THE OLYMPICS THREAD!

[Groggy]

Phelps lost haw haw!

[drinkanddestroy]

Phelps lost haw haw!

did you catch his interview with Bob Costas last night?

Costas asked him about the fact that he's lost a tad since Beijing 2008, and the allegation by his team member that he hasn't been working as hard. I thought Phelps would say it's not true, he still feels like he is the same and that's he's working hard, but he basically agreed with Costas. He pretty much said (not in so many words), that since 08 he has taken it easier, and that's that.... And you know what, I can't blame the guy. I mean, I am sure that for that period between 04 and 08 he was training like a madman and had absolutely no life. And now he decided he's gonna enjoy life a little more. Most athletes would have responded with shit like "no, I think I'm at the same level, I'm training just the same, etc." I never expected to hear an athlete -- especially one as intense and competitive as Phelps -- actually admit that he's not training the same way and not at the same level.

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NBC Sports Network just showed a Badminton match between a Chinese and an Indonesian. In what I can only interpret as an attempted justification to the viewers for subjecting them to Badminton, the hosts' entire introduction consisted of the following: "These two players do not like each other; that's all you need to know." If this was judo rather than fucking BADMINTON, I might find that interesting.

[emmo26]

Thanks. Do they show live video of events? I need a site that shows the video live, so that I can watch the events before I hear the results.

bbc sport site might not accept American IP addresses.

try http://www.rtve.es a Spanish site that I´ve been using.   Also they have live feeds.

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Also, I agree with you about doing more to remember 72.  They say its too political, but they allowed injured soliders to carry the torch and they remembered the victims of 7/7....so it seems to be one rule for one and another rule for another.

[Groggy]

did you catch his interview with Bob Costas last night?

Costas asked him about the fact that he's lost a tad since Beijing 2008, and the allegation by his team member that he hasn't been working as hard. I thought Phelps would say it's not true, he still feels like he is the same and that's he's working hard, but he basically agreed with Costas. He pretty much said (not in so many words), that since 08 he has taken it easier, and that's that.... And you know what, I can't blame the guy. I mean, I am sure that for that period between 04 and 08 he was training like a madman and had absolutely no life. And now he decided he's gonna enjoy life a little more. Most athletes would have responded with shit like "no, I think I'm at the same level, I'm training just the same, etc." I never expected to hear an athlete -- especially one as intense and competitive as Phelps -- actually admit that he's not training the same way and not at the same level.

That's very much to his credit. Most of my derision goes towards the news media for thinking "guy is four years older, isn't as sharp" is news worthy of dozens of featurettes.

[drinkanddestroy]

Also, I agree with you about doing more to remember 72.  They say its too political, but they allowed injured soldiers to carry the torch and they remembered the victims of 7/7....so it seems to be one rule for one and another rule for another.

You are definitely right. A few minutes after I read your post, I received this week's Sports Illustrated in the mail, and there was a very good article about Israel and the Olympics, called "Never Forgotten," by L. Jon Wertheim. One of the many things discussed in the article:


At each Summer Olympics beginning in 1976, Ankie Spitzer, --the widow of Israeli fencing coach Andre Spitzer, one of the 11 victims at Munich -- has requested an official moment of silence at the opening ceremony, but has been refused every time. In 1976 "they told us very clearly, 'there are 21 Arab delegations that will leave if we say something about the Israeli athletes,' " Spitzer said.
This year, she met with IOC President Jacques Rogge -- who btw just a disgusting human being, and that is a gross understatement.

"[Spitzer] says that at first Rogge told her that a memorial wasn't part of the protocol. Spitzer pointed out that at the Salt Lake Games in 2002 there was a moment to acknowledge the victims of 9/11. 'I can only conclude that you're not willing to do this because they were Israeli,' Spitzer told the IOC President. According to Spitzer, Rogge finally said, "There are now more than 40 Arab delegations. It's a difficult decision, but my hands are tied." (Rogge did not respond to SI's request for comment). Spitzer, irrepressible at age 66, was ready with a quick response: "Your hands are tied? No. My husband and his teammates' hands were tied. So were their feet. To the furniture. Then they came home in coffins."


But this should be expected from that idiot Rogge.


And I always laugh when I hear the oft-repeated nonsense about the "Olympic spirit." I remember how Rogge directed harsh criticism at Husain Bolt in 08 for showboating at the end of his record-breaking race, and how it supposedly was against the "Olympic spirit." The "Olympic spirit" was pure bullshit a soon as they gave the Olympics to China, one of the most brutally oppressive countries in the world. Rogge spewed some nonsense about how getting the Olympics would supposedly bring China more freedom. Bullfuckingshit.
As detailed in this fantastic article by Jeff Jacoby called "China's Totalitarian Games," those Olympics were "a showcase for dictatorship" http://www.jeffjacoby.com/423/chinas-totalitarian-games  Political oppression, terrorism, murder, whatever it is is fine with Rogge -- just don't showboat while doing it; after all, THAT would violate the "Olympic spirit."   What a douche

If one day Rogge would accidentally choke on a sausage, the world would be a better place.

