I hate Canadians. They are too earnest

Phantomfan;842283902 said:

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Does anyone remember a time when the Olympics were not about what will go wrong, and how terrible everything is, but about the Olympics being great coming together of nations?

I think my biggest issue with these Olympics is the non-stop every-thing-sucks story line.

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They have a formula for drama (overcoming some tragedy) and have to cram everyone into it. The interview with Bode Miller after he medaled was relentless. He was incredibly happy he hung on to win a medal. The interviewer had to keep reminding him his brother died last year. One of your greatest moments has to be connected with one of the worst moments in your life. Couldn't just let the guy be happy and celebrate.

Other stories are really interesting but don't get told. Mancuso's dad ran a $140 million weed operation in Northern Nevada. Paid for all her skiing training growing up. He turned state's witness and got to keep $10 million. Mancuso met him when he got out of prison. She spends the off-season cross-training at her beach house on Maui.

I got the Canadian feed. It is really great...So much better than NBC. Real time, balanced and no fluff.

One of the best Valentine's Day cards I saw (naturally it was authored before both of his eyes were taken out):

calumnus;842283963 said:

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Other stories are really interesting but don't get told. Mancuso's dad ran a $140 million weed operation in Northern Nevada. Paid for all her skiing training growing up. He turned state's witness and got to keep $10 million. Mancuso met him when he got out of prison. She spends the off-season cross-training at her beach house on Maui.

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What, what, what? That Mancuso? Combined with his defense attorney (who had represented him between 1974 and 1990) former SF District Attorney Patrick Hallinan?

Mancuso was arrested in October 1989 and pleaded guilty the following year to charges of operating a continuing criminal enterprise and tax evasion.

Quote:

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In his own impassioned statement to the judge, Mancuso said [in 1995]: "I felt it was essential to destroy the organization that I had helped to build [in the 1970's and 1980's]. . . and the organization became extinct. . . . I'm appalled with myself. I'm going to have to live with that for the rest of my life."

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9 years. That's what he got. He doesn't look appalled now.

Imagine the number of black kids he helped send to prison because of his greed and arrogance.

Now that is a human interest story.

AlbertaBear;842283738 said:

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Everytime the Olympics come around I am absolutely blown away at how poor the American coverage is. For a nation that is absolutely obsessed with athletics it is a joke how bad the coverage is.

As a Canadian, the CBC coverage is phenomenal. Every minute of every event is webcast in HD on the CBC website with the ability to watch previous archived footage and pause/rewind live footage. It's tremendous.

I keep waiting for Americans to put their foot down and demand an overhaul to how the games are covered in the States. I expect it will happen eventually but am surprised it still hasn't come.

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NBC has exactly the same thing on their website and app. They also show plenty live from midnight to about 11 am on NBC Sports.

Men's snowboard cross is an f'ing trip. Equip them with AK-47's and we are talking off the charts!

calumnus;842283963 said:

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They have a formula for drama (overcoming some tragedy) and have to cram everyone into it. The interview with Bode Miller after he medaled was relentless. He was incredibly happy he hung on to win a medal. The interviewer had to keep reminding him his brother died last year. One of your greatest moments has to be connected with one of the worst moments in your life. Couldn't just let the guy be happy and celebrate.

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You saw hints of this in 2008 with this interview. NBC: desperately trying to turn the Olympics into a reality show.

bearister;842284040 said:

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Men's snowboard cross is an f'ing trip. Equip them with AK-47's and we are talking off the charts!

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I love snowboard and ski cross. That is the original was to race - racing your buddies down the hill. First one to the bottom wins.

bearister;842284040 said:

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Men's snowboard cross is an f'ing trip. Equip them with AK-47's and we are talking off the charts!

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Better yet. Have this event in the games.


"Ya, it is the only way, Chinese downhill."

Hot Dog the Movie

Try streaming coverage by Canadian TV.

It is not unique to the US. I have watched summer and winter Olympics in other countries - Germany, France, Taiwan, South Africa, ....
-The coverage in those other countries had personal biographies of the home country athletes who were favored to win medals.
-The coverage in those other countries focused on events where that country was strong.
-They also showed all their own country events and only select medal events with athletes from other countries.

Phantomfan;842283902 said:

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Does anyone remember a time when the Olympics were not about what will go wrong, and how terrible everything is, but about the Olympics being great coming together of nations?

I think my biggest issue with these Olympics is the non-stop every-thing-sucks story line.

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Since there's very little about these Olympics that doesn't suck, feel free to find and post stories that reflect anything good.
Horrible venue. Importing salt from Switzerland to try to turn the slush into something resembling snow.
Horrible preparation, except for Putin's butt-buddies who pocketed billions.

Meanwhile, just across the Black Sea, in the capital of Ukraine .... speaking of a "coming together of nations" .... Putin's hand is evident there.

They need more objectively scored sports rather than subjectively judged competitions. Even stuff like the half-pipe is just a glorified dance competition in the snow IMO.

Is it really that surprising? Threads about Jonathan Martin and Richie Incognito and other reality drama BS that only tangentially involves Cal football (if that) get more ratings on this board than ones that actually discuss football. The Jonathan Martin thread on the home page has more hits than Berk18's extremely interesting thread about our quick passing attack.

