Master Index of Archived Threads


Rio Olympics

Frayed Knot Jun 18 2016 12:21 AM

The IAAF (track & field's governing body), in a vote taken earlier today, has banned the Russian team from competing this year due to rampant and systematic drug cheating. The (thoroughly corrupt) IOC gets final say over this matter in a vote set for next week but, unless they overturn the IAAF recommendation, the entire team will be banned including even those who have individually been tainted. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/18/sport ... v=top-news

cooby Jun 18 2016 04:47 AM Re: Rio Olympics

At least they won't have to worry about Zika

Frayed Knot Jun 19 2016 12:42 PM Re: Rio Olympics

Well, if the IOC chickens out and reverses this decision, I hope all of THEM get Zika.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jun 19 2016 01:30 PM Re: Rio Olympics

Wait, there's still going to be an Olympics? Barely. Rio state government has been struggling to pay salaries and pensions, public hospitals have complained they lack basic supplies, and earlier this month, local media reported that the state-run morgue was forced to stop receiving bodies because subcontracted cleaning services were no longer being paid for. The crisis has even affected the new metro line the state government is funding for the Olympics, which is now to be ready just days before the Games begin and will operate on a limited service.

Frayed Knot Jun 19 2016 03:02 PM Re: Rio Olympics

Remember when Brazil was going to be the next economic powerhouse?

themetfairy Jun 19 2016 03:55 PM Re: Rio Olympics

Was that around the time that everyone was telling us that Lenny Dykstra was a financial genius?

Frayed Knot Jul 25 2016 03:51 AM Re: Rio Olympics

At least in Dykstra's case it was mostly a case of him self-proclaiming to be an expert. That there were those who chose to believe him was their own problem. In Brazil's case though there were any number of economists and other political junkies all but proclaiming the inevitability of that country being the new superpower on the world stage. Anyway, the IOC has punted on banishing Russia entirely from the summer games and has instead left it up to the individual sport governing bodies to decide whether to allow Russia's team to compete in their sport. So the track and field assoc can allow or ban Russia's track team, the swimming head honchos to do the same with their swimming team, etc.

Edgy MD Jul 25 2016 12:43 PM Re: Rio Olympics

That's insane. Do grown-ups work anywhere anymore?

Frayed Knot Jul 25 2016 12:52 PM Re: Rio Olympics

It pretty much begs the question as to what the IOC's actual function is (aside from deciding how to divide up the graft) when their reaction to a major scandal is to punt the decision downstairs even when there's proof of said scandal being nationally directed.

MFS62 Jul 25 2016 01:35 PM Re: Rio Olympics

IIRC, the Stanford band formed the shape of a hypodermic needle during half time at a football game because their opponent that day had a drug scandal. That would be very appropriate during the opening ceremonies at the Olympics to introduce the Russian team. Later

Lefty Specialist Jul 25 2016 03:11 PM Re: Rio Olympics

Well, I never watch anyway, so all this will make me continue to not watch.

Chad Ochoseis Jul 26 2016 07:13 PM Re: Rio Olympics

Ick. [url]http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/27/world/americas/brazil-rio-water-olympics.html?action=click&contentCollection=Politics&module=Trending&version=Full®ion=Marginalia&pgtype=article "Foreign athletes will literally be swimming in human crap, and they risk getting sick from all those microorganisms," said Dr. Daniel Becker, a local pediatrician who works in poor neighborhoods.

Frayed Knot Aug 06 2016 12:47 AM Re: Rio Olympics

[youtube:17ly0q0s]UJkxFhFRFDA[/youtube:17ly0q0s]

d'Kong76 Aug 06 2016 01:36 AM Re: Rio Olympics

[youtube:1wscdwbb]qT522pyEFgg[/youtube:1wscdwbb]

MFS62 Aug 06 2016 01:01 PM Re: Rio Olympics

I had hoped it would be over by the time I got home but, alas, it was still going on. So I changed the channel to watch the Mets lose to Detroit. When That was over, I watched part of a CFL game (Montreal sucks). Then, I went back to NBC and they were still marching into the stadium. That f'n parade takes forever. The only thing that takes longer is a post-game hockey radio show. So I went to bed. Later

Chad Ochoseis Aug 06 2016 04:07 PM Re: Rio Olympics

And the gold for the women's 10M air rifle competition goes to a sophomore at West Virginia University. USA! USA! Etc! For all of you experts on the Olympics and/or rifle shooting, why do they need separate men's and women's divisions? I get the idea of biological advantages in strength and speed, but they wouldn't come into play here. Or would they?

d'Kong76 Aug 06 2016 04:38 PM Re: Rio Olympics

Watched some of the woman's rugby before, pretty damn entertaining!

