RE: Olymipics

RE: Olymipics (Full Version)

All Forums >> [Casual Banter] >> Off the Grid

Message

cjan -> RE: Olymipics (8/24/2008 2:36:03 PM)
The Olympics, along with all the controversy about judging fairness, politics, lip syncing perfect girls substituting for the cob with the lovely voice behind the curtain, drug use, etc., like anything else, of course, are not perfect. However, to me, they always deliver a big bang in sports. "The thrill of victory and agony of defeat", to coin a phrase. So many moments of triumph against great odds and defeat, after years and countless hours of sweat, pain and training. 1/100th of a second sometimes being the difference between gold and silver. Lolo Jones, ahead in the 100 meter hurdles, hitting the last one and seeing all her dreams of gold blown away. USA water polo team taking silver after beating all but Hungary in the final when they were expected to be just an also ran. The US mens' basketball team, after agreeing to train and play as a team for 3 years under coach K, actually playing defense ( until the gold medal game against Spain ) and having the time of their lives. Looked like the most fun they've had since the last time they played for free. The team draping coach K with all their gold medals for a team pic and to show respect since, in team sports, only the players get medals and it was K who brought them to this moment of redemption from previous Olympic defeats. The pure joy and thrill of sports on a scale we only see once every four years. It doesn't get any better than that, my friends. Btw, I'm , for sure, not gonna miss Jimmy Page playing in the closing ceremonies tonight ! I'm quite sure he won't be finger syncing to recorded music...

camille65 -> RE: Olymipics (8/24/2008 6:01:26 PM)
I'm absolutely enjoying watching the Olympics tonight. First chance I've had and I just watched some of the closing ceremony, awesome with the blend of people smiling together. Yeah I'm one of those that usually succeeds in looking past the politics and watches just the Olympics, sad I didn't get to watch until tonight though.

Thadius -> RE: Olymipics (8/24/2008 6:13:50 PM)
camille, http://www.nbcolympics.com/ has many of the events and highlights available on their site... they have lots and lots of video on almost everything that happened during the games. Hope you get a chance to check some of it out, it has been alot of fun to watch.

DeeDeeDoll69 -> RE: Olymipics (8/24/2008 10:05:43 PM)
I'm curious how china's going to look after all of this... Underage gymnasts, a girl's voice being used but not her face because she wasn't pretty enough; imagine if America had done things like that. The world would be throwing flaming bags of feces over the atlantic and pacific.

colouredin -> RE: Olymipics (8/25/2008 3:18:13 AM)
not to mention pretending the children were from differant ethnic groups within China when they werent, but also the volunteers were apparantly really wonderful and the crowds did seem to be good I rarely heard booing (during a vollyball game there was some against the US and yeah the swimming cube went quiet whenever someone from Japan was beating someone from China) there are obviously lots of issues with China as shown well by the touch's journey but relatively little actually happened during the games which means they werent as tainted as they could have been.

camille65 -> RE: Olymipics (8/25/2008 5:09:35 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Thadius camille, http://www.nbcolympics.com/ has many of the events and highlights available on their site... they have lots and lots of video on almost everything that happened during the games. Hope you get a chance to check some of it out, it has been alot of fun to watch. Thanks Thadius!

cjan -> RE: Olymipics (8/25/2008 5:13:30 AM)
Re criticism of China's hosting of these Olympics: Relatively small potatoes considering the big picture and what a success these games were, don'tcha think. People will always find something to criticize and bitch about. China has come an awful long way in recent years in transforming their society.. The Chinese deserve recognition and encouragement for this. Finally, let him or her whose country is "without sin cast the first stone". Remember the Munich games ? Berlin just before WW2 ? I think China did a great job in the opening and closing ceremonies promoting themes of harmony rather than Chino-centric or political . Recognize an olive branch when you see oneand reward steps taken by a government, imperfect as it is (whose isn't ? ), for moving toward freedom, international responsibility and a better life for it's citizens.

camille65 -> RE: Olymipics (8/25/2008 5:17:51 AM)
Plus look at how many of the Chinese people did their best to learn a small bit of English so that communication could happen. I've been to China a few times and I couldn't have asked for a kinder or more welcoming population. Every time I've been, they have gone out of their way to be of assistance. They are genuine people and while I am not fond of their government I really am fond of their people. Problems DO happen everywhere, every Olympic has had its 'scandals' including when the US hosted. I thought the Chinese people provided a really beautiful event.

Raechard -> RE: Olymipics (8/25/2008 5:17:57 AM)
There is no religious freedom in china so what do they know about promoting themes of harmony? People are critical when there is a reason to be and if some people want to use the Olympics as a platform to point out the things that need to change there then good.

cjan -> RE: Olymipics (8/25/2008 6:00:30 AM)
Raechard, freedom is a relative thing, don't you think ? A case could be made that, in say the U.S., since an atheist or agnostic could not be elected to national office, religious freedom is not complete in this society either. Imo, true religious freedom would include the freedom to have no "religion". My point is simply that movement toward freedom should be acknowledged and incouraged.

Raechard -> RE: Olymipics (8/25/2008 7:19:12 AM)
I didn't know that about the US, shocking. The difference is the Chinese aren’t so passive in discouraging religious freedom and will confiscate religious texts and lock people up for worshiping in unsanctioned buildings.

thishereboi -> RE: Olymipics (8/25/2008 7:27:47 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: DeeDeeDoll69 I'm curious how china's going to look after all of this... Underage gymnasts, a girl's voice being used but not her face because she wasn't pretty enough; imagine if America had done things like that. The world would be throwing flaming bags of feces over the atlantic and pacific. Ever watch the movie My Fair Lady?

