papsrus Posted August 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 My favorite flag at the Olympics -- Chinese Taipei ... also referred to in some remote parts of the world as Taiwan. Oh ... and so glad they've apparently cleared up that nasty gymnastics age mess so quickly. THAT could have been embarrassing. In other news, Cuba pounds U.S. baseball team (bah!), U.S. women's soccer team wins gold , and no one has heard from the Norwegian women's handball team since yesterday's match against Korea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejp626 Posted August 22, 2008 Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 but I can't believe that athletes at this level can't successfully execute a baton pass. Now correct me if I am wrong, but do Olympic runners (and swimmers) actually practice relays that often? For the most part, they don't train in the same facilities. The real focus has always been on individual events. They just kind of take the 4 best runners and swimmers and throw them together. I remember that in at least one Olympics there was a substitution at the last day (or last qualifying event, whichever) and that the entire team had never practiced together. Probably practicing hand-offs would matter a lot more for runners than swimmers. But I still suspect it isn't something these guys and gals have actively "practiced" since college. True enough, but I gotta think that their earlier training, going back to high school (or earlier), was in a team environment, and that these basic skills were instilled early on, and indelibly so. It's the type of thing that is so basic that, yeah, you might get a little rusty on it, but ultimately it's like riding a bicycle. But then again, look at how many NBA players are crap free throw shooters. Sign of the times, maybe... Either way, the buzz is that there's a shakedown coming with the whole track group, including management & coaching changes. I think the training is not so good nowadays, but also that baton passing isn't quite as easy as riding a bicycle. Or swimming. I certainly haven't forgotten how to swim, but my form is crap now and it would take months to get back to a decent stroke. I'm sure the same is true with golf, where you can play but still be really rusty. And, anything you have to do between two or more people that you don't practice with involves some risk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papsrus Posted August 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 And, anything you have to do between two or more people that you don't practice with involves some risk. ... so true ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soulstation1 Posted August 22, 2008 Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 WTF The USA Basketball team is playing right now and I don't see them anywhere on the tube Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papsrus Posted August 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 WTF The USA Basketball team is playing right now and I don't see them anywhere on the tube that's not cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aggie87 Posted August 22, 2008 Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 WTF The USA Basketball team is playing right now and I don't see them anywhere on the tube that's not cool. Probably so they can show it in prime time tonight? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papsrus Posted August 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 This is all allegedly, of course .... Olympics Oopsies Here are the top nine comments made by NBC sports commentators so far during the Summer Olympics that they would like to take back: 1. Weightlifting commentator: 'This is Gregorieva from Bulgaria. I saw her snatch this morning during her warm up and it was amazing.' 2. Dressage commentator: 'This is really a lovely horse and I speak from personal experience since I once mounted her mother.' 3. Paul Hamm, Gymnast: 'I owe a lot to my parents, especially my mother and father.' 4. Boxing Analyst: 'Sure there have been injuries, and even some deaths in boxing, but none of them really that serious.' 5. Softball announcer: 'If history repeats itself, I should think we can expect the same thing again.' 6. Basketball analyst: 'He dribbles a lot and the opposition doesn't like it. In fact you can see it all over their faces.' 7. At the rowing medal ceremony: 'Ah, isn't that nice, the wife of the IOC president is hugging the cox of the British crew.' 8. Soccer commentator: 'Julian Dicks is everywhere. It's like they've got eleven Dicks on the field.' 9. Tennis commentator: 'One of the reasons Andy is playing so well is that, before the final round, his wife takes out his balls and kisses them... Oh my God, what have I just said?' