Olympics

[paco]

I've always been a big fan of the Olympics, especially the summer. When I was 12 or 13, it became a dream (lets call it a fantasy, cuz, let's be realistic here), to compete in the Olympics.

So here's a thread to talk about the games and what happens. Hope to hell they actually happen. Opening ceremony is supposed to be Friday. But it's been a cluster-F so far and it isn't all Covid related.

A few athletes and events I'm following (strangely I know more of the women this year than the men)...
Women's 100m and 200m - Jenna Prandini and Gabby Thomas
Women's 400 - Allyson Felix
Women's 800 - Athing Mu and Ajee' Wilson
Women's shot put - Jessica Ramsey and Raven Saunders
Women's 200M backstroke - Phoebe Bacon (Wisconsin connection)
Women's Discus - Kelsey Card (Wisconsin connection)
Men's Decathlon - Zack Ziemek (Wisconsin connection)

[paco]

Call me out or whatever. But I hate it when the Olympics are on the other side of the globe. Can't watch anything live. Results are always spoiled. And the coverage sucks.

I hate watching sports when I already know the result.

[Packfntk]

Watching almost no olympics for the first time, for several reasons.

[APB]

Same. Haven't watched any of it and only casually following some of it. What I have followed, the US seems to be dramatically underperforming. The US basketball and women's gymnastics both faltered early as did some big name swimming stars. And those failures have just fed into the indifferent feel I have for these games.

Read an article by Jason Whitlock this morning that calls out Lebron for the current state of the US men's basketball among other things. About as harsh a criticism as I've read about him. It ties to the Olympics so seems as good a place as any to link it.

[paco]

Same. Haven't watched any of it and only casually following some of it. What I have followed, the US seems to be dramatically underperforming. The US basketball and women's gymnastics both faltered early as did some big name swimming stars. And those failures have just fed into the indifferent feel I have for these games.

Read an article by Jason Whitlock this morning that calls out Lebron for the current state of the US men's basketball among other things. About as harsh a criticism as I've read about him. It ties to the Olympics so seems as good a place as any to link it.

US Olympic basketball. A team full of elite players who are all tired from the season and don't really care about playing but want a vacation and recognition. Versus other world teams with maybe 1 or 2 lesser known NBA players who's sole purpose is to stick it to the US team and elite players.

It's just about the only Olympic sport I don't care if the US loses. We go about it all wrong and we deserve to look like idiots.

I'll probably casually watch the rest when I can, except I really want to catch the track & field stuff. But I know I'll get frustrated with that too.

[NCF]

Same. Haven't watched any of it and only casually following some of it. What I have followed, the US seems to be dramatically underperforming. The US basketball and women's gymnastics both faltered early as did some big name swimming stars. And those failures have just fed into the indifferent feel I have for these games.

Read an article by Jason Whitlock this morning that calls out Lebron for the current state of the US men's basketball among other things. About as harsh a criticism as I've read about him. It ties to the Olympics so seems as good a place as any to link it.

US Olympic basketball. A team full of elite players who are all tired from the season and don't really care about playing but want a vacation and recognition. Versus other world teams with maybe 1 or 2 lesser known NBA players who's sole purpose is to stick it to the US team and elite players.

It's just about the only Olympic sport I don't care if the US loses. We go about it all wrong and we deserve to look like idiots.

I'll probably casually watch the rest when I can, except I really want to catch the track & field stuff. But I know I'll get frustrated with that too.

It's kind of a self-inflicted wound with the state of USA Basketball. The NBA really pushed hard to become a more global product and attract the world's best. So, when they go out now and are losing to team's with Rudy Gobert on the other side or Luka's killing it for his team... Giannis, of course, could represent Greece, if so inclined... to me, there is no shame in that. The NBA product has become international so we should not really be surprised that our team of native-borns are going to start losing to some of these other guys.

[paco]

Same. Haven't watched any of it and only casually following some of it. What I have followed, the US seems to be dramatically underperforming. The US basketball and women's gymnastics both faltered early as did some big name swimming stars. And those failures have just fed into the indifferent feel I have for these games.

Read an article by Jason Whitlock this morning that calls out Lebron for the current state of the US men's basketball among other things. About as harsh a criticism as I've read about him. It ties to the Olympics so seems as good a place as any to link it.

US Olympic basketball. A team full of elite players who are all tired from the season and don't really care about playing but want a vacation and recognition. Versus other world teams with maybe 1 or 2 lesser known NBA players who's sole purpose is to stick it to the US team and elite players.