Frayed Knot Aug 06 2016 04:54 PM Re: Rio Olympics

Chad Ochoseis wrote: And the gold for the women's 10M air rifle competition goes to a sophomore at West Virginia University. USA! USA! The United States of America: We know how to shoot stuff. I wondered the same thing about the reason for separate men's and women's divisions in events like shooting although it could be as simple as wanting to have more people, move events, more awards - and then especially more women so the IOC can then brag about how inclusive they're being.

Edgy MD Aug 06 2016 07:24 PM Re: Rio Olympics

Just when I thought the IOC can do nothing right, I stumble across footage of a team representing global refugees. Wow. Of course, under a presidency of Mr. Nightmare, none of them would be allowed in the country. Arguably, f you try to coherently parse his proposed policy statements, none of the athletes would be allowed.

Edgy MD Aug 06 2016 07:49 PM Re: Rio Olympics

This is what a real Olympian looks like.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Aug 07 2016 03:46 AM Re: Rio Olympics

Seriously. AND she won her first heat today (but didn't advance to the event semis). #GoTeamFugee

themetfairy Aug 08 2016 02:27 AM Re: Rio Olympics

Why is Ryan Seacrest at the Olympics? Seriously - why?

Frayed Knot Aug 10 2016 01:20 PM Re: Rio Olympics

Do you suppose there's anyone on the planet who spent as much of his life wet as Michael Phelps? I mean, seriously, there's got to be some guy working the rice paddies in the Philippines somewhere going; 'Damn that guy's wet a lot'!

MFS62 Aug 10 2016 01:42 PM Re: Rio Olympics

Phelps didn't start out that way. But as a kid, he read an Aquaman comic and the rest, as they say, is History. Later

Centerfield Aug 10 2016 01:49 PM Re: Rio Olympics

These swimmers are amazing. In the underwater shots, they actually look like fish when they are underwater. I'm convinced these guys have about 15 more moveable joints in their bodies than I do.

Ceetar Aug 10 2016 02:35 PM Re: Rio Olympics

Centerfield wrote: These swimmers are amazing. In the underwater shots, they actually look like fish when they are underwater. I'm convinced these guys have about 15 more moveable joints in their bodies than I do. well Phelps actually DOES have a genetic condition that helps him.

Vic Sage Aug 10 2016 08:04 PM Re: Rio Olympics

I don't get the Olympics and i never have. I just don't understand why i should care about sports every 4 years that i don't care about the rest of the time, just because there are flags involved. And any sense of nationalist pride I may get in my country winning medals is, for me, negated by the wholesale corruption of the IOC and the constant awareness of the dire conditions people live under in most countries that host them, Rio being just the latest example. And don't get me started on the whole "silver and bronze medal" thing. Giving awards to the losers of a contest is something you do in camp so the fat kid doesn't feel bad about himself (and that never helped me, by the way. I knew i was fat, and i knew i lost). The fact that the best loser and the 2nd best loser in a race might come from my country doesn't seem to me an accomplishment worth getting emotional about. But the mileage of others here may well (and does) vary, so whatever, dudes.

Edgy MD Aug 10 2016 08:06 PM Re: Rio Olympics

Wow, that may our first pre-emptive "whatever, dudes."

