Sochi Olympics

[Henderson]

Duke athletes and coaches have a history of participation and success in the Olympic Games, but not so much in the Winter Games. I think the last Duke Athlete was Randy Jones in bobsled in Torino in 2006. http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.db...&ATCLID=233997 He may be the only Duke Winter Games medalist ever (silver in bobsled in 2002). I don't know of any Duke athletes attending this year. Does anyone else?

Then I found this and thought I figured it out. http://blog.syracuse.com/sports/2014..._sochi_ol.html

Notice where the TP is located. So the guy on the right says to the fat grunting flatulent guy on the left, "If you don't mind... Could you hand me... You know, just one ply?"

Two weeks away, and I'm already feeling dread that something bad will happen. Here's hoping that the innocents are safe.

[77devil]

Duke athletes and coaches have a history of participation and success in the Olympic Games, but not so much in the Winter Games. I think the last Duke Athlete was Randy Jones in bobsled in Torino in 2006. http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.db...&ATCLID=233997 He may be the only Duke Winter Games medalist ever (silver in bobsled in 2002). I don't know of any Duke athletes attending this year. Does anyone else?

Then I found this and thought I figured it out. http://blog.syracuse.com/sports/2014..._sochi_ol.html

Notice where the TP is located. So the guy on the right says to the fat grunting flatulent guy on the left, "If you don't mind... Could you hand me... You know, just one ply?"

Two weeks away, and I'm already feeling dread that something bad will happen. Here's hoping that the innocents are safe.

William Browder, who's fund use to be the largest offshore investor in Russia, says 40 of the 50 billion tab for Sochi are kickbacks to Putin and his cronies. Watch the entire video. It's more than worth the five minutes.

http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000236985&play=1

[A-Tex Devil]

Bumpity bump.

So whose paying attention to what's been going on? Matt Lauer is seemingly begging to get ejected from Sochi each morning on the Today Show with a different jab at the venue each morning. Lots of crazy pictures (a lot of them fake) are being sent with respect to the facilities, and the downhill run is unskiable. I've got my popcorn... let's just hope everyone stays safe.

[A-Tex Devil]

This quote is great on so many levels:

"Dmitry Kozak, the deputy prime minister responsible for the Olympic preparations, reflected the view held among many Russian officials that some Western visitors are deliberately trying to sabotage Sochi's big debut out of bias against Russia. "We have surveillance video from the hotels that shows people turn on the shower, direct the nozzle at the wall and then leave the room for the whole day," he said. An aide then pulled a reporter away before Mr. Kozak could be questioned further on surveillance in hotel rooms."

[OldPhiKap]

Duke athletes and coaches have a history of participation and success in the Olympic Games, but not so much in the Winter Games.

Anyone more than Nancy Hogshead?

(Btw I had tennis with her a semester or two -- very nice woman)

[DukieInKansas]

Anyone more than Nancy Hogshead?

(Btw I had tennis with her a semester or two -- very nice woman)

Rebecca Ward - fencing comes to mind. Also, some track and field folks, I believe. (Al Buehler was a team manager)

Also - a few basketball folks - Tate Armstrong, Christian Laettner, Grant Hill, Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer, and some guy with very few vowels in his last name. :-)

My favorite - Hiroshi Hoketsu who was 71 when he competed in London.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_athletics#Olympics

[brevity]

"We have surveillance video from the hotels that shows people turn on the shower, direct the nozzle at the wall and then leave the room for the whole day," he said. An aide then pulled a reporter away before Mr. Kozak could be questioned further on surveillance in hotel rooms."

What do you expect? He works for the King George's Bedroom hotel chain.

In America, you take shower. In Mother Russia, shower take you!

[OldPhiKap]

This quote is great on so many levels:

"Dmitry Kozak, the deputy prime minister responsible for the Olympic preparations, reflected the view held among many Russian officials that some Western visitors are deliberately trying to sabotage Sochi's big debut out of bias against Russia. "We have surveillance video from the hotels that shows people turn on the shower, direct the nozzle at the wall and then leave the room for the whole day," he said. An aide then pulled a reporter away before Mr. Kozak could be questioned further on surveillance in hotel rooms."

I hope Erin Andrews is not in Sochi. She already had to deal with this $#]¥ once.

[wilson]

I understand that Russia is a bastion of human rights violations and that these Games are a monument to graft. But Beijing is also a center of unfree government, and the IOC is the picture of graft everywhere, all the time. So I'm watching anyway. The 1996 Games in Atlanta are one of the fondest memories of my life, and I hope the Olympic fanfare never stops making me well up with tears.

