2010 Winter Olympics thread...

[Lady's Human]

Sorry, but any "sport" which relies on judging to determine the winner has no place in the olympics.

Figure skating, snowboarding, freestyle skiing, .........

If you need judges to determine the winner, punt it. I'd rather watch the biathalon than watch a few princesses spin around on skates and cry when they fall.

[Karen]

Hey, we girls have to have our fun, too! Though I do think a "no crying" rule would be fine, lots of sports have crying afterwards, but no other one has a designated "kiss and cry" area.

[RICHARD]

What did Hemingway say about sports?

Mountain climbing, bull fighting and car racing are sports, the rest are games?

As I watch sports I see a clear definition about them.

Golf is a puzzle, so is bowling, curling and darts?

Those are all challenges. You get to a point, then it's out of your hands.
There is a skill involved....but you have 'time' to figure out a strategy.


I agree with the judging bit....

But, then you have the 1972 U.S. basketball team.

I still remember poor Hank Iba's face after that game with the Russkies....

I still want to bomb Russia over THAT game.

There was a Crying area at that venue.


Interesting fact about the Silver Medals 'awarded' the team. I watched a special on that game and the medals were never picked up by the team, they sit someplace -unawarded.

One guy even put in in his will that none of his family would never be allowed to accept it on his behalf.

[Grace]

The 1972 Olympics had Mark Spitz, the basketball debacle, and the Massacre.

[slick]

I was wearing my yellow Relay "Cansurvivor" T-shirt.......

[RICHARD]

I was wearing my yellow Relay "Cansurvivor" T-shirt.......

What a great picture......By the time the Games start you will be a total Olympics Geek. Trust me, your town is in for one hell of a party!

Shorts?

Doesn't wearing shorts in an igloo make your legs cold?

[Puckstop31]

Sorry, but any "sport" which relies on judging to determine the winner has no place in the olympics.

Figure skating, snowboarding, freestyle skiing, .........

If you need judges to determine the winner, punt it. I'd rather watch the biathalon than watch a few princesses spin around on skates and cry when they fall.

I agree. Sorta. LOL

Maybe make the 'scoring' less open to interpretation somehow? If skater/snowboarder performs maneuver X, they get X points. Then, if you have a judge not gives points for a specific "play", then you can do a video review to determine if indeed the maneuver was executed.

Just my $.02. I'm not really a fan of 'judged' events. I WILL be very interested to see how the IIHF officials call the ice Hockey though. Especially the European officials who are not used to North American sized ice. I wonder if the NHL icing rules will be in effect, given its almost entirely NHL players in the event? Or the stupid trapezoid thing for goalies?

[Grace]

Updates on two USA snowboarders -

Snowboarder Kevin Pearce, a likely Olympian before sustaining a severe head injury Dec. 31 during training in Utah, has been transferred to a brain-rehabilitation hospital in Colorado.
Kevin Pearce, injured in a snowboarding accident in Utah, has improved enough to move to a rehab hospital in Colorado.

In a statement, one of his doctors, Holly Ledyard, said that Pearce, “is able to walk and do many daily activities with some assistance.”

Pearce, one of the few riders to beat defending Olympic gold medalist Shaun White in halfpipe contests the past couple of years, has transferred to Craig Hospital in Englewood, Colo., a Denver suburb. It is considered a leading rehabilitation center for spinal-cord or traumatic brain injuries.

Snowboarder Danny Davis was released from the Utah hospital where he had been recovering from injuries sustained in an early morning all-terrain vehicle accident in Park City on Jan. 17.

Davis, who would have made the four-man United States Olympic halfpipe team if not for the accident, underwent surgeries to repair a fractured vertebrae and pelvis after the his vehicle struck a closed gate.

And from hockey -

Ryan Whitney of the Anaheim Ducks and Tim Gleason of the Carolina Hurricanes, both defensemen, were added Thursday to the United States men’s Olympic team roster.

Whitney and Gleason replace two injured defensemen, Paul Martin of the New Jersey Devils and Mike Komisarek of the Toronto Maple Leafs, both of whom announced earlier this week that they would not be able to play at the Vancouver Games.

