Olympics

quote:

Originally posted by mudwolf:

Any other observations?

More than 30 athletes who were expected to compete in the Vancouver Games were barred from competition after failing pre-Games testing.

So wet up on Cypress that a snowboarder got taken by a shark.

The flame is in jail. Google "Free the Flame".

All in all a pretty poor show here in Vancouver. Transport is a bit of a mess (sometimes horrific and unforgivable) unless you are a "VIP" (who outnumber the athletes 10:1) and get to be driven around in one of the 2000+ new SUVs that are clogging the downtown streets.

I'm proud of Vancouver, the city and its people, but ashamed of Vanoc. The problem is perhaps down to the fact that they have our money - we've paid for our tickets - but there is no repeat business to motivate them. They are intent with doing the bare minimum. The volunteers are great, but the management just don't seem to care.

Circle The Zambonis!

You mean you don't have one Stu?

Apparently, the BBC, that paragon of VFM and efficiency has sent more staff than the BOC has sent athletes.

Don't you just love 'em?

I probably enjoy the Winter Olympics more than the summer ones, men's downhill sking, bob sleigh and ice hockey (or people hitting each other with sticks for an hour).

I also enjoy the ski jump but have one major grip with it - marks for style.

If ever there was a sport where the winning is easily defined, ie. they landed further from the takeoff than anyone else, then this is it. In football they don't add or take away from a goal according to how elegantly the player was positioned when they kicked, or headed the ball. I really don't care if the skier lands on his arse if he gets further than anyone else.

And while on the subject of 'marks for style' do people here actually think ice dance is a sport?

Does anyone else feel this way? I know I became a grumpy old man long ago.

Still I have enjoyed the bit I have watched, and have some ice hockey on tape to catch up on.

quote:

.............., and have some ice hockey on tape to catch up on.

On Tape ???

I hope it's betamax !

Love the skateboarding races

quote:

Originally posted by JamieL_v2:
- marks for style.

If ever there was a sport where the winning is easily defined, ie. they landed further from the takeoff than anyone else, then this is it. In football they don't add or take away from a goal according to how elegantly the player was positioned when they kicked, or headed the ball. I really don't care if the skier lands on his arse if he gets further than anyone else.

And while on the subject of 'marks for style' do people here actually think ice dance is a sport?

Does anyone else feel this way? I know I became a grumpy old man long ago.

I'm with you here. If you can't time it, measure it, score it or weigh it; it's not a sport. Anything that needs to be judged is either art, or a pastime.

quote:

Originally posted by FlipTop:

quote:

.............., and have some ice hockey on tape to catch up on.

On Tape ???

I hope it's betamax !

OK, metaphorical 'tape' Sky Digibox, but 'tape' sounds better to me.

Betmax, or at least the tape mechanism continued, or even continues, to be used professionally first as Beta-SP and then Digi-Beta. Not the same recording system, but certainly the same tape cartrige.

Winkyincanada, glad to see I am not the only grump old man on this subject.

I'm glad there's a major event that is the real deal on reality TV. However, a few of my friends have griped over the excessive celebrity making of our TV. It has become gawd awful. I like the way Bodie Miller doesn't play to the interviews or that million dollar photo op/deal making, tho I"m sure there's money behind him.

I'm sure getting around the games is awful up there and the rain was awful instead of snow. I have fond memories of the 60s and 70s when they'd record everything and show as much as possible, now it's cut up to 15 minutes of sport and 8 minutes of commercials and show promotions. Plus they show the major events in evening and have edited out the also rans to just show major contenders. I like to see lots of different contestants and not just this focus on winners and Americans. Gets tiresome, rah rah . . . rah.

I do have to say there have been changes, one is technology of cameras is wonderful. Then the blue markings on the snow, keeps contestants inline, but that was also where they'd mess up in the past missing gates and all. And where are all the thrills of spills? I liked how they can double image 2 different skiers and show how they were different. I only saw one Canadian take a downhill tumble, dayam editors.

