Beijing Olympics

[timwhit]

Anyone been watching the Olympics? I've been watching pretty consistently since it started, but I think I am about at my breaking point with the abysmal NBC coverage. I'm so tired of the five sports that they show. The commentators are absolute morons. Michael Phelps is a great swimmer, however, he is not a god. I get 5 NBC stations, yet during primetime they only show coverage on one station. I'll stop now, my blood is starting to boil.

 

[Pradeep]

One of the guys that is from Rochester, NY came fourth in the Men's Air Pistol competition. Narrowly missed out on a medal, and he was just hoping to make the final (top 8 qualification scores go into a 10 shot final).

 

[Striker]

I've been watching a fair amount at night.
One of the frustrating things for me is they keep talking about how busy Phelps is and how many races he has to swim yet they insist on stopping him every chance they get to ask him stupid questions.

My other problem has been with the gymnastics coverage. I'm not a fan of gymnastics, I'm purely interested to see how the US does but the announcing has been dreadful for that. It's also been frustrating that there's very little to no explanation of what the markdowns were for the execution score.

Gymnastics is in sore need of more oversight from what I've seen. Let us see what the judges are marking down.

 

[Mercutio]

As someone who thinks sports are at best a completely pointless waste of time, space and energy, the thing I cannot comprehend is how, once every four years, we suddenly give a flying fuck about all these sports that might as well not even exist 1447 days between Olympics.

Wow. Ping pong. Really? And Diving? And Decathlon? And Luge?
What the hell is up with you people?

 

[ddrueding]

Exercise is one of those things that stops us from dying, like eating and sleeping. That we no longer have to do it as part of survival (farming, hunting, running from bears, etc) is great. Now we can pick what we do, and try to have fun while not dying.

I can understand preferring some sports, anything with a ball on a field I find boring, and anything where you need judges and point scores stretch the definition of "sport" IMHO, but not liking all sports seems a bit closed-minded.

I'm bummed I can't get more sailing coverage. The Pirate Bay has a decent selection of coverage from the BBC, but it seems like they have picked their favorites as well (which don't coincide with mine).

 

[ddrueding]

Exercise is one of those things that stops us from dying, like eating and sleeping. That we no longer have to do it as part of survival (farming, hunting, running from bears, etc) is great. Now we can pick what we do, and try to have fun while not dying.

I can understand preferring some sports, anything with a ball on a field I find boring, and anything where you need judges and point scores stretch the definition of "sport" IMHO, but not liking all sports seems a bit closed-minded.

I'm bummed I can't get more sailing coverage. The Pirate Bay has a decent selection of coverage from the BBC, but it seems like they have picked their favorites as well (which don't coincide with mine).

 

[Handruin]

Just as you might be highly interested in someone's ability to produce high quality classical music, or write fantastic books, those are extensions of what their human body is capable of. The Olympics is show-casing a few select humans as skilled machines to accomplish a task that others cannot do so well. You might not be inspired by their abilities to do things like running extremely fast, or jumping very far (among many other things)...but just as equally others aren't inspired by the abilities of the instrumentalists performing classical music. Everything in life is pointless if you really want to go to that level.

 

[Stereodude]

All I know is a DVR comes in very handy when dealing with watching the olympics. You can watch 4-5 hours of primetime coverage in under 1 hour.

 

[Mercutio]

[N]ot liking all sports seems a bit closed-minded.

I am not arguing that point, regardless of the undeniable correctness of my opinion. My concern in this topic is that as loathsome and disgusting as I find the national preoccupation with such things as Basketball, Golf, Hockey and NASCAR, at least people seem to have a constant level of attention to those things; they are to a certain degree inescapable in media.

What I do not understand is how "olympic" sports disappear off the face of the Earth for three years, eleven months and two weeks, yet have an instant cheering section and a never ending parade of well-informed commentators during the two weeks when, for all practical purposes, those sports exist.

 

[Mercutio]

Also, who the hell cares about sailing? And insofar as someone might, does being a sailor make one an athlete? Is the performance of an olympic sailor related in any way to his physicality, or is it a matter of his expertise with instruments and objects?

