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robp
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 Posted: 08/26/04 - 07:54 Post subject: Olympic rant....
I watched Greek hometown girl Fani Halkia roar to the gold medal in the 400 meter hurdles last night. I believe she set an Olympic record in the process. 75,000 people cheered her on, she wins, she is overcome with emotion.
Then I'm surfing for sports coverage of the event and up pops a number of articles commenting on the sudden improvements of Greek sprinters and hurdlers in the past year. Halkia has improved her 400m hurdle time by over 4 seconds in a year. Naturally, the naysayers believe it's due to illicit drug use and we've already had the issue of two greek sprinters missing a drug test.
If it turns out this woman was doping I swear I'm going to never watch the Olympics again. I am so sick of hearing about possible doping, accusations (true or false, I'm sick of 'em), bogus judging in various events. These athletes are turning what was once the most incredible athletic event to occur every four years into a f*cking circus.
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Cappy
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Posted: 08/26/04 - 07:58 Post subject: Re: Olympic rant....
| robp wrote: | | If it turns out this woman was doping I swear I'm going to never watch the Olympics again. I am so sick of hearing about possible doping, accusations (true or false, I'm sick of 'em), bogus judging in various events. These athletes are turning what was once the most incredible athletic event to occur every four years into a f*cking circus. |
I agree Rob
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copteacher
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Posted: 08/26/04 - 08:00 Post subject:
now there is a baseball "judging" controversy.
I guess with all the money on the line, and 1000 camera angles, it makes it easier to criticize the judges. But some of their screwups are pretty stupid.
I am tired of drug pumped athletes and some very stupid sports such as synchroized diving and swimming (those are events for a water show at a theme park not olympics) and x games type sports such as they are trying to make the winter olympics into.
I also completely agree with you Rob.
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robp
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Posted: 08/26/04 - 08:05 Post subject:
Synchronized anything should be canned. There are too many gymnastics medals awarded also and gymnastics judging is also a crock. I would do away with gymnastics team events. Crown an overall champ for showing diversity and talent in each discipline and crown a champ for each specialty and get it over with.
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Cappy
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Posted: 08/26/04 - 08:07 Post subject:
| robp wrote: | | Synchronized anything should be canned |
Definitely
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andydp
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Posted: 08/26/04 - 08:16 Post subject:
| Cappy wrote: | | robp wrote: | | Synchronized anything should be canned |
Definitely |
I'd add the Rhythimic Gymnastics - the one with the people in blue Spandex body suits flinging ribbons around.
Olympics used to be more "track and field" oriented in the days gone by. Like all things, it changes with the times. Would any of us be interested in the "club portion" of the overall gymnastics competition ?
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gretriever
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Posted: 08/26/04 - 08:20 Post subject:
With the Olympic gymnastic "gala", I saw the next line of categories:
Rings, uneven, everything else will have both the regular performances, and those set to music.
And they will push for sychronized gymanstics - like two working the same time on two separate balance beams, for example.
God save us if this happens. I have never understood, for the life of me, why the networks make such a big deal of gymnastics to begin with.
(and yet bowling is not a sport)
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suburbman
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Posted: 08/26/04 - 08:20 Post subject:
The doping incidents really spoil it. "So and so wins the gold medal, then so and so is stripped of the medal." Come on.
I think some of the team sports such as baseball, basketball, soccer etc.. could be eliminated as well. I mean, we have plenty of opportunity to watch those sports any time of the year so lets make room for the more traditional sports that we don't get to watch very often. Just my opinion.
| Quote: | God save us if this happens. I have never understood, for the life of me, why the networks make such a big deal of gymnastics to begin with.
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Here here. Gymnastics being shown every night at prime time for about 4 nights in a row. That or swimming. With the hundreds of events to choose from, you think they would try and broadcast a little variety.
Last edited by suburbman on 08/26/04 - 08:22; edited 1 time in total
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copteacher
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Posted: 08/26/04 - 08:21 Post subject:
what about trampoline ?
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robp
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Posted: 08/26/04 - 08:25 Post subject:
| andydp wrote: | | Cappy wrote: | | robp wrote: | | Synchronized anything should be canned |
Definitely |
I'd add the Rhythimic Gymnastics - the one with the people in blue Spandex body suits flinging ribbons around.
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I remember the first time I saw the rhythmic gymnastics.... I concluded there were a bunch of IOC officials sitting around a table somewhere, getting high and feasting on hoho's and dorito's, inventing "sports" and wondering if they could get people to watch them on tv....
Official 1: "dude! like maybe we can get some hot babes in blue spandex to just dance on the mats for us!"
Official 2: "yeah but dude, what are we gonna call it? we gotta give it a name so that it sounds like a sport... man, pass them brownies over here..."
Official 1: "we could like, call it rhythmic pelvic thrusting or something cool like that!"
Official 2: "no man, if we call it gymnastics everyone will buy into it.... rhythmic gymnastics... that's it!
Official 1: "dude... you are my hero!"
Official 2: "let's head over to the strip joint to see if we can round up some competitors...."
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Cappy
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Posted: 08/26/04 - 08:26 Post subject:
I actually would like some of the team sports revert back to using amateurs, ie Basketball, and Ice Hockey. I would be more likely to cheer for the US teams if a bunch of college players were playing, and not these prima donna professional players.
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robp
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Posted: 08/26/04 - 08:27 Post subject:
| Cappy wrote: | | I actually would like some of the team sports revert back to using amateurs, ie Basketball, and Ice Hockey. I would be more likely to cheer for the US teams if a bunch of college players were playing, and not these prima donna professional players. |
I agree 100% here.
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gretriever
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Posted: 08/26/04 - 08:41 Post subject:
| andydp wrote: | I'd add the Rhythimic Gymnastics - the one with the people in blue Spandex body suits flinging ribbons around.
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We were at the mall this past weekend, and a local gymnasts club was performing ryhthmic stuff. One question - how did someone determine that this was a sport?
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robp
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Posted: 08/26/04 - 08:49 Post subject:
| gretriever wrote: | | andydp wrote: | I'd add the Rhythimic Gymnastics - the one with the people in blue Spandex body suits flinging ribbons around.
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We were at the mall this past weekend, and a local gymnasts club was performing ryhthmic stuff. One question - how did someone determine that this was a sport? |
See above post about olympic officials....
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sonnylax
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Posted: 08/26/04 - 08:50 Post subject:
| Cappy wrote: | | I actually would like some of the team sports revert back to using amateurs, ie Basketball, and Ice Hockey. I would be more likely to cheer for the US teams if a bunch of college players were playing, and not these prima donna professional players. |
The problem with that is that the IOC lets individual sports determine who is eligible for the Olympics in their respective sports. The individual international sports organizations (FIBA for basketball, FIFA for soccer, etc.) for the most part have allowed professionals to compete because they want the Olympics to be viewed as the best (highest level) sporting event in the world. The cat is out of the bag now... Although I share your opinion, I doubt it will ever return to the old ways (only true amateur athletes in all OLY sports).
As much as I love Tim Duncan, I hope the USA basketball team (Dream Team 234234) loses every freaking game over there.
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