Olympic Games

[Mal]

I'm pretty sure no analogy will fit based simply on the fact that the US as a whole doesn't care about any sport as much as Canada cares about hockey.

Agreed. There's also no example of a sport born and nurtured in the U.S. that now is played professionally mostly north of the border, and mostly by Americans, in front of mostly disinterested Canadians. That would hork us off something fierce. If the CFL ever eclipses the NFL, maybe we'll have a workable analogy.

U.S. Basketball's woes did weigh fairly heavily on our national register. It was a pretty humiliating comeuppance for us, and there was much hand-wringing over it, at least in my memory. The nation as a whole is not nearly as mad for the sport as Canadians for hockey, but even casual fans have always felt we own the game, and saw our self-image as deflated when the likes of Greece and Argentina or whoever were embarassing us.

Memo to Mike Babcock: Time to bench Brodeur.

[hc5duke]

What's everyone's thought on the Scott Lago situation?

Lago heads home early after risque pictures on Web

He was sent home by the USSA after a few pictures surfaced on TMZ, described as "racy" but in my opinion PG-13 at worst. If you want to see the pictures it's here -- depending on where you work it might be NSFW for sexual innuendo.

I think the USSA's decision is wrong, and was probably made because of the Michael Phelps bong incident, and with the Tiger Woods scandal fresh in mind.

[BlueDevilBaby]

Definitely not as bad as I was imagining. Not a big deal to me, but I can see where USSA might hold someone to a higher standard of behavior on such a big stage.

[JasonEvans]

Hardly a big deal. It is a funny photo and, while somewhat sexually suggestive, it is clear that nothing is actually going on.

These are young men and women (for the most part) participating in the games. Many of them are not married. What is so wrong with them legally going out to a nightclub and laughing it up with members of the opposite sex (or the same sex if that is what they are into)?

I guess if Lago had sent the photo to NBC and insisted they put it on the air or something like that I could see a little more of the outrage. But, from what I have heard about this incident, it is the USOC that looks bad.

--Jason "this actually gives Lago more 'cred' with the snowboarding crowd, I bet" Evans

[JulesInLA]

--Jason "anyone catch the Canadian skier Del Bosco who was on his way to a bronze in Ski Cross before an epic wipe on the last hill?" Evans

I'm friends with Chris Del Bosco's sister, Heather, who used to live in Los Angeles. He really gave it everything in that last race, and we're so glad he wasn't hurt.

Heather wrote this article about arriving in Vancouver:
http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/blogs/hea...-feet-are.html
Note: On the right side, there are links to a few other articles she wrote as the games approached.

The Washington Post had a good write-up afterwards:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...022103879.html

I've never rooted so hard for an Olympic athlete before!

[JasonEvans]

Maybe it is just me, but I am not sure I understood the judging at all in the Ice Dancing competition. I have a better grasp of skating when they do jumps and we can see how they land them. What I saw tonight was a bunch of really good footwork and dancing on ice but I could not even begin to tell why one was better than another.

--Jason "the Canadians won the gold by training in America with Russian coaches -- pretty cool" Evans

[BlueDevilBaby]

Maybe it is just me, but I am not sure I understood the judging at all in the Ice Dancing competition. I have a better grasp of skating when they do jumps and we can see how they land them. What I saw tonight was a bunch of really good footwork and dancing on ice but I could not even begin to tell why one was better than another.

--Jason "the Canadians won the gold by training in America with Russian coaches -- pretty cool" Evans

It's all in the deep edges, their lines, synchronicity and seamlessness between moves, not to mention the lifts. While I enjoyed the Americans' routine, the Canadians' blew me away with its elegance -- Torville and Dean esque.

[A-Tex Devil]

It's all in the deep edges, their lines, synchronicity and seamlessness between moves, not to mention the lifts. While I enjoyed the Americans' routine, the Canadians' blew me away with its elegance -- Torville and Dean esque.

So the question becomes --- why is this a sport and not ballroom dancing. Beautiful? Yes. Athletic? Sure. But at the end of the day, without compulsories, it's performance art. Not sport.

[BlueDevilBaby]

So the question becomes --- why is this a sport and not ballroom dancing. Beautiful? Yes. Athletic? Sure. But at the end of the day, without compulsories, it's performance art. Not sport.

How is it not sport if it is athletically challenging and includes competition? I skated for several years as a youngster and, even being an athletic tomboy who hated everying girly, found it enough of a sport to keep my interest. I also happen to love the "performance art" and wish there was more of it in the singles and pairs events. Chaque a son gout.

[DukieInKansas]

So the question becomes --- why is this a sport and not ballroom dancing. Beautiful? Yes. Athletic? Sure. But at the end of the day, without compulsories, it's performance art. Not sport.

Ice dancing actually has something closer to compulsories than men's, pairs, and women's. All the competitors perform the compulsory dance - same music, same steps, with the start and end of the dance being the only variable. It is still being judged but they are all being judged on the same thing in the same order and timing.

