Official XXX Summer Olympiad: London 2012- Take II

[alfablue]

Re: Official XXX Summer Olympiad: London 2012- Take II

Yeah, none of that compares to what Jamaica has done all by themselves lately. Not sure how anyone could gather I said the Carribbean has been completely dormant and not that Jamaica's recent success has been extraordinary.

You asked for examples of other countries in the area that were doing well- which is what I replied to (which is what "other examples" are). And Jamaica has figured out sprinting- 100m 200m mens and womens- that's it- sweeping the 200 and getting 2 of the 3 in the 100 goes a long way. There's been a building of speed coming from the Carribbean for some time.

But, since you think there's something bad that they are doing, well, go for it. I'm sure the nationalistic view of our atheletes being the fastest in the world will help you sleep better at night.

 

[alfablue]

Re: Official XXX Summer Olympiad: London 2012- Take II

Not to put a damper on the multiple p-i-ssing matches that have suddenly cropped up (guess the olympic spirit is over), but the closing ceremony was pretty darn great.

I liked nearly everything other than the Oasis singer - just awful. Everyone else was great.

The Who sounded way better than I would have expected.

Great job by London.

NBC missed several shots (of course) such as the actual human cannonball. How can you miss that when you know the show's order and are showing it delayed?

We thought it was fun and energetic all the way until they got to the Brazil presentation. We could have gone to bed at 10pm and not missed anything.

The bands, theme, dancing, colors- all really fun. Great job London!

 

[FreshFish]

Re: Official XXX Summer Olympiad: London 2012- Take II

It's quite amusing to see how biting the medals has become a fad. I wonder if the biters realize how insulting that act once was!

Gold is a soft metal. If you gold-plated over some other metal (unless it was lead....), it would be harder. Biting the gold is to find out if your teeth sink into it (soft, probably gold) or whether they don't (hard inside, gold-plated not solid gold).

So if you are biting the medal you are testing it to see if it is solid gold or gold-plated, which suggests you have doubts, which suggests you think that the person giving you the medal might be trying to pull a fast one, passing it off as solid when really it is plated.


EDIT: I'm not saying anything about how today's medals are made; it wouldn't surprised me if they are all gold-plated or silver-plated or bronze-plated over a nickel base or some such thing. I'm merely commenting on how the habit has become separate from its original "meaning," that's all.

 

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: Official XXX Summer Olympiad: London 2012- Take II

It's quite amusing to see how biting the medals has become a fad. I wonder if the biters realize how insulting that act once was!

Gold is a soft metal. If you gold-plated over some other metal (unless it was lead....), it would be harder. Biting the gold is to find out if your teeth sink into it (soft, probably gold) or whether they don't (hard inside, gold-plated not solid gold).

So if you are biting the medal you are testing it to see if it is solid gold or gold-plated, which suggests you have doubts, which suggests you think that the person giving you the medal might be trying to pull a fast one, passing it off as solid when really it is plated.

but they are gold plated...

 

[Bob Gray]

Re: Official XXX Summer Olympiad: London 2012- Take II

Worst closing ceremony I've ever seen. They seem to drag the thing out longer and longer and have to find more and more filler. There's so much interesting about Great Britain, but most of the ceremony was nothing more than a random ode to over-the-hill rockers/pop stars.

 

[Patman]

We thought it was fun and energetic all the way until they got to the Brazil presentation. We could have gone to bed at 10pm and not missed anything.

The bands, theme, dancing, colors- all really fun. Great job London!

I didn't understand the Brazil presentation... I didn't find it interesting at all... It just reminded me how awesome I thought the Torino-Vancouver hand off was (at least from the Canadian side)... Of course there's always a bit of interest on the native American/ first nations on my part.

Edit: bob, I was hoping they'd bring out a live plesiosaur from the loch . I'm kidding... GBR has an issue that a lot of societies have now... Thinking their history began in 1964.

 

[FreshFish]

Re: Official XXX Summer Olympiad: London 2012- Take II

Does someone actually vote on the "Athlete of the Games"?

