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London Olympics

#1

Silent Bob

Silent Bob

Aww yeah, Team USA women's soccer.

Aww yeah!

Also:

http://abcnews.go.com/International...efenders-flock/story?id=16856393#.UBB7aaNyuYQ

Good. Glad she's gone. Gosh, it's like people think they can just throw up complete garbage in Twitter and Facebook without being held accountable for their words.


#2

Sparhawk

Sparhawk

Yep, got to watch the first matches today! More tomorrow! Open Ceremonies on Friday!! I love the Olympics, so much sport in just a few days. Gotta love Tivo during these events.


#3

Bubble181

Bubble181

"With so many Africans in Greece, at least the mosquitoes of West Nile will eat homemade food!"

Could someone explain to me how that's racist? It may be in bad taste, but I don't actually see a racist quality in it. There's a large influx of Africans in Greece lately; there's also concern because West Nile mosquitos (which carry more dangerous diseases than European ones) have been appearing all over Europe lately. Both originate in Africa. Saying the one biting the other is "homemade food" isn't racist; it's a commentary on immigration policies. It's not talking about people who immigrated before (I can see how calling 2nd or 3rd generation immigrants still "African" would be racist), it's not saying they're to blame for it, it's not saying....well, anything negative about African immigrants.

Granted, she's a known right-winger; it's the kind of joke you might not want to make if you're representing your country in the Olympics. But...as far as I can tell...It's not technically racist. Or even all that insulting. It can be seen as (and was meant as) a commentary saying there are too many African immigrants in Greece...which may or may not be the case, but is still a valid political opinion.


#4

Cheesy1

Cheesy1

Wow London Olympic Committee, way to fuck up royally!:

North Korea's women's soccer players introduced with SOUTH Korea's flag next to their names instead

Yes, let's unnecessarily escalate tensions between these two mortal enemies even more than they already are!


#5

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

When will people quit getting fired for BS posted on Social Media that has nothing to do with their job?


#6

Ravenpoe

Ravenpoe

sixpackshaker said:
When will people quit getting fired for BS posted on Social Media that has nothing to do with their job?
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When their job isn't to represent their country on a global stage.


#7

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

Ravenpoe said:
When their job isn't to represent their country on a global stage.
Click to expand...
It happens to everyday schlubs.


#8

Ravenpoe

Ravenpoe

sixpackshaker said:
It happens to everyday schlubs.
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Which isn't a factor in this story, as it's not about an everyday schlub.


#9

Bubble181

Bubble181

Ravenpoe said:
Which isn't a factor in this story, as it's not about an everyday schlub.
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But he wasn't talking about this story specifically, he was making a general observation concerning a trend, loosely related to this topic.


#10

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

So? she trains her whole life to jump far for her nation, then writes one stupid thing... And it was not anything inflammatory. just stupid.[DOUBLEPOST=1343267188][/DOUBLEPOST]that was not to bubble


#11

GasBandit

GasBandit

I haven't cared about the Olympics since 1992. The entire affair nauseates me with its hypocrisy, corruption and superciliousness. And the last ones in China definitely didn't help.


#12

SpecialKO

SpecialKO

The point is that on some level, you represent your employer (or in this case, nation), regardless of whether you're saying it as that representative or not.

To what extent your employer is cool with what you say is solely between your employer and you (which is why I keep my stupid shit to 1) a minimum and 2) in places that are specifically not linked to anything containing my real name).

Now in this case? Seems a bit harsh, honestly. It was definitely inappropriate considering her status, but I wouldn't be surprised about other athletes saying stupider (or full-blown racist) shit at one point or another.


#13

DarkAudit

DarkAudit

GasBandit said:
I haven't cared about the Olympics since 1992. The entire affair nauseates me with its hypocrisy, corruption and superciliousness. And the last ones in China definitely didn't help.
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Here's one for ya... Egypt outfits it's Olympic team in Chinese knockoff Nike gear.


#14

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

I love how the General dismissed the issue, it all comes from China and it all has the same trademark.


#15

TommiR

TommiR

Hi Spain. How's it going? Doing fine? So how does it feel to lose to Japan in fucking soccer?


#16

Ravenpoe

Ravenpoe

TommiR said:
Hi Spain. How's it going? Doing fine? So how does it feel to lose to Japan in fucking soccer?
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Ouch...

Were the Japanese players at least robots?


#17

Bubble181

Bubble181

Ravenpoe said:
Ouch...

Were the Japanese players at least robots?
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Probably.


#18

evilmike

evilmike

Ravenpoe said:
Ouch...

Were the Japanese players at least robots?
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I think that would make the loss more embarrassing, not less


#19

checkeredhat

checkeredhat

Don't care about the Summer Olympics at all. Except that this year I'm rooting for Mary Spencer in the Women's Boxing events.
But other than that


#20

Wahad

Wahad

I don't give much for the whole ruckus and politics involved with the Olympics, but I like watching the events simply because the best respective athletes from all over the world are competing against eachother. I usually watch the swimming, track running, fencing and tennis events, even though I don't particularly keep up with the first three sports outside of the Olympics.


#21

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

I heard that during the opening ceremonies one of the music tracks that will be played is God Save the Queen.

Mind you, it won't be the hymn that we are all familiar with, but version recorded by the Sex Pistols. That made England sound like a Fascist Dystopia. The queen should be there too. I hope they catch her on camera when the insults start.


#22

Bubble181

Bubble181

sixpackshaker said:
I heard that during the opening ceremonies one of the music tracks that will be played is God Save the Queen.

Mind you, it won't be the hymn that we are all familiar with, but version recorded by the Sex Pistols. That made England sound like a Fascist Dystopia. The queen should be there too. I hope they catch her on camera when the insults start.
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Considering they've played it for her live, in her own garden, I think she's used to it by now :-P


#23

Dei

Dei

Blind archer posts first world record of London Olympics


Awesome.


#24

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

I wonder if the venue was blocked to the public for security concerns. Being the first round and all...


#25

strawman

strawman

GasBandit said:
I haven't cared about the Olympics since 1992. The entire affair nauseates me with its hypocrisy, corruption and superciliousness. And the last ones in China definitely didn't help.
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When you look past all that, it can still be enjoyable to observe the raw human power and ability of the athletes.

Yes, it can sometimes feel like digging through a whole bag of pebbles for the one m&m you know is in there, but it's not the m&m's fault, and it'll still be tasty if you can ignore the pebbles.

The way people can vault themselves around in gymnastics, move through the water like fish, and even sprint around a track on bicycles is simply amazing in its own way.


#26

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

1984 was the last Olympics that I remember turning on the set and seeing actual sports coverage at any time of the day. Now it is all "Up Close And Personal, with Jim McKay." Well not with him any longer.


#27

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

It was the Winter Olympics in 1984 that got the personal stories with more and more coverage.


#28

Frank

Frank

Best part of the Olympics this year? Someone at NBC thought it was a good idea to interview the Iron Sheik because he was a trainer for the Olympic wrestling team in 1972 (before he went fucking insane).

http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-blo...-team-usa-wrestling-london-olympics-2012.html


#29

strawman

strawman

They've figured out that Olympic fans will watch them regardless, and their focus groups show that if they add the personal story in between heats they can attract a whole group of people that like that.

But, you know, this and commercials are why the DVR exists.


#30

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

"iron sheik" is that some form of long lasting condom?


#31

Frank

Frank

from the interview said:
How do you feel about the "Flying Squirrel" nickname Ellis Coleman gave himself?
Flying squirrel remind me of Ultimate Warrior because he a little rat when he jump in ring like that idiot Jose Canseco or Mel Gibson. I would never respect the squirrel because the squirrel have no [expletive].
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Amazing.


#32

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

I think that it is brilliant that he has been in character since 1979.


#33

DarkAudit

DarkAudit

If you want actual athletic competition with your human drama, you'd be better off with the NBC Live Extra app or watching any NBC Universal channel but your local NBC station. The broadcasts on the main NBC network, especially the primetime, will be heavy on the Up Close and Personal.

IIRC, theweb site for the 2008 games offered raw video of competition with just the ambient arena sound, no commentary whatsoever. Once the actual games start I will give the app on my iPad a check to see if they're doing that again this year.


#34

blotsfan

blotsfan

I'm looking forward to the basketball. A lot of countries look like they'll be able to challenge the US this year.


#35

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

That's the whole reason that there is a Dream Team in the first place.


#36

strawman

strawman

They should staff the basketball dream team with people eligible for the dream act. Because why not?


#37

Covar

Covar

Gared said:
I'm just hoping against hope that this time around the broadcasters focus some little bit of their attention on covering the actual events instead of all of the human interest garbage that they've been devoting all of their coverage to for the past decade or so. Is it amazing that this athlete came from a broken home and had to teach himself to read at the age of 15 using discarded condom wrappers and pill bottle labels because his single mother was too drunk and high all the time to ever see that he made it to school regularly, and that the only reason he made it to the Olympics is because he was running from a street gang that wanted to string him up because his now-prostitute mother was working their turf when a running coach happened to drive by and see how good a runner the kid was?

