Olympics Thread
 

Go australia!!

USA USA USA

Btw, if anyone wants free money, bet on Great Britain to win over 27.5 medals on Bodog @ 1.5.

*cough*

*hack*

*cough*

Best games ever!
(Still bitter that the stupid Samaranch pussed out at the Atlanta games)

OMFG
[url]American tourist stabbed/killed, wife in serious condition


They live in the town right next to me.
WTF is wrong with people.

BURN IN HELL YOU FUCKIN GOOK

There are maniacs in every big city. Too bad he killed himself afterwards. I suspect he'd have been tried, convicted and executed before the end of the games had he not saved the PRC the trouble.

Trajedy aside, I'm surprised how much I'm digging the Olympics this time. The Opening Ceremonies were like nothing I have ever seen, and I'm getting into the sports too.

NH, China.

micheal phelps swimming for first gold in about 37 mins

usa vs china 10 15 am est round 1 mes baskeball

kickass basketball game on right now, china vs usa

The games are exciting, but I reamin amazed that China was given the games in the first place.

they said the main factor was that they have 1/5th the worlds population and they wanted to expand it to those people. its just so disgusting to look at the outside shots during the rod race and see they smog. thats truely a wake up call at how bad it can be.

sorry bout it france ...... it is fitting they wear white warmups

Womens 400 metres freestyle final, GOLD & BRONZE.

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Team GB.

Stephanie Rice gogogo (also do a google image search)

I guess you and I have different definitions for "kickass" basketball games. Pretty much the US is supposed to blow out everybody.

As I used to say back in the first days of allowing NBA players in the Olympics, they call them the Dream Team because their games put you to sleep.

I know that the basketball world has changed from the days when the US couldn't lose just using college players. But a team of US NBA guys should NEVER LOSE A SINGLE GAME in the Olympics.

That was a game? I thought it was a dunk contest or dunking exhibition of some sort... huh, a game? Who knew.

Coach K is the US coach... GO RUSSIA!

Whoop Whoop Team GB

Third GOLD medal in a row for the mens four in rowing

Rebecca Adlington wins her second swimming GOLD and breaks the world record.

And we are fairly good at the cycling stuff too.

thadeas.

p.s. Congrats to the Phelps, he is a swimming monster.

Usain bolt you are my hero :)

Some people might have a problem with Bolt showboating...but if I was the fastest man on the planet by daylight and I didn't even have to try 100%...I'd be showboating far more than he did.

Yeah, that was awesome. I have no problem with the showboating, other than him costing himself an even better WR.

I am always amazed when one person absolutely dominated their sport... when everything clicks into place just right - genetics, training, etc, etc.

Tiger Woods. Michael Phelps. "Lightning" (best nickname ever) Bolt.

I've said for years that it surprises me how no NFL kicker has ever come along who can make 70+ yarders consistently. I mean, yes, the human body obviously has limits and when you reach the top of pro status in any sport, the playing field is USUALLY mostly level... but as this Olympics has shown, there are these exceptional freaks.

So where is they guy who puts opening kick offs though the uprights every time? He'll show up one of these days.

That was the sickest thing ever.

Dizzy Dean once said, "It ain't braggin' if you can do it." Same goes for Bolt. He can break the WR while easing up through the last 10 meters, he can showboat all he wants.

Interesting physical contrast though between Bolt and Phelps. Phelps has a weird body type that just happens to be perfect for swimming. Bolt has a body type that's all wrong for sprinting.

'cause in every country in the world (including the US) that kid plays soccer.

Every single football team I've ever played on our kicker was also the star of the soccer team, one even got a full ride soccer scholarship. Why be a nobody (lol kickers) when you can be ghey like ronaldo and bang any chick you want?

Must be posted -- this is the final of the mens 100m

I mean...damn...

You don't win the 100m that easily. It just doesn't happen.

As for the kicker thing, it has already been touched on. A kicker with that ability is going to play soccer in every country on the planet, except the US. And, even in the US, it would be a toss-up and he'd probably go to college and do both.

Also, Sebastian Janikowski is probably the closest thing to that freak that I can remember in recent years(and he never looked like a healthy sports figure). I seem to remember video of him at an FSU practice nailing kickoffs through the uprights consistently. [obviously, the NFL moves you back, so it isn't a great comparison]

If Phelps were a country, he'd be tied for 5th place in medals as of this morning.

