Official 2010 Winter Olympics Thread

[pure_mercury]

Same as the Super Bowl! Let's hear it out for our countries. I am dying to see a Team USA men's hockey gold in my lifetime. . .

 

[JustHer]

I felt that the opening ceremony was destroyed with the hour long interpretive dance/ballet/flute playing/history re-enacting spiritual garbage they tried to do. It really made me face palm. Also... slam poetry???

 

[pure_mercury]

I felt that the opening ceremony was destroyed with the hour long interpretive dance/ballet/flute playing/history re-enacting spiritual garbage they tried to do. It really made me face palm. Also... slam poetry???

The slam poetry was brutally bad, as is MOST slam poetry (it's usually for people can neither write well, nor rap well, nor sing well). The ceremony got me a little annoyed, and I am actually a big fan of Canada.

 

[Clonester]

I live in Canada and I turned the opening ceremony off. Vancouver is an amazing city and BC is one of the best places to live in the world. Don't tell me that's the best that can be done because it just wasn't very good.

I saw the video of the Georgian luge crash. It's insane how fast it was and I don't think anyone could have lived through that crash. That's a tough way to start the Olympics.

 

[kelric]

I've always loved the Olympics (yeah, I know... corruption, etc. -- it still does it for me every time). However, I'm not a huge fan of the artsy ceremony stuff (although I admit some of those "plains nations" costumes were pretty awesome). I did what I usually do -- watched the parade of nations (which I love), and then turned it off.

NBC showed a (non-graphic) version of the luge accident. How horrible. I'm no expert, and hindsight's 20-20, but that wall definitely looked like it could have / should have been higher (for those that didn't / don't want to see it, the athlete crashed and was thrown over the side of the luge track). The people who are experts are saying that it was just a fluke accident and that the track's not unsafe -- but ouch. Poor guy and his family.

Hopefully it will be a good, fun games from now on.

I guess I'm getting up there in years, but I *do* remember this (barely):
[YOUTUBE="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4g_VWqEqD6A&NR=1"]USA Hockey Gold[/YOUTUBE] Strange thing is, I'm not sure it's any more likely now than it was then -- things have changed in the world of sports.

 

[CzeCze]

All I want to see is short track speed skating. Short track speed skating . Short track speed skating!! And maybe some figure skating. And those skiers who do all the fancy jumps in the air.

 

[Walking Tourist]

Ski jumping! I'm watching it now! Awesome!!!

 

[Ivy]

Without Sasha Cohen I'm just not that interested in figure skating. I'll still watch.

I freaking love the Olympics. When else can you cheer for your country to beat the crap out of all the other countries and not be an asshole? (Note for the humor-impaired, I am just kidding. I like the other countries too.)

 

[Haphazard]

I live in Canada and I turned the opening ceremony off. Vancouver is an amazing city and BC is one of the best places to live in the world. Don't tell me that's the best that can be done because it just wasn't very good.

I know. I kept thinking, "Oh, it looks like they're trying for Cirque du Soleil only it wasn't nearly as good", "oh, it was like they're trying for Barrage only it wasn't nearly as good" etc.

And also -- look, Canada, I know diversity is like, your thing, and all, but the Olympics is NOT the place for slam poetry!



Also, I wanted to slap the US athletes for having the gall to show up with those stupid fucking moose hats.

 

[Magic Poriferan]

As is the general rule for me, the more USA, China, and Russia fail, the happier I am.

 

[Haphazard]

Women's Hockey: Canada 18, Slovakia 0.

It was like watching them kick a small child to death...

 

[kelric]

All I want to see is short track speed skating. Short track speed skating . Short track speed skating!!

Short track is so much fun to watch -- it's almost surprising that it hasn't been in the Games that long. Just watched the men's 1500 final, when the Koreans had 1-2-3 locked up, and #3 slid and took #2 with him right near the end, clearing the way for Apolo Ohno and JR Celski to medal! Weird sport, but fun to watch.

Women's Hockey: Canada 18, Slovakia 0.

It was like watching them kick a small child to death...

Oh my, that's just painful. It's hard to know where to make the line (just going TO the Olympics, even with little or no chance to medal is huge for almost all of the athletes), but maybe some sports could still use some more... qualifications or smaller fields? 18-0 in *hockey* is just ugly.

 

[EffEmDoubleyou]

I'm en route to the Olympics right now. I'll be seeing a USA hockey game and a medal ceremony. I generally don't care about the Summer Olympics, but I love the Winter ones.

And besides, as Ivy alluded to, it might be the only time jingoism and xenophobia are socially acceptable!