I eagerly await the day when Starcraft and Counterstrike join the olympic pantheon.

 

[ddrueding]

From what I understand, many of these sports have an annual national competition, and the athletes are constantly training, essentially just so they can compete in the Olympics. And their cheering sections aren't that big; mostly family members and those that didn't make the team. Even the experts are always just past competitors and coaches.

The reason people watch is because they like to see competition between countries that isn't war. It could be tic-tac-toe and people would train and watch.

 

[ddrueding]

Also, who the hell cares about sailing? And insofar as someone might, does being a sailor make one an athlete? Is the performance of an olympic sailor related in any way to his physicality, or is it a matter of his expertise with instruments and objects?

Please allow me to defend my only "sport" hobby

1. It is a race with a clear winner.
2. It involves physical strength, endurance, and intelligence at levels much higher than other sports.
3. It doesn't involve motors or (at most levels) technical wizardry that isn't apparent to the spectator.*
4. It can be as simple or as complex as you like. It can be a team sport or solo competition.
5. No two races are ever the same, the field of play itself is changing constantly and adaptation is mandatory.
6. It is the most "eco" of sports. Not only is it non-polluting or otherwise damaging to the environment, but just watching a race brings awareness of nature.

I submit 3 videos for review.

1. Simple, solo competition. The boat brand-new is $7k. Anyone can do it, and there are races from the local to Olympic level. Significant strength and strategy are required.

Laser

2. Small team competition. The boat is $40k. It requires complete understanding of all thy physics/forces involved, significant strength, and a mess of skill. IMHO my favorite type if sailing.

49er (sorry for the music)

3. Large team competition. Boats range from $12k (mine) to whatever you want. Ellison is rumored to have put $300-$400 million into a single regatta. Crews range from 2-4 (mine) to over 100. On larger boats, not everyone needs to be in shape. A tactician might just talk the whole time, but you will need a few bruisers to move the heavy stuff around.

America's Cup


*There are "open" or "semi-open" races, where you design and build the fastest boat within some guidelines, and that helps boat development. But all Olympic and most general races are based on a single design of boat built by a single company.

 

[Striker]

National pride, human interest, amazement at what the human body is capable of.
These are just a few of the reasons I watch.
I don't find most of these things any more pointless than porn, music, movies, tv, or politics.

 

[LunarMist]

I no longer watch the Olympics at all. After 1988 it went downhill fast. TV coverage is designed to make maximum $$$ on ratings, not provide traditional reportage. I suspect Jim McKay would be rolling in his grave. Programming is broader and better balanced in some countries if you believe reports on the internet. From what I heard on the radio, the home team is kicking some ass, which is nice.

 

[ddrueding]

From what I heard on the radio, the home team is kicking some ass, which is nice.

Not so much. But Google impresses once again.

 

[jtr1962]

I agree that NBCs coverage stinks. If you didn't know any better you would think all the Olympics had was beach volleyball, swimming, diving, and gymnastics. It's a pity one of the big networks has to have a virtual monoploy on coverage. That being said, it is exactly the fact that I see most of these sports once every four years which makes them appealing. It's a change of pace from the mostly chasing-a-ball oriented sports which appear 24/7 the rest of the year, and which I don't particularly care for. Sure, I could imagine following even something like cycling all year, but for two weeks every four years why not?

As someone who thinks sports are at best a completely pointless waste of time, space and energy, the thing I cannot comprehend is how, once every four years, we suddenly give a flying fuck about all these sports that might as well not even exist 1447 days between Olympics.

