I’ve been sucked onto watching Olympics the last week or so. I even went out and bought an ATI HDTV Wonder to stick inside my PVR to watch the OTA HDTV broadcasts. Although they keep showing a lot of repeat stuff, the quality is absolutely jaw dropping. It has some teething issues and poor software but when it’s working it’s a site to behold.

I’ll probably get back to normal once it ends but it still takes up a lot of my time. I’m into way too many of the events since I’m such a sports junkie…especially for the less popular sports…(well for ignorant Americans)  :wink:

I don’t know. Maybe because I’m not much of a sports junkie or I’m just too distracted by the rest of the crap happening in this fucked up country that I just can’t get into the overmonetized, overhyped nationalism-fest that the Olympics(TM) has become. Maybe if they had Men’s and Women’s UT 2004 Team Onslaught…

I do have a serious question: How exactly did we lose to a territory of ours that’s repetedly voted down statehood in an Olympic event? :?

[quote author=“Drachen”]
I do have a serious question: How exactly did we lose to a territory of ours that’s repetedly voted down statehood in an Olympic event? :?

Perhaps they are looking for a reason to get staehood next time.  :twisted: (Leverage).  I think a better answer to your question is that competition really brings out the best in people, even in the smallest of geographical areas.

I actually have not watched even one Olympic event.  I only know what I hear from office banter.  I just have not had the time, and even if I did, I would probably do something else.  I do not know why.  I guess the Olympics really do not do it for me.  Think about it.  There are a bunch of people who spend all of their time training to get a medal that hangs around their neck.  Does anyone know / care who won the Gold in the 400 meter back in ‘76?  Is that person reaping any real benefit from it now?  Isn’t it all vanity anyways?

Those are just my thoughts on the Olympics. :wink:

honestly, i have not watched that much of the olympics either. however, i do check on the web to see what the interesting stories of the day turn out to be. if there is an event that catches my eye, i try to catch it on tv, like the men’s gymnastics all-around, with paul hamm’s comback and controversy.

What makes me laugh is the way the Olympics are always billed as “bringing nations together.” Personally I can’t think of better way to inflame nationalistic rivalries than holding a sporting event. But I’ll get off my soapbox now. :D

I’ve been watching.

These judged sports are fun to watch, but pretty lame.  There is no room for human subjectivity in deciding event outcomes.  Between the skating fiasco in the 2002 Olympics and the gymnastics and diving judging going on now, it undermines the credibility of these sports to someone like me who only watches them every four years.

I also think this doping witch hunt goes too far.  But that’s a post for another time….

4 years ago the Japanese could not swim, let alone win a medals. Now look at them, they are up there with the likes of Australia.

No longer are the olympics about the best sportspeople, rather they are about the best drugs combined with the best sportspeople.

The sooner they allow drug taking in the Olympics the better. It would be far more interesting to watch when all the atheletes are on gear, imagine what the female weight lifters would look like.

[quote author=“Godspeed”]4 years ago the Japanese could not swim, let alone win a medals. Now look at them, they are up there with the likes of Australia.

No longer are the olympics about the best sportspeople, rather they are about the best drugs combined with the best sportspeople.

The sooner they allow drug taking in the Olympics the better. It would be far more interesting to watch when all the atheletes are on gear, imagine what the female weight lifters would look like.

All medalists get drug tested so your statement’s assumption regarding the Japanese swimmers using performance enhanced drugs shows your ignorance and lack of respect for the atheletes that do train hard for these Olympics.  Those who have used drugs have been caught and are stripped of their medals and publicly humiliated.

During the summer, what else is on?

I’d say that there are plenty of people who care. Pretty much anyone who actively participated in any of the sports at some point care and probably know a lot about the sport.

I was a track/endurance sports geek with a 4:30 mile so I’m totally into the running events. But I also play beach volleyball, tennis, swim, and do gymnastics. I think you actually have to participate to appreciate how amazing some of these athletes are.

It’s kinda like people who grew up playing little league or being on the high school football team. I’m pretty sure they can go back and tell you everything about their favorite team/player.

In terms of reaping any benefits? That really depends on what you mean by that. I’m pretty sure that that for some the benefits may be financial,  mental, spiritual, and even just a healthy lifestyle. For many of these people the rigorous discipline that many have to go through likely helps them later in life.

Just my 2 cents.

At my high school, the only sports we ahd were soccer, tennis and track. I joined track, so, like groovy, I like watching the track sports, and seeing them run something twice as long in half the time that I did.

I’m sure they keep their medal framed or whatever, so every person who comes into their home sees it.

[quote author=“cndart”][quote author=“Godspeed”]4 years ago the Japanese could not swim, let alone win a medals. Now look at them, they are up there with the likes of Australia.

