Beijing 2008

[RunningBum]

I don't like the way the networks cover the Olympics. They seem to assume that the audience has a 30 second attention span. I prefer to see the entire event not just the high-lights. Can you imagine if they only showed the touchdowns in a football game yet that is how they show much of the Olympics.

Since I do a lot of endurance sports I would be happy if they showed the entire marathon or triathlon or bike road race but realize that will not happen because 99.9% of the audience would be bored to death.

MB

Well, you got your wish on the women's marathon. I don't see how they could've shown much more of that race, in prime time no less.

 

[SecondCor521]

[-]Hopefully[/-] Phelps' 8 golds.

2Cor521
Former [-]un[/-]competitive swimmer

2Cor521

 

[RunningBum]

Torres sportsmanship is amazing. I wish more athletes were like her.

I'll second that on Torres. A true Olympian, proven more than once this week.

For anyone who missed it, she delayed the start of a prelim race so that a competitor could do an emergency change of a ripped suit and still make the race. You could see her tell the other swimmers "We're all going to wait", and also go over to her coach as a delay to give the swimmer time to get to the start.

And then she gets nipped by .01 seconds in the finals, and she's all smiles and congrats for the winner.

There have been more impressive performances in these Olympics, but I'm not sure there have been more impressive people.

 

[TromboneAl]

I'm sitting here at the computer right now so that DW can watch the Michael Phelps worship news coverage, and I don't have to see it.

I agree that he's a good at moving through the water in several different ways, but he got 8 medals, "the best ever," because there are so many different swimming events. Even if a marathon runner could finish the marathon in 20 minutes, he wouldn't be the best ever, because there's only one marathon event.

OK, Phelps coverage is over, so I can go back to watching the news.

 

[Notmuchlonger]

Well whatever you do AL dont post pics of the guy. The thread might get shutdown due to complaints.

 

[clifp]

Well, you got your wish on the women's marathon. I don't see how they could've shown much more of that race, in prime time no less.

I was amazed they showed some much of the woman's marathon. I thought the only reason they show so much of the men's marathon is it is the last and only event. It is really long, now that great of a spectator sport, no American was competitive and the race wasn't close.

Definitely a great olympic's for chronologically gifted women with a 38 year old woman winning the marathon by several minutes, the American's woman basketball featuring a number 35 years old stars killing the competition and of course Dara.

 

[Marquette]

I'm sitting here at the computer right now so that DW can watch the Michael Phelps worship news coverage, and I don't have to see it.

I agree that he's a good at moving through the water in several different ways, but he got 8 medals, "the best ever," because there are so many different swimming events. Even if a marathon runner could finish the marathon in 20 minutes, he wouldn't be the best ever, because there's only one marathon event.

OK, Phelps coverage is over, so I can go back to watching the news.

If the marathoner beat all of the other world class athletes in 8 marathons over the course of two weeks then I would consider them the best ever also. Bonus points if they were involved in a sprint at the end of one of the races and won by 2/100th of a second.

 

[clifp]

A distance runner could run the 5K, 10, and marathon. In fact the great 10K runner from Ethopia has competed in all 3 events.

Carl Lewis and Jesse Owens both won individual gold in the 100,200, long jump, and 4 x100 relay.

I am not saying it would be easy but I think it is possible for super dominant track star to win 4-5 individual gold medals and one or two relays. For instance the 100, 200, 110 hurdles, long jump, triple jump and 4 x100 relay. Or a middle distance guy, the 200, 400, 800, 400 hurdles and 4 x 400 relay.

There are more relays in swimming than other sports but Phelps won 5 individual medals which is still remarkable.

 

[RunningBum]

Thorpe's feat was remarkable. I don't know if it was the best ever because I don't know how to compare across sports. But if you say it was the best ever, you might well say that Spitz's was the 2nd best ever, and that seems like too much of a coincidence to me that they are both swimmers.

If Thorpe hadn't retired, would Phelps still have swept?