[slick]

The Olympic torch came through my community today but sadly I didn't not have a chance to see it because of w-u-r-k. However my Mom walked the route and saw the torch being lit twice. I'm so envious.

[Grace]

American skier Lindsey Vonn revealed Wednesday morning on the "Today" show that she has a shin injury that could affect her participation and performance in the Winter Olympics, which begin Friday.

Vonn said her shin bruise is extremely painful because it is located at a point of contact with her ski boot. She could not give "Today" show host Matt Lauer an estimate -- in terms of percentage -- of how healthy she was entereing the Games.

Vonn said she injured her right shin in a training run a week ago. It was diagnosed, she said, as a deep muscle bruise.

Vonn is widely regarded as the top American in the Games. She was planning to compete in all five Alpine skiing disciplines at Vancouver. The first, the women's super combined, is scheduled for Sunday.

"I honestly don't know if I'll be able to do it," Vonn said.

[RICHARD]

"I honestly don't know if I'll be able to do it," Vonn said.

Shut up and suck it up.

http://usparalympics.org/athletes/monte-meier

I saw this gal last night on Biggest Loser.

http://usparalympics.org/athletes/kelly-underkofler

She's missing her lower left arm, skis and shoots better than I do?



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Sometimes I find the Paralympics far more intriguing than the "real" games. I stop listening to athletes who get jacked up before a big game/competition, then compete, flail all over the court/course/field, then do the news conference as to why they failed.

She's already given us a reason as to why she may fail-sit down and let an ABLE BODIED person compete in your stead!!!

-------------

I was watching HBO's Real Sports to catch the segment on Bill Johnson, downhill skier from the 84 games.

The leadoff story was the Weir guy, the ice skater that wears fur.


LOL, sometimes being flamboyant is just an excuse for being good at home and not so sparkly on the road.

The guy is not likeable. He's more in it for himself and 'shopping'

LOL, he was talking about winning 18k for placing third in a competition.

There are people out there that could live for a year on the winnings and he's complaining that it peanuts compared to what baseball/football player earns.


Eighteen thousand dollars for practicing and a weekend competition?

Get a life, moron.

[slick]

On Friday I get to see the torch come by the office I've working from now. I'm so excited and will definately take pictures, if I can get at the front of the masses.

[Momto4FemaleFelines]

I agree. Sorta. LOL

Maybe make the 'scoring' less open to interpretation somehow? If skater/snowboarder performs maneuver X, they get X points. Then, if you have a judge not gives points for a specific "play", then you can do a video review to determine if indeed the maneuver was executed.

Just my $.02. I'm not really a fan of 'judged' events. I WILL be very interested to see how the IIHF officials call the ice Hockey though. Especially the European officials who are not used to North American sized ice. I wonder if the NHL icing rules will be in effect, given its almost entirely NHL players in the event? Or the stupid trapezoid thing for goalies?

The judging in figure skating has changed immensely from the 6.0 days. It is scored now, much more than judged. Points are given for jumps and spins, replay is now used, deductions are given when moves are not done properly, etc. I actually don't like the new scoring system. It takes a lot of the beauty out of skating...Which I know a lot of people think because of the beauty it isn't a sport. But it is. I know I can't jump in the air and execute 4 spins and then land on a blade that is about 1/4" thick and is making contact with hard, slippery ice.
I'm actually more of a fan of the professional skaters who skate more for the fun and the showmanship part of the sport, but I will follow the skating events in the Olympics. It's the only sport I'll follow in the Olympics.

[Momto4FemaleFelines]

Sorry, but any "sport" which relies on judging to determine the winner has no place in the olympics.

Figure skating, snowboarding, freestyle skiing, .........

If you need judges to determine the winner, punt it. I'd rather watch the biathalon than watch a few princesses spin around on skates and cry when they fall.

Figure skating is the only sport in the Olympics that I care to pay any attention to.
I've rarely seen a skater cry when they've fallen on the ice, they get back up and keep going most the time, unless they are left unconscious on the ice or seriously and truly injured.