No longer are the olympics about the best sportspeople, rather they are about the best drugs combined with the best sportspeople.

The sooner they allow drug taking in the Olympics the better. It would be far more interesting to watch when all the atheletes are on gear, imagine what the female weight lifters would look like.

All medalists get drug tested so your statement’s assumption regarding the Japanese swimmers using performance enhanced drugs shows your ignorance and lack of respect for the atheletes that do train hard for these Olympics.  Those who have used drugs have been caught and are stripped of their medals and publicly humiliated.

Totally true. On the opposite side of that…look at how bad the Americans are now at basketball. Even though I’m somewhat joking, they really are bad and the rest of the world has gotten way better. I find it mildly amusing that a lot of the athletes (especially in track) are all trained at American universities with American scholarship money yet compete against the United States. If they’re already out of school and training on their own then that’s one thing…

[quote author=“cndart”][quote author=“Godspeed”]4 years ago the Japanese could not swim, let alone win a medals. Now look at them, they are up there with the likes of Australia.

No longer are the olympics about the best sportspeople, rather they are about the best drugs combined with the best sportspeople.

The sooner they allow drug taking in the Olympics the better. It would be far more interesting to watch when all the atheletes are on gear, imagine what the female weight lifters would look like.

All medalists get drug tested so your statement’s assumption regarding the Japanese swimmers using performance enhanced drugs shows your ignorance and lack of respect for the atheletes that do train hard for these Olympics.  Those who have used drugs have been caught and are stripped of their medals and publicly humiliated.

CNDART - Dont be so naive, they test for known enhancing drugs, what of the ones they are unaware of? Or do you think that the IOC make and push the drugs in the first place?

I suppose you believe your pc is safe and there are no such things as viruses because you have Norton installed! 

Also you should lighten up a bit….... Are you on drugs? They make you edgy you know, also paranoid…

[quote author=“Godspeed”][quote author=“cndart”][quote author=“Godspeed”]4 years ago the Japanese could not swim, let alone win a medals. Now look at them, they are up there with the likes of Australia.

No longer are the olympics about the best sportspeople, rather they are about the best drugs combined with the best sportspeople.

The sooner they allow drug taking in the Olympics the better. It would be far more interesting to watch when all the atheletes are on gear, imagine what the female weight lifters would look like.

All medalists get drug tested so your statement’s assumption regarding the Japanese swimmers using performance enhanced drugs shows your ignorance and lack of respect for the atheletes that do train hard for these Olympics.  Those who have used drugs have been caught and are stripped of their medals and publicly humiliated.

CNDART - Dont be so naive, they test for known enhancing drugs, what of the ones they are unaware of? Or do you think that the IOC make and push the drugs in the first place?

I suppose you believe your pc is safe and there are no such things as viruses because you have Norton installed! 

Also you should lighten up a bit….... Are you on drugs? They make you edgy you know, also paranoid…

Being naive is one thing I am not, but making ignorant baseless statements against any athlete without any evidence until proven guilty makes slight of and degrades their true achievement in the sport they participate in.  I do not care for your hate messages and you can switch your attack on me with your stupid remarks but that only confirms your simple mind.

Is this TR World’s first flame war?  It was bound to happen sooner or later.

[quote author=“cndart”][quote author=“Godspeed”][quote author=“cndart”][quote author=“Godspeed”]4 years ago the Japanese could not swim, let alone win a medals. Now look at them, they are up there with the likes of Australia.

No longer are the olympics about the best sportspeople, rather they are about the best drugs combined with the best sportspeople.

The sooner they allow drug taking in the Olympics the better. It would be far more interesting to watch when all the atheletes are on gear, imagine what the female weight lifters would look like.

All medalists get drug tested so your statement’s assumption regarding the Japanese swimmers using performance enhanced drugs shows your ignorance and lack of respect for the atheletes that do train hard for these Olympics.  Those who have used drugs have been caught and are stripped of their medals and publicly humiliated.

CNDART - Dont be so naive, they test for known enhancing drugs, what of the ones they are unaware of? Or do you think that the IOC make and push the drugs in the first place?

I suppose you believe your pc is safe and there are no such things as viruses because you have Norton installed! 

Also you should lighten up a bit….... Are you on drugs? They make you edgy you know, also paranoid…

Being naive is one thing I am not, but making ignorant baseless statements against any athlete without any evidence until proven guilty makes slight of and degrades their true achievement in the sport they participate in.  I do not care for your hate messages and you can switch your attack on me with your stupid remarks but that only confirms your simple mind.

CNDART,

Your soooo naive, I don’t hate you, no no no, I just think your a little touchy.

Why are you so touchy? You can tell me, what happened?

My statement was not aimed at a particular athlete or athletes, rather it was about sport and technology.