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2012 Olympics; General discussion
Topic Started: Jul 28 2012, 01:01 PM (1,954 Views)
Yogi
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I guess we in the US will have to wait another 6-7 hours before we see Usain Bolt win the 200m, and become the first man in history to sweep the 100 and 200m in consecutive Olympics!

Kenya's David Rudisha set a world record in winning the 800m, he ran under 1:41.00 to win gold!
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Rufus T. Firefly
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An amazing race by Rudisha, he destroyed the world record in the 800m. That has to be one of the milestones not only in track & field (athletics) but all of these Olympics. But his accomplishment may get overshadowed by Usain Bolt's achievements. Bolt eased up and still ran a race just hundreds of a second off the Olympic record. The guy is a sporting marvel.
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Martin
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The 800m has traditionally been one of my favorite races to watch because it combines outright speed with strategy, that is until Rudisha came aong. He basically sprinted the two laps around the track! An incredible accomplishment by him and he carried the rest of the field along with him in the fastest overall 800m field in history. I earlier wrote about few lasting memories from recent Olympics, this 800m will be one of them. As will be Bolt's double double here in London and Beijing.
Club Sportivo Desamparados
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Rufus T. Firefly
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I enjoyed reading this, International Boxing Federation says NBC "talking" too much, asks them to leave. NBC received special treatment and was the only broadcaster with ringside commentary position but their incessant talking was disturbing the officials who then asked them to move to where all the other broadcasters were located. NBC threw a fit and decided to pack up and leave the arena entirely! I guess the US boxers poor showing also helped convince them to go too!

I don't know about the rest of you but these have been some of the leasy enjoyable Olympic for me due to NBC's coverage. The only thing I am grateful for is live coverage of soccer.
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libero
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Rufus T. Firefly,Aug 10 2012
06:39 PM
I enjoyed reading this, International Boxing Federation says NBC "talking" too much, asks them to leave. NBC received special treatment and was the only broadcaster with ringside commentary position but their incessant talking was disturbing the officials who then asked them to move to where all the other broadcasters were located. NBC threw a fit and decided to pack up and leave the arena entirely! I guess the US boxers poor showing also helped convince them to go too!

I don't know about the rest of you but these have been some of the leasy enjoyable Olympic for me due to NBC's coverage. The only thing I am grateful for is live coverage of soccer.

Good story about NBC's arrogance Rufus. Sadly I have been losing my enjoyment watching the Olympics for about the last 16 years or so. Just way too much commercialism and nationalism. Maybe I am getting forgetful in my old age but I remember when US TV used to give us good coverage of athletes from other countries in addition to our own stars. Unless it is Usain Bolt, that is not true anymore and has not been for about the last 16 years. To me that makes the Olympics much less enjoyable as I do not see them as an "us vs them" contest. I admire sporting talent and grace no matter where the athlete is from.

By the way what is up with this BMX racing? Adults riding kids bicycles and this is an Olympic sport?
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Merengue
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By the way what is up with this BMX racing? Adults riding kids bicycles and this is an Olympic sport?

Haha, very good point, that really is a silly sport isn't it?

Ayway the Olympics are coming to a close, since it is almost all tape delayed where I am living, maybe they already are over now! ;)

Some exciting moments in the final few days though, apart from Mexico's historic, and first gold, in men's football. The US held off Spain 107-100 in an exciting basketball final. I was proud of Spain's showing as they gave the heavily favored US a hell of a battle. I am not sure what the coach, Scariolo, was thinking leaving marc gsol in the game in the 2nd quarter with 3 fouls, he then picked up a 4th and didn't reppear until the last quarter nd he was missed. Of course the injured Ricky Rubio was too at guard but Spain pushed the US, just as they did 4 years ago, in this final. Despite what some may think, the US always winning at absketball is not a foregone conclusion, other nations are pushing them hard, especially Spain.

A thrilling volleyball final too, in the men's tourney, Brasil were up 2 sets to 0 and twice ahd match point but Russia held them off won two straigh sets to set up a 5th and decisive one where the Russians also won for a 3-2 victory. Russia had the most devastating spiker I have ever seen, a 7'2' athletic guy! He was devastating. The Russian comeback denied Brasil a double triumph in volleyball as the Brasilian women's team ahd earlier defeated the US for the crown.

On the track world records for the US women's 4x100 and Jamaican men's 4x100 teams. Another 3 gold medal Olympics for Usain Bolt.
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Yogi
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The basketball final was an exciting game, without Durrant's scoring the US could have lost that game, it was that close. The US will need to take every future Olympics and World Championship seriously if it wishes to maintain it's edge in basketball. No half strength teams, the US needs to use its best team possible in order to win. An exciting finish between Russia and Argentina for the bronze too with Russia just edging Argentina. Looks like the Olympic careers of Ginobli, Scola, etc are over. They did have quite a run though.
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shelsoccer
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I think Rubio could have made a huge difference for Spain. Then again, the US didn't have Rose, Howard and Wade.

However, there is no doubt the rest of the world has made huge strides in the last 20-30 years, and the US is no longer a shoe-in.

There's a lot of talk going around that the next Olympic basketball tournament will be a U-23 tournament, ala soccer. I think that'd be a shame.
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Johnbuildr
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shelsoccer,Aug 12 2012
09:30 PM
I think Rubio could have made a huge difference for Spain.  Then again, the US didn't have Rose, Howard and Wade.

