Yeah that was pretty awful. I can't remember how that entire end played out. I remember them constantly trying to draw to the 4 ft and missing. I think they only called one hit that end that maybe McCormick flashed? Shit like that happens when you don't throw and make hits.
Olympics Thread
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Aaron
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Not hating on the sports, but when I watch something like the Skeleton I always wonder what sort of life choices the contestants made to bring them to the point in their life where hurtling head first down an ice tube at 140kph seems like the correct thing to do. Or the ski jump, where they basically jump off a 90 m heigh ramp.
When they were 10 and their dad sat down with them and asked them what they would like to do for a living, did they say: "You know dad, I think I'd like to jump from 90 meters height with a pair of sticks stuck to my feet for a living."
When they were 10 and their dad sat down with them and asked them what they would like to do for a living, did they say: "You know dad, I think I'd like to jump from 90 meters height with a pair of sticks stuck to my feet for a living."
Eomer
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I posted that a few days ago man!
Well, for a lot of the "push" sports like bobsleigh, skeleton, and luge generally they don't grow up doing the sport. They play other sports, whether track and field or football, and then end up going in to those push sports. That's what happens with most of Canada's bobsleigh team, they wait for certain athletes to finish up their previous careers and then poach them:Bobsleigh Canadas strategy of recruiting from other sports is paying off - Editor's Picks, Life, Sports - Macleans.caaaron_sl said:
The Canadian who won skeleton in 2010 (and was running around the Olympic village immediately after chugging a pitcher of beer) didn't even start doing it until he was 24:Jon Montgomery - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
He's basically said "I wanted to win an Olympic medal, didn't really know how, and then stumbled across this goofy sport by accident and here I am."
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How is Luge even an Olympic thing? It looks like an 'extreme' hobby. Something vapid rich people do like hand gliding or base jumping.
Either way, I know for sure we shoulddefinitelyget rid of Baseball and Softball. Nobody plays those...
Eomer
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Baseball and softball are pointless being in the Olympics because one nation dominates them to the exclusion of all others. There's no competition whatsoever. And yes, you're right, for the most part outside of the US no one plays baseball or softball other than a couple oddball former US colonies or protectorates. Women's hockey IMO should probably get the boot as well due to the lack of competition outside US/Canada, but at least there's a good chance that several Euro countries will catch up down the road.
Luge has a pretty long history in the Olympics. Skeleton is much newer, at least in recent terms. Wiki just told me that apparently they did do it at the Olympics as far back as 1928. But regardless, there's a wide range of countries that compete at both.
Luge has a pretty long history in the Olympics. Skeleton is much newer, at least in recent terms. Wiki just told me that apparently they did do it at the Olympics as far back as 1928. But regardless, there's a wide range of countries that compete at both.
Kirun
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While that might have been true 20 or so years ago, it certainly isn't the case anymore. Dominican Republic, Japan, Venezuela, etc. could all field competitive, competent teams. It's no less competitive in the Olympics than hockey, really.
Eomer
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opiate82
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Kirun
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As opposed to Canada, Russia/USSR, or Sweden wining 98% of the time in hockey?
Canada alone has participated in Hockey 20 times. They've won gold 40% of the time, with 8, and have been on the podium 70% of the time.
Intrinsic
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I guess according to Wiki the US has only medaled three times in 5 Olympics, with 1 Gold and 2 Bronze. I would have assumed too and never even would have looked until next time they are played. Softball is apparently much more one sided though.
Chris
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As someone who lives in a country without mountains, I'm kind of bemused by the "but who plays these sports?" discussion.
If you look at the medals table it is "Countries with Regular Snow" and "Countries with Gay People" (This explains flat Netherlands with their Ice Skating/Dancing), most of the world can't really take part in the Winter Olympics. Just shut the whole thing down since the whole thing is dominated by a handful of countries, it's not just the Hockey.
If you look at the medals table it is "Countries with Regular Snow" and "Countries with Gay People" (This explains flat Netherlands with their Ice Skating/Dancing), most of the world can't really take part in the Winter Olympics. Just shut the whole thing down since the whole thing is dominated by a handful of countries, it's not just the Hockey.
McCheese
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Regarding Olympic/International baseball, I always figured it was similar to hockey in that the majority of the best players in America (both amateur and pro) aren't actually American. Therefore, for international competition lots of them play for their home countries and make it a lot harder for the U.S. to win.
I don't really know much about either sport in terms of international play, but that's what I've always assumed, at least.
On a somewhat related topic, it's always kind of irked me that lots of foreign Olympians will live and train for extremely long periods in the United States but play for their countries.
Eomer
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Men's Olympic hockey is very competitive, and it's only truly been "best on best" since 1998. Prior to that the best North American players never participated. Canada, USA, Russia, Sweden, Finland, Czech Republic could all win any given year. Past that yes, the competition gets thin. But that level of competition far surpasses what you see in baseball. In the four Olympics with "best on best", three different countries have won gold. Canada x2, Sweden, and Czech. Even the Fins, who are arguably the weakest of the "Big 6" have two bronzes and a silver. Despite not having a gold, they have the most medals, no one else has more than 2.
Kirun
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So, since it has become "best on best", Canada has won 50% of the time? You're not helping your "plenty of competition" argument here..
Right, but according to Eomer and other naysayers, baseball was eliminated because the US was too "dominant", despite only winning 1/5 Golds.McCheese_sl said:
Szlia
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I like all this talk about the USA dominating baseball when in 5 Olympiads Cuba won three times and got silver the other two! USA got one gold and two bronze. Softball though: 3 gold out of 4.
Also note that both sports are out of the Olympics for now (were already out in London in 2012).
Also note that both sports are out of the Olympics for now (were already out in London in 2012).
Araxen
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