Relevant Olympic Sports @ the I.O.C.

PG

What do you think of the speed skating?

I think it is totally intense

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Originally posted by TRhit:
I may be mistaken but I think they went up against each other today

BTW at 6:30 PM Eastern time USA Ladies vs Canada Ladies for the Hockey Gold

That's a Hockey game I want to see.

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What do you think of the speed skating?

I like it!

I get up (too) early. CNBC shows replays on something called 'Curling for Insomniacs'. I don't know when it comes on, but it goes off at 5 am EST.

Hey that pic of the gal curler - she looks like she could be a he! or a drag queen.

I'm fully expecting RZ to chime in and say how I make fun of 7 yr olds and hate my country and how I have no respect for people who dedicate themselves to sweeping a broom.

The ladies hockey game is on MSNBC right now

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Originally posted by dub-L-play:
Hey that pic of the gal curler - she looks like she could be a he! or a drag queen.

I dunno, dub-L. I'm kind of digging the look. I don't understand it. She looks like trouble with the tongue thingy, and she's probably screaming something that sounds like, "yaaaarr!" But its somehow working...

dub, You must be wanting to argue or something... Those definitely look like "shes" to me.

quote:

Originally posted by dub-L-play:
Hey that pic of the gal curler - she looks like she could be a he! or a drag queen.

I'm fully expecting RZ to chime in and say how I make fun....

You don't need any help from me, you're doing fine all by yourself

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Originally posted by PGStaff: Those definitely look like "shes" to me.

Last time I said that, I got slapped. But it was worth it.

I don't see anything masculine about those two ladies

All good fun. RZ Don't know if I've ever laughed at little leaguers but I do enjoy watching someone trip. But not nearly as much as watching men sweep brooms.

2/0 Oh Canada

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Originally posted by zombywoof:
None of these olympic sports are worth watching except maybe hockey. But even that's watered down badly with NHL players making up the teams and scattering off for two weeks playing for different countries.

Whoa. I can't leave this one alone. Disclaimer: Zombie, I'm usually a big fan of your in-your-face posts. But you're wrong about this one. "Watered down" is the complete opposite of what happens when you let pros play Olympic Hockey.

It may violate the amateur spirit, it may cheat some great collegiate talent out of competing in the Olympics. But the one thing it does do is create one of the purest competitions of the best-of-the-best on an International level. For a short time, the best in the world drop everything financial and go play to represent their countries. And each country sends the best NHL players they've got. If you think what you're watching is "watered down Hockey," then you're not a Hockey fan.

I'm OK with the idea of kicking pros out of the Olympics for altruistic reasons. But if they do, then I'm an advocate for the Professional Olympics. And I'll be absolutely glued to the tube for those two weeks.

I maybe using the term "watered down" in the wrong context and not making my point. It's about the Olympics themselves and the games that make up the olympics that turn me off to it. While the hockey IMO is the only sport worth watching, olympic hockey doesn't excite me as far as Americans going for the gold since many of the hockey players already play in the NHL and when they go back to their country and play in the olympics, I don't see the rivalries against other countries. It's more like an all-star exhibition and the winner gets the gold. Not to take anything away from the hockey games themselves because the greatest players in the world are competing but many of them already play in the same league playing for the stanley cup. There are no more of those country rivalries that was there years ago and that has watered down the olympics.

I think this is probably the last Winter Olympics that the NHL will cooperate with the I.O.C. They don't get enough out of it to justify stopping their season for two weeks. They don't get visibility or much credit, its a big headache for them to manage the hole in the season, and they risk getting players hurt. The Hockey analysts on ESPN have been talking about this a lot lately.

So it may well go back to what you're wanting to see. Different story with Basketball.

I went with my son last night to the bowling alley where he was saying his good-byes before he headed out to 5 HS baseball buddies who bowl in a league. They sukked, got their a$$ handed to them, but were competitive to the end, were not happy losing, but went down as a team. It was fun to watch the juices flow. Then we went in the bar and watched the Games and they started playing trivia about the Olympics, questions like "name the spins in ice skating" "how many gates in the giant salaam", "how tall is the half pipe", "how much does a stone weigh". They had a book with all the answers, they took turns asking questions, answers were written down, and points were given for the closest answers. This went on for over two hours, and it sounded like the super bowls was in progress. In the end, there was a metal presentation which was 3 pints of various qualities of beer. What surprised how much knowledge they had about the other sports, their interest in them, and their patriotism.

After my guts stopped hurting from laughter I started to wonder if it is true that age closes your mind to examine new things in a fresh way. They did not follow these sports year round, except for the Games, but had a genuine interest. The question is for the older folks here....

When you were 25 did you have the same feelings about the Olympic events and/or the Olympics in general, and if your opinion changed, Why?

btw- I had to be the judge last night. I thought they might think I was out of their league, and a pro. They said they considered me professional because I've probably had the opportunity to attend every Olympic since Greece.

