Sonar Dave
Well-known Member
Living in a former Host City, I have to watch.
Let's talk Olympics here
- Thread starter BGDurham
- Start date
Benthedrummer
Silver Member
I love the Summer Olympics.
It's only on for 2 weeks every 4 years, so it's kinda exciting.
I love watching the athletes from around the globe smash each other for the chance of gold.......all the heartache, pain, training and discipline to get to the games is just so inspiring.
On a patriotic note.......Oz has a small population on a global scale yet in the pool we usually wipe the rest of the world with our swimmers.
It really does make me proud when I see so many champs in the pool do so well.
We aren't as strong in track and field.......but every now and then we produce a little champ.
Cycling and rowing we also usually do quite well in.
The USA gymnastics team is awe inspiring and my partner and I are cheering for them. Simone Biles is just outta this world.
Seeing these little tiny countries with a poor sports infrastructure sending one or two athletes to compete really says it all........ especially when these athletes win a medal.
One of the female swimmers competing in the Australian swimming team went to the same high school where my girlfriend works.
It kinda makes me proud, globally, for all countries.
In relation to the current Paris Olympics.......it's just one gigantic amazing awesome production.
I'm loving every minute of it.
It's only on for 2 weeks every 4 years, so it's kinda exciting.
I love watching the athletes from around the globe smash each other for the chance of gold.......all the heartache, pain, training and discipline to get to the games is just so inspiring.
On a patriotic note.......Oz has a small population on a global scale yet in the pool we usually wipe the rest of the world with our swimmers.
It really does make me proud when I see so many champs in the pool do so well.
We aren't as strong in track and field.......but every now and then we produce a little champ.
Cycling and rowing we also usually do quite well in.
The USA gymnastics team is awe inspiring and my partner and I are cheering for them. Simone Biles is just outta this world.
Seeing these little tiny countries with a poor sports infrastructure sending one or two athletes to compete really says it all........ especially when these athletes win a medal.
One of the female swimmers competing in the Australian swimming team went to the same high school where my girlfriend works.
It kinda makes me proud, globally, for all countries.
In relation to the current Paris Olympics.......it's just one gigantic amazing awesome production.
I'm loving every minute of it.
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TK-421
Senior Member
^^^^^^ THIS
Except since I’m American, of course I’m cheering for Team USA!
Though to be honest, I’m really cheering for all Olympic athletes. Unless you’re a basketball team taking on the Dream Team, in which case I have absolutely no sympathy for you (go USA!)
Benthedrummer
Silver Member
^^^^^^ THIS
Except since I’m American, of course I’m cheering for Team USA!
Though to be honest, I’m really cheering for all Olympic athletes. Unless you’re a basketball team taking on the Dream Team, in which case I have absolutely no sympathy for you (go USA!)
Yup.
The Dream Team winning is pretty much a foregone conclusion.
However, barracking for the underdog is kinda cool.
SmoothOperator
Gold Member
I watched a little hard-court volleyball also. I saw an interesting new technique. The player dove and was able to just get her hand under the ball. She used the back side of her hand and dove fully extended putting her hand flat on the floor and the ball bounced off her hand without touching the floor. Wow, that was cool.
BGDurham
Silver Member
That is a "pancake"! It's the coolest play in volleyball. My daughter often plays libero (the defensive position that wears the different color jersey and does a fair amount of diving and thus is most likely to pancake) but she hasn't pancaked yet. She is very eager to do it someday.
Son of Vistalite Black
Well-known Member
Three thoughts:
1. Gojira was great in the opening ceremony -- proceeded by Marie Antoinette's headless body. A new highwater market for metal.
2. NBC seems to have forgotten that Simone Biles withdrew from the last Olympics for mental health reasons, but the network seems to have upped the pressure on her this games. It's as puzzling as having 14 year olds in the skateboarding competition. Let's not put children under the scrutiny of competing on worldwide TV (Like "The Hunger Games.")
3. Why are there swimming disciplines for the least fast ways to swim (butterfly)? Should track running events have a 100-meter dash combined with running 100 yards backward (backstroke), then the butterfly and breaststroke run?
4. (Couldn't resist a fourth): If going back in time were possible, Son of Vistalite Black would have done his best to win the affection of a member of the women's rugby team (from any country) and a 6'4" beach volleyball player (women's).
1. Gojira was great in the opening ceremony -- proceeded by Marie Antoinette's headless body. A new highwater market for metal.
2. NBC seems to have forgotten that Simone Biles withdrew from the last Olympics for mental health reasons, but the network seems to have upped the pressure on her this games. It's as puzzling as having 14 year olds in the skateboarding competition. Let's not put children under the scrutiny of competing on worldwide TV (Like "The Hunger Games.")
3. Why are there swimming disciplines for the least fast ways to swim (butterfly)? Should track running events have a 100-meter dash combined with running 100 yards backward (backstroke), then the butterfly and breaststroke run?
4. (Couldn't resist a fourth): If going back in time were possible, Son of Vistalite Black would have done his best to win the affection of a member of the women's rugby team (from any country) and a 6'4" beach volleyball player (women's).
SmoothOperator
Gold Member
I'm glad there are liberos so that center blockers don't have to dive on the ground.
