Turin Winter Olympics

claude · February-13th-2006, 08:59 AM

Anyone watching the games?

I've only caight a few events so far. As usual on CBC any hockey game, even 17-0 blowouts, take priority over any other event. I hate to see what will happen when the Gretzky circus shows up.

moneyp · February-13th-2006, 09:05 AM

Anxiously awaiting the Gretzky circus.

I have the TiVo fired up for Wednesday's slate of games. Caught some of the women's hockey this weekend, as well as some speed skating, an event I find compulsively watchable.

Brian Olewnick · February-13th-2006, 09:06 AM

They added Greco-Roman ice wrestling this year, right?

Enforcer · February-13th-2006, 09:17 AM

The more hockey, the better. I saw some of the U.S. women versus Germany yesterday.

claude · February-13th-2006, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mone peterson

Anxiously awaiting the Gretzky circus.

I have the TiVo fired up for Wednesday's slate of games. Caught some of the women's hockey this weekend, as well as some speed skating, an event I find compulsively watchable.

I also love watching long track speed skating. The short-track races are more like roller-derby, so I find them more of a guilty pleasure.

I find it hard to get interested in the men's hockey since it's really more like an NHL all-star tournament with the teams broken down by country. The real ultimate goal for these guys is the Stanley cup and that's where the real intensity will come. I would prefer to watch the athletes for whom this is the ultimate goal.

As for the womens hockey, why don't they just have the US and Canada play it out now? Jeez, Canada won two games by a combines score of something like 28-0! The sport is obvously not international in scope yet.

Root Doctor · February-13th-2006, 09:20 AM

I was at my local with a friend yesterday afternoon, enjoying the cross country skiing until the TV controls were taken over by the NASCAR crowd. I split before some lame-ass new country singer reached the chorus of his wretched song.

Enforcer · February-13th-2006, 09:21 AM

claude, I think you underestimate the importance of the Olympics for these players. I don't think Olympic competition is less intense than the chase for the Stanley Cup. Team Canada has tremendous pressure to take gold every Olympic year, for example.

Chris D · February-13th-2006, 09:23 AM

Full-on Olympic spectating at our house, leading to much jumping off couches with "lean": We've got a couple fo prospective ski jumpers in the house.

Ever since Grenoble, I've been enchanted with the Winter Games; they helped open my eyes to a bigger world. Sounds corny, but it's true.

That cross-country pursuit race was something else. And the last man on the run, the French competitor, winning the downhill when the other guys were already celebrating at the bottom of the hill? Classic!

Bring on the men's 500 meters in speedskating! Our local boy, Casey FitzRandolph, will try to defend his gold. Don't break the suspense if you know the result before tonight.

Steve Reynolds · February-13th-2006, 09:37 AM

enjoyed the ski-jumping and the downhill last night

pissed off that I am missing curling this morning and later this afternoon, I think

curling is the *greatest* winter olympic sport in the history of winter olympic sports.

claude · February-13th-2006, 09:42 AM

Woohoo!! Another curling fan!

I also missed the curling but I'll catch it later on. Our Canadian teams are both quite young (with the exception of Russ Howard on the Gushue rink) but they are insanely talented.

The usual suspects from Europe, I don't know anything about the US team, are they competitive?

Jason Bivins · February-13th-2006, 09:57 AM

Curling is on??? I must get to the DVR . . .

Doc Martin · February-13th-2006, 10:36 AM

Are you a fan of the Winter Olympics and do you have Google Earth on your computer? Google thought it would be nice to give you a taste of what it would feel like to be in Torino, Italy, so they've updated Google Earth and Google Local with high resolution imagery of the surrounding area.

Once you have Google Earth installed, you can click on a KMZ file, which will load placemarks for all the major venues in the Torino area.

Enjoy.

moneyp · February-13th-2006, 11:10 AM

Very cool, Doc. Thanks!

Scott Dolan · February-13th-2006, 11:33 AM

Haven't seen very much. But I'm glad Kwan is no longer going to compete. I can't stand that fucking crybaby!!

Chris D · February-13th-2006, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Dolan

Haven't seen very much. But I'm glad Kwan is no longer going to compete. I can't stand that fucking crybaby!!

Pretty harsh. What she accomplished -- NINE U.S. championships -- will likely never be seen again. I give her credit for realizing she didn't have it once she got there instead of dragging it out until the last minute when Hughes couldn't get there.

moneyp · February-13th-2006, 12:09 PM

I like Kwan for the reasons noted in Jim Caple's article. As crybabies go, she's pretty benign, and one couldn't have asked for a better ambassador for the sport. But she had her chance. The Salt Lake gold medal was hers for the taking, but went with a low-risk routine and didn't even perform it cleanly.