Ceetar Aug 10 2016 08:13 PM Re: Rio Olympics

Vic Sage wrote: I don't get the Olympics and i never have. I just don't understand why i should care about sports every 4 years that i don't care about the rest of the time, just because there are flags involved. And any sense of nationalist pride I may get in my country winning medals is, for me, negated by the wholesale corruption of the IOC and the constant awareness of the dire conditions people live under in most countries that host them, Rio being just the latest example. And don't get me started on the whole "silver and bronze medal" thing. Giving awards to the losers of a contest is something you do in camp so the fat kid doesn't feel bad about himself (and that never helped me, by the way. I knew i was fat, and i knew i lost). The fact that the best loser and the 2nd best loser in a race might come from my country doesn't seem to me an accomplishment worth getting emotional about. But the mileage of others here may well (and does) vary, so whatever, dudes. Giving silver medals is like celebrating the NL champions. ultimately, losers. Fuck 'em all.

Mets Guy in Michigan Aug 10 2016 08:55 PM Re: Rio Olympics

Damn, you guys are a tough crowd. I like the Olympics. The opening ceremonies are usually too long and overblown, but I think the parade of nations is fun. (The Beijing opening ceremonies, where incredible!) I think the torch relay is neat, especially at the end when someone bad ass gets to light it. It's like Old-timer's Day. I loved the Salt Lake City torch-lighting ceremony when it was handed at the end to Mike Eruzione -- who was wearing his hockey jersey instead of the official outfit -- who then waved out the rest of the 1980 hockey team. That was cool! [youtube:37yydxz6]iT28SNK1YEk[/youtube:37yydxz6] I don't watch too many of these sports in the other three years. But it's fun to watch them every four years and get all worked up. I like the back stories. Through work I've been able to meet some of the gold medal winners, and that was always a treat. I had a chance to Misty May, the beach volleyball star, when she spoke at a local college where I teach as an adjunct. She couldn't be nicer and let me and my daughter hold two of her gold medals.

d'Kong76 Aug 10 2016 09:11 PM Re: Rio Olympics

I casually enjoy them but don't go out of my way to tune in. My wife watches a lot of it so it's on in one room and will keep up with some stuff here and there. I was a pretty good swimmer as a yute, but could never do the butterfly for any length of time so I admire those races the most as far as swimming goes. I enjoy the woman's soccer and the men's basketball but I have to say I wish they'd go back to sending college players instead of pros from our country. I could care less about the opening and closing ceremonies. I like having stuff on 3-4 channels too because you can flip around whereas back in the old days you were stuck with what you were stuck with. It's also online, but I have yet to embrace watching tv on computers, tablets, and smartypants phones.

Ceetar Aug 10 2016 09:26 PM Re: Rio Olympics

I enjoy it, but I dislike NBCs coverage of it and I'm finding it hard to get much tv in these days anyway. Winter is better. Curling.

Vic Sage Aug 10 2016 09:42 PM Re: Rio Olympics

Giving silver medals is like celebrating the NL champions. ultimately, losers. Fuck 'em all. Before the WS started, the pennant was all there was. Its importance doesn't disappear because another layer of playoffs was added on top of it. A national league champion is still a champion. they have won something... being the best team in the national league over a 162-game season and playoffs. But coming in 2nd or 3rd in a single race is not an accomplishment, except that we've made it so. The accomplishment for these athletes was making it to that final contest that is the peak of the their sport. Bully for them. Bully, i say! But then, they either win it or they don't; don't talk to me about medals for miss congeniality and 1st alternate. That's for beauty contests, so the girls don't start crying and drown everybody in mascara. But there is no crying in synchronized diving!

Ceetar Aug 11 2016 02:57 PM Re: Rio Olympics

Vic Sage wrote: Giving silver medals is like celebrating the NL champions. ultimately, losers. Fuck 'em all. Before the WS started, the pennant was all there was. Its importance doesn't disappear because another layer of playoffs was added on top of it. A national league champion is still a champion. they have won something... being the best team in the national league over a 162-game season and playoffs. But coming in 2nd or 3rd in a single race is not an accomplishment, except that we've made it so. The accomplishment for these athletes was making it to that final contest that is the peak of the their sport. Bully for them. Bully, i say! But then, they either win it or they don't; don't talk to me about medals for miss congeniality and 1st alternate. That's for beauty contests, so the girls don't start crying and drown everybody in mascara. But there is no crying in synchronized diving! The importance absolutely lessons because there's another collection of teams in the league and a layer of playoffs on top of it. Or were the Yankees lauded with praise for finishing in first place among the original 8 American League teams last year? In most of these Olympic sports these athletes won qualifiers to get there. they won heats to get the finals. Most of the second and third finishers are the best in their country. I mean, in education there is magna cum laude, but does that mean nothing if you're not valedictorian? Should we stop honoring the Salutatorian?

