Rio Olympics

[Pardon My Dinger]

Just posted about men's volleyball. Shocked that no one has started an Olympucs thread yet.

 

Discuss.

[DaveW]

I won't recognize the summer olympics until they include NASCAR

[Pardon My Dinger]

I won't recognize the summer olympics until they include NASCAR

Go drink some milk.

[Squirrel]

I don't like the overly nationalistic emphasis the coverage in the U.S. is. And I'm really, really, REALLY glad it wasn't in Chicago. I live within walking distance from where some of the events would've been and it would've been a real pita getting around and work would have precluded me from renting out my condo for mega bucks and leaving town.

[Badsmerf]

I agree with that take and I've barely watched any of the coverage.

[PseudoSABR]

 

I agree with that take and I've barely watched any of the coverage.

I concur as well.  I've only stumbled upon coverage.  It all just seems like a sham, phony and corporate.  The athletic prowess seems transparent and oppressive somehow. Maybe I'm just cynical, but with the corporate sponsorship, the odd mixture of nationalism and unity, the host country's investment/incompetence, and the shallow, ulteriorly-motivated agenda of the coverage makes the Olympics something Orwellian or Hegemonic, that distraction given by the elite to keep the populace's eye off the ball....

[Pardon My Dinger]

I concur as well. I've only stumbled upon coverage. It all just seems like a sham, phony and corporate. The athletic prowess seems transparent and oppressive somehow. Maybe I'm just cynical, but with the corporate sponsorship, the odd mixture of nationalism and unity, the host country's investment/incompetence, and the shallow, ulteriorly-motivated agenda of the coverage makes the Olympics something Orwellian or Hegemonic, that distraction given by the elite to keep the populace's eye off the ball....

...you've seen baseball, right?

[twinsnorth49]

http://a.fssta.com/content/dam/fsdigital/fscom/olympics/images/2016/08/01/1034065.jpg

[twinsnorth49]

I'm waiting for Dodgeball to be an Olympic event. I think it's time is coming.

[Squirrel]

I heard they are bringing softball and baseball back.

 

If I watch anything out of curiosity, I look for the 'lesser' covered sports to watch. But I haven't seen one iota this time around. And the only thing I've seen on the coverage this time was the controversy surrounding the young gymnasts parents and some headline about some historic gold moment for a woman and all the reporters could talk about was her husband. I don't even know what or who it was about, was just a headline in the paper and I went onto something else.

[Vanimal46]

 

I'm waiting for Dodgeball to be an Olympic event. I think it's time is coming.

Dodgeball as an olympic sport would be amazing to watch! I got caught up watching handball the other day. Don't understand the rules of it but it looked intense! 

[Brock Beauchamp]

I love the Olympics and all its nationalistic, chest-thumping idiocy.

 

With that said, I've watched less and less of it over the years because NBC continues to shift more programming to cable channels.

 

Yet another instance of a content provider not understanding where the future is going.

 

If NBC launched an app where I could watch all Olympic coverage for $25 - commercials included - I'd jump all over it.

 

I can't imagine I'm the only person who feels that way.

 

Sports continues to lose an entire generation of people who refuse to buy cable.

[ashbury]

They are sports most of us wouldn't cross the street to watch if average people were participating.^* So I don't have a lot of interest in learning who is the best in the world at each particular one. Not to mention that once I do know who is the best in the world at the 100 meter version of an event, I don't need to tune in the next day to learn who wins the 102 meter.

 

^{* _{Beach volleyball. I know, I know.}}

[jimmer]

Are the Olympics still a thing? :-)

[kab21]

I love the Olympics but everything is starting to suck.

 

The IOC has gotten so greedy with their requirements that nobody wants to host. They are very lucky that SK and Japan are hosting the next two Olympics because we could be headed to the era of awful hosts. Similar to the upcoming FIFA disaster in Qatar.

 

There are so many events and venue requirements that most cities/countries lose tons of money.

 

There is rampant corruption at all levels. They aren't getting rid of steroids.

 

The NBC coverage is absolutely awful in this era of 1000 channels and live streaming. You should be able to watch in real time instead of the hacked together taped delay broadcasts to maximize viewership that are filled with personal motivation stories.

I was pretty pumped to have the Olympics in SK and Japan in 2 and 4 years. That is an easy flight from Taiwan but it will be crazy expensive.

[Craig Arko]

I'll pay attention to Track & Field, and things like fencing and archery. Some of the equestrian events are cool.