OK, really I like her because she's hot and she's a diehard hockey fan. Everything else is details.

Easy like Sunday morning,
Mone

Chaz Longue · February-13th-2006, 12:19 PM

Skied competitively as a kid. 4 events: 2 alpine and 2 nordic. Never quite got used to jumping. So every 4 years I get to watch sports on TV. I've always enjoyed watching the Winter olympics, actually, even before I competed myself.

Dolan - Do anything as well as Kwan and you're allowed to show your joy as well as your disapointment in my book. I've never heard Kwan accused of being a poor sport. Why the schadenfreude, sunshine?

Enforcer · February-13th-2006, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mone peterson

OK, really I like her because she's hot and she's a diehard hockey fan. Everything else is details.

I was going to say it, but I figured if I waited long enough, you'd say it for me. Well done.

Scott Dolan · February-13th-2006, 01:16 PM

That whiny little shit pouted her way through the last winter games while that cutie pie Sarah Hughes stomped her ass in every way. She showed her true prima donna colors during those games.

She clearly thought the gold was supposed to be handed to her.

Fuck Michelle Kwan!!

Scott Dolan · February-13th-2006, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Dolan - Do anything as well as Kwan and you're allowed to show your joy as well as your disapointment in my book. I've never heard Kwan accused of being a poor sport. Why the schadenfreude, sunshine?

Does that apply to everything? Like lambasting the President, for example?

claude · February-13th-2006, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Dolan

That whiny little shit pouted her way through the last winter games while that cutie pie Sarah Hughes stomped her ass in every way. She showed her true prima donna colors during those games.

She clearly thought the gold was supposed to be handed to her.

Fuck Michelle Kwan!!

I don't recall her being a cry-baby, but then I've been hit in the head quite a few times in my day so I may just have forgotten

. That being said, I have never seen Michelle as being anything but a true sportswoman (sportsperson?, sportsman didn't seem right). Also, for the record, I do follow figure skating beyond the olympics and you can't take anything away from Michelle Kwan regardless of her Olympic record. Hell, some of the best skaters ever never got an olympic medal (Kurt Browning anyone?).

kedoane · February-13th-2006, 01:41 PM

Somewhat been watching it at work mostly. This is the first time since I have worked master control that I am not doing master control for an Olympics. I did master control for the last two Olympics, Salt Lake and Athens. I am able to enjoy the games without really looking for the promo that preceeds the local break.

Steve Reynolds · February-13th-2006, 01:43 PM

is there a problem with people showing their emotions?

lordy lordy

Chaz Longue · February-13th-2006, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Dolan

Does that apply to everything? Like lambasting the President, for example?

I'm sorry - I don't know what this means.

steve(thelil) · February-13th-2006, 02:05 PM

Since I confirmed that Torino is Italian for Turin (and not just a cheesy Ford) I've grown increasingly disappointed at the lack of TV coverage of the Shroud.

steve(thelil) · February-13th-2006, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chaz Longue

I'm sorry - I don't know what this means.

If you don't understand what he wrote, you do know what it means.

Scott Dolan · February-13th-2006, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chaz Longue

I'm sorry - I don't know what this means.

Aw shit, sorry about that, Chaz. I was on my way out the door heading to work and misread what you were saying. I thought you said that I had to accomplish things similar to Kwan before I could criticize.

Oopz. My reply most certainly makes no sense. I apologize for reading on the run.

Either way, Michelle Kwan showed her true colors. She did more than just show "disappointment". I'm glad she pulled out. Hopefully I'll never have to be bothered with whiny piece of shit ever again!!

Chris D · February-13th-2006, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Dolan

Either way, Michelle Kwan showed her true colors.

Yes, she did. She reasonably assessed she could not compete and stepped aside. That's a pretty big move when she could have dragged it on to see if she could make it.

Scott Dolan · February-13th-2006, 02:54 PM

I'm talking about in '02 when she pouted about the judging when Hughes handed her her ass.

Whiny fuck.

She got beat, and instead of acting like a good sport, she bitched that the judges fucked up.

Bah!!!

Michelle Kwan can kiss my ass!!!

cookie · February-13th-2006, 03:14 PM

I love the winter games. Like 'em more than the summer ones,actually.

The biggest thrill for me so far was watching that Hendrick kid win the 5000m speedskating competition. Wow!