Bullshit.

Actually, it has nothing to do with the ability of the kicker. A field goal is too complex; a bang-bang play where 3 people have to coordinate complex skills *and* a bunch of people are charging at the ball like the steroid-crazed felons they are. :eek: ;)

If the snappers, holders and kickers had 2 more seconds of peace, 70-yarders would be common.

What does everyone think about this ?

While it's not the worst thing anyone's ever done, I think Kaman is an idiot. I'm glad his father is pissed at him. His attitude in the piece pisses me off. It's a slap in the face to both countries and the olympic spirit in general.

we (the US) do it for a lot of athletes in other sports- gymnastics, track (distances), field events, and shooting off the top of my head so meh, it is pretty much a pot and kettle thing.

But props to his Pops for sure.

Kaman has never set foot in Germany. He doesn't speak the language. He's 3 generations removed. He said he won't play for Germany again unless Dirk does. He's treating it like Free Agency basically because "it beats summer league with the rookies."

I copy/pasted the follwing passage from a post on espn.com. It basically sums up my feelings and I didn't have to type it out:

1) Someone who was born and/or spent some/all childhood in one country, but has lived in another since. To me, these people deserve every right to choose which country to represent.

2) Someone like JR Holden or Hakeem Olajuwon or even Becky Hammond who has an established presence living and working in a country other than the one they were born and raised in. I've got no problem with this one either. In fact, Andrei Kirilenko made a good point - Holden has probably spent more time in Russia than he has over the last seven years.

3) Someone who emigrates from one country to another with one of the major motivators being the ability to represent the "new" country. This one is sort of questionable, but so long as that person is spending a good deal of time training/living there, I can be OK with that too.

4) Stuff like the Kaman deal. Come on, he had never been to Germany before joining the team - didn't really train there and definitely has never lived there, just sort of hitched to the wagon in time for the last-minute qualifier in Athens earlier in the summer. I don't see how being three generations removed from actual German citizens and never even visiting the country makes you immediately qualified to represent said country.

lots of anger itt.

If he wants to play for Germany, I don't have a problem with it.
How many athletes over the years have come to the US and played for us ? Many, Many, Many.
It is the same thing, just the other way.

The concept of dual citizenship is retarded. A number of nations don't allow for it. Play where you are. The idea of the Olympics is to represent your country.

Oh, what's that? You're second string and will never make it on the team in the land of the free? Then actually MOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How about temparary sex changes to compete against women?

But the point is he never went to Germany. People that play for the US have lived here for years.

Getting the thread back on the right track... ++rep fo shizzle!!!

Please name an Olympic athlete who played for the U.S. without having ever been to the U.S. prior to qualifying.

Mayhem wins this thread.

Right on, Invig.

Some douche on ESPN wrote something like: "I like the idea of not being confined to one's country. That way we see the best of the best competing and not the best of one country beating up on the inferior."

Fucking stupid that is.

Really looking forward to Wednesday's USA vs. Australia hoops game. I know even Americans like to hate on our overpaid superstar hoopers, but I hope we kick the living shit out of them. They've played hard and some big egos have really showed me something by willingly stepping out of a personal spotlight to let the team shine. Time to bring this thing back home. This is still "our game."

USA!

Did anyone take me up on this? GB already have 28, and will probably win 15 more.

(sadface)

An Observation
 

I am admittedly not super-nationalistic about the Olympics. I almost enjoy it more when someone from a tiny country wins a gold than when an American wins.

Olympic medal counts are a function of 3 interrelated factors.

1) Population
2) Organization of sports programs
3) Financial commitment

#1 is clearly the most important as the US and China being 1-2 shows, but without #2 and #3, population alone won't get you to the medal stand very often as the India and Indonesia (#2 and #4 in population) can attest, though I suspect if there were a secondary school academic olympics, India would dominate.

The fact that Australia can even challenge the US in swimming is an amazing achievement considering the Aussies start out as about a 16:1 dog population-wise.

As for Basketball, most countries are lucky to have 1 or 2 NBA players on their roster. The entire US team is from the NBA.

So if I'm never heard chanting "USA, USA" during the Olympcis, its not that I'm not patriotic, its just that I think some things should trascend nationalism.

And for those who don't like countries renting olympic athletes, I guess you think Great Britain should give back their 1936 Gold Medal in Ice Hockey. ;)