So titled because Olympic officials have even threatened the POPE about using "official" Olympic phrases.
But anyway, the scoreboard as of this moment. WVU: 1, the entire rest of the world: 0 as Ginny Thrasher takes the first gold of these games in 10m air rifle.
#2
Dave
NBC and the US coverage has forever made it so that I won't watch or care about the Olympics.
#3
GasBandit
#4
Dave
Okay I take it all back. I found a site that has BBC streams and nearly all the events. It's incredible. I just watched women's epee and it was a great match! I'm in again.
#5
Frank
CBC does incredible coverage of the Olympics.
I just outright refuse to watch these games. I'm done until the Olympics is less scummy.
Okay I take it all back. I found a site that has BBC streams and nearly all the events. It's incredible. I just watched women's epee and it was a great match! I'm in again.
[DOUBLEPOST=1470695343,1470695179][/DOUBLEPOST]It just occurred to me... This year's summer olympics are in the southern hemisphere.. in the deepest dead of the brazilian winter.
#20
GasBandit
#21
GasBandit
Abandoned olympic venues from around the world:
#22
Dave
I still say they should hold the Olympics in the same place every year. All of the money that goes into the stadiums and stuff that just lay fallow could be better spent in renovations and infrastructure.
But there's no bribe money in that even though it makes sense.
For example, the College World Series is held in Omaha every year. So there's the Road to Omaha and community anticipation. So much easier.
#23
blotsfan
Or just rotate among places that can handle it. There might be some abandoned stuff in Atlanta, but the city turned a profit from hosting them (plus the money they got from additional use of Olympic structures)
Or just rotate among places that can handle it. There might be some abandoned stuff in Atlanta, but the city turned a profit from hosting them (plus the money they got from additional use of Olympic structures)
Yeah, the Atlanta section of that imgur post was really reaching, Atlanta's really done well at repurposing the olympic infrastructure and many of the competition venues are now operating for recreational use.
A quote from the thread of that imgur album: "There are less than 12 countries that can actually adequately handle all aspects required for hosting the olympics, and Brazil is not one of them."
But like Dave said, there's bribe money at stake.
#25
blotsfan
America is generally good at hosting these events because we're so sports-crazy that most big cities already have a ton of infrastructure.
Although our first choice in 2024 was Boston so we aren't always smart about which cities to choose. Thankfully they changed their mind to LA
Yeah, the Atlanta section of that imgur post was really reaching, Atlanta's really done well at repurposing the olympic infrastructure and many of the competition venues are now operating for recreational use.
A quote from the thread of that imgur album: "There are less than 12 countries that can actually adequately handle all aspects required for hosting the olympics, and Brazil is not one of them."
After that gymnast with bonitis, I'm pretty sure having safety precautions is probably a good idea. You never know when something might go horribly wrong.
After that gymnast with bonitis, I'm pretty sure having safety precautions is probably a good idea. You never know when something might go horribly wrong.
This was also the official response. Life guards aren't mandated by the Olympics ,but by local regulations. Still, it's happened before that a swimmer hit his head on the side of the pool and lost consciousness.
And hey, I wouldn't mind being paid to watch the Olympics from the front row
Well, that's a bad example. It would be more like, if there were medals for free throw competition, or 1v1 pickup. The U.S. only got one medal in the team competition.
Well, that's a bad example. It would be more like, if there were medals for free throw competition, or 1v1 pickup. The U.S. only got one medal in the team competition.
Hardly. A bit, sure, but the average gymnast has gone down from 1m61 to 1m49 in that time, and got 5 kilos lighter. Despite raising the minimum age, the average age has also come down. Smaller -> shorter radius to turn - weight closer to center of gravity - faster rotations possible - more loop-de-loops.
#67
BErt
This poor guy thinking he was Al Michaels at The Miracle on Ice...
#68
BErt
Everybody should know the incredibly stupid story of the incredibly stupid 1904 Olympic Marathon. Stupid.
#69
HCGLNS
Yay swimming!
#70
HCGLNS
Holy Knockouts Batman! Sweden has shocked the world! USA women soccer out in the quarter finals on penalties!
A few fucking idiots on Twitter doesn't represent the US. Why do stories like this keep getting picked up? Why does anyone care what morons on Twitter think?
#86
blotsfan
If not for Frank posting, I probably would've never known that this happened.
#87
Dave
Ryan Lochte and three other swimmers were robbed at gunpoint by people pretending to be Brazilian cops.
Welcome to Rio, bitches.
#88
Dei
Watching a 41 year old woman competing in vault makes me feel bad about myself lol.
#89
blotsfan
So apparently a high school classmate's sister won a gold medal yesterday. Thats pretty cool.
