Relevant Olympic Sports @ the I.O.C.

Is anyone else tired of the Lindsay Vonn hype? I realize she leads the 2010 World Cup standings and won the 2009 World Cup title. But she now has more falls than medals (she's not a championship slalom skier). I wasn't surprised Julie Mancuso made a comment on how NBC is ignoring the abilities of the rest of the USA ski team. Then NBC proceeds to do a story on what great friends Vonn is with Maria Riesch of Germany. When Riesch won the slalom NBC put Vonn on camera again hugging her.

I do believe that Vonn has some media deals cooking for her near future

Just watched the rerun of Canada v Switzerland women's curling match in its entirety.

So. Very. Ashamed of Myself.

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Originally posted by wraggArm:
Just watched the rerun of Canada v Switzerland women's curling match in its entirety.

So. Very. Ashamed of Myself.

Second prize is watching two curling matches. I respect these are the world's best in their sport. But I can't pay attention when it's on. Then again, there were probably Europeans thinking the same thing when baseball was on during the Summer Olympics.

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Originally posted by RJM:
Is anyone else tired of the Lindsay Vonn hype? I realize she leads the 2010 World Cup standings and won the 2009 World Cup title...

Can you blame Vonn? I applaud the girl on three fronts.

1. Her accomplishments the last couple of years deserves accolades, and props as her sports figurehead. Any skier who does not jump on those shirttails is only jealous and very short-sighted in regard to the future of their spot.IMHO.

2. Her intestinal fortitude to fight through injuries and still perform. She fell 3 times, big deal. I'm sure most of us have seen our own kids hurt, not perform up to our standard, then turn around and tell all that "I'm so proud he played through the injury and did the best he could". Vonn does not get that credit by many.

3. Her presence as the American poster girl. That in itself is a weight few could hold and then compete. While she may be reaping the rewards, she by no means wrote the script. She has maintained "who she is" through this circus and while many dislike her mug on the screen all the time, I doubt many would be disappointed to have our daughters grow up with the same passion, desire, and commitment in whatever field they would pursue.

IMHO, she along with every other athlete at the games are this weeks American heros and any backwash that flows her way is doings of the media.

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Any skier who does not jump on those shirttails is only jealous and very short-sighted in regard to the future of their spot.

Julie Mancuso was a defending Olympic gold medal slalom champion. She fought through serious reoccurring injuries the past couple of years to earn two silvers this year. The officials screwed her in her best event (the one she was a defending gold medal champion). One of her best friends just died in a skiing accident. Is there a story in here somewhere?

That Mancuso won two medals when she was ranked 23rd on the World Cup tour and came back from bigger injuries than Vonn experienced is a big story. But all we hear is Lindsay, Lindsay, Lindsay. I was on the Lindsay Vonn bandwagon when the Olympics started. The hype became tiresome. Especially given hell will freeze over before she wins a slalom medal (ranked 28th in World Cup). She's a downhill champion. Julie Mancuso is one of the few skiers in the world good enough to medal in both downhill and slalom.

Sometimes the media doesn't tell the real story becaause it's not pretty. The issues between Vonn and her teammates go back many years. She's never been considered a good teammate.

I remember thirty years ago the network played up the personality of a particular Olympic hockey goalie. It made me puke. I knew him and knew he was an *******. His college teammates couldn't stand him. At least Miracle was truer to the reality of how his Olympic teammates and coaches felt about him outside his talent.

She's the Tim Tebow and Brett Favre of the Olympics!!

RJM,

I'm taking nothing away from Julie Mancuso, but, not only have these stories been in the works for months, Mancuso may not have been as accommodating with playing that poster girl role. Maybe Mancuso would not buy into the hype . We also have no idea what the NBC rational was, but, they did not get to where they are by not doing their homework on the who, what, when, and whys of the human interest stories.

In another sport I know of someone who had a reputation as a not overly bright, big into gamesmanship, fairly talented whiner, who ended up as a TV commentator and was shown in a very different light from what we'd seen. Not McEnroe, as he's got some smarts and what you see is pretty much what you get with him as far as I know.

Are we surprised that TV creates images for people that sell?

Playing the media for more camera time ....

** Vonn was waiting to greet her best friend Riesch at the finish and told her: “Awesome, I’m so proud of you.” **

Why did she feel the need to enter the finish area? She had to hop a fence or enter a gate to be there. She jumped into the middle of a competitor's big moment for camera time. I wonder if she ran over the backs of Riesch's German teammates and parents to get there first. I guess on the positive side she was congratulating a competitor that outskied her at the Olympics.

The real story of the Olympics is not Lindsay Vonn, but how successful the US Ski team has become. It wasn't that long ago they were a joke in international competition.




The U.S. came to Vancouver having never medaled in Nordic combined and left with an impressive four.

With 20 seconds to go in third period USA tied it at 2-2 vs Canada

LETS GO USA !!!!!


We now go to sudden death overtime

USA loses 3-2---fantastic game

With a game like that, a loss doesn't taste as bad as it usually does. You might sit in the locker room and say "shet", and follow it up with "what a great game to be a part of".

Overall, 2 games USA 7 - Canada 6

Nice couple of weeks for the USA as a whole

Highest medal total in history for the USA in the Winter Games

What a thrilling game! Hope that game is great for the NHL!

Ryan Miller and Sidney Crosby are both so exciting to watch and great for the game! As a goalie mom - my heart just broke for Ryan Miller. Even though I was disappointed we didn't win the gold, I did get chill bumps when Canada was singing their national anthem and going nuts!

I also have to admit we loved curling at our house! The woman's gold medal game was awesome! Now I will have 4 years before I watch another curling match and will have no idea next Olympics how the sport is played!

Loved the Olympics!

The Canadian fans are to be commended for the great ovation they USA Goalie Ryan Miller during the award ceremony---they are true fans and appreciate great hockey play

We love the winter olympics, probably because these sports are not something we are familiar with, except for hockey.
My husband has gone nuts for curling, my fav is speed skating and I love the personal stories that emerge from the games.

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I did get chill bumps when Canada was singing their national anthem and going nuts!

In an impartial moment during overtime I was thinking how insane it would be for Canada to win at home given it's their national sport. I think all 17,000 Canadian fans were singing the national aththem. I was also thinking, "Please don't let this come down to a shootout." It's not the way to decide a world championship. It's how Sweden beat Canada in '94.