Sure it is. I guess. But damnit, I want to watch the biggest sporting event in the world (this year) and that means I'd like to actually see at least one of the events.
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I read that in Bob Costas's voice and it was incredibly compelling.


#38

Dave

Dave

Just watched the opening ceremony and it was excruciating. It might have been okay if the announcers would have shut the fuck up and they would have run it without the annoying commercial breaks.


#39

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

Yes I came here with the same complaint. I was nearly ready to commit an act of violence against Matt and Viera.


#40

DarkAudit

DarkAudit

They haven't even gotten to the Cs in the Parade of Nations (on the NBC feed... everyone else was done hours ago). Screw it, I'm going to bed and letting TiVo take it from here.


#41

strawman

strawman

The best part of the opening ceremonies for me was Rowan atkinsons bit playing the single note during chariots of fire.

I do agree that the commentators are commenting wayyyyyy too much.


#42

Sparhawk

Sparhawk

"Here is (insert drummers name here) that has been deaf since 11 years old playing for the world... blah, blah, blah ,blah..." can't hear the drums because you two idjits won't shut the hell up!


#43

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

Man Meredith Viera has a dirty mouth!

I never thought I'd hear "Money Shot" and the Queen in the same sentence.


#44

jwhouk

jwhouk

I don't care what anyone says - Sir Paul rules.

Uh, what happened to the Emile performance of "Abide With Me"?


#45

Bubble181

Bubble181

Eurosport > ESPN. Eurosport 2 > Eurosport.
NOS 3 > Eurosport. Gotta love those crazy Dutchies who manage to air these thigns with succint, to the point commentary every other couple of minutes :p


#46

DarkAudit

DarkAudit

Annd... confirmed. The NBC Live Extra app just gives you the video feed of the events with ambient sound, sans inane commentary. :)


#47

jwhouk

jwhouk

I noticed that. Might make watching some sports palatable.


#48

Sparhawk

Sparhawk

Just found a digital channel that I didn't have last week that is re-showing the Opening Ceremonies without any commentary. Recording it so that I can actually hear those drums.


#49

Dave

Dave

Fuck you, NBC. Thanks for making the Olympics nearly unwatchable in the United States.

Let's start with the horrible coverage of the Opening Ceremonies. I get it. The viewing public in the United States are unwashed, uneducated morons who don't know anything about anything. That's why you needed the constant yammering of idiots to tell us exactly what was going on at all times instead of just letting us watch and enjoy the spectacle. You turned something that could have been culturally relevant and worthwhile into something boring and more like an episode of morning TV - which none of us wanted.

Now let's move to the actual sporting events that are on television. Okay, we get it - Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte have a rivalry. But the coverage isn't all about them. There are 10,500 Olympic athletes (give or take) and we'd like to see more than just them. Oh, I understand we can see other things if we switch to Bravo or (MS)NBC or other channels, but you don't bother showing the whole matches, only snippets before you break away for your next "human interest" biopic. Fuck that.
So I went online and to my wife's iPad (I don't have one and am insanely jealous) and downloaded the app. Here, I thought, I'd be able to watch the events that aren't mainstream and shoved down my throat. Wrong. Each time you try and watch something they throw in an advertisement anywhere from 15-30 seconds. I can't tell you how many times they said something was live and after suffering through the same fucking ad the video showed an error and told me to pick something else...which meant watching the same stupid ads AGAIN!!

So fuck you, NBC. I wanted to watch the Olympics and I guess I can if I like swimming, gymnastics or the Dream Team. Oh, you wanted to watch Badminton? Better DVR that shit because we're only showing it at 5 am and on a channel in the mid-thousands. It's like the Where's Waldo of sporting events.

Fuck you, fuck you millions of ads, fuck the incessant rambling of announcers who tell us things that mean nothing and add nothing, fuck your not letting US choose what we want to watch and when. You think we're dumb? You think we don't KNOW the technology is already in place to allow us to watch anything and everything we want? But no, instead of giving us what we want you force-feed us what you think we'll watch the most and slather it with ads and stupidity.

tl;dr:

Fuck you, NBC.


#50

Covar

Covar

Dave said:
Where's Waldo
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Out on the pitch playing women's soccer for Team USA.


#51

checkeredhat

checkeredhat

Haven't seen any of CTV/ TSN's coverage, but apparently Jay Onrait will be reporting, so Canada's coverage wins.


#52



BErt

You'd think that with as much as they were pimping the Phelps/Lochte rivalry, that at least I'd be able to watch THAT live without having to go to the iPad app...

Their coverage isn't just selective, it's confusingly so.


#53

Sparhawk

Sparhawk

They want the big matchups for the evening coverage, so you can know the result, but have to wait to see the action.


#54

Dave

Dave

Don't need to watch it. I got a CNN news alert that gave me the result already. Not that I wanted it or anything.


#55

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

That's the main thing I can't stand with internet news reporting victories/stories as soon as it happens. It totally ruins the enjoyment of the broadcasts for me.


#56

DarkAudit

DarkAudit

Dave said:
Don't need to watch it. I got a CNN news alert that gave me the result already. Not that I wanted it or anything.
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Got text alerts from both CNN and ESPN. Then NBC News themselves posted it to their twitter feed. Sigh.


#57

Gared

Gared

You know, one of these days some company is going to offer live streaming sports coverage for less than $80 a month for any event you want to watch, and they're going to make a killing. And that will be the day that I officially cancel my cable TV subscription, since that's all I use my cable for. Unfortunately, right now you have to pay $60 - $80 just for MLB streaming, and god help you if you want to watch anything else legally.


#58

Bubble181

Bubble181

sixpackshaker said:
That's the main thing I can't stand with internet news reporting victories/stories as soon as it happens. It totally ruins the enjoyment of the broadcasts for me.
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Sooo... People aren't allowed to spoil the end of a race, anywhere on the internet, until the USA tv shows can be assed to show it? It's not the 'nets fault your TV channels are shitty and feel the need to broadcast things hours afterwards.


#59

Ravenpoe

Ravenpoe

Bubble181 said:
Sooo... People aren't allowed to spoil the end of a race, anywhere on the internet, until the USA tv shows can be assed to show it? It's not the 'nets fault your TV channels are shitty and feel the need to broadcast things hours afterwards.
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The main complaint, here, is that the television networks that aren't showing the events until later are the ones that are spoiling the outcomes.


#60

HCGLNS

HCGLNS

Dear parents, some day your child may become a fantastic and gifted athlete and inspire millions of children across the world with their abilities, so don't name your kid Destinee Hooker. :facepalm:


#61

Bubble181

Bubble181

HCGLNS said:
Dear parents, some day your child may become a fantastic and gifted athlete and inspire millions of children across the world with their abilities, so don't name your kid Destinee Hooker. :facepalm:
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Still beats Kim Yuu Suk :p


#62

HCGLNS

HCGLNS

At least they're not team mates.


#63

DarkAudit

DarkAudit

Ravenpoe said:
The main complaint, here, is that the television networks that aren't showing the events until later are the ones that are spoiling the outcomes.
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They're not spoiling jack. The event was run and it's now over. Every other country in the world broadcasted it live (safe to assume). It's not their fault NBC isn't one of them. ESPN and CNN have an international audience. It's on you to avoid getting "spoiled", not them.

Besides, there's an entire section of America that can get the live feed if they're close enough to the border to receive Canadian broadcast TV.


#64

strawman

strawman

DarkAudit said:
Besides, there's an entire section of America that can get the live feed if they're close enough to the border to receive Canadian broadcast TV.
Click to expand...
:eek:


/Starts building a better antenna.


#65

Sparhawk

Sparhawk

Considering that they are trying (NBC here in the states) to keep the audience in "suspense" because they are showing the matchup during their evening recap show, yes they are spoiling it when their own sports and news service send out messages that give the result away. That's the bitch that I'm getting from everyone, NBC sucks.

I personally think that they should go to more of a SportsCenter type show and really just do highlights. Show the stuff live here in the States, let us record it with the dvr and watch all we want to watch of our preferred sports. Show the human interest crap on there too.

My other gripe is the after event interview, crap it's bad. "So Micheal Phelps, how does it feel to not win a medal in an event for the first time?" AHHHHHHHH! :aaah:


#66

DarkAudit

DarkAudit

When NBC themselves are posting the results online in real time, no one has any standing to bitch about their competitors. If you don't want to know what happened when NBC is bogarting the footage, it's on you to avoid the news, not on them to keep quiet.