#90
Gruebeard
My bartender played volleyball with the really tall Canadian beach volleyball player who is, currently, down one set and in danger of being eliminated . . . this, a day after knocking out her comrades on Canada's other beach volleyball team.
#91
HCGLNS
Three-pete for Bolt! And Bronze for Canada! YAY!
#92
Frank
Bolt, like Phelps, is some kind of super mutant. No one that lanky should be that quick.
But that has been over for the main sports for 24 years.
#114
Bubble181
In my opinion, the Olympics should go back to being entirely non-professional. The non-pro sports are generally much more fun to look at, anyway. There's plenty of other pro sports tournaments.
In my opinion, the Olympics should go back to being entirely non-professional. The non-pro sports are generally much more fun to look at, anyway. There's plenty of other pro sports tournaments.
More of these sports have "professional" levels than you think, I feel like. Professional just means they get paid to do it for the most part. Professional figure skaters for example, still can't compete in the Olympics.
#116
blotsfan
Plus amateurism is a massive scam.
#117
Dei
Also, Simone Biles can't compete in college when she goes to UCLA because she is "professional."
In my opinion, the Olympics should go back to being entirely non-professional. The non-pro sports are generally much more fun to look at, anyway. There's plenty of other pro sports tournaments.
More of these sports have "professional" levels than you think, I feel like. Professional just means they get paid to do it for the most part. Professional figure skaters for example, still can't compete in the Olympics.
But most of them are not present at the Olympics. Why allow 3 pro soccer players per country at the Olympics? There's plenty of soccer tournaments. Why not allow pro boxers then? Or archers? In some countries there are whole separate leagues of pro and amateur archers to divide those who get paid enough to live from it and those who don't - and only the second can go to the Olympics. Etc.
Though, in part, you're right - I just enjoy the "lesser known"/"lesser shown" sports more than the ones we get all the time.
#120
Dei
Danell Leyva taking off the top of his leotard while doing parallel bar at the gymnastics gala. Yes pls.
Now I can say how much I enjoyed watching the Brazilian brunettes play soccer against the pale blonde Swedes yesterday.
The game itself was terrible, though.
#123
Bubble181
As an interesting tidbit, the Belgian Takwondoka who'll be fighting later this evening and has a fair shot at the gold medal, is the brother of one of the suicide bombers at Brussels Airport back in march. Huh.
#124
GasBandit
So remember that Irish boxer who the judges said lost to his Russian opponent and there was a big stink about it?
Look how clean and undamaged he looks, right?
Now it turns out the Russian who "won" was too badly beaten to continue competing in the next round.
In the wake of this...
Without admitting or even acknowledging the corruption, some Judges are being sent home. They won't say which judges or which fights they judged, and all results up to this point are still to stand.
I have no doubt, but these things should be dealt with from now on. Just because they've been swept under the rug in the past doesn't mean we should keep allowing it.
That said, he was a guest in their country, and should be subject to their punishment. Chances are good, though, that the charges won't result in extradition, and so only his teammates will be punished, and he will simply have to avoid going to brazil ever again.
Olympic athletes, particularly disgraced ones, don't typically make a lot of money, otherwise this is something that could probably have been taken care of discreetly with a bunch of lawyers and cash.
#136
HCGLNS
Just learned Canadian Olympian Ian Miller is not at Rio, ending his streak of 10 straight Olympic appearances.
Yup, I still feel fine about not watching a second of these Olympics that isn't in gif form.
#139
Bubble181
What's with the swimmers this time around?
Australian swimmer Josh Palmer and Emma McKeon (and some others) sent home for partying in the Copacabana and spinning a story about being forced to hand over his money.
#140
GasBandit
#141
PatrThom
"Ooo, and it looks like the shoddy Rio architecture may have won this one OH WHAT A RECOVERY LOOK AT HER GO"
--Patrick
#142
blotsfan
The ending to Spain-Australia has pissed me off more than anything in the olympics since crosby.
#143
blotsfan
@Denbrought Australia lost the game (and their first ever basketball medal) because of a horrendous foul call with 5 seconds to go.
#144
sixpackshaker
#145
Cheesy1
Glad this shit show is almost over. Feel pity for the next suck. . . er . . . host city.
Vogue Brazil are doing some campaign photos for the Paralympics. Apparently they decided the best way to do that is to take photos of able-bodied models. Then take photos of Paralympians. Then photoshop the Paralympians disabilities onto the able-bodied models.
Vogue Brazil are doing some campaign photos for the Paralympics. Apparently they decided the best way to do that is to take photos of able-bodied models. Then take photos of Paralympians. Then photoshop the Paralympians disabilities onto the able-bodied models.