I'm going to move this away from the recent carnage and get a fresh take of the Olympics yesterday and today in a new thread

quote:

When you were 25 did you have the same feelings about the Olympic events and/or the Olympics in general, and if your opinion changed, Why?

rz,

At 25 I had no interest and would not watch things like the Winter Olympics. Don't know if it's normal, but the older I get, lots of things are more interesting than they used to be. Then there are other things that become more boring.

I should clarify and say Summer or Winter Olympics because the Winter games are historically a Northern watched event.

One of the benefits of living in Florida is that you can be focused on baseball 100% of the time !

Is there something else going on somewhere?

March Madness is just around the corner

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Originally posted by TRhit:
March Madness is just around the corner

Thanks for the reminder TR. I take from that response, there's a subliminal message you are not an Olympics fan.

Rz1

Quite the contrary I am a huge Olympics fan---in fact I have limited the IDOL TV time to go to the Olympics

3/4 good Idol cuts last night IMO

I am rooting for the young lady from CT, Kathy

I do not know how you feel but I think the overall talent is down quite a bit this year

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
I am rooting for the young lady from CT, Kathy
Homer

I do not know how you feel but I think the overall talent is down quite a bit this year
It's still ST, where the cream rises and the "after thoughts" are sent packing after the bugs are worked out

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I will go on record as saying I strongly dislike "Mens" Figure Skating!

PG ... Tell me how to determine the difference? Certainly can't differentiate through their wardrobes.

Anyone have any thoughts on the IOC investigating the Canadian Ladies Hockey team because of their celebration after the game???

I think the world is going to H E L L in a handbasket when people react as the IOC people have

I'd give anything to be in the place those girls are in right now. They won their medal for Canada, they got to have an awesome moment together as a team that day after the game, and now the IOC flare-up is just going to put a flourish on the whole thing. This medal means so much to Canada that I predict the country will defend those girls tooth and nail. And there's no way they'll have to give back their medals - which is all that matters now.

If the IOC tries to flex their muscle on this one, it will back fire on them in a big, big way.

Excerpt from the ESPN story:

"Meghan Agosta and Marie-Philip Poulin posed wearing goofy grins. Rebecca Johnston actually tried to drive the ice-resurfacing machine. Haley Irwin poured champagne into the mouth of Tessa Bonhomme..."

See...getting drunk and trying to drive the Zamboni. This isn't partying, this is just "being a Canadian." Most of them have to prove they can do this before they even get their driver's license. Punishing a Canadian for getting drunk and trying to drive the Zamboni just after he(she) wins a hockey game is like telling a bird not to fly.

To top it all off they were in the arena after all but a few media people etc were still around, perhaps nearly 60 minutes after the game ended--I saw that it was an AP reporter who called the IOC

Lighten up folks--it was a great victory

China Ladies just won the Bronze in Ladies Curling

USA has the Olymoics on now

Look for the video "Canadian women gone wild".

If you think that was bad you should see our rowers.

In no way do I think it was bad---the only problem they may have is the fact that the 18 year old star is underage with regard to legal drinking

The IOC must have been confused and thought it was the USA womens team out there and they were going to show them..

Ridiculous, these girls are done now, probably to never play again, much less together. Unlike the men, who after a win, go back to their NHL Teams and continue to compete. Who can blame the ladies for celebrating a little after years of hard work to reach this pinnacle??

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I think the world is going to H E L L in a handbasket when people react as the IOC people have

It's post Michael Phelps Behavior Syndrome (the bong picture). Scotty Lago (picture of woman kissing his medal hanging below his waist) was going to be sent home had he not volunteered to leave. I'd like to see the IOC try and tell a gold medal winning hockey team to leave the Olympics and not participate in the closing ceremonies in their home country. Imagine the fallout.

I'll admit I rooted against an American competitor last night. I couldn't root against Joannie Rochette. Talk about $ucking it up, focusing and competing!

Looks like Finland hit the champagne BEFORE the game. USA leads 6-0, first period!

While shaving early this morning, I heard something about young girls, alcohol and cigars emanating from the television. Instinctively I thought, "Must be a Bill Clinton retrospective."

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Originally posted by rz1:
3/4 good Idol cuts last night IMO

I thought last night they were pretty bad overall. The worst of the bad got cut. Just seemed like none of them really had it going. Maybe just a bad week.

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While shaving early this morning, I heard something about young girls, alcohol and cigars emanating from the television. Instinctively I thought, "Must be a Bill Clinton retrospective."

I'd trade a little grab and tickle for my retirement to be what it was then, eh? [In the immortal words of the fine hosts of the Games.]

quote:

Originally posted by rz1:
3/4 good Idol cuts last night IMO

RZ - They probably did not know how to sweep the ice and sing, Dog.