[DukieInKansas]

I understand that Russia is a bastion of human rights violations and that these Games are a monument to graft. But Beijing is also a center of unfree government, and the IOC is the picture of graft everywhere, all the time. So I'm watching anyway. The 1996 Games in Atlanta are one of the fondest memories of my life, and I hope the Olympic fanfare never stops making me well up with tears.

I love everything about the Olympics but I can't watch the Parade of Nations. It still irks me to see the Republic of China having to enter as Chinese Taipei. Watching the parade of nations just makes me made all over again.

[wilson]

I love everything about the Olympics but I can't watch the Parade of Nations. It still irks me to see the Republic of China having to enter as Chinese Taipei. Watching the parade of nations just makes me made all over again.

I love to watch the Winter Olympic Parade of Nations because Scandinavia.
Silje Norendal.jpg

[JasonEvans]

How could the games be $50 billion -- BILLION!! -- over budget and still not be finished and not look amazing. I mean, for $50 billion you should have been able to build an entire incredible city!

Of course, the answer is the untold billions that have been put in the bank accounts of crooks, criminals, and corrupt politicians. I am sure that the Russian mafia has gotten uber-rich from these games.

-Jason "Russia can pretend like the games will be fine, but it sure looks like there is a lot of stuff going wrong" Evans

[wilson]

How could the games be $50 billion -- BILLION!! -- over budget and still not be finished and not look amazing. I mean, for $50 billion you should have been able to build an entire incredible city!

Of course, the answer is the untold billions that have been put in the bank accounts of crooks, criminals, and corrupt politicians. I am sure that the Russian mafia has gotten uber-rich from these games.

-Jason "Russia can pretend like the games will be fine, but it sure looks like there is a lot of stuff going wrong" Evans

According to many metrics, these Games have cost more than all other Winter Olympics combined. That's astounding. Putin can put on the bravest face that he can muster, and respond with all the bravado in the world, but that's an unmitigated embarrassment for both Russia and the IOC.
http://thinkprogress.org/sports/2014...pics-combined/

[OldPhiKap]

How could the games be $50 billion -- BILLION!! -- over budget and still not be finished and not look amazing. I mean, for $50 billion you should have been able to build an entire incredible city!

Of course, the answer is the untold billions that have been put in the bank accounts of crooks, criminals, and corrupt politicians. I am sure that the Russian mafia has gotten uber-rich from these games.

-Jason "Russia can pretend like the games will be fine, but it sure looks like there is a lot of stuff going wrong" Evans

According to many metrics, these Games have cost more than all other Winter Olympics combined. That's astounding. Putin can put on the bravest face that he can muster, and respond with all the bravado in the world, but that's an unmitigated embarrassment for both Russia and the IOC.
http://thinkprogress.org/sports/2014...pics-combined/

I blame Bitcoins.

[hurleyfor3]

I love to watch the Winter Olympic Parade of Nations because Scandinavia.

I'll raise you the Swiss curling team.

[duketaylor]

Curling is very cool! I plan to build a curling rink very soon, alongside my craft brewery, very fitting

[blazindw]

There's also the fact that the average high temp in Sochi during the month of February is 51. In preparation for these Olympics, they started storing any snow they could find...last winter! The lowest temperature that Sochi has ever seen was 7.9 degrees in 1892. So, it begs the question...

How in the world did Sochi even get the Winter Olympics?

[weezie]

Chris Paul was just on Leno singing part of the farewell song.
Not bad, either!

[hurleyfor3]

There's also the fact that the average high temp in Sochi during the month of February is 51. In preparation for these Olympics, they started storing any snow they could find...last winter! The lowest temperature that Sochi has ever seen was 7.9 degrees in 1892. So, it begs the question...

How in the world did Sochi even get the Winter Olympics?

What's so bad about having the Olympics in places where everything's already been built and will have a use afterwards? Isn't that what sustainability is all about?

Rotate the Summer games among LA, London and Tokyo. Rotate the Winter games among Lillehammer, Innsbruck and some North American city that's already had them. After each three slots, the IOC can go wild and give them to Antananarivo or someone, but then it's back to the big boys.

[blazindw]

What's so bad about having the Olympics in places where everything's already been built and will have a use afterwards? Isn't that what sustainability is all about?

Rotate the Summer games among LA, London and Tokyo. Rotate the Winter games among Lillehammer, Innsbruck and some North American city that's already had them. After each three slots, the IOC can go wild and give them to Antananarivo or someone, but then it's back to the big boys.

I wouldn't mind that at all, though those smaller cities would (Sochi, for better or worse, will likely become a destination spot after these Olympics are done just out of sheer name recognition). That's why these smaller cities bid for the Olympics.

At least Pyeongchang, South Korea (who will host the 2018 Winter Olympics), is actually cold in January and February.