[A-Tex Devil]

How is it not sport if it is athletically challenging and includes competition? I skated for several years as a youngster and, even being an athletic tomboy who hated everying girly, found it enough of a sport to keep my interest. I also happen to love the "performance art" and wish there was more of it in the singles and pairs events. Chaque a son gout.

I don't disagree that figure skating and ice dancing are hard and take lots of strength and skill, both athletically and mentally. But so does ballet, and no one is calling ballet a "sport" (although rhythmic gymnastics is close, I guess). These are performances, artistic displays of athletic ability, similar to acrobatics, cirque de soleil performers, and any form of dance.

I think I'd prefer these "performances" as being part of the Olympics if everyone had to do the same routines, and at different points in the routines, an athlete could do something more difficult (a quad rather than a triple, this lift/throw instead of that lift throw). Otherwise, the choreographers should get medals too.

Anyway -- I think ice skating, etc. events can truly be "competitions," so maybe it's fine in the Olympics based on that. I have an old rule, though. If the winner isn't determined by objective points scored, a finish line, a time or a measurement, then it's a performance and not a sport. In other words -- can I go out there with my friends and determine who's best, if we have the equipment, no judges needed. Ski jumping and moguls may be the 2 exceptions, but there is a timed/length element to each of those.

[SoCalDukeFan]

While I have enjoyed some nights, last night was horrible.

The games are getting great ratings in my opinion in spite of NBC.

Last night started with a pointless segment of Bob Costas in a seaplane that ended with a Costas/Michaels hugfest. If you want to say it only took 5 or 10 minutes fine, but thats not 5 or 10 out of 4 hours since at least half of the 4 hours seems to be commercials.

I know that we need commercials. But do we need so many?

Aerials were fun to watch but too many ads.
I got tired of ice dancing and went to bed. Ice dancing tape delay anyway.

The right way to watch the games on the West Coast would have been to record the first night and go out to dinner and a movie. Then each night watch the previous night, skipping all the ads and polar bear stories, while recording that nights coverage. We don't get it live anyway.

SoCal

[A-Tex Devil]

While I have enjoyed some nights, last night was horrible.

The games are getting great ratings in my opinion in spite of NBC.

Last night started with a pointless segment of Bob Costas in a seaplane that ended with a Costas/Michaels hugfest. If you want to say it only took 5 or 10 minutes fine, but thats not 5 or 10 out of 4 hours since at least half of the 4 hours seems to be commercials.

I know that we need commercials. But do we need so many?

Aerials were fun to watch but too many ads.
I got tired of ice dancing and went to bed. Ice dancing tape delay anyway.

The right way to watch the games on the West Coast would have been to record the first night and go out to dinner and a movie. Then each night watch the previous night, skipping all the ads and polar bear stories, while recording that nights coverage. We don't get it live anyway.

SoCal

When an expert was asked about the "Polar Bear" human interest piece, he responded:

[Acymetric]

I know that we need commercials. But do we need so many?

Yeah, we do. The coverage sucks, but there's only so much you can do about ads, especially when they're losing gobs of money. Nobody would pay big(enough) bucks for ad space so they had to sell more ads to try to compensate.

Of course, I wish they would replace all the stupid interest bits and studio talk with giant blocks of ads, it would probably be more enjoyable to watch. Seriously, I was pretty sure NBC sucked before the games started, but now...

[pfrduke]

The right way to watch the games on the West Coast would have been to record the first night and go out to dinner and a movie. Then each night watch the previous night, skipping all the ads and polar bear stories, while recording that nights coverage. We don't get it live anyway.

SoCal

The fiancee and I have been following this exact model. So far I haven't had to watch a single Mary Carillo segment! I consider that worthy of my own (very small) gold medal.

[DevilAlumna]

The fiancee and I have been following this exact model. So far I haven't had to watch a single Mary Carillo segment! I consider that worthy of my own (very small) gold medal.

Same here. God bless Tivo.

[hurleyfor3]

A dark day for US curling. The male and female crews both finish dead last. I need curling icons to properly express my angst.

The Swiss women made the playoffs, however, and there's one curler on that team I'm quite smitten with. So more curling on the teevee for me.

[hc5duke]

A dark day for US curling. The male and female crews both finish dead last. I need curling icons to properly express my angst.

Sad... we lost to China, which had apparently sent a curling team to the Olympics for the first time ever.

The Swiss women made the playoffs, however, and there's one curler on that team I'm quite smitten with. So more curling on the teevee for me.

I thought it was all about Cheryl Bernard in women's curling?!

[hurleyfor3]

I thought it was all about Cheryl Bernard in women's curling?!

Yeah, she's hot too.

[weezie]

Yes, well, good for you boys.

In other news, USA USA USA USA, another good victory for men's hockey over one heck of a banging, penalty gathering Swiss team.
Swizz Goalie Hiller broke my Red Wing heart last year so it was pleasant to see him get dinged.
Holy smokes, that Can-Russia game might be incendiary!