Athens Olympics 2004

Anybody been watching the Olympics over in Greece?

Apparently, the "Dream Team" needs to change their title to "The Creamed Team" Hey guys, all that sportscenter/highlight hoggin'/showing off doesn't get it done in international play. Lebron and company have lost to Italy, Puerto Rico, and have a very tough Greece team coming up...these guys better learn the basics, cause trash-talkin' isn't a sport!

There are so many cool sports, that you don't see on American TV:

Handball is AWESOME! It's like hockey, basketball, and soccer all combined.

Field Hockey...covered Kent's field hockey team, it's alot like ice hockey...but no body checking?

 

Handball is AWESOME!

HANDBALL?!? I never knew that was an Olympic sport !

That is pretty bad about the US Basketball team. Lots of players go back to the country they are from to play for their team but the US has the most "pro's" on it. There really is no reason for them to lose like that, IMO.

 

Actually, I believe handball is actually Jai Alai. (I could be wrong, haven't been following handball in the Olympics) If so... it's so cool, even Anakin plays it. (Check out his jai alai basket/launcher thingy/glove in TPM above his hovel bed) It's a lethal sport, because the ball can reach speeds of 100 MPH!!!

I was at work, and I took a lunch break, only to come over and find Team USA's basketball team down by 18 points at the time. I couldn't even believe it. LeBron James AND Carmelo Anthony together and they got their @$$es handed to them... by a US TERRITORY NONETHELESS! Just sad. Just goes to show you that a bunch of talented young individuals on the same roster is no match for a team of experienced players working together.

And an aside. Stupid, stupid Kobe...

 

Handball was cool. I never saw that before, but I liked it.

 

Is it just me, or are the Olympics just "bleh"? Honestly, it holds no excitement at all to me anymore, not that it did much previously. Haven't watched it, don't plan to, it just holds no interest to me anymore. *shrugs*

 

I heard a funny thing on the radio today. In many of the areas that are hosting events, they are thinking of simply giving tickets away due to the lack of people showing up.

As for the Dream Team...I only supported the first one...Larry Bird deserved that medal. Although in all....I hate the idea of using the Pro's to stack the team...its suppossed to be about the sport..not a given about winning.

 

I think the olympics are far more interesting this year because the dominant teams are getting creamed. How about those South Africans winning the 400 meter freestyle relay?? It was freaking AMAZING!! They were a body length and a half ahead of everyone else by the time they finished. And Michael Phelps, the American Dream Boy for swimming, went down in the head-to-head 200 meter freestyle to Aussie Ian Thorpe. Not that I expected him to beat Thorpe, but the Americans were really hoping. Wanted Phelps to get eight gold medals. Ha. Lost that hope with the freestyle relay. And then the controversy over the Japanese guy who won the breast stroke! Whether or not he did a dolphin kick... I'm in agreement with the judges- it wasn't a dolphin kick, it was part of the natural motion of a typical breast stroke pullout. I think the American guy is just a sore loser.

No, I'm not a swimmer. Why are you looking at me funny like that?

 

I heard a funny thing on the radio today. In many of the areas that are hosting events, they are thinking of simply giving tickets away due to the lack of people showing up.

Yeah, the threat of terrorist a-holes raining on your parade tends to scare people away from such big events.

 

In many of the areas that are hosting events, they are thinking of simply giving tickets away due to the lack of people showing up.
Apparently, August (the entire month) is like our friday the 13th...most Greeks go on vacation, and "get the frell out of Dodge" for the entire month. THAT's why the venues are empty...nobody is HOME!

I think the American guy is just a sore loser.
I hear ya on that one! I know the US Olympic committee asked their athletes to not be overly dramatic in their celebration...but could the bitch and moan a little less when they lose? If the men's basketball team doesn't win soon...Allen Iverson is gonna have one of his posse shoot someone (maybe he should have entered into the shooting competition)

Aussie Ian Thorpe is DA MAN! And to be "Da MAN" you have to beat "da man"! I missed it...but is sounds like that was a good race!

Besides, I'm cheering for Amanda Beard...

Speaking of "da man" Japan was it in the men's gymnastic finals...I mean Form 4 jedi style points for all those guys on the high bar! WOW!!!

HANDBALL...oh man, you gotta watch this game:
[image=http://www.thatscricket.com/olympics/2000/events/image/handball.jpg]
I don't know about Anakin, but Baron Fel played something very similar in the EU book "X-Wing Rogue Squadron: Blood and Honor" called Zoneball. Granted, Zoneball had 3-D playing field...but it's close. All-Ohio 2005...who's up for a game of HANDBALL?

Yeah, the threat of terrorist a-holes raining on your parade tends to scare people away from such big events.
In case you didn't know it, there has been terrorist attacks at the 1972 Olympics. One of the killed, David Berger, was a wrestler from Shaker Heights. There have been bad people wanting to do bad things (since before 9/10/2001) and it's no reason to stop doing the things that make us who we are. If anything scares people away, it's Bush's people telling them "the sky is falling" The world has been dealing with threats of terror for a long time, and they've still managed to go about their lives.

 

So Handball is kinda like soccer except the players can use their hands?

