Author Topic: Olympic's new USA moron (Read 5833 times)

ChadTower · « **Reply #40 on:** February 20, 2006, 04:01:16 pm »

No, he did miss his point, actually. It came off that the only way to live life is to be out there doing large things.

Of course, I've known several Olympic athletes and I would definitely say that they are NOT living life. They live a deprived, sheltered, shut in life of complete devotion to their sport. There is a single mindedness to their sport that often goes so far as to deprive them of regular development of biological functions (e.g. female gymnasts often don't get their cycle until they are late teens or even in their 20s).

Sure, they are accomplishing something highly visible but it can be credibly argued that it is at the cost of a life, not in the service of one.

markrvp · « **Reply #41 on:** February 20, 2006, 04:32:35 pm »

This thread reminds me of the scene in Monty Python's THE HOLY GRAIL where the villagers want to burn the witch.

"SHE HOT-DOGGED AT THE END, BURN HER"

"But she is young and impulsive. We should remember that."

"BURN HER ANYWAY"

SirPoonga · « **Reply #42 on:** February 20, 2006, 04:34:34 pm »

We should find out if she floats.

Zakk · « **Reply #43 on:** February 20, 2006, 04:34:43 pm »

Quote from: saint on February 20, 2006, 02:39:32 pm

On another note -- I've been enjoying most of the Olympics so far, but I'm sorry, and I apologize to anyone who'se offended in advance, but.... Curling just bores me to tears! I've tried, I've tried to appreciate it for what it is, but.... Snnnzzzzzzzzzz......

You know, they like to say that it's popular 'up here' yet I don't know of anyone who would kick back with a beer, and invite 'the guys' over to watch curling. They should do it with cars and icy parking lots. THAT would be a cool sport!

ChadTower · « **Reply #44 on:** February 20, 2006, 04:39:18 pm »

I would so kick back with some beers on a frozen lake, cut a hole in it, and try to slide rocks into the hole.

saint · « **Reply #45 on:** February 20, 2006, 04:40:14 pm »

Guess I did fail to make my point. My point was not to live life large, but to live life actively instead of as a spectator. Substitute sports with political service, religious service, academic study, military service, whatever floats your boat.

I don't understand parents sacrificing a child's life to make them a star gymnast, or a star model, or a child actor, or some such -- I don't think snowboarding required sacrificing her childhood though I guess I could be wrong

Anyway this is straying from the original thread.

Quote from: ChadTower on February 20, 2006, 04:01:16 pm

No, he did miss his point, actually. It came off that the only way to live life is to be out there doing large things.

Of course, I've known several Olympic athletes and I would definitely say that they are NOT living life. They live a deprived, sheltered, shut in life of complete devotion to their sport. There is a single mindedness to their sport that often goes so far as to deprive them of regular development of biological functions (e.g. female gymnasts often don't get their cycle until they are late teens or even in their 20s).

Sure, they are accomplishing something highly visible but it can be credibly argued that it is at the cost of a life, not in the service of one.

saint · « **Reply #46 on:** February 20, 2006, 04:41:16 pm »

I would probably do so *after* I'd had a few beers.

Quote from: ChadTower on February 20, 2006, 04:39:18 pm

I would so kick back with some beers on a frozen lake, cut a hole in it, and try to slide rocks into the hole.

ChadTower · « **Reply #47 on:** February 20, 2006, 04:41:46 pm »

You can't drill a hole in a lake after a few beers. You might fall in. Safety, man.

markrvp · « **Reply #48 on:** February 20, 2006, 04:45:59 pm »

Quote from: saint on February 20, 2006, 04:40:14 pm

Anyway this is straying from the original thread.

That is the norm, not the exception. It's not as bad here as in the place we dare not mention aloud.

ChadTower · « **Reply #49 on:** February 20, 2006, 04:52:56 pm »

Well, for Mark, that place is a very dark and chocolate place. He has his own version of that Place Of Which We Dare Not Speak.

markrvp · « **Reply #50 on:** February 20, 2006, 04:58:01 pm »

Quote from: ChadTower on February 20, 2006, 04:52:56 pm

Well, for Mark, that place is a very dark and chocolate place. He has his own version of that Place Of Which We Dare Not Speak.