MFS62 Aug 11 2016 04:57 PM Re: Rio Olympics

d'Kong76 wrote: I like having stuff on 3-4 channels too because you can flip around whereas back in the old days you were stuck with what you were stuck with. That's OK in theory. But I wish they would keep it off USA network. It prevents me from watching NCIS reruns. (seriously) Later

Edgy MD Aug 12 2016 01:30 PM Re: Rio Olympics

I tend to think Pride of Baltimore Michael Phelps to be a goof but it's pretty cool to see headlines that he has broken a 2,100-year-old record.

Benjamin Grimm Aug 12 2016 01:35 PM Re: Rio Olympics

I have a Wheaties box from 160 BC with Leonidas of Rhodes on the package. Do you think it's worth anything?

MFS62 Aug 12 2016 01:39 PM Re: Rio Olympics

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I have a Wheaties box from 160 BC with Leonidas of Rhodes on the package. Do you think it's worth anything? I don't think so. The cereal is probably stale by now. Later

themetfairy Aug 12 2016 05:39 PM Re: Rio Olympics

I'm enjoying these Olympic games. There, I said it!

Ceetar Aug 12 2016 06:55 PM Re: Rio Olympics

Mets Guy in Michigan Aug 12 2016 07:21 PM Re: Rio Olympics

themetfairy wrote: I'm enjoying these Olympic games. There, I said it! Me, too! Now, I'm not a soccer guy at all. But it seems odd to determine such an important game on penalty kicks. Seems like they should keep playing until someone breaks the tie.

Frayed Knot Aug 12 2016 07:45 PM Re: Rio Olympics Edited 2 time(s), most recently on Aug 23 2016 06:34 PM

I follow the Olympics in part because they deal in sports that aren't paid much attention to the rest of the year, particularly as a respite from the ESPN-ization of sports in this country which increasingly dismisses everything that's not football and basketball, and then, in a nod to variety, also cover college football and basketball. That said, I don't follow everything that's on simply because it's part of the pageantry, I've seen some swimming and the occasional volleyball this week but not a lot else. The athleticism in say gymnastics or diving is impressive but the subtleties of the sport and subjective scoring leaves me clueless. But mainly the summer games for me has always been mostly about track & field -- it's the other sport my father passed along to his oldest son -- which is traditionally week 2 of the games so I'll be more tuned in then. The one on one (or one vs several) nature of the competition combined with the simple yet universal nature of the goal in those events (bet I can beat you to that stop sign!) has a basic appeal and whether it's the high-tension explosion of the sprints, the drawn-out drama of a distance run or the decathlon, or whether it's expected domination from an already famous figure adding to his/her legacy (Lewis, Bolt) or an anonymous, out of nowhere winner (Bikila, Mills, Beamon) it often produces some great drama and moments. Could do without (or at least with less of) the flag-waiving stuff which was a hand-me-down from the cold war era and is now part of NBC's programming strategy, but I'm certainly not watching because of that nor do I get all caught up in the 'medal count'.

Ceetar Aug 12 2016 07:53 PM Re: Rio Olympics

Frayed Knot wrote: The athleticism in say gymnastics or diving is impressive but the subtleties of the sport and subjective scoring leaves me clueless. Having trouble getting a hold of time and the TV when I do have time (Sesame Street), but the bland national broadcast stuff has always irked me. I know you'd have to like, pay people, but is it out of the question to have someone that DOES understand the subtleties of diving or ping pong or high jump or whatever doing (some of?) the commentary? Last few times I watched some of the more fun but less covered sports on the app/computer and while it's interesting, the lack of any announcers what so ever was giving me trouble in some cases.