I'd read that in past Olympics there was such a vote.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: Official XXX Summer Olympiad: London 2012- Take II

I didn't watch a minute of the games for about the last 7 days of them. I just lose interest after the swimming is done with, and there isn't anything left to hold my interest. It might be that they are too long and after a week of watching I feel like going back to spending my TV time watching something on Netflix, or being frustrated watching a Twins game.

 

[Patman]

I didn't watch a minute of the games for about the last 7 days of them. I just lose interest after the swimming is done with, and there isn't anything left to hold my interest. It might be that they are too long and after a week of watching I feel like going back to spending my TV time watching something on Netflix, or being frustrated watching a Twins game.

I think swimming is the most interesting part... But wrestling and some of the others are worth watching.

 

[Old Pio]

Re: Official XXX Summer Olympiad: London 2012- Take II

Dan Bernstein with a strong column about the high probability that Bolt and other Jamaicans are doping. Turns out Bolt is "working" with a former BALCO chemist. You remember BALCO, right? If we can't catch these cheaters, maybe we should redefine "cheat."

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/08/12/bernstein-usain-bolt-is-probably-doping-and-you-know-it/

 

[DrDemento]

Re: Official XXX Summer Olympiad: London 2012- Take II

Dan Bernstein with a strong column about the high probability that Bolt and other Jamaicans are doping. Turns out Bolt is "working" with a former BALCO chemist. You remember BALCO, right? If we can't catch these cheaters, maybe we should redefine "cheat."

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/08/12/bernstein-usain-bolt-is-probably-doping-and-you-know-it/

I would suspect other Jamaicans before i suspected Bolt. But then again i have my reservations about a lot of the athletes i saw compete these past 2 weeks from lots of places (US and otherwise). I truly hope that everyone is clean-I love watching all of these sporting events and hope that everyone is competing on level ground.

 

[Old Pio]

Re: Official XXX Summer Olympiad: London 2012- Take II

Worst closing ceremony I've ever seen. They seem to drag the thing out longer and longer and have to find more and more filler. There's so much interesting about Great Britain, but most of the ceremony was nothing more than a random ode to over-the-hill rockers/pop stars.

There is no going back. These ceremonies are now chauvanistic orgies, with producers trying to outdo their predecessors. There may be some limit as to how big and how long these things go on, we aren't there yet.

As proof that the actual Olympics may be taking a back seat in these festivals, just recall that Costas referred last night to "protocols." You know, lowering and carrying out the flag. Handing off the flag from one mayor to the next and the dousing of the flame. These, of course, are the heart of the matter. Yet it almost sounded like Costas was apologizing for those nasty old "protocols" intruding on the Vegas lounge act writ large.

However, Costas does deserve credit because for once in his life, he kept his yapper shut as the Olympic Hymn was performed and the flag lowered and removed. It's always an emotional moment for me. And having experienced it live, I can tell you it's a profoundly emotional moment for those in attendance. What could Costas' yammering have contributed to the moment that those marvelous Welsh singers and the removal of the flag couldn't? And even though I doubt it was his decision, he deserves high marks for putting a cork in it.

I thought the show was fine. Eric Idle was a delight. And Annie Lenox was terrific, even though she has uh, put on a few pounds. There's an old adage "less is more," and I think it applies to these festivals. A little less and there would be more.

 

[Bob Gray]

Re: Official XXX Summer Olympiad: London 2012- Take II

There is no going back. These ceremonies are now chauvanistic orgies, with producers trying to outdo their predecessors. There may be some limit as to how big and how long these things go on, we aren't there yet.

As proof that the actual Olympics may be taking a back seat in these festivals, just recall that Costas referred last night to "protocols." You know, lowering and carrying out the flag. Handing off the flag from one mayor to the next and the dousing of the flame. These, of course, are the heart of the matter. Yet it almost sounded like Costas was apologizing for those nasty old "protocols" intruding on the Vegas lounge act writ large.