#67

Sparhawk

Sparhawk

I'm not avoiding the news. I'm pointing out how stupid the coverage is for NBC to keep something off the air (to boost that evening ratings number and be able to charge more for advertising) and then turn around and give all the information that you want on their various websites and apps. That's shooting yourself in the foot, it's counter to the strategy to make the evening recap into an event itself.

I'm using an Olympic app that has everything in real time and then go and find the coverage I want from my Tivo after I get home from work.


#68

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

Bubble181 said:
Sooo... People aren't allowed to spoil the end of a race, anywhere on the internet, until the USA tv shows can be assed to show it? It's not the 'nets fault your TV channels are shitty and feel the need to broadcast things hours afterwards.
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When those news sources are based in the USA, it is a dickish move.


#69

DarkAudit

DarkAudit

The dickish move is embargoing the coverage until six hours later when 7/8 of the world already saw it live. You don't want to know? There's a rock with the NBC peacock on it and a TV underneath it.


#70

jwhouk

jwhouk

My problem right now is trying to find events I want to watch.

And for crying out loud, a six hour difference between here and the UK is nothing. Just look at what people on the West Coast have to deal with when there's something going on in the Atlantic states.


#71

jwhouk

jwhouk

Dumb question of the day: am I the only one who's having shop.london2012.com redirect to www.teamusashop.com?


#72

HCGLNS

HCGLNS

WTF?!

France just made America and specifically Ryan Lochte their bitch in the 4x100m relay.


#73

Sparhawk

Sparhawk

Nope, not the only one.


#74

Covar

Covar

HCGLNS said:
WTF?!

France just made America and specifically Ryan Lochte their bitch in the 4x100m relay.
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France lost by 27pts in Men's Basketball today. They've earned one.


#75

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

HCGLNS said:
WTF?!

France just made America and specifically Ryan Lochte their bitch in the 4x100m relay.
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Spoilers?


#76

jwhouk

jwhouk

Yeah, I'd say the USA swim team is spoiled.


#77

GasBandit

GasBandit



#78

Bubble181

Bubble181

Lochte swam about the speed of a one-armed grandmother* so that was deserved on the French part. Too bad about the Australians being a total let down.

Gared: obviously it's stupid and dickish. Sixpackshaker worded it in a way that made it look as if the rest should adapt because it's dickish to spoil the outcome before he gets to see it; which is bass ackwards. NBC being dimwitted slugs for not showing the fights in real time** is a given.

Anyway, gymnastics are disappointing so far. Lots and lots of errors, especially in the men.


*no, not literally.
**or delayed relay but sensible


#79

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

Excuse me for not being unemployed.

I'll only have 3 hours or less a day to watch 10 hours of coverage. With the nature of my work I can check headlines several times a day. The vast majority of Americans can only catch the prime time recaps. So if I check yahoo! front page and have the big sports news spoiled 4 hours before I have a chance to watch, it comes across as a dick-move.


#80

jwhouk

jwhouk

Or, there's the types like me who are basically getting home from work when it's noontime in the UK. I can catch some of the early events (prelims), but can't catch the end of them. I like being able to either check out twitter or go on to NBC Olympics and see the end of a match.

By the way - I LOVE how they've done the Dressage course for Equestrian sport.


#81

Dei

Dei

I think this sums it up pretty well.... (potential spoiler)


#82

jwhouk

jwhouk

Dei said:
this sums it up pretty well.... (potential spoiler)
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Linky was brokey.


#83

strawman

strawman

jwhouk said:
Linky was brokey.
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It works for me, but essentially what happened was that they were just about to play the delayed swim with the one US girl, with the announcer saying something to the effect of, "and join us after these commercials to see if US girl medals in this event"

Then the commercials come on, and one of the commercials is for an interview the next morning with the gold winning US girl swimmer.

So, essentially, the commercial gave away the result of the swim that was supposed to be seen after the commercials.


#84

jwhouk

jwhouk

I was reading it on my iPod Touch at the time.


#85

Frank

Frank

So, how bout that badminton?


#86

Bubble181

Bubble181

How 'bout that kayak slalom? The Belgian totally didn't touch any of the gates, and those 2 seconds of penalty cost him a place in the finals! (not that he could ever have gotten close to a medal, mind you.)

And man, the Belgians are having crappy luck in the draw. Across various sports (women's hockey, men's hockey, women's football, badminton, tennis, judo...) we've had to come out against either Olympic or World champions in the first round. Honestly, we've lost in the first or second round against the final winner in at least 4 competitions. Yes, that's the nature of the game, and no, most of those were far from medal candidates (we've only got like 5 or 6 potential medallists anyway) - it's just sad to see a lot of our talent not make it to second rounds/quarter finals/half finals (depending on the sport) due to unlucky draws - and it's really all over the place for the Belgians this time. I don't think there's a single sport where we have a "lucky" draw. Makes for a few nice "stunts" of our underdogs making it through, of course.

That aside, so far, I'm enjoying the Olympics.


#87

Sparhawk

Sparhawk

Frank said:
So, how bout that badminton?
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Really interesting to see the teams disqualified, some heavy medal contenders there.


#88

Charlie Don't Surf

Charlie Don't Surf

Handball rules.


#89

LordRendar

LordRendar

Charlie Don't Surf said:
Handball rules.
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yes


#90

jwhouk

jwhouk

There has been discussion as to why the US doesn't have a world-class handball team. It basically comes down to this sport that some guy in Massachusetts invented back in the late 1800's, involving a couple of peach baskets and an old soccer ball.


#91

ThatNickGuy

ThatNickGuy

http://1045theteam.com/american-tv-neglected-the-saddest-story-in-the-olympics/

This is completely heartbreaking, and absolutely unjust.


#92

Frank

Frank

I know Sportsnet was showing her a bunch in the nightly highlights.


#93

Bubble181

Bubble181

ThatNickGuy said:
http://1045theteam.com/american-tv-neglected-the-saddest-story-in-the-olympics/

This is completely heartbreaking, and absolutely unjust.
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Man, fencing is a crappy sport to be an Olympic participant in. Was it 4 or 8 years ago that a similar story unfolded? I don't remember exactly, but then as well a fencer had to sit in wait for over an hour and got a "special" medal for his trouble.


#94

Tress

Tress

At least boxing has the balls to reverse decisions when it's shown they screwed up. Of course it would be nice if boxing wasn't screwing up all the time, but still. It's better than ripping someone off and then insulting condescending placating a valid criticism offering a "participation" medal.


#95

jwhouk

jwhouk

A 15 year old kid was doing the timing? There is not a facepalm on these internets big enough for that.

Glad she won a silver in team epee. I hope the IOC throws in a second one for her, for the one she was jobbed out of.


#96

SpecialKO

SpecialKO

Tress said:
At least boxing has the balls to reverse decisions when it's shown they screwed up.
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That's true, but while this thing was rank incompetence, boxing loves throwing in corruption as well.


#97

HCGLNS

HCGLNS

Murray wins gold in straight sets!


#98

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

Great Britain has not won a ton of medals, but man, they have won some impressive ones.


#99

Bubble181

Bubble181

sixpackshaker said:
Great Britain has not won a ton of medals
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Dude, they're number 3 overall, after the USA and China. That counts as "a boatload" for you imperials, or "a metric fuckton" for everybody else.


#100

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

Heh, I don't have a queen that is head of state for over 50 nations, imperials....


#101

@Li3n

@Li3n

Oh Fox News, you're so right, it's not real patriotism unless you're wearing a gaudy flag-suit: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/...triotic_n_1746519.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular


#102

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

@Li3n said:
Oh Fox News, you're so right, it's not real patriotism unless you're wearing a gaudy flag-suit: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/...triotic_n_1746519.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular
Click to expand...
Fox News Douche Bag said:
"We're a very nationalistic nation," Webb said of America. "But we've also lost over time that jingoistic feeling."
Click to expand...
JUMPING JESUS CHRIST ON A POGO-STICK! When was Jingoism a good thing?[DOUBLEPOST=1344362298][/DOUBLEPOST]http://health.yahoo.net/news/s/nm/kangaroo-condoms-get-a-hop-on-london-organisers

"Kangaroos condoms, for the gland downunder"

The Olympians partying down in the village will likely get put to a screeching halt if this type of coverage keeps up.


#103

Frank

Frank

You put thousands of the world's fittest people together, most of whom are still young and raging with hormones, and they expect that the Olympic village wouldn't be just one sticky wet spot on the blanket?


#104

GasBandit

GasBandit

Yeah, I've heard for a long time that the olympic village is pretty much host to a non-stop orgy/hookupfest.


#105

blotsfan

blotsfan

Frank said:
You put thousands of the world's fittest people together, most of whom are still young and raging with hormones, and they expect that the Olympic village wouldn't be just one sticky wet spot on the blanket?
Click to expand...
No thats fine. Using a non-sponsoring brand condom? Thats just terrible.


