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Olympics
Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 3:12 am
by Tadhg
Anyone watch the opening ceremonies?
Pretty darn impressive and just sheer fun and entertaining, IMO.
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Re: Olympics
Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 9:42 am
by Orpheus
Rhuvein wrote:
Anyone watch the opening ceremonies?
Pretty darn impressive and just sheer fun and entertaining, IMO.
Not yet. I think that I'l watch them on On Demand on Comcast. Maybe I'll block my internet access, repress my freedoms of speech and religion, and make some lead-laden toys while I do it. You know, so I feel like I'm really there.
Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 12:00 pm
by magehammer
It was really an amazing experience (and I don't even have HD). The whole time I was watching, I just kept thinking, "this is history." Nothing will come close to it for a long time. The Tai Chi masters circle alone was mind boggling. (It was like 2081 C&C monks all standing in a multi-layered circle).
Truly impressive.
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Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 12:26 pm
by Omote
I'm just waiting for all the actual games I want to see. I'll catch the opening ceremonies at some point. Wish I could have seen it live, but work always gets in the way of everything!
-O
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Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 3:05 pm
by Tadhg
I've finished my first breakfast watching woman's volleyball and then woman's sabre fencing - 1,2 & 3!!! Yes, we took gold, silver and bronze!!
Way to start the day!
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Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 3:47 pm
by Go0gleplex
I find the whole concept of watchin sports about as exciting as watchin cardboard dry.
Just can't seem to see what all the excitement is about.
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Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 4:35 pm
by cuchulainkevin
As much as I enjoy watching track and field and women's beach volleyball (yum!), I pass on the Olympics. It gets too jingoistic for my tastes, which runs counter to the whole spirit of the thing, imo.
Maybe I'm too cynical...
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Re: Olympics
Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 6:10 pm
by Tadhg
Orpheus wrote:
Not yet. I think that I'l watch them on On Demand on Comcast. Maybe I'll block my internet access, repress my freedoms of speech and religion, and make some lead-laden toys while I do it. You know, so I feel like I'm really there.
Indeed, the lead in toys incident is awful, but frankly I hold those U.S. companies responsible. They took the jobs out of the U.S. and put pressure on manufacturers to make the stuff cheap. They only concerned themselves with profits and not quality control.
It will take some more time for China to move away from repression (Communism) but I hope they will join the U.S. as a major ally. They have tremendous resources and will be a factor in world politics and such. And so having good relations with them is paramount, IMO.
Also, having them to help us combat terrorism will be a major benefit.
Heh, and now back to the games . . . Michael Phelps can sure swim!
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Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 6:37 pm
by AGNKim
You knew the opening ceremony would be awesome.
USA - guy messes up and does something wrong on world-wide TV: Dude, you'll never work again.
China - guy messes up and does something wrong on world-wide TV: We killed your family.
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Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 6:40 pm
by serleran
Quote:
USA - guy messes up and does something wrong on world-wide TV: Dude, you'll never work again.
True, because he will have thousands of interviews, each of which he is paid standard SAG payments for (which isn't too shabby when you have many of them) and then will have a book written -- he'll also qualify for welfare immediately for being "disabled." He'll then be forgotten after a week.
Anyway, I liked the Olympics when it was about amateur athletes, not what it has become. Some sports still have the fire that once burned...
Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 9:40 pm
by Orpheus
serleran wrote:
Anyway, I liked the Olympics when it was about amateur athletes, not what it has become. Some sports still have the fire that once burned...
Gosh Ser. I didn't realize that you were so old. So you watched the Olympics prior to the '36 Berlin Games?
Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 9:44 pm
by Breakdaddy
serleran wrote:
Quote:
snip...Anyway, I liked the Olympics when it was about amateur athletes, not what it has become. Some sports still have the fire that once burned...
Dude. I had the fire that once burned. It was not all it was cracked up to be AT ALL. I'm just glad someone invented penicillin.
Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 9:27 pm
by Julian Grimm
I've been watching. The Olympics are a big event at Grimmhaus. In fact I found myself here killing the 2 hours to the primetime broadcast. I've enjoyed them all I've seen so far...well except for water polo, that was just silly.
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Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 9:48 pm
by Treebore
You have to admit that the Chinese and Japanese teams on the Parallel bars, rings, vaults, and "horse" have been pretty frickin phenomenal! The Russians and others did some pretty awesome looking stuff too. I actually liked what the Russian/Ukraine teams did on the vaults the best.
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Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 10:37 pm
by Dagger
How 'bout the US Men's Basketball team obliterating the Chinese team this morning? That was a smackdown!
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Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 2:32 am
by seskis281
Ok, have to say I was just mildly paying attention till tonight, as we turned on and watched the swimming - the British swimmer no one was talking about JUST beating Katie Hoff of America, then the US mens team shocking France in the 400 - those were two of the most intense events you can imagine.
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Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 2:42 am
by Julian Grimm
This has been a good set of games so far and what is this day 2 or 3?
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Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 2:43 am
by magehammer
That swimming finish against the trash-talking French was beyond epic!! That is one they will replay for decades like the USA vs. USSR hockey match...Yes, it's that epic. Watch the highlights tomorrow. I am sure it will be on the news over and over again.
epic.