And I have Chad to thank for introducing it to me.

DrewKaree · « **Reply #51 on:** February 20, 2006, 05:06:24 pm »

Quote from: ChadTower on February 20, 2006, 04:41:46 pm

You can't drill a hole in a lake after a few beers. You might fall in. Safety, man.

You would be surprised how many beers you can ingest and still safely drill a hole in the ice on a lake. It's not the number of beers that determine if it's safe to drill the hole, it's the thickness of the ice. They have festivals around here to PROVE it's not the number of beers that matter

I think it's odd that we're talking about this chick who did something in her event that cost her team a GOLD medal, even though they still DID medal, yet Bode "I went out and whooped it up last night and I don't need to walk the course" Miller is a first-class asshat (to me, anyhoo) who crapped all OVER the "Olympic spirit" by shunning staying in the Olympic village and opting to bring his tricked out rock star tour bus. Even moreso, what about that jagenheimer Shani Davis who waited until FOUR HOURS before the USA team event to tell the coach he wasn't gonna race, and THEN basically state "there is no Shani in team....I made myself who I am so screw you all".

Anyone besides me want to charge that asshat for all the money that gets invested in these athletes - money that most certainly COULD have gone to someone else, but was SHARED with Shani? That guy, in my book, was a first-class tool, and if you DIDN'T see the itnerview, you've simply GOT to find video of it. I've never seen a bigger asshat in an interview after winning a gold medal. I don't hope he gets hurt, but I'm damn sure rooting against him to get anything except a mouthful of anal vapors from the other guy on the ice who's kicking his ass.

I guess you could say I don't like the guy

saint · « **Reply #52 on:** February 20, 2006, 05:22:36 pm »

Heh. OK, I'm drinking beer now and ... well I'm not sure where I was going with that other than I'm drinking beer now.

Reminds me of when I was 18-25 back in Colorado. My buddies and I would get these giant inner tubes (like truck tire sized), and a bottle of hootch, and would go midnight sledding while getting tanked. Crystal clear, dark and cold Colorado night, steep hill that you can't see the bottom of, you and a couple of buddies sitting on this giant inner tube, sailing off into the abyss -- total blast, felt like flying! One time we were doing it near the railroad tracks, saw a train was coming, and decided to see how close we could get. Being only slightly out of my head, I bailed off the inner tube when I realized we were 20 yards away from the track and weren't slowing down.

KIDS DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME! My kids, if I catch you doing this you're grounded until I'm dead!

Ah, good times. They should make that an olympic sport. Put curling to shame.

--- saint

Quote from: ChadTower on February 20, 2006, 04:41:46 pm

You can't drill a hole in a lake after a few beers. You might fall in. Safety, man.

saint · « **Reply #53 on:** February 20, 2006, 05:24:37 pm »

You know, when I watched that I kept thinking there's got to be something more there -- like his dog just died, or his girlfriend just dumped him, or something, but I think you're right .... No class.

Quote from: DrewKaree on February 20, 2006, 05:06:24 pm

Even moreso, what about that jagenheimer Shani Davis who waited until FOUR HOURS before the USA team event to tell the coach he wasn't gonna race, and THEN basically state "there is no Shani in team....I made myself who I am so screw you all".

Anyone besides me want to charge that asshat for all the money that gets invested in these athletes - money that most certainly COULD have gone to someone else, but was SHARED with Shani? That guy, in my book, was a first-class tool, and if you DIDN'T see the itnerview, you've simply GOT to find video of it. I've never seen a bigger asshat in an interview after winning a gold medal. I don't hope he gets hurt, but I'm damn sure rooting against him to get anything except a mouthful of anal vapors from the other guy on the ice who's kicking his ass.

I guess you could say I don't like the guy

Zakk · « **Reply #54 on:** February 20, 2006, 06:06:20 pm »

Quote from: DrewKaree on February 20, 2006, 05:06:24 pm

[You would be surprised how many beers you can ingest and still safely drill a hole in the ice on a lake.