 

I find the Olympics very exciting (although I prefer the Winter Games). Imagine having your whole future in terms of contracts, endorsements, etc rest on a few minutes of performance (especially in the individual vs. the team competitions) after you have spent years in training and competing. And then to have your dreams shattered by a slip or a few seconds difference! I tend to watch the Olympics whenever I have a few minutes of free time but unfortunately they don't show all of the sports that I like in prime time. I especially wanted to see the saber competition which an American woman is favored to win. Anyway, I think the reason the US is sometimes upset by other nations is because our athletes don't "stay hungry." An athlete cannot take it for granted that he is automatically going to win just because he's ranked no.1 in the world. Same goes for a no. 1 team.

 

So Handball is kinda like soccer except the players can use their hands?

Kinda... and results in a lot more injuries, if my gym class was any indication.

 

I especially wanted to see the saber competition which an American woman is favored to win
7PM tonight...Bravo (I think?) SABER finals...wonder if they make the lightsaber "whoosh" sounds when the fight I'll see if anyone can tape it for me (I have to work) if so I'll let you borrow it!

Softball was on last night/this morning (2AM) and US Women's Soccer played this afternoon...good stuff!

 

I especially wanted to see the saber competition which an American woman is favored to win

Did anyone else see the story on TF.N about the American jousters and the influence Star Wars, among other films, had on their careers? I thought it was interesting.

 

i thought it was Japan on High Bar...

whatever...

-b-

 

It was Japan...my mistake, it was kinda like watching Yoda do all that flipping an jumping in AOTC...afterwards, you're a little dazed

Amanda Beard won a silver medal, in a new event (for her) and in her first try against the best in the world...

 

The Americans beat the Aussies in the 800 meter freestyle relay. They're going to be touting their team that "Beat the Thorpedo."

HOWEVER.

Let's look at the data, shall we? When they started their final leg, the Americans were 1.5 seconds ahead of the Aussies. Thorpe made up most of that distance in the initial dive in, and by the time they finished, he was a mere .13 seconds behind. So yes, their anchor swimmer who "matched Thorpe stroke for stroke" actually lost over a second's lead. And Thorpe's split was significantly faster than Phelps'. So nyah. I still think he's the best freestyler in the pool.

 

This pertains to the Winter Games, not the Summer Olympics, but I just Watched "Miracle", the movie about the 1980 Olympic Hockey Team. It was a GREAT movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Unfortunately, with all of the pros playing in the Olympics now, an inspirational story like the 1980 hockey team will never hapen again!

 

"Miracle" is a great movie, and as someone who grew up playing hockey...I love they way they filmed the scenes on the ice (that's how it really feels when you're playing) and the "rivalries" between some of the players (that really does happen...BTW, Normandy and Valley Forge suck...GO REDMEN! ) I liked the part at the end, where Brooks/Kurt Russel makes a point that now these "dream teams" take away from the spirit of what the olympics are all about. IMO they do.

Yesterday, I was cheering for the Greece Mens Baketball team...not just because I can't stand most of the guys on Team USA and they way they play (NO outside shooting or defense...it's all "sportscenter glory hoggin'), but because them even being there takes away from the spirit of the games. The Greek team didn't have the training these guys have...they sure don't make the kind of money these guys do...and yet they pushed them to the final seconds, nearly winning the game. THAT is what the olympics are about.

When the 1st "Dream Team" was assembled, it was made up of guys (Jordan, Bird, Magic...) who had already made their place in basketball history, and they all wanted this as the icing on the cake. In hockey, Canada did fine with only amatures...however Team USA kept getting creamed (following 1980) and many of the now NHL professionals...were the kids who got clobbered in 84, 88, 92, 96, and now they're having their mid-life crisis trying to win a gold medal. GIVE IT UP Chelios...and stop trashing the hotels rooms Keith!!!

 

DWH, the 800m relay is about the team. not about the individual swimmers... did the american anchor keep up with him "stroke for stroke?" not so much. did the team give him enough time for him to hold thorpe off? yes... scoreboard kid... no one's saying thorpe isn't the best, but he needs a team to win a relay... so

-b-

 

And this lap goes to...


Bmack.

DWH, Aussies = pwned.

 

DWH, Aussies = pwned.

This may be true, but it was slightly nauseating to hear the American spin on it after watching it on the Canadian network. Remind me to just watch the Canadian version, mmkay? They'll give credit where credit is due, but not moreso.

And yeah, I was a little miffed at the rest of the Aussie team. I shouldn't be allowed to watch races where anyone else can hear or see me. "KICK HARDER, YOU LAZY BUM!! STOP BREATHING SO MUCH!! OXYGEN IS OVERRATED!!"

Yay for being a swimmer.

 

I am bringing this thread back up because it must be said.

Alexandre Despatie is FREAKING AWESOME.

19-year-old Canadian diver, decided to give springboard a whirl a couple of years ago, won the world championships, and just won the silver medal, even after a bad dive (he's the only one on the medalists to have a bad dive among his set- if only he hadn't missed that one!). Peng Bo, the gold medalist, was consistently awesome and I'll give him that. But Despatie gets ten million coolness points just for making such a huge comeback. He gets a few extra coolness points for being hot and Canadian, too.

First medal for Canada in men's diving ever! *busts out the Happy Dance*

 

That was really cool...all 3 of those guys were diving well. But for a kid (already with Olympic experience) to keep pace with a guy going for his 7th Olympic medal in this event...and win the SILVER on his final dive...beauty eh!

 

I had to stay up late (last night 2AM!) to watch the women's beach volleyball final! That team of May-Walsh have been fun to watch (and not just because Kerri Walsh is a hottie ) They've gone 90-matches, 15-tournaments (including the 2004 Olympics) without losing a game!