 

I really don't have time to hunt for the telecasts, though.

[Pardon My Dinger]

Everyone learn about RACEWALKING! Watch videos now! Then try and tell me the Olympics aren't awesome.

[Pardon My Dinger]

It's like twenty weirdos in a hurry to find a bathroom 20 miles across town. What could be better than that? 

[Sarah]

I have been watching some of it and am not enjoying NBC's coverage either. I realize that you want the gymnastics events on in prime time but it's so poorly edited that it is hard to follow. "Here's her performance on the vault...and here's her gold medal." Huh? I'm pretty sure something happened in between. It would be more interesting to watch some of the other performances so you have a better reference for how spectacular the women's team really is. And there has been a lot of talk about sexism - where the heck are men's gymnastics? I like to watch that too. I do have cable so have been enjoying some of the coverage on the other channels. In one of the archery matches they were talking about how the participants shoot between 300 and 400 arrows a day to prepare. And water polo - how do you tread water for so long? Some amazing athletes out there...

[Vanimal46]

 

Everyone learn about RACEWALKING! Watch videos now! Then try and tell me the Olympics aren't awesome.

At what point does it turn from racewalking to jogging? Seems like a real fine line for the officials out there. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

To be fair, NBC has the unenviable task of coordinating broadcast times from local time to American time.

 

It's not as if Brazil is directly south of us or anything.

[Squirrel]

 The NBC coverage is absolutely awful in this era of 1000 channels and live streaming. You should be able to watch in real time instead of the hacked together taped delay broadcasts to maximize viewership that are filled with personal motivation stories.

This is prime for me. I also am very mixed on the pro vs amateur status in many of the sports.

[Craig Arko]

 

Everyone learn about RACEWALKING! Watch videos now! Then try and tell me the Olympics aren't awesome.

Which reminds me of Cary Grant's last film, 'Walk, Don't Run!'

[twinsnorth49]

 

At what point does it turn from racewalking to jogging? Seems like a real fine line for the officials out there. 

This is a racewalker, but she's breaking the rules and thus would be considered running. One foot always in contact with the ground please.

 

[twinsnorth49]

As previously stated, I quite enjoy the coverage of the Olympics here at home. The CBC is very balanced in their presentation and TSN is also doing an excellent job. They both do a number of great pieces on some of the less commercial and publicised athletes participating, ones who don't benefit from hordes of sponsorship money and sacrifice a lot to still compete in what they love.

 

I was flipping between 4-5 channels of Canadian coverage last night and there wasn't a single Canadian athlete or team competeing, I like that. Now that's likely because for the most part we suck but it gives me a better look at the games as a whole.

[Vanimal46]

Here's a hypothetical question for you:

Let's say you can quit your job and spend the next 2-4 years training exclusively to become an olympic athlete. What sport would you choose to train for?

In the Summer Olympics, my choice would be Table Tennis. 

 

In the Winter Olympics, I'd have to go with curling. 

[Squirrel]

 

As previously stated, I quite enjoy the coverage of the Olympics here at home. The CBC is very balanced in their presentation and TSN is also doing an excellent job. They both do a number of great pieces on some of the less commercial and publicised athletes participating, ones who don't benefit from hordes of sponsorship money and sacrifice a lot to still compete in what they love.

 

I was flipping between 4-5 channels of Canadian coverage last night and there wasn't a single Canadian athlete or team competeing, I like that. Now that's likely because for the most part we suck but it gives me a better look at the games as a whole.

Yup. I've said it before, but the last time I remember enjoying an Olympics was when I was living in Canada. None of this patched-together, tape delayed stuff to please the sponsors, only show the best Americans and/or high-profile sports and athletes. They showed a lot of it. All the 'lesser' sports. And not just medal-winning Canadians.

[Squirrel]

 

Here's a hypothetical question for you:

Let's say you can quit your job and spend the next 2-4 years training exclusively to become an olympic athlete. What sport would you choose to train for?

In the Summer Olympics, my choice would be Table Tennis. 

 

In the Winter Olympics, I'd have to go with curling. 

Kayaking (is it still a covered Olympic sport?) and curling. 

[Pardon My Dinger]

Summer sport: Badminton

Winter sport: Curling

 

I have always, always, always wanted to curl. 

[jimmer]

 

Summer sport: Badminton

Winter sport: Curling

 

I have always, always, always wanted to curl. 

I wouldn't mind doing the 12 oz curl competition...