I miss Dick Button commenting on ice skating, he's a class act, they had one early interview to set the stage, but in competition he wasn't at the mike.

yeah I'm getting to be an old curmudgeon too, "remember the good old days?"

Oh dear, I might have to give up my grumpy old man membership card.

I watched the snowboard half pipe last night and really enjoyed it. Mudwolf you were right it is so exciting.

I also love the clothes, everyone else is wearing skin tight lycra costumes, but I saw one competitor in pink cargo pants, pockets and all. The USA team's grunge lumberjack shirt type tops are great too.

I must go and watch some ice dance to get my grumpiness back.

I watched some of the women's downhill event last night. The images were impressive, especially in HD and I think anyone who goes in for that sort of event must be mad and deserves respect!

My enjoyment of the coverage was marred by a number of things;

The blue lines distracted me - is that a health and safety thing?

The betting odds board and discussion thereof before the competition started - is this a normal feature of skiing coverage? I haven't noticed this before at a skiing event, much less at an Olympics.

Clare Balding - doesn't she normally deal with horse racing and upsetting jockeys with bad teeth? Call me grumpy, but I do prefer to have sports commentators who have a relationship with the sport. This is akin to Linaker pretending to be a golfing commentator; much like putting tomato sauce on vanilla icecream - it just doesn't work.

The commentators in general - why do they feel obliged to talk such drivel? The classic was the statement that the British skier, who happened to be the very first competitor to finish the run was "in Gold medal position!!"...I ended up watching with the volume muted.

I did shake my head in mild wonder at the lack of crowd reaction when the same skier fell over at the end of her run. The camera was focused on the skier bouncing off the safety barrier and coming to a halt in a sprawled heap. In the immediate background a bunch of "spectators" were happily ignoring what was going on right under their noses and seemed to be engrossed in the nearby TV screen coverage of the fall. A sign of the times I guess.

The drug testing doesn't surprise me. The Olympics long ago stopped being for "amateurs" only.

If anyone saw the recent articles on some of the competitors in sports such as short track skating, figure skating, snowboarding, downhill, those that rise to the top are making millions in endorsements.

I think our NBC commentators have been competitors. The classic pair for decades was Peggy Flemming and Dick Button on ice skating. Both of them at one time said they had no concept of doing anything more than a double, now they're doing triples and trying for quadruples. One woman the other night said "it's sad that the programs are so difficult now that they often can't perform a flawless program, and have current injuries." so true

Can't remember the name of the current male commentator who really was good men's skater, but in commenting he got so excited in the past he talked all thru the performance. This year he's obviously been told to keep it to a minimum.

Yeah I think the style difference of the snow boarders and other competitors with slick written all over them is fascinating. I see that all over CA, young dudes with baggy clothes and can't be excited about anything. Big comment is "Sup?"

I don't think I'd go to the hassle of seeing something like that as you get more information and better views on TV. Sure the roar of the crowd is fun but when the competitors just fly by or they're at the far end of the field you can't see much.

I've often put on music and turned off the sound just to watch the visuals Great fun

The blue lines distract me too but they help the skiers know the slope and avoid injuries. Decades ago many would wipe out because they'd be snow blind at speed and really have horrible wipeouts. No way would I do 70+ MPH on skis.

Still it's great fun watching people from different countries competing, wish this was the case with military and wars.

If it's a winter olympics why don't they include sports that are played in the winter like football and rugby union?

quote:

Originally posted by El Guapo:
If it's a winter olympics why don't they include sports that are played in the winter like football and rugby union?

Aren't snow and ice key elements for the chosen sports in the Winter Olympics? I can't remember ever seeing rugby or football in a ice rink, and as this link shows, snow does tend to stop play.

Snow stops play

I'm loving the BBC medals table - showing the top 5 and then cutting to good old GB with 0-0-0. That is, until we clean up in the only truly British sport in the Winter Olympics - tea tray racing.

Snowballing, Snow men making, and threads including the word snow? We should be world class at those.

You sure about that first one, BigH?

Oh yeah those white ball chucking fellas might be quite good?

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Snowballing

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Oh my.