That sounds like a challenge!

hypernova · « **Reply #55 on:** February 20, 2006, 06:25:09 pm »

Remember the US gymnast (last year?) who won the gold because someone tallied the scores wrong? He got to keep the medal.

Heck, they were pointing out that the Korean guy should've been docked points at different times in his routine, yet wasn't. It all evens out.

To win you have to play 60 minutes. Not 50, not 55, not 59:45. 60 full minutes. Teams that play less than 60 minutes get beaten in the end.

Now you know that's not entirely true. Many times a game's decided after the first half. We all know the many times recently a Super Bowl was over after even the first quarter. (Yet we continued to watch it only get even worse in the next 3 quarters!)

It would be entirely different if she made the jump carefully without the showboating and still fell.

Yes, it would've been. Point is, she lost doing a move COMPLETELY unrelated to the sport of snowboardcross. IMO she's the better of the two at the time, just unfortunate in the circumstance. I bet she hits that move all the time when not competing.

All-around, I think she did demonstrate that she was the best in the event.

In the event? I would disagree. She was behind by an insurmountable gap that couldn't be erased by any means other than the other player being an idiot. Overall, she's the smarter of the two...but who's to say that the exact same thing wouldn't have happened if the roles were reversed? Ya never know...
While this is a longshot, if a 15-15 team in college basketball that wasn't even close to being on the radar of the AP polls ended up winning the tourney, do you think they'd be ranked number 1 on the final poll? Of course they wouldn't. They MIGHT be ranked, but definitely not #1.

Just because someone wins, doesn't mean they are the best. Sometimes luck can play a role in determining who wins.

Curling just bores me to tears!

Then you probably wouldn't like that movie about curling! I think it was called something like "Men with Brooms." It was on regular TV on a weekend, around a month ago or so. Didn't recognize anyone on it either. I watched the last 15 minutes. It ended with someone sliding a stone (normal speed) and BREAKING it into a bunch of pieces, that all counted as points. Really lame.

About Shani...at least he got the gold, so it slightly justifies his nature. I haven't seen the interview yet, so I may alter my views on this position if I ever do see it.

So who's the bigger disappointment now? Bode, or USA hockey??

Dartful Dodger · « **Reply #56 on:** February 20, 2006, 07:06:58 pm »

Quote from: hypernova on February 20, 2006, 06:25:09 pm

So who's the bigger disappointment now? Bode, or USA hockey??

Bode

USA Hockey, is like USA Soccer, Americans don't care and aren't disappointed.

Snowboarding is an American hobby for kids. Americans under 12 are disappointed.

DrewKaree · « **Reply #57 on:** February 20, 2006, 07:10:09 pm »

Considering I'm on record as saying I hoped Bode didn't win ANY medals, he's not a disappointment to me, he got exactly what his attitude towards the games pointed him to.

I didn't even KNOW there was women's hockey, so I guess I can't really answer the question.

I DON'T CARE if Shani Davis got himself a gold. He was supported in his training for THAT event by the U.S. Olympic TEAM, who he LET DOWN. If he'd have told them when first approached about skating the team even that he wasn't going to do it, you're talking an entirely different sentiment. They'd ALSO have spent some of that precious Olympic training money for someone else who WOULD have skated in the team event.

The fact remains that the guy backed out and left no time to do anything but patchwork substitutions that almost worked anyway. His public comments after backing out were also Olympic caliber - in their complete and utter lack of class and tact towards his "teammates".

His arrogance and "me first" attitude are exactly what people are equating that chick's showboating to. Is it just because he won a gold in something and that somehow absolves him from exhibiting common decency to his teammates and a reporter?

Zakk · « **Reply #58 on:** February 20, 2006, 10:17:10 pm »

Quote from: Dartful Dodger on February 20, 2006, 07:06:58 pm

USA Hockey, is like USA Soccer, Americans don't care and aren't disappointed.

You mean YOU don't care.

