Olympics
- Thread starter crackerjack
- Start date
crackerjack
Well-known member
Dunno, but one of their boys did ok in the ski cross, which is offcially my new favourite sport
crackerjack
Well-known member
yeah, if this is the start of skiing getting madder, and maybe more violent, that can only be a good thing
nomos
Administrator
yeah that's fair. i suppose i'm a bit prejudiced against anything that comes with an X-Games whiff, or that looks like it originated in a videogame.
i have to admit, i've had the games on constantly since they started, even while out of town. such a nice change of pace. also a feeling a funny sense of solidarity with other countries that have winter in a real way, way more than any specifically nationalist sentiment. (though that will grow as the hockey moves on.)
LOVING curling!
Skicross and snowboardcross are fantastic sports! They look suuuper fun, definitely invented by a generation brought up on video games...
Anyway, I feel like I should put in a differing opinion from a local here as my experience has definitely differed somewhat from connect_icut's above. Short form of it is that, though the build-up to the olympics has been quite interminable, and it's as sickening a combination of corporate greed and ugly patriotism as you could expect--fortunately it is still an outstanding sporting event. Downtown, at the sporting events, and in the various national pavilions the atmosphere is fantastic. Everyone is super friendly. Downtown is packed with people at all hours cheering for every event and every country. You have the chance to attend crazy sporting events that you would never be able to otherwise (if you can afford it). Going to the various national pavilions and partying with random foreigners while cheering on their athletes is hilarious fun.
It's almost impressive really, that despite all the corporate bullshit and security-state nonsense people have still somehow managed to make this into a great celebration. I am actually surprised by how much I have been enjoying myself this past week--I wasn't expecting it to be this fun.
Has all the suffering, the waste and greed been worth it for a two week party plus a few odd added benefits (new subway line to the airport, couple other things)? Probably not. The really ugly part of the olympics is how the business side of it has come to totally dominate the sporting side of it. My favorite anecdote currently being the fact that all olympic venues are forbidden from selling "hamburgers" and "french fries" because McDonald's (the official "restaurant" of the olympics) has purchased the exclusive rights to sell hamburgers and fries at olympic venues. Of course many far worse things have happened too, on the social level and financially. Basically everything Vanoc (vancouver olympic organizing comittee) has gotten their greasy mitts on has been fucked on some level, but miraculously they still haven't managed to fuck up the whole thing for all the athletes and fans.
Lastly, connect_icut, please spare me the patronizing "blinkered view that most Vancouver residents maintain" bullshit. You mean the same vancouver residents 83% of which "believe the Games are planned to benefit elite members of society" and 60% of which think the olympics was a "waste of money that could be used for more important things."??? What a bunch of sheeple!
Alright, almost time for Canada-US hockey game!
Anyway, I feel like I should put in a differing opinion from a local here as my experience has definitely differed somewhat from connect_icut's above. Short form of it is that, though the build-up to the olympics has been quite interminable, and it's as sickening a combination of corporate greed and ugly patriotism as you could expect--fortunately it is still an outstanding sporting event. Downtown, at the sporting events, and in the various national pavilions the atmosphere is fantastic. Everyone is super friendly. Downtown is packed with people at all hours cheering for every event and every country. You have the chance to attend crazy sporting events that you would never be able to otherwise (if you can afford it). Going to the various national pavilions and partying with random foreigners while cheering on their athletes is hilarious fun.
It's almost impressive really, that despite all the corporate bullshit and security-state nonsense people have still somehow managed to make this into a great celebration. I am actually surprised by how much I have been enjoying myself this past week--I wasn't expecting it to be this fun.
