Olympics thread

[Badsmerf]

Were almost a week in, and no discussion? The outcast men's US hockey team lost today. Not sure anyone cares, since you'd be hard pressed to recognize any names on the roster. Sean White is still a badass, might not ever see someone as good. North Korea has ice skating? Olympics are fun, and they handed out a record amount of condoms, so being an athlete is even more fun...

[ashbury]

I never had much opinion about Shaun White one way or the other, except his being in a sport that doesn't get a lot of respect - but I take my hat off to anyone who gives the best performance when the chips are down, and he did that the other night to take the gold.

[Squirrel]

I haven't watched any of it. Just hasn't ... interested me as much for whatever reason.

[Vanimal46]

 

I never had much opinion about Shaun White one way or the other, except his being in a sport that doesn't get a lot of respect - but I take my hat off to anyone who gives the best performance when the chips are down, and he did that the other night to take the gold.

 

In fairness, he only has himself to blame for being down on his luck or the chips are down, whatever you want to say about it. 

[Vanimal46]

 

I haven't watched any of it. Just hasn't ... interested me as much for whatever reason.

 

Concur. I'm more of a fan of the summer olympics as far as the sports are concerned. Some of the winter sports are really far out there that it's confusing to watch. 

 

For example, I was watching it the other night and people had to cross country ski for a certain distance around a circle, then they stopped and shot at targets 5 different times throughout the event. I didn't get the point... 

[ashbury]

For example, I was watching it the other night and people had to cross country ski for a certain distance around a circle, then they stopped and shot at targets 5 different times throughout the event. I didn't get the point... 

Farting Around In The Snow is just a demonstration sport this Olympics, but could become a medal event some future year.

[Vanimal46]

 

Farting Around In The Snow is just a demonstration sport this Olympics, but could be come a medal event some future year.

 

I mean honestly, some of these sports are as preposterous as farting around in snow... I just looked it up, the sport I was trying to describe is called Biathlon.  I'm fascinated to know how someone realizes they're an Olympic-caliber biathlon athlete? And who recommended to them when they were young that was their best chance at success?

[Squirrel]

Heh ... if I were to watch, the sports that would interest me the most are the snowboarding events, freestyle skiing and curling. Yes, I said curling. But ... curling is more fun to do than to watch. I just haven't been interested enough to check into when these events are happening and to actually turn them on.

 

Here's a fun curling video for y'all ... especially Dinger.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evNi4_2qHPY

[Mr. Brooks]

Concur. I'm more of a fan of the summer olympics as far as the sports are concerned. Some of the winter sports are really far out there that it's confusing to watch.

 

For example, I was watching it the other night and people had to cross country ski for a certain distance around a circle, then they stopped and shot at targets 5 different times throughout the event. I didn't get the point...

For people in snowy climates, traveling cross country by ski, hunting game would have been a necessary skill for survival.

This is the origin of biathlon.

[Sarah]

I have watched some of it mostly because I have taped it so I can skip through the commercials. I enjoyed Adam Rippon's performance in men's figure skating. I like skaters who have so much power when they go up for jumps and then they land perfectly. 

 

I don't understand the skeleton, do those athletes have a death wish or something...

 

Maybe some of the curling will be on next weekend when it is the medal round, I don't have cable so am limited to what is on NBC. 

 

Speed skating is hard to watch on TV because you don't get a sense for how fast they are really skating. (Upon seeing it, my 11 year old nephew who is a hockey player said he could skate faster than them. I told him you can skate faster than an Olympic athlete that has been training his entire life...uh huh.)  

[jimmer]

Hockey.  Only Hockey :-)

[Vanimal46]

 

Hockey.  Only Hockey :-)

 

Even hockey is not that exciting without NHL players involved. 

[jimmer]

 

Even hockey is not that exciting without NHL players involved. 

I beg to differ, though having NHL players would make it MORE exciting.

[DaveW]

Hope we take out some Russian trash again tomorrow!

 

The last time we played them (8 years ago?) it was amazing

[ashbury]

In fairness, he only has himself to blame for being down on his luck or the chips are down, whatever you want to say about it. 

It's not like he had embarrassed himself up to then - he was in line for Silver, he just gave himself the bump up to Gold.

 

And what you said is kind of the paradox of clutch hitting debates - "if your mental discipline or whatever is so good, why don't you come through like that ALL the time?" But there is something different about some situations.