#106

Charlie Don't Surf

Charlie Don't Surf

Free love


#107

blotsfan

blotsfan

Brought to you by durex.


#108

Frank

Frank

Charlie Don't Surf said:
Free love
Click to expand...
And some nice transcontinental STI sharing.


#109

Ravenpoe

Ravenpoe

These are some of the fittest people in the world... They should broadcast that shit.

Who wouldn't want to watch Michael Phelps breaststroke his way through the Australian volleyball team?


#110

GasBandit

GasBandit

Frank said:
And some nice transcontinental STI sharing.
Click to expand...
I would think olympians would be fairly health-conscious, and like they say - condoms aren't scarce there.

The common man, however, is pretty boned.


#111

Frank

Frank

They seem to run out every year, that's always a problem.


#112

@Li3n

@Li3n

sixpackshaker said:
JUMPING JESUS CHRIST ON A POGO-STICK! When was Jingoism a good thing?
Click to expand...
Ahem:



You know, the good old days Fox wants back...


#113

SpecialKO

SpecialKO

We're a very nationalistic nation," Webb said of America. "But we've also lost over time that jingoistic feeling.
Click to expand...


Anyone else read the end of that like the Righteous Brothers song?

And Durex takes that shit seriously.



#114

GasBandit

GasBandit

@Li3n said:
Ahem:



You know, the good old days Fox wants back...
Click to expand...
If we had the kind of national motivation today that we did then, the last 11 years would have been a very different story. In the 1940s, America was in war mode at home and abroad - in a war we and our allies very well stood an excellent chance of losing. This middle east kerfluffle, by comparison, barely rates. Like the whiteboard said, "America is not at war, the US Marine Corps is at war. America is at the mall."

Unfortunately, these days the civilians holding the leash on the military are the same ones who protested it during Vietnam, and their contempt for the nation is only exceeded by their abhorrence of its military. The kid gloves aren't allowed to come off, and there's a "journalist" embedded with every unit so that CNN can gleefully broadcast the latest atrocities commited by 18 year olds with CFS exacerbated by the hampering and scrutiny.

"Slap a jap with war bonds" is nothing to apologize for in context. We were attacked - not by the nationless cowards we chase today, but by a nation, a government, a people unified. The freedoms my countrymen hold to sit in their aeron chairs and speak of their national shame comes from the unrepentantly motivated animus of their grandparents. And anyone who holds up that comic as something to be ashamed of, or apologize for, can lick the day-old sweat off my balls, because fuck them.


#115

SpecialKO

SpecialKO

GasBandit said:
their contempt for the nation is only exceeded by their abhorrence of its military.
Click to expand...
You realize that while that may have been true during Vietnam, it's really not true now, right?


#116

Charlie Don't Surf

Charlie Don't Surf

GasBandit said:
If we had the kind of national motivation today that we did then, the last 11 years would have been a very different story. In the 1940s, America was in war mode at home and abroad - in a war we and our allies very well stood an excellent chance of losing. This middle east kerfluffle, by comparison, barely rates. Like the whiteboard said, "America is not at war, the US Marine Corps is at war. America is at the mall."

Unfortunately, these days the civilians holding the leash on the military are the same ones who protested it during Vietnam, and their contempt for the nation is only exceeded by their abhorrence of its military. The kid gloves aren't allowed to come off, and there's a "journalist" embedded with every unit so that CNN can gleefully broadcast the latest atrocities commited by 18 year olds with CFS exacerbated by the hampering and scrutiny.

"Slap a jap with war bonds" is nothing to apologize for in context. We were attacked - not by the nationless cowards we chase today, but by a nation, a government, a people unified. The freedoms my countrymen hold to sit in their aeron chairs and speak of their national shame comes from the unrepentantly motivated animus of their grandparents. And anyone who holds up that comic as something to be ashamed of, or apologize for, can lick the day-old sweat off my balls, because fuck them.
Click to expand...
oh my god


#117

GasBandit

GasBandit

SpecialKO said:
You realize that while that may have been true during Vietnam, it's really not true now, right?
Click to expand...
I wasn't talking about the public, I was talking about the state department and other federal "career" positions these people find themselves in - heck, our current Secretary of State has legendary disdain for the armed services.

Charlie Don't Surf said:
oh my god
Click to expand...
STFU Charlie.


#118

Charlie Don't Surf

Charlie Don't Surf

i'm so glad your generation will be dead and looked back on in scorn in the future


#119

GasBandit

GasBandit

Charlie Don't Surf said:
i'm so glad your generation will be dead and looked back on in scorn in the future
Click to expand...
That's the fate of every generation, including yours. Although, people pretty much already scorn hippies even though they're not dead yet.


#120

Covar

Covar

GasBandit said:
That's the fate of every generation, including yours. Although, people pretty much already scorn hippies hipsters even though they're not dead yet.
Click to expand...
FTFY.


#121

mikerc

mikerc

GasBandit said:
"Slap a jap with war bonds" is nothing to apologize for in context. We were attacked - not by the nationless cowards we chase today, but by a nation, a government, a people unified. The freedoms my countrymen hold to sit in their aeron chairs and speak of their national shame comes from the unrepentantly motivated animus of their grandparents. And anyone who holds up that comic as something to be ashamed of, or apologize for, can lick the day-old sweat off my balls, because fuck them.
Click to expand...
Charlie Don't Surf said:
oh my god
Click to expand...
The context here Charlie is that America had to fight Japan. There is no way at that point in time that America & Japan could have hashed out a peace treaty. And if you have to fight someone you don't want to humanise them, to acknowledge the way they're just like you. You accentuate the differences, play up every way that they differ from you, turn them into a caricature. Because if you don't your soldiers might not fight as hard, the people back home might not give their full support, and you might lose the war.

And let's not forget this wasn't a war that America wanted, this was one that was forced upon them. At any other time that comic would be horrendous, in that time, under those circumstances it was almost a neccessity. That's an unfortunate truth to face, a horrible truth to acknowledge. Still the truth though.


#122

strawman

strawman

Charlie Don't Surf said:
i'm so glad your generation will be dead and looked back on in scorn in the future
Click to expand...
Why does it surprise me when I see you find great joy in the anticipated death of a group characterized by their age?


#123

Charlie Don't Surf

Charlie Don't Surf

stienman said:
Why does it surprise me when I see you find great joy in the anticipated death of a group characterized by their age?
Click to expand...
in retrospect, I probably should have worded that "looked back on in scorn in the future, when they're dead"


#124

strawman

strawman

Charlie Don't Surf said:
in retrospect, I probably should have worded that "looked back on in scorn in the future, when they're dead"
Click to expand...
I'm not sure that's any better. I can't think of any single generation who's collective misdeeds merited them scorn as a whole.

I could understand saying, "I look forward to the day when this generations beliefs regarding issue X is universally found to be a poor choice" but painting an entire generation with a broad brush for one majority held belief is extraordinarily shortsighted. What scorn will the generation that buries you heap upon you for the one or two misheld beliefs you currently possess but do not know are inherently bad? Do you feel you should be scorned fully for one thing you may believe in, when perhaps 90% of your other beliefs are shared the generation scorning you?

It just seems very inconsistent with your usual stance against painting any group with a broad brush, and instead trying to humanize individuals struggling through life. Aren't the people of the generation you scorn also human beings worth more than just the one fault you found in them? Is looking forward to the day when they are dead along with their morals and ideas really different than wishing them dead now?


#125

Vrii

Vrii

stienman said:
It just seems very inconsistent with your usual stance against painting any group with a broad brush
Click to expand...
Are you sure you're thinking about Charlie on this one?


#126

strawman

strawman

Wait, wait, wait - are you telling me I'm expected to think when I visit the forum?


#127

DarkAudit

DarkAudit

For the FFS bin...

Olympics Opening Ceremony a massive satanic ritual.

:facepalm:


#128

Bubble181

Bubble181

The last 4 Olympic games, every time, over 16 free condoms per athlete were given out in the Olympic villages, and there were shortages every time.
It's practically worth starting to compete in some silly sport like carbine shooting (har!*) or whatever, just to get a shot at those Olympic athletes. Of course, you'd probably end up with the female weight lifters or something....

As for that comic; plenty ofthose around. Times change, times' morals change. Sensitivities change. While it's OK to look back at another time period and go "what the hell were they thinking?", it's dishonest to look at them and say they were "bad people" (there were, of course, bad people in all time periods) for some commonly held belief. There's a difference between (for example) someone who thought a woman's place was at home, looking after the kids, in 1910, and someone thinking the same in 2010. To contrast further, consider that back in, say, 1800**, it was the good guys who thought black people could be "educated" and "rise" to the level of their white counterparts - the bad guys thought they were hopelessly inferior anyway and missionary work was effectively useless. These days, we'd consider both positions to be horribly backward***.