Has all the suffering, the waste and greed been worth it for a two week party plus a few odd added benefits (new subway line to the airport, couple other things)? Probably not. The really ugly part of the olympics is how the business side of it has come to totally dominate the sporting side of it. My favorite anecdote currently being the fact that all olympic venues are forbidden from selling "hamburgers" and "french fries" because McDonald's (the official "restaurant" of the olympics) has purchased the exclusive rights to sell hamburgers and fries at olympic venues. Of course many far worse things have happened too, on the social level and financially. Basically everything Vanoc (vancouver olympic organizing comittee) has gotten their greasy mitts on has been fucked on some level, but miraculously they still haven't managed to fuck up the whole thing for all the athletes and fans.
Lastly, connect_icut, please spare me the patronizing "blinkered view that most Vancouver residents maintain" bullshit. You mean the same vancouver residents 83% of which "believe the Games are planned to benefit elite members of society" and 60% of which think the olympics was a "waste of money that could be used for more important things."??? What a bunch of sheeple!
Alright, almost time for Canada-US hockey game!
connect_icut
Well-known member
I've heard that downtown has really turned into party central and that the atmosphere is almost universally positive - which is amazing as these things have a way of turning ugly in Vancouver (I'm thinking mainly of the fireworks). I really want to get downtown before the Olympics is over, just to soak it up. As people keep telling me, we're paying for it, we may as well enjoy it.
Heavens! I certainly didn't mean to offend anyone! I read that survey too and was quite cheered up by it.
Anyway, you certainly seem to be more informed than I am about the both the positive and the negative aspects of the Olympics. I'm glad you've found something to enjoy.
i ran a real pirate radio station for one day... then the feds came and shut it down.
900 million dollars on security is the number that sticks for me.
that's an awful lot of protection for a symbol that supposedly protected itself with all its shining innateness at one point...
anyhow, the second week will be fun to watch now that the cops have ordered liquor stores to close at 7 PM. apparently they are also preventing people from entering alleys for fear of public urination and stopping people on the street to inspect the contents of their cups (lest they be concealed alcohol).
too busy to watch much of the sports unfortunately. hope they are going okay. watching a sporting event would be a great way to relieve the stress that these sporting events are causing me.
900 million dollars on security is the number that sticks for me.
that's an awful lot of protection for a symbol that supposedly protected itself with all its shining innateness at one point...
anyhow, the second week will be fun to watch now that the cops have ordered liquor stores to close at 7 PM. apparently they are also preventing people from entering alleys for fear of public urination and stopping people on the street to inspect the contents of their cups (lest they be concealed alcohol).
too busy to watch much of the sports unfortunately. hope they are going okay. watching a sporting event would be a great way to relieve the stress that these sporting events are causing me.
baboon2004
Darned cockwombles.
Not been watching much of it, and i refuse to do so until they integrate the biathlon so that it's simultaneous shooting and skiing.
padraig (u.s.)
a monkey that will go ape
aye & there's the rub.
being Canadian I bet you guys already know that it took Montreal 30 years to pay off its Olympic debt from 1976. It seems like the Olympics are, almost as a rule, great for "the world" & terrible for host cities (there are exceptions, I'm sure - I seem to recall that L.A. 1984 is cited as the one that proves the rule). The IOC for damn sure isn't going to get left holding the bill. & as far as the oft mentioned "infrastructure benefits", I always think, couldn't we just spend taxpayer $ on those without having to build a bunch of worthless new mega-expensive stadiums...? I breathed an enormous sigh of relief when Chicago was dropped from consideration for 2016, it would've been insane to drop hundreds of millions on an event that doesn't tangibly benefit the city when the state of Illinois has a budget deficit of like 12 billion dollars (for real). I mean, the CTA just introduced massive cuts in service b/c it simply can't afford to keep all its buses & trains running, public schools are dangerously overcrowded...the polls here were in favor of the Olympics but overwhelmingly against using taxpayer dollars to fund it, which is like, just a fundamental cognitive disconnect. And the rivers of kickbacks that would've flowed (Chicago graft makes New Jersey look like a paragon of ethical virtue)...anyway.
so, the Olympics, best enjoyed from afar (or as a visitor). which is what I'm doing. my condolences to Vancouverites, have a good time while it's going & I hope you guys don't get screwed too badly (in a similar vein, good luck to Londoners with 2012).