 

[mb]

Thorpe's feat was remarkable. I don't know if it was the best ever because I don't know how to compare across sports. But if you say it was the best ever, you might well say that Spitz's was the 2nd best ever, and that seems like too much of a coincidence to me that they are both swimmers.

If Thorpe hadn't retired, would Phelps still have swept?

Not to dimish what Phelp's has done but I think that Emil Zatopek's 5k, 10k, marathon triple is equal to Phelp's 8 golds.

Yes, I think that Phelp's would still have the 8 golds if Thorpe competed. Phelps is a lot faster in the 200 free than he was in Athens. Maybe Thorpe could have turned it around but he appeared to have plateaued at Athens.

MB

 

[clifp]

Not to dimish what Phelp's has done but I think that Emil Zatopek's 5k, 10k, marathon triple is equal to Phelp's 8 golds.

Cool didn't know anybody every did that. I agree that is a fairly comparable accomplishment for a single olympic. Although 4 golds over 2 games isn't close to Phelps.

 

[tryan]

Ever wonder why the stands are empty?

The mystery of the half-filled stands at many events at the 2008 Olympic Games has been solved, according to Chinese internet users, who say it is the result of a policy to prevent the gathering of large and possibly uncontrollable crowds.
They claim ticket sales to the public were secretly restricted. Blocks of tickets went to government departments, Communist party officials or state-owned companies, which have quietly obeyed orders not to hand them out. “People are so angry because they slept all night outside ticket booths and got nothing and now they see this,” said one blogger, Jian Yu.
Official explanations eroded swiftly because internet insurgents have rapidly identified cracks in the perfect facade constructed for the Olympics.

China’s iron Olympic grip starts to slip - Times Online

 

[CitricAcid]

Doubt that somebody would be able to win the 800 and 200, very different events, the 200 is basically an all-out extended sprint. 400 is similar to a sprint, but not quite and 800 is not a sprint. Correct me if wrong, however, it may have already happened. By the way, the reason that Phelps is being praised so highly is because of 7 world records out of 8. It is not just the gold medals but being able to shatter the records in every event he is put into. And, to the point of him only being freestyle and butterfly, almost all sports (I know we are talking about Olympians) are partitioned into different types of players. Is Michael Jordan the best player of all time or is Bill Russell? One may be the best small forward and the other the center, but when talking player you have to compare the two. Rafael Nadal is an outstanding player, but only has one championship that is not the French Open (clay courts) and that is Wimbledon this year. It is not as exaggerated, but Jack Nicklaus won 6 Masters and only 3 British opens. Maybe this means that he does not have good iron work but can drive the ball far and putt (British open courses are known to have thing fairways which make iron work much more difficult and driving accuracy over power is highlighted). Just saying that he can do two events, only one spectacularly (fly) does not seem much of a detriment to me.

 

[FinanceDude]

Doubt that somebody would be able to win the 800 and 200, very different events, the 200 is basically an all-out extended sprint. 400 is similar to a sprint, but not quite and 800 is not a sprint.

I ran the 400 and 800 in high school and college, NO WAY I had the speed for a 200. Guys that do a 200 and 400 are more common than in years past. Michael Johnson never ran the 100 because he didn't have enough explosive speed off the line.......

By the way, the reason that Phelps is being praised so highly is because of 7 world records out of 8. It is not just the gold medals but being able to shatter the records in every event he is put into.

World records get broken, Olympic Golds are forever.........

Is Michael Jordan the best player of all time or is Bill Russell?

If they both could have met in their prime for a one-on-one match to 50, with one point per basket, who would you take? I'd take Jordan every time.......

What Phelps did WAS amazing, but he doesn't do it without help in 3 relays. In that light, Usain Bolt's double double with two world records is more amazing to me.

 

[clifp]

Interesting debate. I was a mediocre breast stroker in High School and currently swim distances, only experiences in track were unpleasant so I am far from an expert...

IMO, good Olympian are the best at one event. Superior Olympians are great at either two similar events (e.g. 100 or 200 distance, spring board and platform diving, overall gymnastics and floor exercise...) or one event over multiple Olympics.