However, Costas does deserve credit because for once in his life, he kept his yapper shut as the Olympic Hymn was performed and the flag lowered and removed. It's always an emotional moment for me. And having experienced it live, I can tell you it's a profoundly emotional moment for those in attendance. What could Costas' yammering have contributed to the moment that those marvelous Welsh singers and the removal of the flag couldn't? And even though I doubt it was his decision, he deserves high marks for putting a cork in it.

I thought the show was fine. Eric Idle was a delight. And Annie Lenox was terrific, even though she has uh, put on a few pounds. There's an old adage "less is more," and I think it applies to these festivals. A little less and there would be more.

Ok. I understood what you were saying until the last part. So, it was a chauvanistic orgy, but you were fine with it?

 

[Old Pio]

Re: Official XXX Summer Olympiad: London 2012- Take II

Ok. I understood what you were saying until the last part. So, it was a chauvanistic orgy, but you were fine with it?

Within the context of the new reality, yes. I actually watch these things for those nasty old "protocols," which Costas seems to think are annoying.

 

[Slap Shot]

Re: Official XXX Summer Olympiad: London 2012- Take II

You asked for examples of other countries in the area that were doing well-

No, I asked for examples of countries in the area that have done what Jamaica has done the past few Olympics and the question had nothing to do with "nationalism". You're not going to find me yelling, "Murica" so you're barking up the wrong tree with that line of thought.

 

[aparch]

Re: Official XXX Summer Olympiad: London 2012- Take II

How long until the NBC (nee, any American Broadcast) TV Contract includes a stipulation that THEY call the production shots?

*edit* Found this tid-bit, which leads me to think that it could happen relatively soon:

TV rights fees provide the bulk of the IOC's revenue, with the U.S. share accounting for more than half the total.

Half of the IOC's revenue from these games is generated by the US TV deal alone. Disgusting.



It's a shame events like the Opening and Closing ceremonies couldn't have been broadcast in their entirety without tape delay on PBS. Might be something to look into for 2014 or 2016. Some goodwill for NBC, and raises stock in PBS.

 

[alfablue]

Re: Official XXX Summer Olympiad: London 2012- Take II

No, I asked for examples of countries in the area that have done what Jamaica has done the past few Olympics and the question had nothing to do with "nationalism". You're not going to find me yelling, "Murica" so you're barking up the wrong tree with that line of thought.

And they were supplied. So you are done, then, yes?

Grenada got their first medal ever, and it was gold. Are they under suspicion, too? The Domican Republic racer won the Gold in 2004, yet came back- must be suspicious. A T & T thrower took the Javelin- Juiced? The Bahama's only medal was the 4x400- must have been cheating, then.

All of your questions were answered. Why you are asking them has not been- we just imply- so what.

Jamaica has been great sprinters since 2004, this is far from new.

 

[Slap Shot]

Re: Official XXX Summer Olympiad: London 2012- Take II

And they were supplied.

Actually they weren't since none of the examples provided come remotely close to what Jamaica has done in the sprints virtually out of nowhere. So keep being defensive and argumentative if you must I think I'm done here.

 

[manurespreader]

Re: Official XXX Summer Olympiad: London 2012- Take II

Dan Bernstein with a strong column about the high probability that Bolt and other Jamaicans are doping. Turns out Bolt is "working" with a former BALCO chemist. You remember BALCO, right? If we can't catch these cheaters, maybe we should redefine "cheat."

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/08/12/bernstein-usain-bolt-is-probably-doping-and-you-know-it/

well if he is right then they will all eventually be caught just like marion jones and carl lewis. But it sounds an awful lot like sour grapes to me.Especially if it is just that what they are really saying, is that the jamaicans cheated better than we did.

 

[Old Pio]

Re: Official XXX Summer Olympiad: London 2012- Take II

well if he is right then they will all eventually be caught just like marion jones and carl lewis. But it sounds an awful lot like sour grapes to me.Especially if it is just that what they are really saying, is that the jamaicans cheated better than we did.

Could be. But the involvement of a BALCO "chemist" is troubling.