I do feel a bit bad about the U.S. hockey team beating Canada. I'm kinda pulling for you guys to recover and still come away with gold.
Mr. Tea
Let's Talk About Ceps
This is so true it hurts. Oh, London...
Edit: not to mention the inevitable police crackdown which is probably going to mean you won't be able to fart without receiving an on-the-spot fine.
Sorry, not been watching the current Games, just wanted to rant pre-emptively about the upcoming 2012 fiasco. As you were.
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connect_icut
Well-known member
That's what I thought but the irony seems to be that Vancouverites are having a bloody good time during the Olympics while the athletes and people who've come from out of town to watch the events seem to be suffering the consequences of some rather bad organization on VANOC's part.
connect_icut
Well-known member
My special lady and I are going to try to get scalper tickets for the curling tonight. Wish us luck!
nomos
Administrator
Men's hockey is turning into a roller coaster. 5-3 shock loss to the US on Sunday, 8-2 defeat of Germany in a playoff qualifier tonight. The prize: meeting the Russians tomorrow in the quarterfinals. That was supposed to be the dream final. Goaltending is much sharper now with Luongo in. Brodeur looked like he was having out of body experiences the other night.
Also, 'Own the Podium' has officially been declared a failure and, thankfully, most of the post mortem discussion has blamed the added pressure on athletes for the lower-than-expected medal total. Apparently Canada has more golds than ever before, but at the cost of more crashes and uncharacteristic screw ups resulting from athletes pushing too hard. I'm just glad no one seems to be arguing that funding should be doubled or something.
Also, 'Own the Podium' has officially been declared a failure and, thankfully, most of the post mortem discussion has blamed the added pressure on athletes for the lower-than-expected medal total. Apparently Canada has more golds than ever before, but at the cost of more crashes and uncharacteristic screw ups resulting from athletes pushing too hard. I'm just glad no one seems to be arguing that funding should be doubled or something.
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don_quixote
Trent End
england went ski cross mad. shame there's no more on. can't believe there's someone with the nickname "the crazy fanny"
connect_icut
Well-known member
We managed to get curling tickets for $50 a piece (normally $75) plus $35 dollar tickets for the England/Sweden tie-breaker tomorrow. Taking the afternoon off work. Score.
How cute is that Danish ladies curling team, eh?
How cute is that Danish ladies curling team, eh?
crackerjack
Well-known member
what's with the wutangs? how did they get that name?
watching that game was sublime... brodeur looked confused as hell... sidney crosby was a non entity, especially compared to Ovechkin earlier that day.. (that hit, goddamn)... i have never in my life seen Team USA play like that... leaving off the older veterans was a great move... the US was so much faster than the Canadians, as Kesler''s breakaway open netter proved...
we'll see if they can play like that against russia, tho... but, who knows, if Luongo plays to form, the Canadians could beat Russia... my gut says russia takes it, tho...
^^ 7 FUCKING 3
Canada sending for USA now
(PS - I had to teach tonight. Half didn't show up at all, and there was a minor exodus just before face-off. I ended early so the rest of us could go watch.)
i watched the first half... it was a fucking clinic... following checks thru constantly, which slowed the russians down... they were relentllessly attacking... that said, the russian goalie was a sieve...
i think the us can take it if Miller keeps playing at this level... you can ride a hot goalie thru a tournament and he's at that level... canada's physical game was not at all effetive against the us the way it was against canada...
that said, canada has it's swagger back and thoroughly clowned the russians... i def read that one wrong, i thought the canadians would fold up and instead they came out fired up and def not looking to be taken out at home....
nomos
Administrator
i so wish i'd been able to see the first period. they must have realized they'd have been run out on a rail if they came up with less than an appearance in the final. but i think it could still go either way, especially if they don't come up with a way to crack miller. should be an amazing final, provided neither screws up in the semis.