Great Olympians win two or more golds in two or more Olympics.
An exceptional Olympian like Carl Lewis wins three individual golds and than continues to win multiple gold in additional Olympics. If Bolts wins the 100 and 200 in London, then he deserves to be talked about in the same breath as Carl.

I look at swimming as having three different disciplines speed (i.e. freestyle), stroke specialist (breast stroke, and back stroke are as different as sprinting and hurdles) and overall swimming (the Individual Medley). Ignoring the numbers of gold, what Phelps did is so remarkable because he won golds in all three different disciplines over two Olympics. Something no one else has ever done. For instance the great Russian gymnast Larissa Latynina (9 golds, 18 medals most overall) won 3 individual events in 1956 but only 2 individual in 1960. Same thing with Carl Lewis 3 individual golds in 84 but "only" two in 88. I think this is why Phelps deserves the title as the greatest Olympian ever.

 

[HFWR]

Interesting debate. I was a mediocre breast stroker in High School and currently swim distances, only experiences in track were unpleasant so I am far from an expert...

I was a world-class breast [-]fondler[/-] stroker in HS...

 

[clifp]

I was a world-class breast [-]fondler[/-] stroker in HS...

The board is slow today, everybody must be watching the [-]hot woman[/-]
Olympics, it took 90 minutes before somebody swung at the soft[-]breast[/-]ball. I figured it would take less than an hour.

 

[REWahoo]

I thought the issue of the Chinese gymnast's age was going to fade away. Maybe not.

IOC requests probe of Chinese gymnast’s age

 

[Htown Harry]

Should it be John Dane, a 58 year-old sailor from New Orleans?

Well, sailing fans, it was just not meant to be.

Star Class had a series of 10 races among a field of 16 boats.

Our man got off to a great start, clinging a narrow lead after three races. By end of the sixth race, however, his boat had fallen to 15th place.

The last four races went better, but the team failed to make the 10-boat medal race.

Final result: 11th place.

"Dane qualified for the U.S. sailing team in Beijing, after 40 years of unsuccessful attempts, first in 1968, at age 18, when he was No. 2 in a borrowed Dragon-class boat. He tried again in the Soling class in 1972, then in the Finn class in 1974 and the Star in 1984.


It finally worked when he teamed up with [son-in-law Austin] Sperry, now 30.


Dane flew from Qingdao, the sailing venue, to the Olympic opening ceremony a week ago in Beijing, 300 miles to the north.


"It was the thrill of a lifetime. I mean standing there in a tunnel, people chanting USA, the adrenalin pumping. It was just a moment to remember my whole life," said Dane.

​

From another article, reporting on the results:

"It’s not enjoyable, but it’s a great experience to be at the Olympics and I’m fortunate to be one of those few people who have been to the Olympics," he said. "I just wish I had done better for our country and the rest of the team."



Dane was America's oldest Olympian. Sperry is his son-in-law and was glad to help the 58-year-old fulfill a lifelong dream to make the Olympics.


"I take pride in that. I helped give the old guy something he’s always wanted," he said. "He’s been a savior for a lot of people [providing housing to his employees after Hurricane Katrina] so he deserves it."
​

Good on ya, John Dane.

 

[FinanceDude]

The board is slow today, everybody must be watching the [-]hot woman[/-]
Olympics, it took 90 minutes before somebody swung at the soft[-]breast[/-]ball. I figured it would take less than an hour.

Classic moment last night on NBC. Kostas asks Collingsworth if the girls played in sweats would it be as interesting? And Collingsowrth smiled and said, well NO!!!

 

[TromboneAl]

Is there some rule in volleyball that requires a group hug after every point?

 

[clifp]

I checked out the beach volleyball rules over at volleyball.com. I couldn't find anything requiring it but I didn't find anything discouraging it either.

Is it that different than high fives after a good playing in football or basketball?

I hope your not complaining about the mandatory hug and roll around on the sand after you win the gold medal, which I must admit I enjoyed much more when the woman did it than the men.