[Pardon My Dinger]

Heh ... if I were to watch, the sports that would interest me the most are the snowboarding events, freestyle skiing and curling. Yes, I said curling. But ... curling is more fun to do than to watch. I just haven't been interested enough to check into when these events are happening and to actually turn them on.

 

Here's a fun curling video for y'all ... especially Dinger.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evNi4_2qHPY

LIKELIKELIKELIKELIKE

[Pardon My Dinger]

Boy, the Wild could really use Kirill Kaprizov. Too bad they messed that up.

[nicksaviking]

 

I mean honestly, some of these sports are as preposterous as farting around in snow... I just looked it up, the sport I was trying to describe is called Biathlon.  I'm fascinated to know how someone realizes they're an Olympic-caliber biathlon athlete? And who recommended to them when they were young that was their best chance at success?

 

Probably Norwegians that hunt and who realized that skiing was a better way of moving around than tromping through three foot high snowdrifts.

 

I guess I don't like the idea that all Olympic sports need to conform to an Americanized vision of fun and entertainment. 

 

I love the Olympics, summer and winter. I probably get a bigger kick out of watching the events I would never see outside of the Olympics. These men and women are just as invested in their discipline as Lebron James and Tom Brady are. I'm kind of a when in Rome guy though. I also only drink local beer of which ever vicinity I find myself.

[Squirrel]

These are the moments that make the Olympics great. It doesn’t matter to me if it was the USA team or another, just that this was a great Olympic moment:

 

[nicksaviking]

Bode Miller is the Tom Kelly of Olympic announcers. He is sooooo emotionless but very informative about his discipline.

[Seth Stohs]

Women beat Canada to take the Gold!! That was the most amazing championship game I've watched, at least in the non-1987 and 1991 World Series category.

[Squirrel]

Women beat Canada to take the Gold!! That was the most amazing championship game I've watched, at least in the non-1987 and 1991 World Series category.

As amazing as it was ... and I admit to only watching highlight videos because, well, hockey isn’t really my thing ... I still give the nod to the cross-country women’s sprint team as being THE most amazing of probably any Olympics I’ve seen. Neither men nor women’s USA team has ever won a gold in any cross country ski event, I mean ever. And the last medal to be won by the US was 42 years ago. And, wow, I didn’t care what country they came from because, wow, the stamina, the strength, the sheer will to pull from deep deep down for that final push at the end, and then the purity of the overwhelming joy, I’m wowed to near tears the 50-100 times I’ve watched it. But to each his/her own.

 

And yeah, I am chastised ALL the time by people when I say I’m not really that into hockey. I get the astonished response, ‘You’re from Minnesota?!?!?!?!’

[Vanimal46]

Men's curling makes it to the gold medal game!

[Badsmerf]

When is it? I'm not into hockey either. I've traveled a ton during the last month so haven't been watching Olympics.

[Mr. Brooks]

As amazing as it was ... and I admit to only watching highlight videos because, well, hockey isn’t really my thing ... I still give the nod to the cross-country women’s sprint team as being THE most amazing of probably any Olympics I’ve seen. Neither men nor women’s USA team has ever won a gold in any cross country ski event, I mean ever. And the last medal to be won by the US was 42 years ago. And, wow, I didn’t care what country they came from because, wow, the stamina, the strength, the sheer will to pull from deep deep down for that final push at the end, and then the purity of the overwhelming joy, I’m wowed to near tears the 50-100 times I’ve watched it. But to each his/her own.

 

And yeah, I am chastised ALL the time by people when I say I’m not really that into hockey. I get the astonished response, ‘You’re from Minnesota?!?!?!?!’

Yes, that finish was awesome.

When you hear that someone willed themselves to victory, this is precisely what they're talking about.

[Riverbrian]

Hats off to the Grand Forks Natives

 

The Lamoureux Twins. 

 

 

[Sarah]

 

And yeah, I am chastised ALL the time by people when I say I’m not really that into hockey. I get the astonished response, ‘You’re from Minnesota?!?!?!?!’

 

You and me both Carole. I grew up in Minneapolis and neither my high school or college had a hockey team and it was the time when the North Stars had left and the Wild hadn't started yet. My nephew plays hockey and I tell people to me it seems like they are just skating around out there because I know nothing about the game...to each his own! 

 

[Squirrel]

And Minnesotan Jessie Diggins will carry the US flag in the closing ceremonies. She won that honor with her race. Nothing came close to that.

[Vanimal46]

Congrats to the Men's curling team winning the gold medal! Most of them Minnesotans except one from Wisconsin.... We won't hold that against him!