*I'm laughing because this would be a "funny" choice of sport for me as a generally anti-gun person. I'm not mocking the sport itself, which I'm sure asks a lot of the people participating.
**Not meaning this as a specific time period, and I may exagerate for effect.
***Some of us might not, but they're horribly backwards themselves.


#129

checkeredhat

checkeredhat

Apparently everyone cares about women's soccer now. Huh. Who knew.


#130

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

Oh, in Canada? Because the USA cares every 2 years or so... whenever there is a World Cup or Olympics to win.


#131

checkeredhat

checkeredhat

Everyone's upset over the officiating, claiming the match was rigged for the Americans. I didn't watch it, because I don't really care about soccer or anything in the summer Olympics (I didn't even get to see Mary Spencer's fight- which was the only thing I did care about- and she lost). Also my internet went out Saturday night and I didn't get it back until today so even if I had cared to watch it I couldn't have.

But Since nobody will shut up about it, I've seen clips of the supposed rigged calls, and I've read about the arguments both from Canadians and Americans, and it just seems to me like the officiating was BAD, not rigged, just BAD. And it's seemed to me since these Olympics started that my country's turning into a bunch of sore losers, who are expecting Canadian athletes to deliver like in Vancouver, forgetting that Canada has ALWAYS done better at the Winter Olympics than the Summer ones, and that the COC's goal for these games was to crack the top 12, which was considered by many to be overly ambitious. But people want us to take another number 1 spot, or to take more gold medals, and are so frustrated by what they are perceiving as underperforming, that they've taken to childish cries of "NOT FAIR NOT FAIR!".


#132

drifter

drifter

I think this particular instance is aggravated somewhat by the Canadian coach and players, who have made some choice words to the media about it. I don't know about the rest.


#133

@Li3n

@Li3n

GasBandit said:
If we had the kind of national motivation today that we did then, the last 11 years would have been a very different story.
Click to expand...
Actually i found it quite amazing that Bush managed to squander all those 9/11 brownie points in just 8 years...

GasBandit said:
The kid gloves aren't allowed to come off, and there's a "journalist" embedded with every unit so that CNN can gleefully broadcast the latest atrocities committed by 18 year olds with CFS exacerbated by the hampering and scrutiny.
Click to expand...
Right, those embeddings aren't just a PR move by the army and atrocities totally get reported by the press, that's why wikileaks isn't considered a threat by anyone.

GasBandit said:
"Slap a jap with war bonds" is nothing to apologize for in context. And anyone who holds up that comic as something to be ashamed of, or apologize for, can lick the day-old sweat off my balls, because fuck them.
Click to expand...
Yes, gods forbid you fight an enemy without dehumanizing him on a grade school level...


#134

LordRendar

LordRendar

GasBandit said:
That's the fate of every generation, including yours. Although, people pretty much already scorn hipsters even though they're not dead yet.
Click to expand...
FTFY


#135

checkeredhat

checkeredhat

LordRendar said:
FTFY
Click to expand...
Covar beat you to that one.


#136

LordRendar

LordRendar

Damn it xD


#137

GasBandit

GasBandit

@Li3n said:
Actually i found it quite amazing that Bush managed to squander all those 9/11 brownie points in just 8 years...
Click to expand...
Oh, any compassion we were getting from the rest of the world was gone within 3 years, not 8.

Right, those embeddings aren't just a PR move by the army and atrocities totally get reported by the press, that's why wikileaks isn't considered a threat by anyone.
Click to expand...
That's some charlie level delusion right there. The military WANTS embedded journalists from military-hostile media sources? What a laugh.


Yes, gods forbid you fight an enemy without dehumanizing him on a grade school level...
Click to expand...
Simple, catchy and quick. Call it grade school if you want, it got results. And we didn't have a monopoly on dehumanizing our enemies, either. I seem to recall reading all kinds of demeaning charicatures from nearly all the major players in that war and pretty much every war.


#138

HCGLNS

HCGLNS

checkeredhat said:
But people want us to take another number 1 spot, or to take more gold medals, and are so frustrated by what they are perceiving as underperforming, that they've taken to childish cries of "NOT FAIR NOT FAIR!".
Click to expand...
Hey, just take a look at Custio Clayton.


#139

strawman

strawman

Has there been an olympics where some team somewhere didn't claim the soccer matches were rigged?


#140

Sparhawk

Sparhawk

stienman said:
Has there been an olympics where some team somewhere didn't claim the soccer matches were rigged?
Click to expand...
The first ones when they didn't play soccer?


#141

HCGLNS

HCGLNS

USA wins gold in Womens Beach Volleyball, third in a row! Crazy impressive for May-Treanor/Walsh Jennings


#142

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

AND HCGLNS WINS THE GOLD FOR SPOILING OLYMPIC EVENTS!!!

I mean really, Batman has been out for 3 weeks and we still spoiler that crap. The game is not over on TV now, but it is just fine to give away the ending.


#143

HCGLNS

HCGLNS

So a team that has gone undefeated in 3 straight olympics winning the gold is a spoiler?

What are waiting for? tomorrows newspaper or next weeks Sports Illustrated?


#144

Sparhawk

Sparhawk

Considering for those that can't watch on computer live, and it's airing currently on NBC's evening telecast, maybe waiting another hour would have been good.


#145

checkeredhat

checkeredhat

sixpackshaker said:
AND HCGLNS WINS THE GOLD FOR SPOILING OLYMPIC EVENTS!!!

I mean really, Batman has been out for 3 weeks and we still spoiler that crap. The game is not over on TV now, but it is just fine to give away the ending.
Click to expand...
I've avoided Batman spoilers by not going into messageboard threads about Batman until after I've seen it. You could probably apply that same philosophy here.


#146

DarkAudit

DarkAudit

Sparhawk said:
Considering for those that can't watch on computer live, and it's airing currently on NBC's evening telecast, maybe waiting another hour would have been good.
Click to expand...
Considering 90% of the world saw it live and every news outlet *including* NBC posted results all over the internet as soon as it happened, the onus is on the viewer to avoid "spoilers".


#147

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

HCGLNS said:
So a team that has gone undefeated in 3 straight olympics winning the gold is a spoiler?

What are waiting for? tomorrows newspaper or next weeks Sports Illustrated?
Click to expand...
Till right the fuck now, they just finished the match on NBC[DOUBLEPOST=1344477025][/DOUBLEPOST]
DarkAudit said:
Considering 90% of the world saw it live and every news outlet *including* NBC posted results all over the internet as soon as it happened, the onus is on the viewer to avoid "spoilers".
Click to expand...
We only have one person here that has given out spoilers twice.


#148

klew

klew

sixpackshaker said:
Till right the fuck now, they just finished the match on NBC
Click to expand...
West coast broadcast hasn't started yet. Fortunately, I don't mind spoilers, I go looking for them.


#149

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

klew said:
West coast broadcast hasn't started yet. Fortunately, I don't mind spoilers, I go looking for them.
Click to expand...
If there were just some way not to cause drama... like a mouse drag and one click...


#150

DarkAudit

DarkAudit

sixpackshaker said:
If there were just some way not to cause drama... like a mouse drag and one click...
Click to expand...
One click. That red 'X' on the browser.


#151

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

But I can't reach your computer from here.


#152

strawman

strawman

If we are going to post open spoilers in this thread, please ask the OP to change the thread title to include "SPOILERS".

Otherwise please follow the forum rule #13:

13. Spoilers. A "spoiler" is a statement or piece of information that gives away information about the story of a book or film. An Ambush Spoiler is a spoiler in a thread which does not use our spoiler tag in a thread that has not been marked as having spoilers. There is a certain statute of limitations on what can and cannot be spoilered. Things which are common knowledge (IE: Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker's father, Hamlet dies at the end of the play, etc.) can safely be left unspoilered. Basically if it's over a year old it should be safe.
Click to expand...
It doesn't matter if other news sources or forums post spoilers - you can't use the excuse that since other places do it, then it's acceptable at Halforums despite the rules. Please don't be mean about it and insist that they are at fault for stumbling upon your ambush spoilers. Everyone should know and understand that NBC delays the actual races for many events for US viewers.

It's a spoiler. Change the thread title, create a new thread, or spoiler tag your spoilers. Those are your options, and if you choose not to follow them, you are breaking the forum rules. To do so and rub it in someone's face is the height of arrogance.

Alternately, ask Dave to change the rules so people can openly post spoilers.


#153

blotsfan

blotsfan

Wait, Hamlet dies?


#154

DarkAudit

DarkAudit

NBC has decided that if you aren't a beach volleyballer, your efforts tonight are unworthy of attention. They cut the prime time short by an hour to pip the new Matthew Perry sitcom. Turned that off after about 5 minutes. Then the late night show opens with 10 minutes of a jimmy Fallon bit that was crap after 5 seconds.

