Olympics

[biomieg]

The Netherlands got their third gold in speedskating (and at least one more to follow for the men's 10 K tomorrow!)

...so sad! Sven came in 1st and rode a new OR but got disqualified because his coach mistakenly told him to change to the inner lane

[Lily-sai]

I DO care whether Finland will beat Czech in ice hockey or not.

The match will be 5 AM our time, so there is going to be a lot of tired people in their jobs and schools. Well, bosses and teachers usually don't care, when it's about ice hockey AND the Olympics. We're nuts like that.

[Gris]

Jean, can I ask your opinion on the whole Evgeni Plushenko controversy? You're the only person I know from Russia, so your opinion would be appreciated.

I personally feel that the IOC should strip his medal for his behavior but I'm only seeing it from my American point of view and being informed only the the US media. What we got in the news is that even though he flubbuxed almost every other jump and landing, he feels he should have received the gold medal based on the fact that he completed a quad jump and that alone. Then his website saying he won a "platinum" medal in Vancouver.

I curious how the story was portrayed in the foreign media, and what you think about his behavior after winning only a silver (like that is a terrible thing) and his attitude towards the gold medal winner.

[Brice]

Jean, can I ask your opinion on the whole Evgeni Plushenko controversy? You're the only person I know from Russia, so your opinion would be appreciated.

I personally feel that the IOC should strip his medal for his behavior but I'm only seeing it from my American point of view and being informed only the the US media. What we got in the news is that even though he flubbuxed almost every other jump and landing, he feels he should have received the gold medal based on the fact that he completed a quad jump and that alone. Then his website saying he won a "platinum" medal in Vancouver.

I curious how the story was portrayed in the foreign media, and what you think about his behavior after winning only a silver (like that is a terrible thing) and his attitude towards the gold medal winner.

Without taking away from his or anyone else's skills the olympics really needs to adopt a

Spoiler:

don't act like a spoiled fuckin child

clause henceforth to be known as the

Spoiler:

don't be a dick rule.

[turtlex]

I'm interested in Jean's opinion as well.

Personally, I think Plushenko is about the worst sportsman I've ever seen. Not to mention, he's downright delusional.

[Candice Dionysus]

I think I am like the ONLY person in Canada who doesn't give a shit about the Olympics. Everyone keeps putting it on in the common room, and I keep leaving the room every time they do because I'm simply not interested. Now if it was FIFA, I'd care. But the Olympics, and specifically the Winter Games, do not interest me.

You're just jealous because they didn't pick you for the national curling team.



Seriously though, does it really qualify as a sport if you can do it while pregnant?

I've never curled in my life. It's the most pointless game in existence. I like "soccer." Futbol.

And no, I don't think it counts as a "sport" if you can play while pregnant. Curling is a pseudo-sport.

[Odetta]

I think if Plushenko wanted to win, he should have done 4 quads.

If it's less than 4 then all bets are off.

[turtlex]

Gee, I think he just should have, you know, skated better.

What he did, wasn't that wonderful.

A lot of folks over at FSU ( an ice skating forum ) think the IOC should strip him of his medal on account of all that "I won the PLATINUM" crap. Not to mention, sue him for using their material for a non-existant medal image.

I've just never seen a poorer sport in all my life.

[Heather19]

Anyone here just watch the hockey match between the USA and Switzerland? That was a great game. There were some very close shots on the goal! The very end of the second period the USA took a shot, but the puck crossed the goal line 0.1 sec after time had ended.

[Lily-sai]

YES!! Switzerland's goalie Jonas Hiller is AWESOME.

(sorry, I just had to do the cap attack, because he is! )

[Jean]

Jean, can I ask your opinion on the whole Evgeni Plushenko controversy? You're the only person I know from Russia, so your opinion would be appreciated.

I personally feel that the IOC should strip his medal for his behavior but I'm only seeing it from my American point of view and being informed only the the US media. What we got in the news is that even though he flubbuxed almost every other jump and landing, he feels he should have received the gold medal based on the fact that he completed a quad jump and that alone. Then his website saying he won a "platinum" medal in Vancouver.

I curious how the story was portrayed in the foreign media, and what you think about his behavior after winning only a silver (like that is a terrible thing) and his attitude towards the gold medal winner.

Sorry Gris, I haven't been able to watch anything lately, I've only just learned that there was any controversy, and could look into this only briefly - no, that "platinum" medal is a hoax, you know we're famous for hackers: it's Plushchenko's fans who did it, and it was a very bad favor - although if your media hadn't made such a fuss, it would have remained what it was supposed to be, a token gesture - very personal - of loving people. By the way, it was immediately removed. I will learn more about the situation when I can.

A lot of folks over at FSU ( an ice skating forum ) think the IOC should strip him of his medal on account of all that "I won the PLATINUM" crap. Not to mention, sue him for using their material for a non-existant medal image.

Sorry? I have read what he said, and it wasn't anything like what you're quoting. He said that silver was worth platinum to him, for all the effort it took. I understand that it's your media that deceived you into believing he did something horrible, but why would you hurry to buy it?

[David]

If Plushenko had wanted to win, he'd have adopted to the change in rules, rather than assuming he was the best in his own mind & assumptive winner based soley on one quad... period. He's a macho deuchbag, bad sport. The judging criteria didn't change mere moments before his skate. He wants the rules to change to suit his comfort level, and I fart in his general direction.

The sliding has been tragic and epic. Did anyone catch the two man Women's bobsleigh ejection yesterday? Horrificly terrifying. The NBC commentators can be heard wincing nearly every luge, skeleton and bobsleigh run, thusfar. 4 man bobsleigh is expected to top 96 mph. Holy the man Jesus, with a 40 foot drop, this will be the stuff of slider legend.