Frayed Knot Aug 12 2016 08:11 PM Re: Rio Olympics

It's kind of a cycle where they assume (usually correctly) that the American audience doesn't know much about the sport so they resolve to sell it as a story about someone(s) above the sport itself ... which leads to even fewer knowing anything about the sport which causes them to double-down on the soap-opera over competition thing, and so on. That said I don't doubt that at least the second voice on each event (yes, the lead voice is usually an NBC stalwart plugged in for the occasion) knows the hell out of that sport as he/she is inevitably an insider suddenly unleashed with the task of informing the public about his/her particular chosen passion for the only time in four years and they'll explain/hype/tout the hell out of it. I learned more about Rugby-Sevens in 45 minutes last night, for instance, due to it being on at the gym than I had in all my _____ years previous.

Frayed Knot Aug 12 2016 09:02 PM Re: Rio Olympics

Annnnnnnd the US women's soccer team is out, losing in the quarterfinals to Sweden. That's got to rank among the games' biggest shockers. In other news, I've suddenly developed an interest in women's fencing [fimg=450:2yhfjq1o]https://thenypost.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/olympic_champion_posts_sexy_pics_online-3.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=971[/fimg:2yhfjq1o]

Ashie62 Aug 13 2016 08:36 PM Re: Rio Olympics

Mets Guy in Michigan wrote: themetfairy wrote: I'm enjoying these Olympic games. There, I said it! Me, too! Now, I'm not a soccer guy at all. But it seems odd to determine such an important game on penalty kicks. Seems like they should keep playing until someone breaks the tie. I enjoy them very much. My first was the 1968 ones in Grenoble France with and I thought Jean-Claude Killy in the downhill was a rockstar..

Edgy MD Aug 14 2016 12:36 AM Re: Rio Olympics

Video of the interview with Cork's O'Donovan Brudders. "How'r things?" [video:3lcz3nvr]https://www.facebook.com/RTEsport/videos/10154041204478579/[/video:3lcz3nvr] Almost a real-life very McKenzie Brothers interview

cooby Aug 14 2016 03:41 AM Re: Rio Olympics

Throw some chlorine in that pool! Ew

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Aug 14 2016 06:44 AM Re: Rio Olympics

Vic Sage wrote: I don't get the Olympics and i never have. I just don't understand why i should care about sports every 4 years that i don't care about the rest of the time, just because there are flags involved. And any sense of nationalist pride I may get in my country winning medals is, for me, negated by the wholesale corruption of the IOC and the constant awareness of the dire conditions people live under in most countries that host them, Rio being just the latest example. Because beyond the flag-waving, venality, commerciality, irritating televisual filters and frustratingly-arcane scoring-rule-changes... there's unbelievable drama in watching the big hits AND near-misses and the naked displays of emotion following them, pouring forth from the strained faces and contorted mouths of even the most practiced athletic veterans. There's the sense of import to each moment, and weighty history, and possibility, and the sense that This Is Bigger Than You (No Matter How Big You Are). There's undeniable poetry in watching a life's work to push personal and human limits distilled into ten seconds of maximum effort. And-- mostly-- there's a simple joy to be had in watching those limits expand before our very eyes-- in Citius Altius Fortius-- that's just so... human. In a very similar way to the feeling you get from truly great drama, or literature, or space flight, it's cool to watch bodies blowing our minds-- to go, "Holy Shit-- we can DO that," and to share that with our kids, and neighbors, and people who follow us on Twitter from Japan and Somalia. Of course, yeah, your mileage may vary.

Edgy MD Aug 15 2016 01:34 AM Re: Rio Olympics

John Cougar Lunchbucket Aug 15 2016 01:49 AM Re: Rio Olympics

hes amazing. race lasts 10 seconds but he runs like he jas 20 minutes.

Frayed Knot Aug 15 2016 02:45 AM Re: Rio Olympics Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Aug 15 2016 02:52 AM

Was trailing at the 50-60 meter mark ... and yet won going away. He's just got a gear the others don't. I saw that from Carl Lewis once during a relay but even that seems to pale in comparison.

metirish Aug 15 2016 02:50 AM Re: Rio Olympics

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: hes amazing. race lasts 10 seconds but he runs like he jas 20 minutes. Smiling and looking sideways must cost him time ( such as that is in under 10 seconds) as he comes to the line , amazing to watch.

