Olympics anyone?

[Alan]

Didn't Mary Decker have a huge lead at the time of the fall?

No, she collided with another medal contender, Zola Budd.

 

[easysurfer]

No, she collided with another medal contender, Zola Budd.

Thanks for the refresher. I remember now.

 

[Music Lover]

She will attend Stanford with a full athletic scholarship. The "no endorsements" rule is probably imposed by the NCAA, which wants to ensure that any money generated by a member athlete is distributed between the two athletic organizations and no one else. Allowing her to earn would be a bad precedent for them.

I think this choice shows she has condifence in herself and her ability to generate future income. If, 20 years from now, Michael Phelps is now broke and marginally employed, while Ledecky has used her education to propel her to a successful professional career, we will collectively congratulate her for making the hard choice.

Phelps has a reported net worth of $55 million...unless he does something foolish, he'll be fine.

Scholarships make sense to the average person who can't afford school, but for a person with the ability to generate millions in endorsements, she is for all intents and purposes, paying a very heavy price for that scholarship. There are very few degrees that will earn over a career what she may be giving up.

 

[Gumby]

I would think that she can still go to college and accept commercial endorsements so long as she doesn't swim for the college team.

 

[MichaelB]

I would think that she can still go to college and accept commercial endorsements so long as she doesn't swim for the college team.

Of course she can. She could also choose to continue competing and earn endorsements, just not in college. Her choice does not preclude future million dollar endorsement income - in fact, it might increase her future earning potential. For her there are clearly other priorities, in addition to money, in her life.

 

[RunningBum]

I would think that she can still go to college and accept commercial endorsements so long as she doesn't swim for the college team.

I'm pretty certain she can. But doing the endorsements would be a time suck along with continuing to swim professionally, and it would probably be tough to also manage school. Missy Franklin said when she left college, she would not have been able to keep up with school while doing the photo shoots and stuff for endorsements. I've also read that Katie comes from a pretty well-to-do family, so money may not be a big issue. While it's nice for kids to make it on their own financially, if I had the means I would support my kid going to college if they wanted to do that over going pro.

 

[RunningBum]

I'd also add that while Phelps may have $55M, his personal life has been up and down. Making that much money at an early age isn't always the best thing. A lot of other pro athletes have made more and lost it all. Maybe she's taking a lesson from that.

 

[Sunset]

Of course she can. She could also choose to continue competing and earn endorsements, just not in college. Her choice does not preclude future million dollar endorsement income - in fact, it might increase her future earning potential. For her there are clearly other priorities, in addition to money, in her life.

She could even take a year off College like some famous fella's daughter, earn a few million and then go to College for a degree, and retire like us.

 

[bUU]

Seems kinda like your definition of history is way down the list....

When you look at how much emphasis people in our society are putting on these things happening versus other things happening - even things happening in Rio - it is inescapable that it is that definition that would apply. But you're beating a dead horse at this point.

Will you accept SPORTS HISTORY?

Of course; it isn't the words that matter, though, but rather the focus. I think in a discussion about the Olympics we should be discussing the crime visited on athletes and spectators, and the conditions of the residents of Rio, and the impact on the economy for decades to come, more so than the "games", but if no one else finds that stuff important enough then so be it. I concede to the majority's force of will.

 

[MichaelB]

Back on topic, again. Usain Bolt is amazing, eh?

 

[eytonxav]

Back on topic, again. Usain Bolt is amazing, eh?

He always seems to be able to kick into another high gear. Gatlin was impressive as well, especially considering he is approx 5 years older than Bolt.

 

[braumeister]

For myself I am attempting to excel in 4 different disciplines; sitting, watching, eating and drinking.

Don't forget critiquing. That would be the full Modern Pentathlon.

 

[braumeister]

Back on topic, again. Usain Bolt is amazing, eh?

Interesting article on him a week or two ago. Biomechanically analyzing his style, it seems that he's not actually faster than his competition, he just slows down toward the end much more gradually than anyone else.

 

[RunningBum]

Interesting article on him a week or two ago. Biomechanically analyzing his style, it seems that he's not actually faster than his competition, he just slows down toward the end much more gradually than anyone else.

They were making a big deal out of that yesterday, but once he makes up for his slow start because of his size, he is quickly catching and passing the field well before the finish. His top speed is 27.8 mph. I'm having less luck tracking down other runners' speeds but it looks like only a couple other guys have ever barely hit 27mph (Gatlin and Donovan Bailey). He really is faster than everyone else. His turnover is about the same, but he covers more ground with his stride.

 

[HFWR]

When you look at how much emphasis people in our society are putting on these things happening versus other things happening - even things happening in Rio - it is inescapable that it is that definition that would apply. But you're beating a dead horse at this point.

Of course; it isn't the words that matter, though, but rather the focus. I think in a discussion about the Olympics we should be discussing the crime visited on athletes and spectators, and the conditions of the residents of Rio, and the impact on the economy for decades to come, more so than the "games", but if no one else finds that stuff important enough then so be it. I concede to the majority's force of will.

You must be a lot of fun at parties...

I'm all for addressing the many issues we as humans face, and usually cause, but life would be pretty miserable if we weren't able to filter the noise.

"I'm sorry, son, but you can't have a birthday cake. People are starving, you know..."