Curling. Dissapointed. Still watching, but disappointed.

The hockey? Fans will be talking about these games for eons.

Glitchgames, or not. Olympics appeal to a certain thing in me where I think that we can all find common ground. Naive' for sure, but irregardless, it's the better part of our nature.

[turtlex]

Jean - I agree our different media coverage is probably vast in it's take on this issue ... but, honestly, Plushenko has been making some very unsportsmanlike comments. And that bit about the Platinum.. isn't it something like ""Silver of Salt Lake, Gold of Torino, Platinum of Vancouver." on his website?

Did Plushenko not say -- "Quad is quad. If the Olympic champion doesn't know how to jump the quad, I don't know. Now it's not men's figure skating, it's dancing. That's my point."

[Brice]

Regarding Plushenko: He's obviously a damn good skater whether one likes his attitude or not. I do wonder though if perhaps his words are getting twisted a little. I'm not saying they are, but it's easy for the media to do that in one's own language, imagine how easy it is when the ones portraying things a certain way are the translators too. Again it may be that he's a total ass, but I'm not entirely sure. I do think somewhat that he's convinced he's great though.

[David]

I do wonder though if perhaps his words are getting twisted a little.

It's that his words are getting heard at ALL. Who cares what he thinks after the fact? He's the one that's now turning this sport into a (song and) dance. Always the drama bullshite that makes people dismiss figure skating, and sure as shit, there he goes, furthering the sterotype.

It has NADA to do with who bested him within established standards. He's a hero in his own mind. If he did a quint and knitted a skirt, that would be great, but there happens to be more complex nuance, or they'd just do a spin-off and be done with it. Good riddance. Retire, already.

[Odetta]

Everyone should also remember...

English is not his native tongue. My thoughts are, if he spoke it in Russian, the context would probably make more sense.
Sometimes, things come out sounding blunt when you are speaking in a language other than your primary language.

Besides, he is allowed to feel that quads are a must in skating. He can do them. It is no different than our supposed top athlete skater, Patrick Chan, saying that a quad doesn't make you a man. He says that because he can't do one and he needs to build up his own confidence.

[David]

It isn't a language barrier, though. He SAID he should have won IN ENGLISH because he did the quad. It MIGHT be a national pride thing (Putin even chimed in), but he said he should have won because he did a quad. He isn't backing down from that, nor should we expect him to. He said it. He thinks he was robbed because of the quad. He's stuck on it. Primadonna.

[Odetta]

what do you expect? it's ice skating... most of them are primadonnas

[Ruthful]

HOCKEY!!!!!!!!

Wow. This is crazy, but the past two weeks I've actually been interested in hockey results.

Go figure.

[turtlex]

Wow.

Props to Canada on the Hockey GOLD !! What a game.

Well played !!!

[Odetta]

CAN-A-DA!


Did anyone watch closing ceremonies? I was laughing so hard for the big montage with all of the Canadian stereotypes!

[turtlex]

I think one of my favorite Olympic television segments was a little featurette that NBC did with the athletes called "Do You Know Canada?"... NBC asked a bunch of Olympic Athletes trivia about Canada and almost none got any of the answers right... it was done in a very tongue-in-cheek manner ....

My all time favorite response was :

NBC : Who is the Queen of Canada ??
Tanith Belbin/Figure Skating : (without missing a beat) Celine Dion !!!!!

[Brice]

[mae]

So the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London have actually already started:

http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/07/25/...odaywait-what/

Getting pumped for Olympics to start? Well, you’re already missing it.

Women’s soccer kicked off Wednesday in Glasgow, Scotland’s Hampden Park. Great Britain took on New Zealand at 8 a.m. PDT, and the U.S. played France at 9. That means Abby Wambach, Alex Morgan, Hope Solo, and the rest of the gang will be more than 400 miles from the Olympic Park in London during the opening ceremonies on Friday, which is kind of a bummer.

But the U.S. players must have expected as much: this is the fourth Olympics in a row in which the U.S. women’s soccer team has begun play before the Games officially opened. The Olympic committee has determined over the past few years that the women’s soccer players must take the field before the opening ceremonies because the extra days that are needed to play all the games necessary with a sufficient amount of rest time in between matchups.

Unfortunately, this is the third year the U.S. women’s soccer team will not be able to march in the opening ceremonies. “I would love to be in the opening ceremonies,” two-time Olympian Lauren Cheney told the Los Angeles Times. “I’ve never experienced it. [But] I can’t say I’m, like, sad about missing out.”

The entire women’s soccer tournament will take place outside of the host city, with the exception of the final gold medal game in London. So to make it to Olympic Park at all, the U.S. has to beat 5 teams. But they’re off to a promising start: on Wednesday, the U.S. team beat France, who was ranked sixth in the latest FIFA rankings and has won 17 consecutive games since losing the game for third place in last summer’s World Cup. Alex Morgan scored twice in the 4-2 win, with Abby Wambach and Carli Lloyd also contributing goals.

The team will certainly want to make it to London, if only to get a shot at playing in front of a bigger audience: Olympics officials said that around 37,000 fans were expected at the U.S.-France, Colombia-North Korea doubleheader Wednesday, but that 80 percent of those tickets had been handed out for free to local schools and clubs. And those fans did not even get to see both games as scheduled: North Korea’s team refused to take the field for over an hour after Olympic organizers accidentally displayed the South Korean flag on the jumbo screen instead of that of North Korea.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_S...mpics#Calendar

[Stockerlone]

The first thing what I saw on TV was the absolutely embarrassing Korea flags error.
I would imagine myself not at all what flag is hoisted by the funny UK guy´s, if Germany wins the first medallie.