Frayed Knot Aug 15 2016 03:02 AM Re: Rio Olympics

Ceetar wrote: Centerfield wrote: These swimmers are amazing. In the underwater shots, they actually look like fish when they are underwater. I'm convinced these guys have about 15 more moveable joints in their bodies than I do. well Phelps actually DOES have a genetic condition that helps him. Gills?

metirish Aug 15 2016 03:09 AM Re: Rio Olympics

Pulmonary doctors I work with love talking about Phelps , arm span is a good indicator of height, his is 6'7" yet he is 6'4" tall.....lung capacity of 12 liters , typically twice the average man .

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Aug 15 2016 04:05 AM Re: Rio Olympics

I feel like we haven't seen Bolt at 100 percent since maybe his first Olympics... and he's still dominated the sport for the last 8-9 years. It's shocking to think that a generation of top-class sprinters has passed by, and he's waved them all away with, like, an 85-90 percent effort.

Ashie62 Aug 15 2016 04:23 PM Re: Rio Olympics

Its like Bolt saw Gatlin had a lead and hit a gear only known to him.

Frayed Knot Aug 17 2016 10:03 PM Re: Rio Olympics

[fimg=500]https://nyoobserver.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/cp3hmykwgaaf74h.jpg?quality=80&w=635[/fimg] This was supposedly taken right around the 70 meter mark ... although it is not from the gold medal final run but from the semi-final heat. It's like he's turning to the others with a 'catch me if you can' kind of taunt. Either that or he somehow knew exactly where the camera was.

metirish Aug 17 2016 10:36 PM Re: Rio Olympics

Story of that semi-final picture http://time.com/4452585/usain-bolt-2016-rio-olympics/

Frayed Knot Aug 18 2016 06:57 PM Re: Rio Olympics

The U.S. women's 4x100 relay team, gold medalists in London 2012, dropped the baton during the first exchange of the semi-final heat this morning which caused them, not surprisingly, to fail to qualify for the finals. But Wait, There's More ... they appealed on the grounds that a runner in an adjacent lane strayed into theirs and jostled American runner Allison Felix enough to cause the failed exchanged -- and their protest was upheld. But now what to do since you can't have more than eight teams in these short races and they can't just bump the team that caused the foul, Brazil, since they didn't qualify anyway. So the solution is that the U.S. needs to re-run the race, all alone on an otherwise empty track at 6 PM tonight, and finish in a time that at least beats the final qualifier (China) Not sure I've ever heard of that one before.

Edgy MD Aug 18 2016 07:09 PM Re: Rio Olympics

The idea that he's taunting has stuck with Bolt since his first Olympics. I don't think it's like that at all. But when you're ahead, you have to turn your head to get your relative bearings. It's not necessary, but it's natural.

Frayed Knot Aug 19 2016 01:47 AM Re: Rio Olympics

BOLT WINS!! (the 200) And, no, I don't think he was taunting either, but there's no legit reason to be looking around during a 100 or 200 and only Bolt runs in a way that allows him to essentially look around and enjoy the view before the damn race is over.

metirish Aug 19 2016 01:54 AM Re: Rio Olympics

In the post race interview he said he was frustrated because his body wouldn't respond to the push for a faster time........said it would have helped maybe if someone faster was pushing him....

MFS62 Aug 19 2016 01:43 PM Re: Rio Olympics

Call it showboating or gloating, its poor sportsmanship. If you flip your bat and celebrate it around the bases after a homer enough times, you'll start getting a fastball in the ribs then next time up. If you hot dog it when you score a touchdown or make a sack, the ref calls a penalty. Just because its not a team sport doesn't make it right. Later

Edgy MD Aug 19 2016 01:47 PM Re: Rio Olympics

But I don't call it any of that. Turning your head is just turning your head, no matter what we may read into it.