And this is intended to be a niche discussion board whereas the goal of NBC's olympics coverage is to draw in the masses. Do your mother in laws check twitter to see results in real time? Of course not. No one cares what "hard core" sports fans think about olympics coverage because it doesn't move the needle. And let's be honest, a large majority of the winter sports have essentially no following. How many people in the world do luge or skeleton? 100, 200? Other than their family members, does anyone care outside the olympics? What's more amazing is that people buy into the niche sports in the winter olympics at all. I say this as a winter sports enthusiast. I think the winter x games is great and far more relevant and entertaining than the olympics because the chosen sports are done almost purely based on participation and entertainment and not whatever weird lobbying system goes on with the IOC.

Unit2Sucks;842284190 said:

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Is it really that surprising? Threads about Jonathan Martin and Richie Incognito and other reality drama BS that only tangentially involves Cal football (if that) get more ratings on this board than ones that actually discuss football. The Jonathan Martin thread on the home page has more hits than Berk18's extremely interesting thread about our quick passing attack.

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To be fair, it's the offseason after a brutal season. People's attention will wander. I would be shocked if the same would hold true in November.

sketchy9;842284194 said:

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To be fair, it's the offseason after a brutal season. People's attention will wander. I would be shocked if the same would hold true in November.

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This is a smart and hysterical group to discuss any subject with. I look forward to the off season OT flexibility.

Time to see if Kim Yuna can repeat her Gold from Vancouver. She's the only one left to skate. Too bad I can't see it live. Go Queen Yuna!

I've been watching the coverage live every morning on the NBC Live Extra app. It's been great. There's live coverage of every event. Most of the non-marquee stuff (think Russia Canada in curling) doesn't have commentators, so it's even better.

bearister;842284223 said:

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This is a smart and hysterical group to discuss any subject with. I look forward to the off season OT flexibility.

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Don't forget about the basketball board. Why not go over there and comment on the UCLA game last night.

KoreAmBear;842284672 said:

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Time to see if Kim Yuna can repeat her Gold from Vancouver. She's the only one left to skate. Too bad I can't see it live. Go Queen Yuna!

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Spoiler Alert...











Way to jinx her.

:Lindsay:Monty

YuSeeBerkeley;842284727 said:

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Spoiler Alert...

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**Spoiler alert***

























Sorry. My post must have affected the Russian judges.

Epic choke by USA women's hockey today. Hopefully the men fare better tomorrow.....

One of the best photo finishes ever in the quarterfinals of skicross.

ykes

Mr. Triangle;842284786 said:

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One of the best photo finishes ever in the quarterfinals of skicross.

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Can't ask for a better illustration of maturity than attempting a trick while leading at the finish. Way to go. Not even a good cross.

Don't these guys have any coaching?

KoreAmBear;842284672 said:

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Time to see if Kim Yuna can repeat her Gold from Vancouver. She's the only one left to skate. Too bad I can't see it live. Go Queen Yuna!

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Alas, Yuna is a princess. This thread is a good one. BI never fails to have a plethora of opinions!

KoreAmBear;842284752 said:

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Sorry. My post must have affected the Russian judges.

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Shockingly, at an Olympics held in Russia there was a questionable judging result that favored a Russian skater.

CaliforniaGoldenBear;842284883 said:

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Can't ask for a better illustration of maturity than attempting a trick while leading at the finish. Way to go. Not even a good cross.

Don't these guys have any coaching?

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Actually that's what a lot of skiers and snowboarders are taught to do. It helps square up the landing.

soefeil;842285036 said:

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Actually that's what a lot of skiers and snowboarders are taught to do. It helps square up the landing.

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I have a listing for a fine, gently used, clock tower situated in a prime location with a bay view. The owners are motivated to sell since they wish to transfer their portfolio balance from real estate to their sports franchises.

Cossacks attacking women with whips is an Olympic demonstration sport this year.

CaliforniaGoldenBear;842285038 said:

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I have a listing for a fine, gently used, clock tower situated in a prime location with a bay view. The owners are motivated to sell since they wish to transfer their portfolio balance from real estate to their sports franchises.

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I don't see why you don't believe that but ok. I've heard it mentioned multiple times, by multiple people.

CaliforniaGoldenBear;842284883 said:

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Can't ask for a better illustration of maturity than attempting a trick while leading at the finish. Way to go. Not even a good cross.

Don't these guys have any coaching?

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I don't think he was attempting a trick. He accidentally veered a little sideways.

soefeil;842285053 said:

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I don't see why you don't believe that but ok. I've heard it mentioned multiple times, by multiple people.

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Are any of your "multiple" people competent to coach downhill skiing? If you could "square up" your landing by crossing your tips don't you think Downhillers would have discovered the technique by now, after more than half a century of refinement? It's a distraction at best.

It's goofball behavier, like wearing baggy clothes in an Olympic race, by people willing to let style diminish their chance of winning.

BTW, same silly thing happened last Olympics. Snowboarder was leading, couldn't control the urge to do a grab on the last air, and fell, losing a medal IIRC.