Go to a Philly game sometime and tell me Americans don't care about hockey. More like the States that are more interested in gator wrasslin' don't care about hockey

DrewKaree · « **Reply #59 on:** February 20, 2006, 10:27:41 pm »

I'll accept that he's half right. Nobody cares about soccer. And by nobody, I mean anybody who isn't me. I'm an American. It's what I do best. Assume everyone not like me is a freak. In your case Zakk, you're the one I point to when proving my case

When does de foosball come on?

thebrownshow · « **Reply #60 on:** February 20, 2006, 10:32:28 pm »

Quote from: Zakk on February 20, 2006, 10:17:10 pm

Go to a Philly game sometime and tell me Americans don't care about hockey.

You'd just better not be wearing the visiting team's colors or we'll beat you in front of your kids.

Zakk · « **Reply #61 on:** February 20, 2006, 10:39:02 pm »

I hear ya on that. I love watching a philly(home)/toronto game. Toronto fans are the only ones crazy enough to show their colours at the game. The BOOOOOOOOs start as soon as the first toronto player hits the ice!

You guys are like, the biggest booooers

thebrownshow · « **Reply #62 on:** February 20, 2006, 10:43:48 pm »

Hey man, we're a quality town. I wonder how many other football stadiums have their own courtroom?

markrvp · « **Reply #63 on:** February 21, 2006, 12:26:38 am »

Quote from: thebrownshow on February 20, 2006, 10:43:48 pm

Hey man, we're a quality town. I wonder how many other football stadiums have their own courtroom?

I was gonna say...

Philly fans don't care about hockey so much as they are bloodthirsty hooligans. Philly fans threw batteries at Santa Claus. They cheered when Michael Irvin was knocked unconscious.

City of Brotherly Love ---my bottom---.

danny_galaga · « **Reply #64 on:** February 21, 2006, 06:02:11 am »

Quote from: ChadTower on February 20, 2006, 03:30:58 pm

If I were Lindsay Jacobellis I would not be able to look another US Olympian in the eye. Her arrogance cost her teammates a gold medal.

i think they wont be too hard on her. i reckon theyll be ribbing her for a while though. its really not as bad as the australian olympic rower (forgotten her name) who fell asleep 50 meters or so from the finish line. leaving her team-mates to haul her insomniac arse across the line for her. her team unsurprisingly really were not impressed and many didnt talk to her after that...

ChadTower · « **Reply #65 on:** February 21, 2006, 08:45:10 am »

How do you fall asleep in the middle of a race?

JamIt · « **Reply #66 on:** February 21, 2006, 09:38:24 am »

Quote from: DrewKaree on February 20, 2006, 05:06:24 pm

I've never seen a bigger asshat in an interview after winning a gold medal. I don't hope he gets hurt, but I'm damn sure rooting against him to get anything except a mouthful of anal vapors from the other guy on the ice who's kicking his ass.

I guess you could say I don't like the guy

Drew, I'm not defending the guy (nor do I care to get into too big a debate over this), but if you heard some of the stories about how he has been "received" by the US Skating governing body, you may soften your stance a bit. His statement "there is no Shani in team..." apparently is shared by many others.
--JamIt

DrewKaree · « **Reply #67 on:** February 21, 2006, 10:04:59 am »

Quote from: ChadTower on February 21, 2006, 08:45:10 am

How do you fall asleep in the middle of a race?

How do you not push that person over the side of the boat?

ChadTower · « **Reply #68 on:** February 21, 2006, 10:10:27 am »

You'd be DQed for jettisoning weight or not having all team members cross the finish line or something.

DrewKaree · « **Reply #69 on:** February 21, 2006, 10:27:16 am »

I didn't mean DURING the race, they coulda waited until the moment they crossed the finish line. Or in the middle of the night.

ChadTower · « **Reply #70 on:** February 21, 2006, 10:29:16 am »

I still don't get the "falling asleep" in the biggest moment of one's life. Could homechick have just passed out?

Stingray · « **Reply #71 on:** February 21, 2006, 04:10:30 pm »

I saw Shani's gold medal race live, and also caught the interview. He did indeed come off as a class-A asshat. I don't know anything about the guy though.