The Olympics isn't just about the sports themselves. It's about how far the human body can be pushed. I suppose if one lacks personal experience with that (i.e. doesn't exercise) then the topic is of little interest. In the same way you might say I'm missing out on something by not listening to music, I could say you're missing out by not partaking in some sort of exercise, even if just walking regularly. I'll never be an Olympic athlete, nor would I want to. However, knowing how hard it is to push myself on a bike for a mere 25 miles at a halfway decent speed makes me appreciate all the more the effort those guys in the Tour de France need to ride 125 miles in 5 hours, and then do the same thing over and over for the next three weeks. Pointless? Sure, it has absolutely no practical value, no arguing that point. If your goal is just to get from point A to point B, then France's high-speed train could cover that same distance in 40 minutes. Then again, of what practical value are art or music? Sports at its heart falls in the same realm. It's about pushing the human body to its limits just because you can, for the sheer joy of crossing the finish line first. Or for those who are amateurs like myself, the joy of being one with a machine which lets me travel continuously at the speed of an Olympic sprinter despite the fact that I'm an out-of-shape, overweight 45-year old. Until you've experienced it, you'll never know the joy of those who participate in some form of sport. For me the thrill of moving 30 mph with the wind in my hair on a nice day is as sweet as the sound of a classical symphony is to you.

 

[sechs]

I agree that NBCs coverage stinks. If you didn't know any better you would think all the Olympics had was beach volleyball, swimming, diving, and gymnastics. It's a pity one of the big networks has to have a virtual monoploy on coverage.

Actually, that have a real monopoly on coverage. Bought and paid for from the IOC. There was a major problem with folks getting fed-up with the tape-delay crap, and watching stuff on the websites of broadcasters in other countries.

But, obviously, you haven't been checking out the other five, or whatever, channels with Olympics coverage. Not that folks are on the edges of their seats watching whatever's on Telemundo or MSNBC....

 

[ddrueding]

From the bits that I have P2P'ed, it looks like the BBC has awesome coverage. Many channels and all the events, and it's all available online via iPlayer, if you can prove you paid your TV tax and live in the UK

 

[Bozo]

The Olympic sports are being pursued all the time. There are reginal, national, and international competitions in the years in between the Olympics. They just don't make the mainstream media.
In the US, it's like Soccer. Soccer is played all around the world all the time. But here in the US the only time it makes the news is during the World Cup or there is a riot at one of the games. And then, it is only a 5 second blurb.
And, after the mess NBC is making with these Olympics, no one will notice the games 4 years from now.

Bozo

 

[Pradeep]

So the North Korean who originally got the bronze in Men's Air has been disqualified for doping. Giving Jason Turner of Rochester the bronze. Good work!

http://www.nbcolympics.com/shooting/news/newsid=215824.html#shooter+fails+doping+test+loses+medals

 

[Howell]

There are a lot of amateur athletes who are unwilling to dedicate the time to be professionals but still are interested in the sport. And then there are aspiring amateurs too.

 

[sechs]

Honestly, who wasn't watching women's field hockey today? Raise your hands.

 

[LunarMist]

I see nothing. Is it over tomorrow, finally?

 

[Stereodude]

I see nothing. Is it over tomorrow, finally?

No, there's another week of it.

 

[e_dawg]

It ends this weekend. I'm going to Beijing Wednesday to watch the last few days and the closing ceremonies. Will try to get my camera gear in there to see if I can take some decent pics.

 

[Handruin]

This all should have been called the Micheal Phelps sports story in China (with a few other sports to tide you over while we wait for his next segment). I'm happy for the guy, but I don't need him dominating the only Olympic viewing means on my TV.

 

[ddrueding]

I highly recommend the BBC coverage available on TPB. It is Brit-heavy, but at least you can pick your events.

 

[LunarMist]

This all should have been called the Micheal Phelps sports story in China (with a few other sports to tide you over while we wait for his next segment). I'm happy for the guy, but I don't need him dominating the only Olympic viewing means on my TV.

Did his tape self-destruct in five seconds?

 

[Stereodude]

This all should have been called the Micheal Phelps sports story in China (with a few other sports to tide you over while we wait for his next segment). I'm happy for the guy, but I don't need him dominating the only Olympic viewing means on my TV.

I didn't mind all the Phelps coverage. I could do without all the coverage of the Chinese athletes and teams.

 

[ddrueding]

Looks like some Chinese Gymnasts are 14 (legal competition age is 16)

 

[Fushigi]

To the average American, many Asians look younger than their actual age. But watching the competition, unless those girls have genetic disorders there was no way they were 16. It was blatantly obvious.