Thanks, @BGDurham for starting this thread. Mrs Smoke and I have been tuning into over-the-air TV for the last couple days to watch the Olympics. Mrs Smoke has absolutely no interest in the athletic aspects of the competition, but totally loves the competitors' backstories and their reactions during the competition. (44 years married - Olympics! - who knew?) Different strokes for different folks, I guess. Regardless, it's fun to share time with someone you love even if for different reasons. With any luck, we'll tune in again this afternoon and I'll keep the Kleenex box handy for her!
Benthedrummer
Silver Member
Can anyone explain the powers of deduction here?
Son of Vistalite Black
Well-known Member
Three more thoughts: Congrats to the U.S. women’s gymnastics team, but NBC’s Primetime coverage was beyond awful:
1. I saw two Italians. Imagine seeing only two Red Sox at bats against the Yankees.
2. Was that a double flip with a full twist or triple? We’ll never know.
3. These are great performances, but we hear nothing except “that’s a 1/10th deduction,” “that cost her 3/10ths.”
Argh.
1. I saw two Italians. Imagine seeing only two Red Sox at bats against the Yankees.
2. Was that a double flip with a full twist or triple? We’ll never know.
3. These are great performances, but we hear nothing except “that’s a 1/10th deduction,” “that cost her 3/10ths.”
Argh.
joedrum
Junior Member
No matter...but I heard on the radio that one of the man boxers knock out one of the woman boxers. He must be so proud of himself. The woman boxer said she'd never been hit like that in her life. The Olympics has become a theatrical farce...like much else in the world.
Well, here in the good ol' USA, 2 > 1 = true.
Maybe that's upside-down logic for those south of the equator.
Really, I'm laughing myself silly. Does it really matter which competitor was the best? What really matters is medal count, regardless of the medal's metal, right? I guess it's a matter of perspective. Sheesh... I watched that race with Mrs Smoke yesterday, and while I was rooting for the USA, I was shocked and happy to see young Ms McKeown blast through the second half of the final leg. What a performance!! In any competition in my US Army days, I was always "one-speed" and never had that last push at the end. My hat's off to her!
It's a well deserved gold medal even if she lost the race.
Juniper
Gold Member
I quite like this thread, I’d rather not see it closed.
Again though, I’ll respectfully point out that that if do your own research you might find information that counters what you’re being fed by some in the media.
I’ll leave it there to follow the rules and reminder below from Thomas.
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Jeremy Bender
Platinum Member
I don't know the first thing about sports and at my age wouldn't think of starting to get involved in playing them. That being said, since it appears (to me) to be a pursuit of acheivement and goal setting, who holds the highest standard?
An Olympic champion or a professional sports team player?
An Olympic champion or a professional sports team player?
Different moderators over the years have had different philosophies, which is to be expected. When the rules say "no warnings," and then there are warnings after warnings after warnings... I find it simplest to just do what the rules say so that no one is surprised. Break the rules, get banned, and we all go on with our days. This is a drumming forum to discuss drumming. If someone wants to talk about the Olympics and does so in the Off Topic Lounge, and someone else brings up religion or politics or whatever, why should the original poster and everyone else who participated in good faith be punished by having the thread locked or deleted, and why should the wet blanket get rewarded by derailing a conversation and still be allowed to participate in the forum?
Old timers remember the Ban Hammer.
I don't watch the Olympics as much as many others here do, but I saw one of the routines performed by Simone Biles and I haven't seen anything like that since Olga Korbut and Nadia Comǎneci in my childhood. I believe that we can celebrate the accomplishments and respect the talent and dedication, just as we hope that our own talents and dedication are celebrated, and refuse to participate in the ugliness that is inevitably associated with all human endeavors, just as we would hope that no ugliness would accompany our own performances. These young athletes are only human. Some will have immense success, and some will fail spectacularly. Some, regardless of their performances, will speak with grace and wisdom, and some will likely embarrass themselves with dishonorable actions and ill-considered invective. Countries will act in what they perceive to be their own best interests, judges will make questionable calls, and "fans" will act shamefully.
Lets us, here, celebrate and appreciate and be entertained, just as we hope that those who see us at our best (and sometimes our worst) would do the same.
I now return you to your regularly scheduled thread.
BGDurham
Silver Member
This is another great Olympic story, generated by the 30 year-old Swedish swimmer, Sarah Sjöström. Sjöström is one of the most decorated sprint swimmers in history but is older and the swimming world's focus has moved away from her until, boom!, she won gold!
For context, she is the current world record holder in the 50 metre freestyle (long course), the 100 metre freestyle (long course), and the 50 metre butterfly (long course). She is a former world record holder in the 100 metre butterfly (long course), 50 metre freestyle (short course), 100 metre freestyle (short course), 100 metre butterfly (short course), 200 metre freestyle (short course), and the 4×50 metre medley relay (short course).
Btw, if you click on the video YouTube will open and play it.
For context, she is the current world record holder in the 50 metre freestyle (long course), the 100 metre freestyle (long course), and the 50 metre butterfly (long course). She is a former world record holder in the 100 metre butterfly (long course), 50 metre freestyle (short course), 100 metre freestyle (short course), 100 metre butterfly (short course), 200 metre freestyle (short course), and the 4×50 metre medley relay (short course).
Btw, if you click on the video YouTube will open and play it.
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