2008 Olympics!

[archeryguy1701]

^But they control the water temperature, the amount of chemicals used and variety, the amount of ripple or chop (even within some pools), the quality and surface of the blocks... nothing that would make a huge change, but that helps.

And, the drugs now are less traceable. :P

According to last night's report, the pool was deepened to nine feet over the standard seven and widened by two lanes, thus cutting the resistance from waves against the swimmers and likely lowering their times.

But an arguement could be made for all biking or running events. Different locations are made just a little differently (differences in track material, in the angle on the corners, etc), and then there's the enviromental advantages of different altitudes, different air conditions, and things of that sort. Realistically, unless they did all Olympics in the exact same locations and never changed any design specifications, some places will have a competitive advantage over others. It just happens.

EDIT- Also, looks like Jennifer Nichols was eliminated from the archery yesterday. Damn. I waited for the finals, and she got eliminated before I got to watch.

 

[Thespeckledkiwi]

Good job Spanish national basketball team! Hope Gasol and whoever else is with him going to the NBA likes a nice fine and a few games sitting out!

 

[MetalPants]

It is funny, I'm not a sports fan. Never have been. Have made it clear that I do not enjoy sports, participating in or watching. My Dad asked with amazement if I was not interested in watching the Olympics.

 

[Cali]

Rebecca Adlington has set a new Olympic record in her 800m freestyle heat in the pool, at 8:18.06.

 

[tomalak301]

I'm sorry for keeping on harping about the coverage but I am just really insensed about this whole thing this week:

There were rumors that NBC would finally come to thier senses and show the final Phelps race live on Saturday Night for the entire country. According to the schedule, the race is at 10:58 PM (East Coast, which would be 7:58 PM out here. Well, NBC has really struck down this rumor because of this reasoning:

From Yahoo

Breaking: NBC says no Phelps live coverage for west coast

By Chris Chase
Despite a flurry of rumors ignited by a post on the website Media Bistro, NBC restated today that the network will not air any live coverage of Michael Phelps on the west coast. Yesterday, there was some speculation that NBC might halt its practice of airing tape delayed coverage out west in favor of a coast-to-coast live broadcast of Phelp's possible run at Olympic history. It's not going to happen, says an NBC spokesman:

"It will not be shown live on the West Coast. This is a baseless rumor and I don't know the genesis of it.
The situation will remain the same as it has for all of our prime-time broadcasts. The reason that we're showing this in the normal prime-time patterns on the West Coast is because this is when the majority of people are available to watch."​

Say what you will about NBC, but on some level,you've got to admire their stubbornness on this issue. Virtually everyone outside 30 Rockefeller Plaza thinks that NBC should at least be airing Phelps' weekend swims live throughout the country. But even in the face of criticism from all sides, NBC is standing firm.
So, west coast friends, it's time to resign yourself to the fact that you won't be getting any live swimming or gymnastics during these Olympics. Rest easy, though. We're all in the same boat when track & field starts; NBC wont be airing any live primetime coverage of those events on either coast.

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/be...-no-Phelps-live-coverage-for-w?urn=oly,100859

So this is the most important race in the olympics, and NBC believes more people will be avaliable to watch at 11:00 on a Saturday Night and not at 8:00? Can someone please convince me this reasoning makes sense because I don't get it.


Because of these decisions, I'm honestly considering not watching Heroes this season. Just think, based on thier reasoning, the West Coast might be getting the Super Bowl on Tape Delay. God I would love to see the Chaos ensue of that happens.

 

[Brolan]

I'm sorry for keeping on harping about the coverage but I am just really insensed about this whole thing this week:

There were rumors that NBC would finally come to thier senses and show the final Phelps race live on Saturday Night for the entire country. According to the schedule, the race is at 10:58 PM (East Coast, which would be 7:58 PM out here. Well, NBC has really struck down this rumor because of this reasoning:

From Yahoo

Breaking: NBC says no Phelps live coverage for west coast

By Chris Chase
Despite a flurry of rumors ignited by a post on the website Media Bistro, NBC restated today that the network will not air any live coverage of Michael Phelps on the west coast. Yesterday, there was some speculation that NBC might halt its practice of airing tape delayed coverage out west in favor of a coast-to-coast live broadcast of Phelp's possible run at Olympic history. It's not going to happen, says an NBC spokesman:

"It will not be shown live on the West Coast. This is a baseless rumor and I don't know the genesis of it.
The situation will remain the same as it has for all of our prime-time broadcasts. The reason that we're showing this in the normal prime-time patterns on the West Coast is because this is when the majority of people are available to watch."
​

Say what you will about NBC, but on some level,you've got to admire their stubbornness on this issue. Virtually everyone outside 30 Rockefeller Plaza thinks that NBC should at least be airing Phelps' weekend swims live throughout the country. But even in the face of criticism from all sides, NBC is standing firm.
So, west coast friends, it's time to resign yourself to the fact that you won't be getting any live swimming or gymnastics during these Olympics. Rest easy, though. We're all in the same boat when track & field starts; NBC wont be airing any live primetime coverage of those events on either coast.