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Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 2:59 am
by serleran
Quote:
So you watched the Olympics prior to the '36 Berlin Games?
Yes. I am beyond ancient.
Anyway, I do not find certain "sports" like, say, basketball, to be worthy of the Olympics -- paid professionals performing against other paid professionals. I think back on the history of the games and remember icons like Jim Thorpe who had his medals stripped (and yes I am aware he had his status somewhat reinstated as "co-champion") because he was once paid (as I seem to recall it) for a baseball game and see the utter hypocrisy that this event has become -- it is much less about the sports and triumph, the actual purpose of the games, and more about who can cherry-pick the best already-established "superstars." Heck, even the process of obtaining these "amateurs" is a bit backwards -- several are lifetime participants, raised from birth (look at the gymnasts) for one thing, and then, unless they are somehow miraculously memorable, are forgotten only moments later.
However, there are still some very great things to come from it -- nations united in a struggle that is not a war, for example. Stories of athletes who continue despite tremendous adversity, because they love what they are doing...
But, anyway... sorry, I just find the Olympics, like everything in the US, to be a giant commercial. Therefore, I will not watch it.
Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 3:58 am
by Julian Grimm
I guess I'm still a sucker for the ideal the Olympics presents. Peaceful coexistance between nations and people of varying outlooks coming together for mutual benefit and a showing of unity without compromise. Showing that there may be hope for the future of our societies yet.
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Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 11:47 am
by Thegreenman
Bah, NOlympics for me. Where's the Caber Tossing?
Give me the Highland Games for tradition and the X-games for excitement.
On a side note Buildering, Parkour, and Freerunning are pretty damn cool.
Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 1:04 pm
by DangerDwarf
I've never gotten into the Olympics hype. Doesn't do it for me.
Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 1:46 pm
by Omote
America **** YEAH!
I'm a fan of the summer Olympics for sure. I used to play vollyball in my younger years and was pretty decent... at least I would like to think so. And since Taekwondo was inserted in the summer Olympics, I HAVE to watch. Plus, there are some genuine great American athletes that are worth watchin IMO, like Michael Phelps who just smashes world and olympic records.
-O
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Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 2:26 pm
by magehammer
I love games and competition of any type. That alone makes it worth watching for me. Plus, I like to see the epitome of the human form, so I know what is possible when my players ask is it possible for me to do "x"?
If an Olympian can do it, more than likely, an adventurer can do it.
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Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 3:01 pm
by Jyrdan Fairblade
I was blown away by the opening ceremonies. My favorite since Lillehammer. If I had to pick a favorite moment, it would be the 2,008 drummers.
I have been watching the Olympics every day since. I could care less about sports like Football, Basketball, and the like, but there's something about the Olympics, the international pride, achievement, and panoply that I dig.
Least favorite moment was the Romanian Women's Gymnastics. Embarrassingly sloppy.
Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 3:01 pm
by Buttmonkey
I'm not a huge Olympics junkie and never really expect to watch much, but sooner or later I always seem to get sucked in a little. There's something compelling about a race, even a race you didn't have any interest in watching before it started. I don't give a bleep about swimming, but how could you not watch that men's relay race last night if you saw it was on?
Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 3:22 pm
by Julian Grimm
Jyrdan Fairblade wrote:
I was blown away by the opening ceremonies. My favorite since Lillehammer. If I had to pick a favorite moment, it would be the 2,008 drummers.
I have been watching the Olympics every day since. I could care less about sports like Football, Basketball, and the like, but there's something about the Olympics, the international pride, achievement, and panoply that I dig.
Least favorite moment was the Romanian Women's Gymnastics. Embarrassingly sloppy.
The US wasn't doing so well in the beginning either. Yeah we were down one of our better gymnasts but the team seemed to be struggling a bit. I hope we do better.
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Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 3:24 pm
by Julian Grimm
Buttmonkey wrote:
I'm not a huge Olympics junkie and never really expect to watch much, but sooner or later I always seem to get sucked in a little. There's something compelling about a race, even a race you didn't have any interest in watching before it started. I don't give a bleep about swimming, but how could you not watch that men's relay race last night if you saw it was on?
I'm different I guess, I watch all the related sports when I can and usually keep up. I was watching the trials as much as possible as well so I could see what our team had.
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Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 3:36 pm
by dutch206
After watching the opening ceremonies on Friday, the only thing I could think was "How on earth is London gonna top THIS in 2012?"
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Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 3:43 pm
by Tadhg
dutch206 wrote:
After watching the opening ceremonies on Friday, the only thing I could think was "How on earth is London gonna top THIS in 2012?"
Heh, some of the announcers were talking about that and one said they won't even try.
Maybe something like a Beatles/Beatles family reunion concert . .
Ringo and Zak, Julian Lennon, Paul & one of his kids and I think George Harrison's son plays guitar.
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"Enjoy a 'world' where the fantastic is fact and magic really works!" ~ Gary Gygax
"By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes:" - Macbeth