[drinkanddestroy]

That's very much to his credit. Most of my derision goes towards the news media for thinking "guy is four years older, isn't as sharp" is news worthy of dozens of featurettes.

I have little use for the media, but I have to disagree with you here:
In 2008, Phelps was going for an insane 8 golds; that was a major story, and was understandably covered extensively in the media. And he succeeded. So it's natural that this year, when he was going for an insane 7 golds, it would just as major a story, and covered just as extensively, whether he succeeded or failed. If you walk over to any average American on the street,  and say "can you name one Olympian?" "name one Olympian's quest that you are following" I bet that Phelps's name would be mentioned an outright majority of the time. He is the biggest story, and it's going to be covered, win or lose.

[drinkanddestroy]

anyone see the women's beach volleyball match today between USA's Kessy/Ross and Spain's Steiner/Baquerizo? Unbelievable    

and Spain's Liliana Fernandez Steiner has an ass that words can't describe    
http://goo.gl/OpI5mm

[drinkanddestroy]

GABBY DOUGLAS IS A ROCK STAR!  

[drinkanddestroy]

It's always sad when the swimming events are over. And that Michael Phelps is done. And btw, it seems that reports of Phelps's demise were at least somewhat exaggerated; in 7 events, he won 4 golds, 2 silver, and one 4th place finish. (And one of the silvers was in a relay that he was awesome in; it was Lochte who screwed that one up, so you can't blame Phelps for that one). So while he may not have been at his 2008 level of unfathomable awesomeness, he leaves London as STILL the greatest swimmer in the world. He ends his Olympic career as the greatest Olympian ever, with 22 medals -- 18 Gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze (in 24 events!)

Personally, I'd bet that he'll take a couple of years off to chill out and party, and then get the itch back, and go for Rio 2016. Even though he's said again and again that he is, done, I've seen this happen with way too many athletes. At 27 years old, and yes, STILL AT THE TOP, I don't think he'll actually retire. My guess, or at least it's my fervent hope, is that we see him in Rio as a 31 year-old.

Unbelievable performance overall by the USA swimming team.

Also, it was very touching to see Oscar Pistorius, a double amputee from South Africa, on the track today, where he made it into the semifinals. There has been a lot of controversy over his being here, there's a big debate with the scientists over whether his prosthetic legs give him any sort of advantage. But I think we can all agree it was a very touching moment to see him out there.


After a week of competition, the USA continues to lead China in medals 54-53, and in Golds 26-25.

This week, I'll be watching the apparatus finals in gymnastics (women's vault is Sunday; McKayla Maroney is the heavy favorite to win Gold), some of the track and field events, and probably some new sports that the Olympics has a way of introducing you to  

[drinkanddestroy]

Saw that Italian beach volleyball player Marta Menegatti crying during a timeout in middle of the game? What a fucking disgrace, crying in middle of the game cuz Misty and Kerry were giving her an Olympic-sized ass whooping  

[titoli]

These are the only images I've watched so far.

http://www.corrieredellosport.it/video/olimpiadi/2012/08/06-49462/Olimpiadi+a+luci+rosse%2C+via+gli+slip+prima+del+salto

[drinkanddestroy]

These are the only images I've watched so far.

http://www.corrieredellosport.it/video/olimpiadi/2012/08/06-49462/Olimpiadi+a+luci+rosse%2C+via+gli+slip+prima+del+salto

haha wtf is that? a bunch of girls putting on their sneakers?

[drinkanddestroy]

DID YOU SEE THE USA vs. CANADA WOMEN'S SOCCER GAME? DID YOU SEE IT?

UNMOTHERFUCKINGBELIEVABLE!!!

[titoli]

haha wtf is that? a bunch of girls putting on their sneakers?

Sneakers? The blonde girl is changing her panties...

[drinkanddestroy]

Sneakers? The blonde girl is changing her panties...

 I wasn't exactly sure of what to look for, but now that you mention it.... what happened, did she come out with the bikini bottom but then get cold and switch to the shorts?  


And that camera guy is such a jerk, he doesn't even stay in his place and zoom in; once he spots her, he actually walks up to her and shamelessly stick the camera right on her! One of her fellow athletes there should have shooed him away.

Reminds me of this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltsSie5i5Do very famous moment from the (American) football season: at the end of the game, Chargers kicker Nick Novak was filmed on the sideline down on one knee, with the equipment guy (no puns, please) blocking the view with a towel. Emptying his bladder obviously didn't help him, cuz a few minutes later, he missed a potential game-winning field goal....

(and it makes me laugh cuz of the old debate among football players of whether kickers are athletes. Real athletes never have to piss   in middle of a game. Even though you drink a lot, I guess your body sweats it out or something; I've never had to piss while playing a game. But kickers, who do nothing all game, they are the ones that have to piss   )

But in both instances, the camera guys are jerks. They're like 10-year old boys peeping under the teacher's skirt