 

[bUU]

You must be a lot of fun at parties...

I've presented my perspectives on this respectfully. Can you please drown me out without getting rude?

 

[HFWR]

I've presented my perspectives on this respectfully. Can you please drown me out without getting rude?

Uh, that was an attempt at humor. If I was really trying to be rude, you'd know it...

As I tried to say, I appreciate your perspective, but there are always people suffering, and stuff is always happening, etc., but life would be pretty miserable if that was all we focused on.

Thankfully, no one is forcing anyone to watch the Olympics.

 

[Alan]

For myself I am attempting to excel in 4 different disciplines; sitting, watching, eating and drinking.

Don't forget critiquing. That would be the full Modern Pentathlon.

 

[Texas Proud]

When you look at how much emphasis people in our society are putting on these things happening versus other things happening - even things happening in Rio - it is inescapable that it is that definition that would apply. But you're beating a dead horse at this point.

Of course; it isn't the words that matter, though, but rather the focus. I think in a discussion about the Olympics we should be discussing the crime visited on athletes and spectators, and the conditions of the residents of Rio, and the impact on the economy for decades to come, more so than the "games", but if no one else finds that stuff important enough then so be it. I concede to the majority's force of will.

I would think any discussion of the crime and conditions in Rio should be in its own thread... you can start one... I will read it.... this one is about the games of the Olympics...

 

[REWahoo]

I concede to the majority's force of will.

Good move. Resistance is futile.

 

[nash031]

I would think any discussion of the crime and conditions in Rio should be in its own thread... you can start one... I will read it.... this one is about the games of the Olympics...

Seriously. My wife and I are Olympic die-hards, but have discussed amongst ourselves the continued lack of focus by NBC or really any major media source along with the USOC on the realities of Rio and the mind-boggling decision made to host the Games there.

But that's not stopping us from enjoying the competition and the feats competed by the amazing athletes down there who had nothing to do with those choices.

To belittle the competition because of the conditions of the city is unfair to the thousands of athletes who've dedicated their lives to achieving the heights of athletic competition and been lucky enough to find themselves on a team representing their countries. There, they can participate in goodwill towards other countries along with the competition and remind us that, as a popular ad running during prime time coverage says, "We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike."

So, to each their own, but to assume that everyone watching the competition is a mindless drone subject to the whims of NBC isn't a fair criticism... not at all.

Yesterday:
- Men's tennis final
- USA men's basketball
- All gymnastics event finals (M Floor and P horse, W vault and bars)
- Field hockey
- Track semis/finals in 400, 100
- Brazil soccer

Today, we'll be watching:
- Gymnastics event finals
- More track

I "lied" about triathlon. Women's is Saturday with Gwen Jorgensen. Again, every bit as dominant in her sport as Biles, Bolt and Phelps!

 

[Sunset]

....
Of course; it isn't the words that matter, though, but rather the focus. I think in a discussion about the Olympics we should be discussing the crime visited on athletes and spectators, and the conditions of the residents of Rio, and the impact on the economy for decades to come, more so than the "games", but if no one else finds that stuff important enough then so be it. I concede to the majority's force of will.

You are right, I have really noticed the crime and have decided that Rio is not somewhere I want to visit.
If during the higher security of the Games, people are being robbed at gunpoint, knife point, etc, then imagine how much worse it must be when there are less police around.

I think the Games has been a real negative for Rio tourism futures.

 

[Bestwifeever]

DW and I have been really enjoying the Olympics. At least these days the folks who are not interested have many other TV channels to watch.

For myself I am attempting to excel in 4 different disciplines; sitting, watching, eating and drinking.

I'm going for the gold in the all-around event of this sport. It will be a [-]historical[/-] hysterical moment, for sure.

 

[easysurfer]

In the Super Bowl there was "The Catch". Now in Olympics there is "The Dive" in women's track.

In a desperate lunge at the finish line, Shaunae Miller of the Bahamas won the women’s 400 meters at the Rio Olympics on Monday night, defeating Allyson Felix of the United States.
Running in Lane 7 and leading down the stretch, Miller apparently could sense that Felix was closing fast on the inside. With four strides remaining, Miller began to dive toward the finish line like a runner trying to steal second base.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/15/sports/olympics/rio-schedule-results.html

Now I can see baseball players diving into 1st base with the olympics as "proof" that technique works .

 

[RunningBum]

In the Super Bowl there was "The Catch". Now in Olympics there is "The Dive" in women's track.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/15/sports/olympics/rio-schedule-results.html

Now I can see baseball players diving into 1st base with the olympics as "proof" that technique works .

It looked to me like she was totally spent, and broke stride a couple steps from the finish, so a dive was at least as good as the fall that was going to happen anyway.

The "diving into 2nd base" analogy that that the NY Times (not you) used is flawed because people slide into bases mostly to quickly decelerate and not overrun the bag and be tagged out. They also do it to better avoid a tag.

For first base I don't think diving works well either, because you have to touch the base, not just break the plane like a finish line. Your feet at are already at ground level, so that's an efficient way to hit the base. Diving means you have to not only cover the ground horizontally, but vertically as well to get your hands to the ground, while decelerating. But you're probably right, people will point to that as "proof" whether it is or not.


That was a great race.