The IOC is not performing due care WRT certifying the competitors and ensuring the judging is 'fair and balanced'. This may well be the last Olympics I ever bother to watch.

 

[ddrueding]

Gymnastics isn't something I watched anyway. The pursuit of perfection is clearly not healthy for the participants. Watching children who have had their lives taken for years, and whose skill will be useless in less than four, is just sad. What happens to these kids? And what happens to the thousands that worked (suffered?) nearly as hard, and didn't even make it?

Swimmers, cyclists, and track and field can go into their forties, sailors longer than that. On top of that, they look healthy and can make a career of the sport.

 

[timwhit]

I don't particularly like any event where the winner is completely based on the judges. Weight lifting is one thing, because it's pretty obvious to anyone watching whether the person lifted the weight or not. With gymnastics they don't even explain why the person got the score. Most of the time it's just the commentators speculating.

Diving has to be the most boring sport in existence. I don't understand the appeal. Plus, the 2 minutes of replays and inane chatter between each dive makes me want to gouge my eyes out.

 

[Fushigi]

Agree about the judging. It allows a subjective score to overrule the objective results of the competition.

So, Tim, what say you to Chicago 2016? Is it the perfect union of a corrupt governing body (IOC) and a corrupt political process (Chicago/Cook County government)?

As to what the gymnasts do after competing, they go on with life. Some can make careers from it by opening their own training schools. The winners get some short-term endorsements and then tour professionally for a while. Many, though, finish their education in an unrelated field and become working stiffs like the rest of us.

 

[jtr1962]

To the average American, many Asians look younger than their actual age. But watching the competition, unless those girls have genetic disorders there was no way they were 16. It was blatantly obvious.

Living in an area with many Asians, I can tell you for a fact that you'll occasionally have someone college age who might pass for 11 or 12. This isn't as common as it used to be with the better nutrition nowadays, but nevertheless some of these girls are both tiny and have childlike features. As for the gymnasts, between their training regimen and diet many don't even enter puberty until their late teens, so it's no surprise they might be taken for younger. That being said, I'm sure China somehow bent the rules here.

I'm personally not so concerned about the childhood years lost due to training as I am about the effects of this training long-term on a developing body. If you're in the majority who never win a thing, but nevertheless train hard, you enter young adulthood with a body racked with injuries and stress. I wonder how many ex-gymnasts are even physically able to have a career in something else? My carpal tunnel syndrome was getting aggravated just watching them grab the bars. And the falls? That's gotta hurt.

 

[timwhit]

I think if Chicago got the Olympics in 2016 it would bankrupt the local governments and people like me would spend the next 20 years paying much higher taxes. I don't think that matters, because I don't think the IOC will pick us anyways. The IOC seems to be heavily focused on picking a city with a strong transit system, in which case Madrid or Tokyo will almost certainly "win" the games.

However, if we do get the games I would try stop being Debby Downer and think positively. I would be very interested in attending some of the events. Though, I can imagine it would be very expensive. At least I could probably watch road cycling and the marathon for free. Or I could rent out whatever condo I own at the time for a ridiculous amount and take a 2 week vacation in luxury as an alternative.

 

[fb]

I think the IOC will pick the city that bribes the best.

 

[Fushigi]

I think the IOC will pick the city that bribes the best.

Chicago it is, then. We have a long, well-documented history of anything for a(an under the table) buck.

If Chitown wins the bid, it will be interesting to see the Daley administration struggle to complete any of the projects on time and/or within budget. Millennium Park was massively over budget & late and it is more the norm than the exception.

 

[Stereodude]

As to what the gymnasts do after competing, they go on with life. Some can make careers from it by opening their own training schools. The winners get some short-term endorsements and then tour professionally for a while. Many, though, finish their education in an unrelated field and become working stiffs like the rest of us.

I thought they ended up working at Home Depot?

 

[Stereodude]

Chicago it is, then. We have a long, well-documented history of anything for a(an under the table) buck.

Heheh... You got that one right.