Olympics

[conley]

"BEIJING -- Martial arts student Cheng Jianghua only saw the army barracks he stayed in and the stadium where he performed at the spectacular Olympics Opening Ceremony. But his sacrifices were minor -- other performers were injured, fainted from heatstroke or forced to wear adult diapers so the show could go on.

Filmmaker Zhang Yimou, the ceremony's director, insisted in an interview with local media that suffering and sacrifice were required to pull off the Aug. 8 opening, which involved wrangling nearly 15,000 cast and crew. Only North Korea could have done it better, he said."

 

One of the best dancers in all of China has been paralyzed as a result of a mistake at rehersal, very sad story

http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/summer08/news/story?id=3543618

[Mr. Dirlewanger]

Mr. D - What sports do you not find a bore?

I can get i to the whole NFL Sunday thing and Monday Night Football. Still, I don't invest any emotion in it. Don't get me wrong. I admire athletic skill. I'm just not into sports and I never get emotionally invested.

[they call me MR. GRUMPY god damn it!]

CHI

[they call me MR. GRUMPY god damn it!]

COM

[they call me MR. GRUMPY god damn it!]

PROPAGANDA

[conley]

funny article from rick reilly over at ESPN

[Vermouth]

Mr. D - What sports do you not find a bore?

Vermouth - What sport in the Olympics do you consider "not real sports"? At least they haven't stooped to ESPN levels, yet - golf & poker & fucking spelling bees......

Peter - Can't say I agree. Track & field, fencing, boxing, wrestling...all very exciting.

Conley - How do you know they are killing us? I thought you were boycotting.

Not real sports: table tennis, synchronized diving, synchronized swimming, trampoline, rhythmic gymnastics, beach volleyball. Also sailing - a skill, not a sport. I'm not sure about equestrian events ... isn't the horse doing the work?

Golf is a borderline sport. Poker and spelling bees aren't even fake sports.

[Peter1469]

Wait a minute!  I agree with you that male beach volleyball is not a sport; but women's beach volleyball is.   

[they call me MR. GRUMPY god damn it!]

women's beach volleyball is quite sporting and enables the audience to appreciate the gifts of world piece.

[SDML]

Are you kidding? If golf is borderline, then trampoline, synchronized whatever, volleyball, etc are all HARD CORE sports. Golf is a hobby, akin to basket-weaving and rolling dice.

BTW: Since all the Jamaican track athletes train, school, and often live in the US, shouldn't the US get half credit for all their medals?

Anyway, did you guys see Usain Bolt (Jamaica) kick the shit out of the world records? DAMN!

[conley]

i thought you were boycotting sdml?

[SDML]

Boycotting? Me? Hell no.

I told you toons that boycotting is meaningless. I love the Olympics. I don't love the Chinese government or the IOC.

[Wowster]

You wouldn't know - you're boycotting, too!

I was going to boycott the Olympics, if the US media used it to push their global warming hoax and false awareness of human rights.

[Wowster]

Are you kidding? If golf is borderline, then trampoline, synchronized whatever, volleyball, etc are all HARD CORE sports. Golf is a hobby, akin to basket-weaving and rolling dice.

BTW: Since all the Jamaican track athletes train, school, and often live in the US, shouldn't the US get half credit for all their medals?

Anyway, did you guys see Usain Bolt (Jamaica) kick the shit out of the world records? DAMN!

I guess that 60% of all medal winners are trained/coached in the US.

Finally, taller sprinters are dominating the track. Bolt made it look easy and he is 6' 5".
Bolt could have reduced his own 100M world record, but he cruised to the finish line.

[SDML]

The US is now pulling away from China in the total medal count, and beginning to bridge the gold gap.

Total medals: US - 93, China - 83
Gold medals: China - 46, US - 28