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDK Posted August 22, 2008 Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 I'm far less concerned by unquestionable performance by athletes of questionable age than I am questionable perfomance by athletes of unquestionable age, which is a nice way of saying this - what the fuck happened to our 400M relay teams? It's almost impossible to believe this could happen once, much less twice in the same day. And it wasn't just the U.S. The Brits, gold medalists four years ago, managed to pass the baton outside the legal exchange area in their 4x100 relay heat and got themselves DQ'ed. Maybe this is a lot harder than it looks and maybe the weather was a factor, but I can't believe that athletes at this level can't successfully execute a baton pass. Up over and out. I grew up in a time & place when you couldn't do school sports & school band at the same time, but I was recruited for track by the high school coaches (believe it or not, I used to be long, lanky, and sure of stride) & actually got a little (very little) track training in the process. Wjhat I learned about baton passing is simple to explain, but harder to do. Still, it's the fundamentals & I didn't see it last night. Pacing - you leave your spot in such a way that puts you in rhythm with the unner coming up on you. And from behind, you put yourself into a rhythm with the runner in front of you. Handoff - from behind, you stick it in the hand of the runner in front of you. You don't just "drop it off", you put it there. And when receiving, you don't make the runner behind you guess or otherwise have to work at finding you and your hand, You provide a target, and a target that is ready for the baton (the woman last night had the target, but her hand was flat - basic error right there...). And when you get it, you grip it and pull it (I know, this is getting kinda sexual and shit, but there's no other way to describe it). You let the runner behind you know that you've got it and that they can safely let go. The women, yeah, there was just not a proper target there, and the baton never got stuck. The men, hey, that was a big mess. The pacing was off, and the baton was dropped before ever being in the front runner's hand, probably a result of frustration at the screwed up pacing. Not a pretty sight... Maybe my training was ultra-rudimental and now old-fashioned (like pre-Fosbury high jumping), but still... I give spiritual props to Lauryn Williams, however, for going back to pick up the baton and finish the race. For some, that might be a meaningless gesture, but to me, it spoke to personal pride and self-respect in the face of an occurrence that could easily have wiped out same. The fact that she at least won that one is to her credit, I think, and speaks well as to her inner character. Can't you just stop, pick up the baton, and keep running? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soulstation1 Posted August 22, 2008 Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 B-Ballers on NBC in less than 5 minutes........ Manu is getting shut down today Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connoisseur series500 Posted August 22, 2008 Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 Hard to watch the boxing since the scoring is atrocious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Van Basten II Posted August 22, 2008 Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 Hard to watch the boxing since the scoring is atrocious. Bring the three three minutes round instead of a 4 round fight where the last one involves the leader running around. Instead of only giving points with judges hitting simultaneously their buttons, why don't they take a page out of diving, take the cumulative scores and take away the biggest and smallest score. No wonder, you rarely saw guys use their freakin' jab, judges never gave points for them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soulstation1 Posted August 22, 2008 Report Share Posted August 22, 2008 WTF is BMX racing doing in the olympics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connoisseur series500 Posted August 23, 2008 Report Share Posted August 23, 2008 Hard to watch the boxing since the scoring is atrocious. Bring the three three minutes round instead of a 4 round fight where the last one involves the leader running around. Instead of only giving points with judges hitting simultaneously their buttons, why don't they take a page out of diving, take the cumulative scores and take away the biggest and smallest score. No wonder, you rarely saw guys use their freakin' jab, judges never gave points for them They also completely discount body shots. It's all about short term stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connoisseur series500 Posted August 23, 2008 Report Share Posted August 23, 2008 Really enjoyed watching the victorious Jamaican 100m relay victory. The blew away the American world record. Tremendous achievement from my birth country--a small nation of 3 million people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Van Basten II Posted August 23, 2008 Report Share Posted August 23, 2008 Still regarding the boxing just watched the light welter semi between Dominican Diaz and Frenchman Vastine and it was a fucking disgrace , the official threw out the french trainer then he later gave a very harsh warning and two points away from the frenchmen and in the last round with the fight in the balance with less than thirty seconds for a not so clear reason he gave again a penality to the French fighter which gave the win to his opponent. The poor guy Vastine was crying like a baby after the fight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cali Posted August 23, 2008 Report Share Posted August 23, 2008 Either way, the buzz is that