-S

RayB · « **Reply #72 on:** February 21, 2006, 04:30:20 pm »

Quote from: danny_galaga on February 21, 2006, 06:02:11 am

8<... leaving her team-mates to haul her insomniac arse across the line for her. her team unsurprisingly really were not impressed and many didnt talk to her after that...

Insomniacs CAN'T sleep. Narcoleptics are the ones who constantly fall asleep.

ChadTower · « **Reply #73 on:** February 21, 2006, 04:50:42 pm »

If your team is so thin that you have a freakin narcoleptic on the boat then you really didn't have any other options anyway.

Dartful Dodger · « **Reply #74 on:** February 21, 2006, 05:40:21 pm »

Quote from: saint on February 20, 2006, 02:39:32 pm

Curling just bores me to tears! I've tried, I've tried to appreciate it for what it is, but.... Snnnzzzzzzzzzz......

At least Google appreciates a good nap...

billf · « **Reply #75 on:** February 22, 2006, 12:16:11 am »

Okay go ahead call me nuts but I have enjoyed watching the curling matches! I realize its not for everyone, but I've found it interesting and fun to watch.

The thing that's bothered me reading through this thread is the mention about TEAM. The curling teams are actual TEAMS. The hockey teams are TEAMS. These skiers and skaters are not really part of a TEAM. Sure they compete as the United States olympic "team", but really they are all individuals. They all pretty much train separately, with their own personal trainers and coaches, travel separately and once in awhile meet up at the next event. As was stated before Bode travels in his own motorcoach. And so does the other downhill skier who was a big disappointment, Rahlves (and Rahlves' motorcoach is larger than Bode's!). While its true they are all representing the United States at the Olympics as a "team" lets be honest, the skiers and skaters are not really a TEAM in the true sense of the word. How can they be, they're all trying to win the same prize in an individual sport.

danny_galaga · « **Reply #76 on:** February 22, 2006, 05:26:38 am »

Quote from: RayB on February 21, 2006, 04:30:20 pm

Quote from: danny_galaga on February 21, 2006, 06:02:11 am
8<... leaving her team-mates to haul her insomniac arse across the line for her. her team unsurprisingly really were not impressed and many didnt talk to her after that...

Insomniacs CAN'T sleep. Narcoleptics are the ones who constantly fall asleep.

hehe. realised that almost immediately but had had enough of my arse-tastic pc last night. fixed it after work today and hoped i could do a sneaky edit before anyone noticed. chad, EVERYONE was asking that question. of course, it is rowing. most spectators would have fallen asleep too so perhaps it happens more often than we realise. just that this time someone had drunk LOTS of coffee and noticed...

ChadTower · « **Reply #77 on:** February 22, 2006, 09:47:28 am »

Quote from: billf on February 22, 2006, 12:16:11 am

While its true they are all representing the United States at the Olympics as a "team" lets be honest, the skiers and skaters are not really a TEAM in the true sense of the word. How can they be, they're all trying to win the same prize in an individual sport.

Easy. They are mostly funded by grants from the USOC and the US Gov't and private companies donating to the US Olympic Team. That makes them stakeholders in the team concept no matter what their event.

markrvp · « **Reply #78 on:** February 22, 2006, 10:51:42 am »

Quote from: ChadTower on February 22, 2006, 09:47:28 am

Quote from: billf on February 22, 2006, 12:16:11 am
While its true they are all representing the United States at the Olympics as a "team" lets be honest, the skiers and skaters are not really a TEAM in the true sense of the word. How can they be, they're all trying to win the same prize in an individual sport.

Easy. They are mostly funded by grants from the USOC and the US Gov't and private companies donating to the US Olympic Team. That makes them stakeholders in the team concept no matter what their event.

I'm not disagreeing with your statement, but I can tell you from my experience on the US Shooting Team, that the athletes who make it that far have put a TON of their own money into it.

ChadTower · « **Reply #79 on:** February 22, 2006, 10:53:17 am »

Doesn't matter. The world doesn't care about what you yourself have put in, they hold you accountable for what they put into you.


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