The Olympics are Too Much

[TromboneAl]

The Olympics have gone too far, and here are two examples of what I mean:

1. Skiing.  It's totally reasonable to say "Let's see who can ski down the mountain faster."  But this concept has been extended to absurdity.  Bode Miller reportedly travels with 30 pairs of skis, spending $8,000/trip to transport them, plus full time people to service them. 

2. Figure Skating.  Starts with the concept of "Let's see who can be graceful and do interesting things on skates."  Great idea.  Look at a movie of figure skating in the Olympics in the 30's and that's what you'll see. 

Now, however, it's all about the triple and quad jumps.  Everyone zones out until a jump comes, then they just watch to see if the skater "made the landing."  Plus, the skaters give up their childhood and skate 42 hours a day.

 

[brewer12345]

Maybe I am just internally defective in some way, but I really fail to see the attraction of watching the Olympics on TV.

 

[setab]

I'd have watched more if it didn't conflict with American Idol. Now that is sport!

setab

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Al - I saw on bloomberg this morning where the reporter finally admitted she only watches the skating to see if someone would fall, and the anchor in the newsroom said "thats a huge relief, I feel the same way...I thought I was the only one!".

I'll bet they're in the majority.

 

[HFWR]

I watch so I can see the skater's panties...

 

[OldAgePensioner]

Yeah, ever since Dorothy Hammil with that big booty and big panties

 

[Jay_Gatsby]

I watch so I can see the skater's panties... 

Umm...some of the skaters are 15 years old!

 

[TromboneAl]

the skating to see if someone would fall

Yes, exactly!  In fact, I realized this a few years ago, and decided to learn to really enjoy the falls.   With the wife, you're going to have to watch ice skating, and that's the only way I can bear to watch it.  I have become a connoisseur of falls.  

What you want is a fall that makes the elegant graceful skater look like a real klutz.  This Olympics had a few perfect 10's, at least in the ice dancing.  

The gold medal went to ice dancing where the man was spinning the woman around like a centrifuge, and she slips off his arms, shoots out a few feet, and lands on her butt.

This narrowly beat out the silver medalist couple, in which the woman stumbles then falls, and the man falls on top of her.

Bronze went to the woman who landed on the ice like a frog.

 

[HFWR]

Umm...some of the skaters are 15 years old! 

You're right... Too old...

 

[ladelfina]

admitted she only watches the skating to see if someone would fall, and the anchor in the newsroom said "thats a huge relief, I feel the same way...I thought I was the only one!"

So you're saying the audience for figure skating is materially no different from the audience for NASCAR?     Or is it just the TV idiots who are no different..

I'd say the latter.

 

[yelnad]

I saw Dorothy Hamil skate last week and she's still so beautiful and graceful on the ice. No fancy tricks or anything. At most she'll do a double axle, but you don't notice she only rotated twice because it's just executed so well.

 

[Sheryl]

I'd have watched more if it didn't conflict with American Idol.  Now that is sport!

setab

Same here.  After having nothing but disdain for AI the last 3-4 years, I watched one audition show and was suddenly hooked.  Is anyone else going to admit it??

We watched Olympics and AI simultaneously with the PIP feature - the actual action over a full hour was about 3-4 minutes on each show.

 

[azanon]

I really enjoy the Olympics, and see it as an opportunity for countries to come together amicably.

>How much money should be spent on our top skiiers? Do you want us to win?

>I thought all that mattered was the jumps too until I watched Sasha Cohen fall twice, and come away with a Silver. Clearly, I was mistaken.

 

[HFWR]

Went to bed before the Russian skater; if Cohen got silver, the Russian must've been REALLY bad...

The Japanese skater who got gold was head, shoulders, and panties above the rest, IMHO...  8)

 

[Eagle43]

I have never understood why the skaters have such trouble with the jumps.  Can you imagine Bill Parcells coaching an ice skater.  She would jump 14 hours a day, until it was extremely routine and no big deal.  They've all got the ability to do it, but they lack the mental confidence.  If you must do something to win, then "just do it." 

BTW:  I annoy DW, who loves to watch ice skating, by telling her it's just a bunch of dirty old men who make the sport so popular. Does anybody watch the men skaters?   Now I'm going to say something really, really, naughty:  "triple toe loop".  There, put that in your double axle.

 

[setab]

"There, put that in your double axle."

Was that a reference to the male skaters? Not that it matters.

setab

 

[TromboneAl]

Same here.  After having nothing but disdain for AI the last 3-4 years, I watched one audition show and was suddenly hooked.  Is anyone else going to admit it??