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/be...-no-Phelps-live-coverage-for-w?urn=oly,100859

So this is the most important race in the olympics, and NBC believes more people will be avaliable to watch at 11:00 on a Saturday Night and not at 8:00? Can someone please convince me this reasoning makes sense because I don't get it.


Because of these decisions, I'm honestly considering not watching Heroes this season. Just think, based on thier reasoning, the West Coast might be getting the Super Bowl on Tape Delay. God I would love to see the Chaos ensue of that happens.

You need to organize some good old-fashioned internet action. Get people on the West coast to send swim caps and/or goggles to NBC headquarters out there. Call your local TV stations and tell them about it.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Wow, that's really stupid. I'm sorry, tomalak.

 

[Trekker4747]

I love Volleyball players.

 

[Timewalker]

I doubt sending swimming caps to NBC would make them pay attention. But a mass threat to boycott the companies/products that sponsor their broadcasts would get their attention. After all, ad revenue is what it's all about these days.

*just a bit of advice from somebody who watched the Canada/Cuba baseball game live this morning, and the men's gymnastics live last night... bless CBC!

 

[Alidar Jarok]

The first set for women's volleyball was a nail biter. Fortunately, the second set wasn't even close to one.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Yup, but it was still fun to watch. I love watching May-Walsh play.

 

[Tim]

I just don't understand this gymnastics scoring. It seems very arbitrary, especially when the judges watch the replays.

It seems that the Chinese women/children are getting a lot of help from the judges. Odd, to say the least.

 

[Nobody]

The backpack the gymnasts wear to move to the events really throw me off. They look like they're headed off to school.


-nobody

 

[Alidar Jarok]

I just don't understand this gymnastics scoring. It seems very arbitrary, especially when the judges watch the replays.

It seems that the Chinese women/children are getting a lot of help from the judges. Odd, to say the least.

It's hard to say. The way the announcers were describing it, it didn't seem like they had a lot of discretion in their scoring, but I can't imagine judging like that being anything but subjective.

No one mentioned Phelps' win tonight. I guess we just expect it so it's not news until he gets 8?

 

[The Nth Doctor]

I just don't understand this gymnastics scoring. It seems very arbitrary, especially when the judges watch the replays.

It seems that the Chinese women/children are getting a lot of help from the judges. Odd, to say the least.

It's hard to say. The way the announcers were describing it, it didn't seem like they had a lot of discretion in their scoring, but I can't imagine judging like that being anything but subjective.

I think it's a bit odd that they're allowed to watch replays as part of the judging. The judges for the synchronized divers don't watch the replays.

Eh, whatever. I'm not feeling gymnastics like I once did.

No one mentioned Phelps' win tonight. I guess we just expect it so it's not news until he gets 8?

Meh, I'm bored with Phelps. Actually, strike that. I'm sick of him and the excessive coverage he's getting. NBC showed up to a minute of him getting a full body massage. Seriously, I don't give a shit!

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Well, I only watched the race. It's nice to root for history being made (provided it doesn't have to do with the Patriots going undefeated). Seriously, how often is something like this going to happen?

 

[Nobody]

My brother got so upset with NBC's Michael Phelps coverage he changed it to CBC. It was a breath of fresh air -- I learned Canada actually has summer athletes!

I have nothing against him, just the coverage. He's also been so dominate these past few races I'm no longer surprised.


-nobody

 

[The Nth Doctor]

No fucking kidding. I was really annoyed at NBC tonight when they broke away from one of the races before all of them reached the wall to get a reaction shot from the winner. Because the first two were so far ahead, the third place winner (and Bronze Medalist) didn't make it until after the cutaway. I didn't find out who the Bronze Medalist was until they threw up the chart just before the commercial break and they barely mentioned her as a footnote.

 

[Amaris]

I just don't understand this gymnastics scoring. It seems very arbitrary, especially when the judges watch the replays.

It seems that the Chinese women/children are getting a lot of help from the judges. Odd, to say the least.

Agreed. In the gymnastics tournaments, I believe it was balance beam, one of the girls on the Chinese team did a very poor routine and her scores were way higher than they should have been. I think a lot of people noticed that one, too.


J.

 

[Thespeckledkiwi]

Oi! More judge controversy and this one is huge. Wrestling.