However, there is no doubt the rest of the world has made huge strides in the last 20-30 years, and the US is no longer a shoe-in.

There's a lot of talk going around that the next Olympic basketball tournament will be a U-23 tournament, ala soccer.  I think that'd be a shame.

It would be a shame, Shel, and it would be a ridicuously blatant move to try to dislodge the US' dominance in the sport. It would be similar on a much larger scale to the silly touch-foul refereeing we saw going on in the first half of the final yesterday. It was a credit to the US' coach that he told his players at half that they had to adjust to the refereeing because the guy was not going to change (and/or call the game like they had seen the rest of the tournament.)

But the US has not always had an iron clad hold on this sport, which you all must remember. There have been two or three Golds lost on the court, one as recently as 2004 and one due to boycott and so on.

I can't speak for most other Americans, but I do know that I didn't take the basketball gold for granted and I have a friend or two who didn't either.
Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum



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Johnbuildr
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An truly amazing Olympics for the US women, without question. They amassed enough medals to finish fifth in the total medal standings in the world by themselves, according to a news report I heard this morning. Think about it.
Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum



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TonyDE
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The US women were fantastic throughout these Olympics in both individual and team contests. They really did do a great job. I guess the results of Title IX paying off. The difference was to me especially noticable in track & field, the US women were outstanding, the men much less so and that is not just due to the dominance of Usain Bolt and the other Jamaican sprinters. For example in the 400m and 400m hurdles, two distances the US usually dominates, they did not even medal. I don't think it is a trend, just simply a down cycle, relatively speaking for the US men's track & field team.

By the way I do not know how others feel but women's track & field, along with tennis, are the two sports where I enjoy watching the women as much if not even more than the men. I can not say the same about either soccer or basketball where the differences in overall skill and speed level takes away from my enjoyment of the women's versions of those sports. I can still enjoy a women's soccer match, as I did in these Olympics, just not as much as the men. In tennis and track & field I enjoy the female versions of each sport as much as the male versions.
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Johnbuildr
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...women's volleyball, both indoor and sand is fun to watch..... :P
Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum



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alabastergremlin
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Johnbuildr,Aug 13 2012
08:48 AM
shelsoccer,Aug 12 2012
09:30 PM
I think Rubio could have made a huge difference for Spain.  Then again, the US didn't have Rose, Howard and Wade.

However, there is no doubt the rest of the world has made huge strides in the last 20-30 years, and the US is no longer a shoe-in.

There's a lot of talk going around that the next Olympic basketball tournament will be a U-23 tournament, ala soccer.  I think that'd be a shame.

It would be a shame, Shel, and it would be a ridicuously blatant move to try to dislodge the US' dominance in the sport. It would be similar on a much larger scale to the silly touch-foul refereeing we saw going on in the first half of the final yesterday. It was a credit to the US' coach that he told his players at half that they had to adjust to the refereeing because the guy was not going to change (and/or call the game like they had seen the rest of the tournament.)

But the US has not always had an iron clad hold on this sport, which you all must remember. There have been two or three Golds lost on the court, one as recently as 2004 and one due to boycott and so on.

I can't speak for most other Americans, but I do know that I didn't take the basketball gold for granted and I have a friend or two who didn't either.

Interestingly enough, the talk of making the Olympics is coming (pretty much only) from the NBA (Stern and the owners).

He wants to set up a basketball world cup. The primary issue seems to be that the NBA doesn't make money from the Olympics. The IOC does, though.

What little I've read about the issue says that most of the other countries are against the move.

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Rufus T. Firefly
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A pretty good review of London's hosting of these Summer Olympics. Overall, job well done!

But I think we are universal in thinking the closing ceremony was poor. I am still trying to figure out who Jessie J. is and why she got so much air time? :huh:
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hobbes
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I have no sympathy for NBC, but less for boxing officials. After the insanity in Seoul, I thought the system was better, but twice I watched matches that seemed absolutely rigged. I didn’t think that was possible, but when it takes a 10-minute meeting post-match to figure out the winner and then the boxer no one seemed to think won, gets the nod? Something’s not working in their automated system.

It’s a shame because high-level amateur boxing is phenomenal to watch in person and I usually enjoy it, but I was totally turned off this year. And Canada had no hope of medalling, so I had no one to even cheer for, just looking to see some good fights and it was just too frustrating to keep watching.

Speaking of NBC I missed all of Saturday’s coverage and around 9 p.m. I was up for some highlights and I thought I might watch NBC. And they were showing a doc on WW2 as their Olympic coverage? Really? Thanks I already get the History Channel.

I thought the idea of the closing ceremonies was perfect. Unfortunately they didn’t pull them off very well. If you bring Queen on stage at the Olympics I expect nothing less than Hologram Freddie Mercury. Russell Brand? Jessie J? Fatboy Slim twiddling his thumbs on an inflatable octopus? Sort-of, but not quite Oasis? C’mon London 2012, you make the best music? How could you flub this? That being said watching the royals sing along to Monty Python brightened my day immensely.

Canada closed the Games with a kid born in Moose Jaw winning a bronze in the swim marathon. It’s fair to say it was good for Richard Weinberger’s swim marathon career that he moved away when he did. :)

cheers,
hobbes
Saskatchewan for the CPL: multis e gentibus vires
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