Primetime
Already assured of a spot in the next round, Americans Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh play their final preliminary women’s beach volleyball match against challengers from Norway. The U.S. pair has not dropped a single set in nine career Olympic appearances and has won its past 103 consecutive matches.

10:00p - 11:00p
Primetime
Katie Hoff and Natalie Coughlin lead the American women's 4x200m free relay team in a swim for gold (LIVE ET/CT). Plus, the women's 200m fly, men's 200m breast, men's 100m free, and Michael Phelps continues his historic quest: On this night, no finals, but he swims to advance out of the 200m IM semis.

11:00p - 12:00a (8/14)
Primetime
American gymnast Jonathan Horton placed fourth in the men's individual all-around event at the 2007 World Championships and could figure in the medals here in Beijing (LIVE ET/CT). Also, Katie Hoff and Natalie Coughlin lead the American women in the 4x200m free relay and Michael Phelps continues his historic quest: On this night, no finals, but he swims to advance out of the 200m IM semis (LIVE ET/CT).

[EugLoven]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 7:08pm

OMIGOD! Do you guys want a good laugh!

Check out this video!

DAY 4: Best Fencing Reactions

http://tinyurl.com/6a7zm7

Have any of you been watching these competitions on streaming video? It's incredible. Each time there's a touch or a win, these women SCREAM like banshees! At first I thought it was an over-enthusiastic audience, but no... it's the athletes.

I think it is half letting-off-steam/stress and half performance. Nevertheless, it's riotous.
Updated On: 8/15/08 at 07:08 PM

[Yawper]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 7:10pm

I participated in sports while in college and a few of those on my team moved on to national and Olympic developmental squads. No one was interested in cheating or doping. It's a matter of pride. Maybe that can't be said for athletes in some countries or for the greedy, but most athletes I knew worked their butts off. I think blatant cheating and doping are substantially less than some would like to believe and en masse accusations are a reflection of cynicism more than anything.

[clever name]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 7:39pm

g




Updated On: 8/13/08 at 07:39 PM

[Jane2]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 7:56pm

oops, too negative for Eugen.

I'll just say yeah, I'm cynical!

Updated On: 8/13/08 at 07:56 PM

[EugLoven]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 8:22pm

Okay, what's the math here?

Armstrong kills 14.5 miles in 33.5 minutes
That's 0.43 miles per minute
Or 25.97 miles per hour

That's kinda fast, ain't it?
I wanna pretend I'm an ant on her helmet, feeling the aerodynamics!

[EugLoven]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 8:29pm

AND THOSE MALE DIVERS!!!

Men's Sychronized 3m Springboard Final: Can we just keep the cameras on them when they're showering off? You guys said you wanted Speedos a few nights ago.... here they are!

Let's not pretend we didn't see that Canadian totally just grab his balls on-camera.


***SPOILER***

Photo Gallery of the event (with medalists)
http://www.nbcolympics.com/diving/photos/galleryid=207510.html


Dude, you can really see how sucky the USA Round 4 dive was... completely perpendicular (instead of parallel)

These CHN guys are impressive and unstoppable! Take a look at their toes during Round 5... they balance right at the end, their entire body and foot over the edge of the board (except hanging-on with their itty-bitty toes)

Ya know, in my opinion, the UKR final dive was MUCH worse than the USA final dive. It shoulda been our American boys on the Bronze podium. USA was perfectly synced but erred on the angle of entry. Whereas UKR had an over-twist, dove to the side and had a much bigger different angle of entry. Damn...

****END SPOILER****



Updated On: 8/13/08 at 08:29 PM

[Yawper]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 8:41pm

"Armstrong kills 14.5 miles in 33.5 minutes
That's 0.43 miles per minute
Or 25.97 miles per hour

That's kinda fast, ain't it?"

no, not for such a short distance, though it depends on the terrain

[thetinymagic2]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 9:02pm

.. anyone up for a fried scorpion on a stick snack?

[EugLoven]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 9:04pm

SEE!!! SHE'S FUNNY!!!



"Mmmm.... Just like Mama used to make it!"

[thetinymagic2]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 9:07pm

that looks like sauteed scorpion with dan dan noodle....

[EugLoven]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 10:19pm

WHOA! Did y'all see that false-start from Pang (CHN)? Totally sh*tty for her but what a big-break for Trinkett (AUS)!


PS: Barnard from France is a f*ckin' monster! His back and shoulder muscles are like a werewolf! Look at that face and snarl!!!


Updated On: 8/15/08 at 10:19 PM

[EugLoven]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 11:15pm

INTERESTING NY TIMES STORY

New York-Based Crews Just Call It as They See It
by Richard Sandomir
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/14/sports/olympics/14sandomir.html

On the temporarily vacated set of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” the Summer Olympics are being called.

The announcers are at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, nearly 7,000 miles from Beijing, sitting inside 14-foot-wide booths that are equipped with 24-inch HD monitors and headsets that pipe in the ambient sounds from the game sites in China. Every bit of 13 sports, and some of basketball, is called in this fashion on MSNBC, USA and CNBC.

The announcers never see anything more than what the viewers see.

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 8/13/08 at 11:58pm

Slow night. May and Walsh are incredible.

Jason is on the move!

[obsessedjb]

Posted: 8/14/08 at 12:07am

Wow that was scary.

[EugLoven]

Posted: 8/14/08 at 12:09am

Yeah, it's been a slow conversational thread tonight.

Interesting competitions. Lots of medals going to nations we didn't expect, but still a nice turn-out for the USA.

These individual all-around men's gymnastics is so tense and focused...

Our guys: and

BUT YIKES! THAT JAPANESE FALL ON THE RINGS!!!
That looked like it hurt... really bad... and uber-scary!

OUCH! Updated On: 8/14/08 at 12:09 AM

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 8/14/08 at 12:10am

Eug, that was a scarey fall. It that was me, I would be dead!