We watch it.  You've got to record it so you can skip the boring stuff.  

The auditions are scary, because they show that someone can be completely wrong when assessing their abilities.   So, as a musician you wonder whether you are fooling yourself.  

 

[Andre1969]

My biggest complaint about the Olympics is that it messes with the tv schedule. I miss Earl!

 

[yelnad]

I admit to watching AI, Survivor, and Amazing Race. I'm an addict, but there are worse vices in life.

 

[dex]

The Olympics have gone too far, and here are two examples of what I mean:
1. Skiing. It's totally reasonable to say "Let's see who can ski down the mountain faster." But this concept has been extended to absurdity. Bode Miller reportedly travels with 30 pairs of skis, spending $8,000/trip to transport them, plus full time people to service them.
2. Figure Skating. Starts with the concept of "Let's see who can be graceful and do interesting things on skates." Great idea. Look at a movie of figure skating in the Olympics in the 30's and that's what you'll see.
Now, however, it's all about the triple and quad jumps. Everyone zones out until a jump comes, then they just watch to see if the skater "made the landing." Plus, the skaters give up their childhood and skate 42 hours a day.

I agree with your premise. But think about it humans always think better is better (if one pill is good 2 pills must be better) look at women's breast implants (and I like to); a C cup is just about right to me. They look good and you can still do things not only on the horizontal but the vertical - meaning you can go outside and do things. But what do we see more and more of? DD; DDD; DDDD; F; FF; FFF;FFF and BIIIGGGGEEEERRRRR

 

[mb]

I love watching the Olympics but I do a lot of areobic sports so I like the "boring and unpoplular" sports such as long distance running and cross country skiing. Wished they would show more of these races rather than just "sound bites" but most of the audience would get bored and change the channel. I don't get as excited about things like figure skating and gymnastics for example as many people.

Eagle this is 100% wrong:

I have never understood why the skaters have such trouble with the jumps. Can you imagine Bill Parcells coaching an ice skater. She would jump 14 hours a day, until it was extremely routine and no big deal. They've all got the ability to do it, but they lack the mental confidence. If you must do something to win, then "just do it."

Why didn't Parcells just get his quarterback and receivers to practice more so that they can complete 100% of their passes. Heck, they didn't even make the playoffs. This is like saying that baseball players would hit a 1000 (i.e. 100%) or NBA players would make 100% of their 3 point shots of they just practiced more and if they don't it is because they lack confidence.

The reasons for the missed jumps is obvious. They are working at the physical limit of what the best skaters can currently do no matter how much they work on it. For a particular jump there might be a probability of say 50% that they can do it successfully. The baseball analogy is that the very best hitters have batting averages between 300 and 400. There just seems to be a limitation around 400. Back to skating, let's say that there is a 50% chance of hitting a jump and the five best skaters in the world are attempting it or something with similar difficulty. Well the probability is that at least one will hit it and therefore all of them have to try it if they want to win and 50% of them fail.

MB

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

You're right... Too old...

You SLUT!

 

[Eagle43]

MB, You are right.  My point is that it seems to be mental for the skaters.  I believe every baseball hitter and every quarterback begins an at-bat or a play believing they will get a hit, or complete the pass.  The skaters seem to start with the idea of avoiding the fall.  Of course, no one can do anything 100% correctly.  But I concede your point about degree of difficulty.  You've got to hit the jump, at the right time, and make it look smooth and effortless.   

 

[Maximillion]

These sports all require rigorous training and dedication and judgement is being passed by people, some of whom changeing the battery on the Remote is as close as they can come to exercise.

The training and the route necessary for a Figure Skater starts at a very young age on a small rink in a small town then progresses through years of travelling, training, competing just to get to National Trials

I think Jazz is loud noise made by second rate players who could not make it in a real orchestra, I don't understand Jazz, I don't like Jazz, but I don't criticise it either.

Football, dumb sport played by morbidly obese men who wear lots of body armour so other obese men won't hurt them, unlike hockey where the skill is required to skate and pass and body armour is at a minimum.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Sorry, but I've played both football and hockey.  Hockey players wear more padding than football players, although football helmets are a lot more substantial.

Hockey players wear padding in their frickin pants, and lets not mention the kneepads...whoops...I just did...

I think Jazz is loud noise made by second rate players who could not make it in a real orchestra, I don't understand Jazz, I don't like Jazz, but I don't criticise it either.

Uh...didnt you just do exactly that?