Olympics 2008

[Alex]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

Why is it shameful? Don't you suppose that most every person on the face of this planet wants the athlete from their country to win? Or is it that everyone is shameful?

Everyone wants to be a part of the winning team. Granted, none of us here were swimming, but we are Americans and I think that feeling is wonderful. It is wonderful for whomever win and their countrymen (er...and countrywomen....ok, countrypersons).

I wouldn't use the word shameful. It is simply silly. I don't gain any excitement from an American winning as opposed to a Kazakh. To the extent I enjoy watching a sport it is to see it well played. Simply being American is not a personal connection to the competitor. If I knew one of the swimmers personally (or even knew someone who knew them personally) then it would be a bit of a rooting interest. And yes, I carry that to the sport I most love: baseball. I'm a fan of whatever team is local, not because of that local connection but simply because it is more satisfying to root for the team I can actually watch regularly. Since I don't watch swimming events except at the Olympics there is no "local access" advantage to any particular team. If I were to move from Oakland to Dallas I would immediately switch allegiance from the Athletics to the Rangers, just as I have already done from the Mariners to the Athletics.

In fact, because so many people are engaged in what I see as silly nationalism I kind of end up actively rooting against the American teams simply to be contrarian. I've certainly been pushed by endless hype into hoping Phelps loses soon so people will shut up.

My problem with a 0.08 second difference (and with all sports which inherently produce such slim margins) is that it is essentially a meaningless increment of time. So far as I'm concerned they were tied.

[Gemini Cricket]

Isn't smack talking between countries in Olympics normal? Not sure why the French comments were so highlighted. I'm sure they aren't the only country who want to beat another country in Beijing... The "smash incident" sounds contrived to me. You know, to get people to stay up, stay tuned and watch the swimming event. And there's celebrating, but the French team did come very, very close to the US time, so they should be thinking about how they almost got their tails kicked. Also, Phelps got the US off on a slow start... Oh, and Lezak is hot.

As for Bush's arm, it looked like a scrape or something. Maybe from biking? But, sheesh, cover the thing up.

There was a Bush interview by Costas during (after? I forget) the Women's Gymnastics qualification round. It totally came out of nowhere. It wasn't even announced it was coming up. All of a sudden, 'Hey, we have the president here.' I was like, 'Uh, okay.' And it was painful to watch as always. He kept repeating 'engage' over and over. It was weird. And he brought up religion 3 times during his short appearance. I'm thinking free speech in China would be the topic I'd highlight if I was him.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

There was a Bush interview by Costas during (after? I forget) the Women's Gymnastics qualification round. It totally came out of nowhere. It wasn't even announced it was coming up. All of a sudden, 'Hey, we have the president here.' I was like, 'Uh, okay.' And it was painful to watch as always. He kept repeating 'engage' over and over. It was weird. And he brought up religion 3 times during his short appearance. I'm thinking free speech in China would be the topic I'd highlight if I was him.

The interview was mentioned at the top of the broadcast.

On the topic of smack talking, apparently one of the female rowing teams (Australian, I believe) called another team (Netherlands?) fat.

ETA: Finland, not Netherlands. story

[Gemini Cricket]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

It was mentioned at the top of the broadcast.

Ah. I sat through the entire Women's Gymnastics section and didn't hear about it. Was it before that? I'm thinking a 'coming up next, the president of the United States' would have been in order.

They showed a clip during the Bush interview where he was talking to Putin. They were standing right in front of Laura. Laura seemed to be ticked having Putin's rump in her face.

[LashStoat]

With all this rooting* going on, I'm surprised that anyone has the energy to toss their javelin !!!

*In Oz, rooting is a birds and bees topic.

[BarTopDancer]

I feel a connection to swimming because I used to swim. I feel no connection to anything to do with horses though and while I want our team to do well in every event it's not something I'm going to go out of my way to watch or root for.

Team USA is the home team in the Olympics. I want them to do well. I also want the world to be reminded that the USA isn't just Bush and war. It's people, just like them.

[innerSpaceman]

Alex pretty much answered it for me, scaeagles. Except that I'll go him one further and say that rooting for your city's home team, while admittedly fun, is pathetic ... to the exent most people refer to it as "my team" - as if they have some kind of ownership stake, or are, heaven forbid, PLAYING THE FRELLING GAME THEMSELVES.


Alex makes a good point about a team you are used to seeing play ... but they still HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU.



BTW, if 217 of the 640 Chinese Atheletes win gold medals, China will have won ZERO gold medals. Despite the tyrannical MACHINE the Chinese have to churn out Olympians ... the fact remains: Countries don't win medals, Individual Human Beings DO.


As such, I really feel somewhere between silly and shameful when I experience a tinge of nationalistic joy at Americans winning some competition. The competition itself is silly, my personal connection to American atheletes is non-existent, and the nationalism is, imo, contrary to the higher spirit of the Olympic Games.


I am happy for ANYONE who wins. I am happy for ANYONE who can even compete at this level.

And yeah the race was exciting. The Americans were overjoyed, the French were dispondent. Ugh, since - as Alex pointed out - the race was a freaking TIE.

[blueerica]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

On the topic of smack talking, apparently one of the female rowing teams (Australian, I believe) called another team (Netherlands?) fat.

ETA: Finland, not Netherlands. story

One of my favorite 'human interest' stories from rowing.

Yes, I watched rowing.

[BarTopDancer]

Except it wasn't a tie. Have either of you swam competitively?

It's effort and technique coming into the wall. You can't just float on in and hit the wall. In a race that close you're finishing technique better be damn good.

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by Alex

I wouldn't use the word shameful. It is simply silly.

I suppose silly is in the eye of the beholder. People make and feel connections with others for all sorts of reasons.

If it is silly to be happy for the American to win in his/her/their event, than I am happy to be silly (though I don't consider it to be so).

If it is contrary to the spirit of the Olympic games, ISM, why doesn't the IOC throw out the concept of country from the games entirely? Anyone can compete in regional trials for individual sports, make their own teams to compete, etc.

I think the competition between countries is ingrained into the Olympics. It may not be by design, but to eliminate it, no one should represent countries, just themselves.