Poe Dameron Posted August 16, 2016 Share Posted August 16, 2016 I've said it before but the Olympics should be reserved for sports where the Olympic Gold Medal is the highest honor in that particular sport. I understand the sentiment. I'm baffled as to how baseball got back on the program as long as MLB refuses to take time off and as long as the best pitchers have a finite number of strikes they're allowed to throw (softball, on the other hand, should never have been taken away). I'd counter that Olympic basketball has been a wonderful force for the growth of basketball internationally though. Even if our players are messing around a bit, the rest of the world is working hard in this tournament. And as long as they care, I wouldn't dream of axing the sport. Besides, using that bar, you'd have to get rid of hockey as well in the Winter games. And I'd have a major issue with that. Personally, I'm happy to be nice and inclusive about keeping sports in the Olympics. As long as they're not silly, and preferably if they're not judged (I'm less than pleased with surfing and skateboarding making the cut). If they went out and added cricket, racquetball and/or squash, futsal and/or beach soccer, lacrosse, bowling, etc. I'm cool. Let the athletes have an Olympic memory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cashmere Posted August 16, 2016 Share Posted August 16, 2016 I watched some table tennis today. So funny! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Choc Posted August 16, 2016 Share Posted August 16, 2016 I've said it before but the Olympics should be reserved for sports where the Olympic Gold Medal is the highest honor in that particular sport. I understand the sentiment. I'm baffled as to how baseball got back on the program as long as MLB refuses to take time off and as long as the best pitchers have a finite number of strikes they're allowed to throw (softball, on the other hand, should never have been taken away). I'd counter that Olympic basketball has been a wonderful force for the growth of basketball internationally though. Even if our players are messing around a bit, the rest of the world is working hard in this tournament. And as long as they care, I wouldn't dream of axing the sport. Besides, using that bar, you'd have to get rid of hockey as well in the Winter games. And I'd have a major issue with that. Personally, I'm happy to be nice and inclusive about keeping sports in the Olympics. As long as they're not silly, and preferably if they're not judged (I'm less than pleased with surfing and skateboarding making the cut). If they went out and added cricket, racquetball and/or squash, futsal and/or beach soccer, lacrosse, bowling, etc. I'm cool. Let the athletes have an Olympic memory. I think they are moving towards getting rid of hockey from the winter games, having their own tournament instead. Well maybe not get rid if hockey but no NHL players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poe Dameron Posted August 16, 2016 Share Posted August 16, 2016 It'd be nice if they could get their acts together on the World/Canada Cup. But they've only held one of them in the last 20 years. I'm very skeptical that it will ever be a tournament that will be held on a regular basis. It'll never have the prestige of the Canada Cups of the 80s back when it was essentially the NHL versus the great Soviet teams. 1987 was sort of a moment in time that can't be brought back. The Olympics will always mean something though. Here's hoping Bettman doesn't pull the plug on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacen123 Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 I normally don't care so much for the Costas interviews, especially when they are with athletes out of season, but these segments with the women's gymnastics team are nice. It's funny seeing the gymnasts just go from being unstoppable on the floor to joking around with each other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cashmere Posted August 18, 2016 Share Posted August 18, 2016 I can't believe I went to bed and missed the beach volleyball loss last night. Stupid sleep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacen123 Posted August 18, 2016 Share Posted August 18, 2016 Tonight's bronze volleyball match was intense for so much of it. It's too bad they had the bad night last night, but they are damn good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gamevet Posted August 18, 2016 Share Posted August 18, 2016 I haven't been watching the events too much. I did happen to see Puig from Peurto Rico win the 1st Gold for her country. It was a pretty intense battle in the final set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Krawlie Posted August 18, 2016 Share Posted August 18, 2016 Puerto Rico isn't its own country, why do they get to compete as one? Serious question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucas1138 Posted August 18, 2016 Share Posted August 18, 2016 Any country/territory with a national olympic committee recognized by the IOC can compete. edited to add: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2004/08/why_puerto_rico_has_its_own_team.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Choc Posted August 18, 2016 Share Posted August 18, 2016 Basically they are "independent enough". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poe Dameron Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 I'm having a lot more fun watching the live streams of the field events than the track coverage on NBC. Americans are doing very well in those competitions too, so I don't know why they don't push the jumping and throwing sports harder. It seems to me much easier to build compelling television out of sports with the ratcheting drama of missed attempts, final throws, and the ability to focus on each athlete individually and tell their stories as they make their attempts. For example, in the women's pole vault I just finished watching, an American just barely missed winning a gold. But the most compelling storyline was a 19-year-old New Zealander who came from nowhere and won the bronze. It was the most interesting bronze medal win I've seen all Olympics and could easily have given the country a smile, but NBC coverage didn't even mention her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poe Dameron Posted August 21, 2016 Share Posted August 21, 2016 That Lochte interview was painful. So glad they spent billions of dollars for Olympic coverage just to ignore the athletes who have dedicated their young lives to competing so that they could play an awkward interview of a man-child squirming while he's caught in an obvious lie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms. Spam Posted August 21, 2016 Author Share Posted August 21, 2016 It is sad a 32 year old man wants street cred by destroying a bathroom then lies to keep his mom from knowing ruining a good olympics for USA swimming. I wanted to get in more track and field and online streaming has really been great for this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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