Nymr83 Aug 19 2016 01:52 PM Re: Rio Olympics

Edgy MD wrote: But I don't call it any of that. Turning your head is just turning your head, no matter what we may read into it. Football players who make an interception or catch and burn their defender etc will ALWAYS turn their head - its not poor sportsmanship, its looking to see if anyone is near you and deciding if you need to try and kick it into another gear.

MFS62 Aug 23 2016 12:55 PM Re: Rio Olympics

Final USA medal count 46 gold and 121 total medals That international Commie Pinko plot* of introducing Soccer into America to draw off our great young athletes from the events in which we have dominated so that the rest of the world could beat us in the Olympics hasn't happened. Later * = The theory of one of my conservative friends.

Ceetar Aug 23 2016 02:43 PM Re: Rio Olympics

MFS62 wrote: Final USA medal count 46 gold and 121 total medals That international Commie Pinko plot* of introducing Soccer into America to draw off our great young athletes from the events in which we have dominated so that the rest of the world could beat us in the Olympics hasn't happened. Later * = The theory of one of my conservative friends. Anyone have a Medal per athlete ratio leaderboard?

Nymr83 Aug 24 2016 12:22 AM Re: Rio Olympics

Comparing medal counts, even "per athlete", doesn't mean much about the countries "athletic skill" or anything for many reasons - some events, like swimming, give out seemingly dozens of medals for various ways to swim in 30 seconds, while winning a medal in basketball takes a 10-man team winning multiple games over several days. the Olympics also say nothing about depth - While other countries are more competitive in Men's basketball than they were in the days of the original Dream Team, I'd bet the 10th string USA Women's team - players who weren't even considered for the Olympics - would still dominate. A great quote from Israeli wrestler Dov Nagar, who won all his matches by forfeit when his cowardly Muslim opponents refused to compete at all: "I feel great. Well rested. This is the least anyone has had to work for a medal since Arafat won the Nobel Peace Prize!"

Ashie62 Aug 25 2016 02:13 PM Re: Rio Olympics

Hope Solo gets a six month suspension from the US Soccer team without pay. She makes 72K with her stipend and MLS contract. I think the "Swedish are cowards" quote did it. Already on her resume, Dancing with the Stars and a 2014 Domestic Violence charge against her.

Vic Sage Aug 25 2016 02:24 PM Re: Rio Olympics

A great quote from Israeli wrestler Dov Nagar, who won all his matches by forfeit when his cowardly Muslim opponents refused to compete at all: "I feel great. Well rested. This is the least anyone has had to work for a medal since Arafat won the Nobel Peace Prize!" If that's true, that's both hilarious (the quote) and horrible (the behavior). So this pageant of nationalism is over now, right? We're done with all the poetry of "unbelievable drama in watching the big hits AND near-misses and the naked displays of emotion following them, pouring forth from the strained faces and contorted mouths of even the most practiced athletic veterans. There's the sense of import to each moment, and weighty history, and possibility, and the sense that This Is Bigger Than You (No Matter How Big You Are). There's undeniable poetry in watching a life's work to push personal and human limits distilled into ten seconds of maximum effort. And-- mostly-- there's a simple joy to be had in watching those limits expand before our very eyes-- in Citius Altius Fortius-- that's just so... human. In a very similar way to the feeling you get from truly great drama, or literature, or space flight, it's cool to watch bodies blowing our minds-- to go, "Holy Shit-- we can DO that," and to share that with our kids, and neighbors, and people who follow us on Twitter from Japan and Somalia" -- right? Great. See you in 4 years, in some other despoiled shithole further impoverished by this citadel of corrupt bullshit that continues to fiddle while the world burns. We now return to our regular scheduled programming... "the US Presidential Election!", the only TV show that is comparable in its corruption, hypocrisy and unhealthy nationalism.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Aug 27 2016 08:53 AM Re: Rio Olympics

Vic Sage wrote: Great. See you in 4 years, in some other despoiled shithole further impoverished by this citadel of corrupt bullshit that continues to fiddle while the world burns. We now return to our regular scheduled programming... "the US Presidential Election!", the only TV show that is comparable in its corruption, hypocrisy and unhealthy nationalism. I take it you're not a World Cup watcher, either?