Going to look for proxies and VPNs when I get home to get away from NBC.


#155

Dave

Dave

Well, even though the closing ceremonies are tomorrow night and this is probably a bit of a moot point....but why not let's keep the event winners spoilered for now if we want to talk about them.


#156

evilmike

evilmike

blotsfan said:
Wait, Hamlet dies?
Click to expand...
The rest is silence.


#157

Bubble181

Bubble181

stienman said:
If we are going to post open spoilers in this thread, please ask the OP to change the thread title to include "SPOILERS".

Otherwise please follow the forum rule #13:



It doesn't matter if other news sources or forums post spoilers - you can't use the excuse that since other places do it, then it's acceptable at Halforums despite the rules. Please don't be mean about it and insist that they are at fault for stumbling upon your ambush spoilers. Everyone should know and understand that NBC delays the actual races for many events for US viewers.

It's a spoiler. Change the thread title, create a new thread, or spoiler tag your spoilers. Those are your options, and if you choose not to follow them, you are breaking the forum rules. To do so and rub it in someone's face is the height of arrogance.

Alternately, ask Dave to change the rules so people can openly post spoilers.
Click to expand...

Sorry, according to those self-same rules:
information about the story of a book or film
Click to expand...
This is neither. Technically, it's not a spoiler under that rule. You could argue the forum rule needs updating, of course, but at the moment, it's perfectly fine.[DOUBLEPOST=1344514713][/DOUBLEPOST]Also,
"Everyone should know and understand that NBC delays the actual races for many events for US viewers."
is a crappy, crappy defense. I didn't know that until I was told in this self same thread. Does the same hold true for other shows and other countries? 'Cause the last season House still hasn't aired here in Belgium - and neither the first nor second season of Game of Thrones, for that matter. Those are tv shows (also not covered by the rule as currently stated), and those threads are spoiled to hell and back.[DOUBLEPOST=1344514905][/DOUBLEPOST]To be perfectly clear; I'm not saying we should all be dicks to each other. I'm just saying that rule lawyering with a rule that isn't applicable is silly :p


#158

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

blotsfan said:
Wait, Hamlet dies?
Click to expand...
Ronsencrantz and Guilderstern are Dead


#159

blotsfan

blotsfan

Do their children become superheros?


#160

@Li3n

@Li3n

GasBandit said:
Oh, any compassion we were getting from the rest of the world was gone within 3 years, not 8.
Click to expand...
I meant internally actually... and even then it was less then 8...

That's some charlie level delusion right there. The military WANTS embedded journalists from military-hostile media sources? What a laugh.
Click to expand...
Military hostile media in the US... let me guess, anyone questioning something the military does qualifies...

But i was mostly talking about how the when and where of those embeddings are dictated by the military itself.


GasBandit said:
Simple, catchy and quick. Call it grade school if you want, it got results. And we didn't have a monopoly on dehumanizing our enemies, either. I seem to recall reading all kinds of demeaning caricatures from nearly all the major players in that war and pretty much every war.
Click to expand...
Actually the Brits at least seem to have used mostly positive reinforcement stuff (or they're really good at hiding it from wikipedia): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_propaganda_during_World_War_II (of course they couldn't really do any racial caricatures of the germans for obvious reasons).

As for results, keeping up morale while being bombed every day >>>> buying war bonds...


Of course not all your propaganda was bad, this is good:




But a lot of it was bad and you should feel bad. /Zoidberg


#161

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

http://mckaylaisnotimpressed.tumblr.com/




#162

Covar

Covar

sixpackshaker said:
http://mckaylaisnotimpressed.tumblr.com/


Click to expand...
376357_10151021476326909_1611883827_n.jpg


#163

BananaHands

BananaHands

Woo! USA Women's Soccer!


#164

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

I am a little worried about myself. I see that pic and go "wow, HOT!" but at the same time I was thinking... "WTF is up with that sweater?"


#165

BananaHands

BananaHands

sixpackshaker said:
I am a little worried about myself. I see that pic and go "wow, HOT!" but at the same time I was thinking... "WTF is up with that sweater?"
Click to expand...


#166

Charlie Don't Surf

Charlie Don't Surf

sixpackshaker said:
I am a little worried about myself. I see that pic and go "wow, HOT!" but at the same time I was thinking... "WTF is up with that sweater?"
Click to expand...
gasp! oh no! you might stop sexualizing female athletes for a second!!!


#167

Jay

Jay

Lets skip the three medal-winning performances to show the yank who finished sixth.

Fucking homers.

I promise never to complain about CBC again.


#168

GasBandit

GasBandit

Charlie Don't Surf said:
gasp! oh no! you might stop sexualizing female athletes for a second!!!
Click to expand...
Because clearly, in that pose and clothing, her intent was not to display sexuality.


#169

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

Charlie Don't Surf said:
gasp! oh no! you might stop sexualizing female athletes for a second!!!
Click to expand...
By posing for that photograph she afforded me the opportunity to see a large area of her naked body... yep I am 'sexualizing' her with out her permission.


#170

Tress

Tress

Charlie Don't Surf said:
gasp! oh no! you might stop sexualizing female athletes for a second!!!
Click to expand...


#171

Jay

Jay

Welp....



#172

Sparhawk

Sparhawk

I'm not sure, but something doesn't seem right there... :rolleyes:. Geez.


#173

Jay

Jay

Javowl.


#174

Bubble181

Bubble181

Wir haben das nicht gewüsst?


#175

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

I thought only Americans were that bad at Geography.


#176

Ravenpoe

Ravenpoe

Jay said:
Welp....

Click to expand...
At least they got the important one right.


#177

Jay

Jay

Yep.

And they also got the American stereotype right as well. :)


#178

checkeredhat

checkeredhat

sixpackshaker said:
I thought only Americans were that bad at Geography.
Click to expand...
Supposedly the image is from NBC coverage. It's not the first time they've mixed up flags


#179

Jay

Jay

Future invasion plans.


#180

Jay

Jay

checkeredhat said:
Everyone's upset over the officiating, claiming the match was rigged for the Americans. I didn't watch it, because I don't really care about soccer or anything in the summer Olympics (I didn't even get to see Mary Spencer's fight- which was the only thing I did care about- and she lost). Also my internet went out Saturday night and I didn't get it back until today so even if I had cared to watch it I couldn't have.

But Since nobody will shut up about it, I've seen clips of the supposed rigged calls, and I've read about the arguments both from Canadians and Americans, and it just seems to me like the officiating was BAD, not rigged, just BAD. And it's seemed to me since these Olympics started that my country's turning into a bunch of sore losers, who are expecting Canadian athletes to deliver like in Vancouver, forgetting that Canada has ALWAYS done better at the Winter Olympics than the Summer ones, and that the COC's goal for these games was to crack the top 12, which was considered by many to be overly ambitious. But people want us to take another number 1 spot, or to take more gold medals, and are so frustrated by what they are perceiving as underperforming, that they've taken to childish cries of "NOT FAIR NOT FAIR!".
Click to expand...
Gold medal game.



No call on the play.

Disgusting.


#181

Covar

Covar

22 players on the field, with only one referee.

<snark>What you you expect from a game where the officials can't figure out how to work a stopwatch?</snark>


#182

checkeredhat

checkeredhat

And there were missed calls on the Canadian team too I'm sure. I saw a clip where one girl (Canadian) stomped on another's (American) head. No call.
Bad officiating. But not rigged.


#183

Covar

Covar

checkeredhat said:
And there were missed calls on the Canadian team too I'm sure. I saw a clip where one girl (Canadian) stomped on another's (American) head. No call.
Bad officiating. But not rigged.
Click to expand...
So they're using NHL officials?


#184

Bubble181

Bubble181

Covar said:
22 players on the field, with only one referee.

<snark>What you you expect from a game where the officials can't figure out how to work a stopwatch?</snark>
Click to expand...
5 referees, or 7 for the top matches. Only one on the field, but 2 on the lines and 2 more following with computers.
There's plenty of silly things in football, but not really the lack of referees. Not allowing computer replays to change a ruling is idiotic, for example.

Also, yes, that's some baaaad refereeing.


#185

checkeredhat

checkeredhat

Bubble181 said:
5 referees, or 7 for the top matches. Only one on the field, but 2 on the lines and 2 more following with computers.
There's plenty of silly things in football, but not really the lack of referees. Not allowing computer replays to change a ruling is idiotic, for example.

Also, yes, that's some baaaad refereeing.
Click to expand...
Not allowing replay/ call review is a big problem with a lot of sports, I think. I get that they worry it'd slow the game down cause every call would wind up getting scrutinized, but honestly, just limit the number of call disputes a team can make. I really like how Box Lacrosse does it, where each team can throw in the towel twice a game to dispute the call. And almost every time I've seen them do it (Usually for crease violations), the call on the field gets reversed.