NeedingMore220 -> RE: Olymipics (8/25/2008 7:55:27 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: colouredin what i didnt like about the swiming relays was that the qualifying isnt done by the athletes who actually swim the final, seems a bit unfair to me. I know what you mean about the relays - did you realize the qualifying swimmers also receive the medals the ones who win the race get? It's more of a team effort than the individual events.

NeedingMore220 -> RE: Olymipics (8/25/2008 7:57:31 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Alumbrado Watching someone dedicated to natural training display their skills in honest competition is one thing, but that hasn't been the Olympics for a long, long time. I think making this kind of broad statement negates the honest athletes out there, and I refuse to negate their efforts. I prefer to believe in honesty and fair sportsmanship until it's proven otherwise. Perhaps that sounds naive to some, but if I throw in the towel and color all sport with the assumption that 'everyone's doing it', where does that leave the honest ones?

Alumbrado -> RE: Olymipics (8/25/2008 5:25:33 PM)
No offense, but exactly how many thousasnds of positive tests, admissions of cheating after retirement, getting caught in the act of rigging scoring machines, corrupt judging, and so on and so on, are we supposed to ignore to maintain the fable of athletic purity? Believing that an honest athlete will overcome not only everyone else who is using steroids etc. to win, but will overcome the constant pressure to follow suit, and reach world class heights regardless, is like expecting an honest person to become the next President of the USA. I think that every once in a great while, a Lance Armstrong, or a Tiger Woods is born with incredible abilility... but that isn't what makes the UCI and the PGA, IOC, IFBB, et al. rich... It is the win at any cost people trying to eke out that infinitesimal difference in performance, who get lectured by the coaches and trainers that if they want it bad enough, they will do whatever it takes. And no amount of fireworks displays, or television magic is going to alter the nature of the sports biz.

Alumbrado -> RE: Olymipics (8/25/2008 9:36:46 PM)
quote: They are genuine people and while I am not fond of their government I really am fond of their people. Funny, some of them say the same thing about us...

Hippiekinkster -> RE: Olymipics (8/26/2008 12:26:19 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: cjan Btw, I'm , for sure, not gonna miss Jimmy Page playing in the closing ceremonies tonight ! I'm quite sure he won't be finger syncing to recorded music... Pagey's playin'? Reckon I'll have to see it on youtube. 96 ATL, the closing ceremony w/ Stevie Wonder playing Lennon's "Imagine"... so moving. I don't think there was a dry eye in the stadium, including mine. Just sublime.

scifi1133 -> RE: Olymipics (8/26/2008 1:19:00 AM)
I watched as much of it as I could this year. Personally I really liked watching the guy from Togo win the only medal that country has ever received. The little moments like that are what make me still watch. I like watching the athelites from the smaller countries who aren't doping and getting paid huge sums of money win and stand on the dais to get their medals. To see the pride and happiness of years of work. As much as gets made of doping and pay and age and everything else that gets thrown about. Thats what the games are truly about. That guy from Togo made the games for me this year.

MaamJay -> RE: Olymipics (8/26/2008 1:51:00 AM)
I watched a lot this time (right time zone!) and enjoyed much of it. Proud of the Australians who did so well, especially when you consider there's only 21 million people here to choose from! I noted the dig from the Pom on the first page [:D] ... GB outnumbers us at least 3 to 1 so why didn't they get 3x as many medals?? (And yes, I am an ex-Pom Myself!) Good luck to London for 2012 though ... hope the weather is kinder than it usually is during Wimbledon! Even more proud of My new adopted state Queensland as we netted 2/3 of the aussie medals ... if we were a nation we'd have been 8th on the tally! And our premier female swimmer shares Master's surname and is likely to be a distant cousin so We are extra proud! There were many touching moments ... the one that brought Me to tears every time they showed it was the German heavyweight weightlifter who had lost his wife and who lifted more than he had ever done before and had her photo on the podium as he got the gold. That was very special. I only saw the Togo medal once, but again, yes, that's special. I do think the horses should get medals along with their riders though! And as usual, there were some events I would have liked to have seen more of, but they can't show everything I guess! As to the whole doping thing ... cheats will be caught out eventually and they are only cheating themselves in the long run. Some records might be down to that, some are down to improved technology (swimsuits etc) and some are down to sports coaches now having better data enabling them to identify people whose physique best suits them to particular sports and then developing that person's skills. For eg Phelps is basically an amazing freak of nature with his body proportions, ankle flexibility etc which is perfectly suited to swimming. Don't think he'd make much of a runner though! It still took an amazing amount of dedication and training to get to his level and I have every admiration for that, but he has a head start anatomically and physiologically! Roll on the winter olympics ... I just love watching figure skating! I think Master's a bit relieved it's all over for a while though ... He gets a bit fed up of My running commentary on any sport LMAO! Maam Jay aka violet[A]

colouredin -> RE: Olymipics (8/26/2008 2:23:37 AM)
ahhh well as a pom i have to say it, especially after the aus sports director said of us getting some medals in the pool "its good for a country with no swimming pools and hardly any soap" tut tut :P

Page: << < prev 1 2 3 [4] 5 next > >>

Collarchat.com © 2025

Terms of Service

0.03125