there's a shakedown coming with the whole track group, including management & coaching changes. It's about time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDK Posted August 23, 2008 Report Share Posted August 23, 2008 Either way, the buzz is that there's a shakedown coming with the whole track group, including management & coaching changes. It's about time. I don't get this comment. Hasn't U.S. track traditionally done very well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B. Goren. Posted August 23, 2008 Report Share Posted August 23, 2008 FINAL: Argentina 1 - Nigeria 0, gold medal soccer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papsrus Posted August 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2008 It's the sportsmanship that really makes the Olympic Games what they are: BEIJING -- A Cuban taekwondo athlete and his coach were banned for life after Angel Matos kicked a referee in the face following his disqualification in the bronze medal match. Cuban coach Leudis Gonzalez offered no apology for Matos' actions during the men's over-176-pound match. (...) "He was too strict," Gonzalez said, referring to the decision to disqualify Matos. Afterward, Gonzalez charged the match was fixed, accusing the Kazakhs of offering him money. Just people, getting together in the spirit of competition. ... I've got the warm fuzzies again. Speaking of the warm fuzzies, I read somewhere yesterday that the athletes village (at this, and virtually every Olympics) is the biggest erogenous zone going. Young, taut bodies from every corner of the globe bouncing into one another all over the place ... Who'd a thunk? I guess love is in the air after all. ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soulstation1 Posted August 23, 2008 Report Share Posted August 23, 2008 Congrats To Lisa Leslie 4 Gold Medals and never losing in the games Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cali Posted August 23, 2008 Report Share Posted August 23, 2008 Either way, the buzz is that there's a shakedown coming with the whole track group, including management & coaching changes. It's about time. I don't get this comment. Hasn't U.S. track traditionally done very well? For several Olympics the 4 X 100 relay teams have been ragged. The days when the U. S. could just throw their 4 fastest runners together, without regard to these 4 practicing together as a team and still dominating the event, are over. The men's 4 X 1 relay team has won only twice in the last 24 years. The women haven't won the 4 X 1 since 1996. Despite, usually, dominating the individual sprints, poor execution has caused defeats in the men's and women's 4 X 100 relays which require more coordination than the slower 4 X 400 relays. See this: http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news?slug...p&type=lgns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cali Posted August 23, 2008 Report Share Posted August 23, 2008 Hard to watch the boxing since the scoring is atrocious. Bring the three three minutes round instead of a 4 round fight where the last one involves the leader running around. Instead of only giving points with judges hitting simultaneously their buttons, why don't they take a page out of diving, take the cumulative scores and take away the biggest and smallest score. No wonder, you rarely saw guys use their freakin' jab, judges never gave points for them They also completely discount body shots. It's all about short term stuff. I agree on all points. There is talk of an investigation of corruption in the scoring and discussion about throwing out the current system of computer "game" scoring. They've completely destroyed Olympic boxing and if they can't do better than this, just pull the plug. It's unwatchable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDK Posted August 23, 2008 Report Share Posted August 23, 2008 Either way, the buzz is that there's a shakedown coming with the whole track group, including management & coaching changes. It's about time. I don't get this comment. Hasn't U.S. track traditionally done very well? For several Olympics the 4 X 100 relay teams have been ragged. The days when the U. S. could just throw their 4 fastest runners together, without regard to these 4 practicing together as a team and still dominating the event, are over. The men's 4 X 1 relay team has won only twice in the last 24 years. The women haven't won the 4 X 1 since 1996. Despite, usually, dominating the individual sprints, poor execution has caused defeats in the men's and women's 4 X 100 relays which require more coordination than the slower 4 X 400 relays. See this: http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news?slug...p&type=lgns Okay, then, I see your point. Show's you how much I follow T&F. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soulstation1 Posted August 23, 2008 Report Share Posted August 23, 2008 (edited) I'm in love with the Brazilian volleyball squad Edited August 23, 2008 by Soulstation1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted August 24, 2008 Report Share Posted August 24, 2008 I'm in love with the Brazilian volleyball squad Indoor, beach, or both? Either way, I feel ya' on that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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