#186

Bubble181

Bubble181

checkeredhat said:
Not allowing replay/ call review is a big problem with a lot of sports, I think. I get that they worry it'd slow the game down cause every call would wind up getting scrutinized, but honestly, just limit the number of call disputes a team can make. I really like how Box Lacrosse does it, where each team can throw in the towel twice a game to dispute the call. And almost every time I've seen them do it (Usually for crease violations), the call on the field gets reversed.
Click to expand...
I like the tennis/badminton style. You get 2 (or 3, depending) calls; if you're right, you keep your call, if you're wrong, you lose it. So....make all the calls you want - as long as you're right every time. If you're wrong 3 times, though, tough luck for the rest of the game.

Also, even computer pictures aren't always perfect. In one of the cycling things, there was a photo finish for 3rd place (and it came down to less than 1/1,000th of a second). They couldn't properly see because they only took a finish picture from one side...and the back wheel of number one (Hoy) was blocking the view of one of the two competitors for 3rd place.
Obviously, they gave the Belgian the 4th place :p


#187



Graham

jwhouk said:
Dumb question of the day: am I the only one who's having shop.london2012.com redirect to www.teamusashop.com?
Click to expand...
[DOUBLEPOST=1344623532][/DOUBLEPOST]No the stupid redirect essentially prevents you shopping for Team GB stuff in the US, even though the site has prices for shipping to the USA.

Whoever built the site is a total idiot!


#188

Sparhawk

Sparhawk

Jay said:
Gold medal game.



No call on the play.

Disgusting.
Click to expand...
I agree, very poor "non-call." There were a couple of other calls in the same game that were just WTF? That handball should have been called and a PK awarded for Japan. German ref, seemed more interested in her hair than the game.


#189

blotsfan

blotsfan

Jay said:
Yep.

And they also got the American stereotype right as well. :)
Click to expand...
That we're the best?


#190

Jay

Jay

blotsfan said:
That we're the best?
Click to expand...
Nice try.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2010/dec/07/world-education-rankings-maths-science-reading


#191

blotsfan

blotsfan

Hmmm...unless I'm mistaken, we're the country listed first because we are doing better than everyone else in the olympics.*






*Ok, medal count is a stupid way to rank countries in the olympics but come on.


#192

tegid

tegid

Yeah, I mean, I absolutely agree that 'merica sucks* is by far not the best country all things counted, but CONTEXT.

*That's a joke and does not necessarily bear any resemblance to actual opinions held by the poster.


#193

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

I thought drinking was the #1 sport in Belgium...


http://sports.yahoo.com/news/belgium-swimmer-sent-home-london-170154815--oly.html


#194

Piotyr

Piotyr

So, who's up for another three hours of platform diving again tonight?!

I am, because an American wins(!) after finishing 18th (out of 18 qualifiers!) in the preliminary round. He passes the heavy Chinese favorite on his final dive of 102.6 points, the highest scoring dive in Olympic history under the current points system. For perspective, the gold medal winner in 2008 finished with enough points to have finished fourth in this event this year.


#195

blotsfan

blotsfan

Ahem...




#196

Covar

Covar

http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/08/12/2948171/dave-barry-the-good-bad-and-awesome.html


#197

Charlie Don't Surf

Charlie Don't Surf

Cool, the US won the Olympics again, see you in Rio


#198

Tress

Tress

Charlie Don't Surf said:
Cool, the US won the Olympics again, see you in Rio
Click to expand...
I'm really, really looking forward to the games in Rio. I'm eager to see what kind of show the Brazilians put on.


#199

Sparhawk

Sparhawk

Charlie Don't Surf said:
Cool, the US won the Olympics again, see you in Rio
Click to expand...
I think that everyone that competed was a winner, not just a country, it's so much more than just a medal count. The Saudi woman that raced and the rower from Niger all the way up to Phelps and Bolt are inspirations to everyone.

But then again, I obviously look at the world much differently than you do.


#200

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

I am pretty proud of the Spanish Basketball team. They took a bunch of future Hall of Fame Players to the wire.

I just wonder what the age requirement change will do to Olympic Basketball.


#201

Ravenpoe

Ravenpoe

sixpackshaker said:
I am pretty proud of the Spanish Basketball team. They took a bunch of future Hall of Fame Players to the wire.

I just wonder what the age requirement change will do to Olympic Basketball.
Click to expand...
Haven't they changed this a few times already?


#202

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

The big change was giving up the amateur requirement, since most other teams were really pros. Especially the way the Soviet Union called their national team the "Army Team."


#203

drifter

drifter

The age limit thing has been ruled out, at least for 2016. Anyway, if it ends up getting implemented, I think it'd really help out the Europeans. They start balling professionally (and nationally) at a young age, whereas the US is still dominated by the AAU circuit.


#204

blotsfan

blotsfan

23 and under would probably make the US do even better. Before the dream team we were still easily the best and our teams were completely composed of under 23 players playing against the best of the other countries.


#205

drifter

drifter

There were 4 under-21 FIBA world championships before they were discontinued (2005). The US team won gold twice. The other two times they didn't even make it into the medal round.


#206

Sparhawk

Sparhawk

Wasn't part of the problem for the US that the NCAA had issues with eligibility after some players participated in the Olympics and World Championships? I don't remember clearly, and that could just have been speculation.


#207

blotsfan

blotsfan

Well the team would still be great, especially if you get 3 over 23 year olds like in soccer. LeBron, Howard and Durant and an U-19 team would probably medal, let alone an under 23 team.


#208

DarkAudit

DarkAudit

Sparhawk said:
Wasn't part of the problem for the US that the NCAA had issues with eligibility after some players participated in the Olympics and World Championships? I don't remember clearly, and that could just have been speculation.
Click to expand...
The NCAA has issues with everything. A text message sent at the wrong time to the wrong number can have you ruled ineligible. A weather delayed flight has had a kid ruled ineligible.


#209

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

I'd like to have Eric Idle's "Bright Side of Life" played at my funeral.


#210

redthirtyone

redthirtyone

DarkAudit said:
The NCAA has issues with everything. A text message sent at the wrong time to the wrong number can have you ruled ineligible. A weather delayed flight has had a kid ruled ineligible.
Click to expand...
Heh. Relevant to both parts of the conversation - in 2010/11, Turkish player Enes Kanter was ruled permanently ineligible to play for any NCAA member school, due to his having played for a Turkish club team during his teens. In the US, the AAU system is still able to maintain some semblance of amateurism, at least by NCAA standards. The international club system allows youth players to play for professional teams in what basically amounts to a "minor leagues". While playing for his team, Kanter was paid what amounted to cost-of-living expenses, plus an additional amount for education expenses. Unfortunately, the "additional" education money was paid directly to his parents, who set the money aside in a separate account, where it remained untouched. The NCAA allows for this scenario, but the club team must pay the educational institution directly, i.e. it can't be a reimbursement to the parents, as it was in this case. Ultimately, it was determined that Kanter was paid around $20K above the actual expenses incurred, & even though the Kanters never touched the money (think his father is a doctor) & offered to return the money to the club, the NCAA laid down the ban-hammer. Meanwhile in America, high-school & college players already in the system accept "gifts" of hundreds to thousands of dollars worth of goods & merchandise, some from known sports agents, & are still allowed to play after serving multi-game suspensions & making reparations. /rant

Anyways - as for Team USA Basketball. In the late 80's/early 90's, the college players just weren't getting it done anymore. Silver in the '87 Pan-Am games, a bronze in the '88 games - only the 2nd olympic non-gold ever for USA basketball - followed by silver @ '89 Americas championships & another bronze @ the '90 world championships. The US definition of amateurs wasn't fitting with the world definition anymore, & so with a little rule tweaking, the US set out to make sure we regained dominance in basketball with a vengeance, & the Dream Team was born.


#211

blotsfan

blotsfan

Well I don't know everything about it, but I thought the 88 olympic team was horribly coached, and did we every really care about the other events?


#212

jwhouk

jwhouk

Once more, however, the United States failed to take home a medal in three sports where it has never medaled.





What, you think I'm going to tell you which three? Go look it up. :p


#213

blotsfan

blotsfan

Interesting philosophical question: if the US isn't good at a sport, does it really qualify as a sport?


#214

Silent Bob

Silent Bob

jwhouk said:
Once more, however, the United States failed to take home a medal in three sports where it has never medaled.





What, you think I'm going to tell you which three? Go look it up. :p
Click to expand...
Table tennis, Handball, and Badminton are not sports. They're something you do at a family reunion.[DOUBLEPOST=1344827697][/DOUBLEPOST]
blotsfan said:
Interesting philosophical question: if the US isn't good at a sport, does it really qualify as a sport?
Click to expand...

Hey hey hey! You take back your statement about Curling this instant!