 

[ceecee]

I've always loved the Olympics (yeah, I know... corruption, etc. -- it still does it for me every time). However, I'm not a huge fan of the artsy ceremony stuff (although I admit some of those "plains nations" costumes were pretty awesome). I did what I usually do -- watched the parade of nations (which I love), and then turned it off.

NBC showed a (non-graphic) version of the luge accident. How horrible. I'm no expert, and hindsight's 20-20, but that wall definitely looked like it could have / should have been higher (for those that didn't / don't want to see it, the athlete crashed and was thrown over the side of the luge track). The people who are experts are saying that it was just a fluke accident and that the track's not unsafe -- but ouch. Poor guy and his family.

Hopefully it will be a good, fun games from now on.

I guess I'm getting up there in years, but I *do* remember this (barely):
[YOUTUBE="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4g_VWqEqD6A&NR=1"]USA Hockey Gold[/YOUTUBE] Strange thing is, I'm not sure it's any more likely now than it was then -- things have changed in the world of sports.

I remember the Lake Placid Olympics really well. I was 12. The little town I grew up in had and still has a hockey culture like nothing I have ever seen so it was the most incredible thing for us as kids. What made me most happy about that win, besides the obvious, was that it introduced the sport to so many who had never seen it before. In the movie there was one statement made over and over - I'm just trying to play a little more hockey. I think that motivation is what made the Miracle team different. I don't disagree with pro hockey players in the Olympics though. The NHL, AHL, etc are global, I don't imagine a single one of them doesn't dream of Olympic gold just as much as any amateur athlete does.

As far as the luger, why were those beams exposed? It seems like a no-brainier to have a wall around them. A very tragic way to learn a construction lesson it seems. My hope now is for a successful Olympics. I've enjoyed watching everything so far.

 

[kelric]

I'm en route to the Olympics right now. I'll be seeing a USA hockey game and a medal ceremony. I generally don't care about the Summer Olympics, but I love the Winter ones.

Wow, I'm jealous, FMW . I've always thought it would be great to go see some of the Olympics in person (although probably expensive). I *should* have gone to the games in Salt Lake, and I was definitely contemplating going if Chicago was awarded the 2016 games, but not sure if I'll ever do it now. Looks like North America has probably seen its share of the games until at least 2020, if not longer. Have a great time!

I remember the Lake Placid Olympics really well. I was 12.

Nod . I was 9. It was really my first exposure to the Winter Olympics (I remembered seeing the summer games in '76, but not the Winter ones). My first exposure to things like bobsled and luge, which I've always thought would be a ton of fun.

As far as the luger, why were those beams exposed? It seems like a no-brainier to have a wall around them. A very tragic way to learn a construction lesson it seems.

Exactly . Last night they showed a shot of the construction upgrades they'd done to that part of the course (they added to the height of the wall between the track and those beams), and it was just so *obvious* that's what should have been there before. Easy for us to say now, of course, but like you say, a tragic way to learn that lesson.

 

[ceecee]

Women's Hockey: Canada 18, Slovakia 0.

It was like watching them kick a small child to death...

That's bad but don't feel too bad for the Slovaks.


There's the "agony of defeat." And then there's this women's ice hockey score from the European Olympic pre-qualifying tournament: Slovakia 82, Bulgaria 0.

That's correct: 82 goals for Slovakia, none for Bulgaria.

Bulgaria gives up 139 shots on goal in 82-0 women's hockey loss - Olympics - ESPN

 

[kelric]

That's correct: 82 goals for Slovakia, none for Bulgaria.

Bulgaria gives up 139 shots on goal in 82-0 women's hockey loss - Olympics - ESPN

Yeah, I saw that article too -- and I did a doubletake on the score the first time I saw it. I mean, in hockey, 8-0 is a pretty crushing defeat... but 82-0? That's like winning a football game 1000-0. You almost wonder how it's possible to do. Yay for sportsmanship!

 

[CzeCze]

I'm en route to the Olympics right now. I'll be seeing a USA hockey game and a medal ceremony. I generally don't care about the Summer Olympics, but I love the Winter ones.

And besides, as Ivy alluded to, it might be the only time jingoism and xenophobia are socially acceptable!

LUCKY DUCK!

I was watching short track last night - it was awesome!!! Short track is like track and field on ice. I can't believe the South Korean team was SO FREAKING CLOSE to sweeping the 1500m until the very last second. Next up, the women's 500m finals.

EffEm, let us know how crazy and crowded the Olympics and your game are for spectators!

 

[Clonester]

The moguls are my favourite winter event, and Canada performed very well this year in both mens and womens.

 

[simpleamazement]

I was watching it on Sat night with some friends...everyone got all excited when the two Koreans fell in the ice skating race, and bumped the USA into spots 2 and 3.