It's just about the only Olympic sport I don't care if the US loses. We go about it all wrong and we deserve to look like idiots.

I'll probably casually watch the rest when I can, except I really want to catch the track & field stuff. But I know I'll get frustrated with that too.

It's kind of a self-inflicted wound with the state of USA Basketball. The NBA really pushed hard to become a more global product and attract the world's best. So, when they go out now and are losing to team's with Rudy Gobert on the other side or Luka's killing it for his team... Giannis, of course, could represent Greece, if so inclined... to me, there is no shame in that. The NBA product has become international so we should not really be surprised that our team of native-borns are going to start losing to some of these other guys.

I agree, no shame in players playing for their country. I think the USA team still takes it all too lightly and expects to be dream teams every year. Either the pro players have to step up and take it seriously, or go back to college. Because this isn't working. Times have changed, but we haven't.

[Yoop]

I liked the Olympics more when it was limited to amateur athletes, what bothers me is that the IOC refuses to hold country's accountable for cheating, specially Russia for all the doping they've done for decades, shouldn't have even been allowed to compete in these games, they laugh at the IOC and the IOC is to chicken &%$@ to do anything, yet they will destroy all the hard work of a athlete for smoking some pot, thats pretty screwed up.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/russia-con ... 53861.html

[NCF]

I liked the Olympics more when it was limited to amateur athletes, what bothers me is that the IOC refuses to hold country's accountable for cheating, specially Russia for all the doping they've done for decades, shouldn't have even been allowed to compete in these games, they laugh at the IOC and the IOC is to chicken &%$@ to do anything, yet they will destroy all the hard work of a athlete for smoking some pot, thats pretty screwed up.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/russia-con ... 53861.html

Can't stop the steroid-filled Russians.

[Raptorman]

The Olympics are on? Oh well. I missed the Tour De France this year as well. Notice how important that sport is today?

[Drj820]

Not into the olympics this year. It has been on at work and when I look up I usually see China kicking our butt, or kicking someone elses butt. Seems like an accurate snapshot of how things are going. Good luck to the competitors, but I dont really care about it.

[wallyuwl]

Watching almost no olympics for the first time, for several reasons.

Ditto. Except it isn't that I am watching almost no Olympics, I haven't watched even one second and don't plan to.

[salmar80]

I'd love to watch more but the time difference isn't kind.

I enjoy watching the world's best compete. No matter if my country of 5.5M can only wish for very limited success against the best of the 7713 million other humans.

I enjoy trying to figure sports out. Like fencing, the way it's today vs the one hit and usually done duels of old. Sailing, how they mitigate chance that comes winds humans can't control with several starts and the best overall winning. Skateboarding... On Helsinki streets, all skaters seem to fail 99% of the tricks they try. In the Olympics, they really know their stuff. Taekwondo, it has changed from a back-foot oriented thing to something more careful and precise

[Yoop]

I've been recording the Olympics some mornings so I can watch later in the day, course some of the results are on the news so I find out the results ahead of viewing the actual event, but I don't care, I don't mind knowing who won or lost, just love watching the worlds best athletes compete.

and as usual we are dominating with total medals, but trail China in total Gold, doubt there are enough events left to over come them, maybe

[paco]

I've been recording the Olympics some mornings so I can watch later in the day, course some of the results are on the news so I find out the results ahead of viewing the actual event, but I don't care, I don't mind knowing who won or lost, just love watching the worlds best athletes compete.

and as usual we are dominating with total medals, but trail China in total Gold, doubt there are enough events left to over come them, maybe

I wish I was like that. Knowing the results kills sports for me. I've killed all recordings of the Olympics. No point, coverage sucks anyway. Will try again in 4 years.

[Pugger]

The Olympics are on? Oh well. I missed the Tour De France this year as well. Notice how important that sport is today?

If Lebron James ruined USA basketball Lance Armstrong ruined the Tour De France.

[Raptorman]

The Olympics are on? Oh well. I missed the Tour De France this year as well. Notice how important that sport is today?

If Lebron James ruined USA basketball Lance Armstrong ruined the Tour De France.

Lance didn't. Doping did. Most people don't know that after stripping Lance of his victories they didn't name a winner for any of those years. Because everyone who came in the top ten in those races during that time period was eventually charged with doping. So for 6 years, there is no winner.