#215

checkeredhat

checkeredhat

Silent Bob said:
Hey hey hey! You take back your statement about Curling this instant!
Click to expand...
Curling rocks.


#216

redthirtyone

redthirtyone

blotsfan said:
Well I don't know everything about it, but I thought the 88 olympic team was horribly coached, and did we every really care about the other events?
Click to expand...
John Thompson was a good coach, but with a team whose only future headliners were David Robinson, Mitch Richmond & uh... Dan Majerle. What was unfortunate was that the US lost to Russia that year, but even had they won that game, the Yugoslavian team most likely would have crushed them as well.

As for the other events, we never really cared about them until we started losing them.


#217

DarkAudit

DarkAudit

US kids stop playing team handball after high school phys ed.


#218

redthirtyone

redthirtyone

They play team handball in phys ed?


#219

DarkAudit

DarkAudit

redthirtyone said:
They play team handball in phys ed?
Click to expand...
They did when I was in junior high and high school. More so in junior high.


#220

DarkAudit

DarkAudit

Did anyone attempt to acquire Olympic feeds from outside their "exclusive" area? (i.e. watching BBC instead of NBC and so on)

By 2016, the technology should be there for the viewer to take what they want instead of accepting what Dick Ebersol would allow you to have.


#221

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

With Rio being one hour ahead of NY, there will be less time for the news to give away medal results before the viewers can watch them on the Prime Time delay.


#222

DarkAudit

DarkAudit

Dick Ebersol has done his last games, so hopefully the up close and personal era is dead and buried. If enough viewers revolt against the delay and overall tone of the broadcast it can be.


#223

Silent Bob

Silent Bob

DarkAudit said:
They did when I was in junior high and high school. More so in junior high.
Click to expand...

Same here. Unless I'm confused. Handball is sort of like Squash without the rackets right? Or is it the version that's like Lacrosse without the sticks?


#224

Bubble181

Bubble181

sixpackshaker said:
With Rio being one hour ahead of NY, there will be less time for the news to give away medal results before the viewers can watch them on the Prime Time delay.
Click to expand...
However, please don't post any results until the events have been aired in prime time in Europe, 7hours later. TYVM. ;)

Anyway, badminton shuttles go almost twice the speed of tennis balls during a smash (badminton shuttle can easily go over 300 kph and even over 350. Women's tennis rarely sees balls over 180 kph, men go somewhat faster). It may look silly (certainly so), but at a high level, it really is pretty hard.
Handball is like soccer with your hands. So, Lacross without sticks, really.
Table tennis is awesome as a sport, we used to get medals there :p


#225

Dave

Dave

I stopped watching the Olympics pretty soon after NBC started messing things up. I didn't even bother trying to watch the closing ceremonies and I'm glad I didn't.


#226

Bubble181

Bubble181

Dave said:
I stopped watching the Olympics pretty soon after NBC started messing things up. I didn't even bother trying to watch the closing ceremonies and I'm glad I didn't.
Click to expand...
They were pretty neat, though. Except Jacques Rogge, our IOF President and Belgian, who kept looking as though he was attending the funeral of someone close but unliked.


#227

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

Fucking Jessie J (whoever the hell she is) singing in place of Freddie Mercury... What the hell?!?!?

It is frightening when a female "singer" can not hit the high notes that a male tenor could hit, and still went out in front of a billion people to sing.


#228

Bubble181

Bubble181

sixpackshaker said:
Fucking Jessie J (whoever the hell she is) singing in place of Freddie Mercury... What the hell?!?!?

It is frightening when a female "singer" can not hit the high notes that a male tenor could hit, and still went out in front of a billion people sing.
Click to expand...
True enough. I thought she had a good voice, but she was no Mercury. I'm glad she didn't just try to copy his performance but tried to do her own thing with his song, though.


#229

Dave

Dave

Why not get this guy?



#230

Tress

Tress

Dave said:
Why not get this guy?

Click to expand...
They only wanted British artists, which is also why they didn't use Adam Lambert (despite the fact that he's been singing for Queen lately).


#231

jwhouk

jwhouk

Team Handball =/= Handball as most Americans think of it.

Team Handball is a hybrid of soccer and basketball - which is partially the reason why no one in America plays it. And, it was essentially a Nordic-Baltic sport, which meant that the only ones who played it were teams in Germany, Scandinavia and Eastern Europe.


#232

redthirtyone

redthirtyone

So to follow up in the NCAA-makes-no-sense category:

Missy Franklin has been facing a tough decision since winning 4 golds & a bronze at the olympics. She wants to go to college, and while there, she would like to swim for their swim team. However, in order to remain eligible, she is not allowed to accept any money for endorsements. This means bypassing an estimated 7-figures worth of endorsements & sponsorships should she choose to remain an "amateur" by NCAA standards.

However, NCAA guidelines allow her to accept the typical stipends paid by the USOC & USA swimming to medal winning athletes - $25K from the USOC, $75K from USA Swimming - so $200K for the individual golds + a share of the money for the relay medals. But the real kicker - the NCAA will NOT allow her to accept a $50K bonus from USA swimming for setting a new world record in the 200m backstroke.

Honestly, easy decision for me. No better time to capitalize on fame & success than now. How much money honestly is there to be made in professional swimming? It's just frustrating that the NCAA seems to be winging it as they go with no real rhyme or reason.


#233

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

Heck, take the money, pay for college, work out with swim team, and compete internationally... She'd likely come out ahead that way.


#234

GasBandit

GasBandit

No contest. Take the money.


#235

blotsfan

blotsfan

Yeah, I don't see why she would need to go to college until her swimming career is over. And even then, she probably could just be a swim coach.


#236

strawman

strawman

The whole amateur / professional thing is pointless now anyway. These athletes are making a living doing what they do. They a dedicating the majority of their time right now to the sport.

It's ridiculous to make them jump through hoops to maintain this farce of a distinction which has no real purpose or meaning any longer.


#237

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

My Mentor Teacher when I went through Student Teaching, had a son who played for Notre Dame. The kids knew that her son's education was really important to her. They would try to goad her by asking what she would feel if her son dropped out of college to join the NFL draft, or what would happen if he got hurt playing in the pros. Her answer always was... "A NFL signing bonus can pay for many years of college tuition."


#238

blotsfan

blotsfan

Yeah I don't understand why anyone would stay in school when they have a multimillion dollar contract staring them in the face.


#239

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

blotsfan said:
Yeah I don't understand why anyone would stay in school when they have a multimillion dollar contract staring them in the face.
Click to expand...
He actually did turn down the opportunity to enter the NFL early. I think being a 4 year starter for Lou Holtz mattered more to him than the chance at that signing bonus that year. And he still played for about 13 years total. He had a couple of games in Canada, a retirement, then came back for 5 years and Pro Bowl start.


#240

Covar

Covar

stienman said:
The whole amateur / professional thing is pointless now anyway. These athletes are making a living doing what they do. They a dedicating the majority of their time right now to the sport.

It's ridiculous to make them jump through hoops to maintain this farce of a distinction which has no real purpose or meaning any longer.
Click to expand...
It serves the purpose of making the schools money while not having to provide the student athletes with any kind of fair compensation.


#241

Charlie Don't Surf

Charlie Don't Surf

The NCAA is the United States' largest and worst-hidden organized crime syndicate


#242

blotsfan

blotsfan

I would say the vast majority of college athletes are incredibly overpaid. Yeah Matt Barkley is worth more than the $40000 or so scholarship, but is the third string right guard worth that much? What about the swim team, or really any athlete that isn't on the football or mens basketball team? Going to a true free market system would help a few players a ton, but would be terrible for 99.9% of possible athletes.


#243

GasBandit

GasBandit



#244

Dave

Dave

Alessandro8100 said:
I really enjoyed this event. I am swimming lover. Michael Phelps my favorite plyer. He again perform very well in this evnt. A achievements in the event he has owned for 11 years would have made him the first man in history to win three subsequent 200m butterfly titles. Great player!!!
Click to expand...
My wife loves him as well.


#245

jwhouk

jwhouk

Bot?


#246

Dave

Dave

jwhouk said:
Bot?
Click to expand...
Probably. But it's a good one!


#247

Charlie Don't Surf

Charlie Don't Surf

Alessandro8100 said:
Above Ground Swimming Pool
Click to expand...
lmao


#248

strawman

strawman

So close!


#249

Chad Sexington

Chad Sexington

Alessandro8100 said:
Above Ground Swimming Pool
Click to expand...
ahahaha


#250

Charlie Don't Surf

Charlie Don't Surf

the last page of this thread is just like the last 10 minutes of The Usual Suspects


#251

Dave

Dave

Took it long enough.


#252

strawman

strawman

Dave said:
Took it long enough.
Click to expand...
Yeah, it's an interesting tactic. A submarine spammer...


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