Greece needs to figure out a way to keep Baby Shaq on the court.
2008 Olympics thread - use SPOILER tags!
- Thread starter VF21
- Start date
jon e
Bench
no spoiler here either but the 9:26 mark in the 2nd quarter woke the nieghbors
You know, I've been a Bosh "hater" ever since he left Tech early, the year before we went to the Final Four (and would have beaten Connecticut if he'd stayed)... I take back everything bad I've ever said about him.
Hell yes it did!
USA avenges their loss from 2006 in convincing fashion.
Next up, a highly anticipated rematch against Spain.
Next up, a highly anticipated rematch against Spain.
HighFlyingMonkey
Starter
When the US locks down like that, they are unstoppable. Incredible defense, just all out fun to watch as a basketball enthusiast.
jon e
Bench
there was a while at the begining where i thought this game was gonna be alot tougher. greece was crowding the paint and none of our outside shots were falling until dwyane wade came in and it just seemed like usa just got a killer instinct. bodying thier way through the greeks. also the greeks started falling apart in the second half. good games by spanoulis and papaloukis tho
And, in other news, James Blake upsets Federer in straight sets. Suck on that, Switzerland!
Dime Dropper
All-Star
Surprisingly enough, I've found that womens gymnastics is one of the events I've enjoyed the most so far. I'll certainly be watching the individuals, hopefully I get to see them. I'll be cheering on team USA, especially Alicia Sacramone (for obvious reaons 
) and Shawn Johnson (for the fact that she's just great and seems to have a great personality).
Also, what can you say about the amazing Phelps? He's unbelievable, and I feel happy that I'll be able to say I watched him growing up. The scray thing is that while he's already the most decorated Olympian ever, he could still swim in another two Olympics after this! He's only 23 (I think), and if he does half as well in the next two Olympics as he's done at this one, he's going to make anyone catching up to him in the future next to impossible.
) and Shawn Johnson (for the fact that she's just great and seems to have a great personality).Also, what can you say about the amazing Phelps? He's unbelievable, and I feel happy that I'll be able to say I watched him growing up. The scray thing is that while he's already the most decorated Olympian ever, he could still swim in another two Olympics after this! He's only 23 (I think), and if he does half as well in the next two Olympics as he's done at this one, he's going to make anyone catching up to him in the future next to impossible.
LoungeLizard
Starter
Not to discount the excitement of the swimming events and all of the world records getting smashed, but I almost feel as if I'm watching the "juiced" era of baseball when you had multiple guys every year blasting 50 plus home runs. I mean, seriously, every damn race a world record is getting broken. IMO, alot of it has to do with these new speedo suits that were supposedly developed by NASA and resemble dolphin skin. If these suits give the swimmers that much of an advantage then it is a shame for the swimmers of the past (Spitz) who sit back and watch this happen. Whats next? Gloves and booties that resemble webbed hands and feet. Maybe I'm going a little overboard, but just wondering if anyone else was thinking the same.
"The water is juiced!" - Michael Wilbon
EDIT - Seriously, though, I don't think that advances in technology should be held against the athletes; it's not like you would make football players would go back to wearing leather helmets...
EDIT - Seriously, though, I don't think that advances in technology should be held against the athletes; it's not like you would make football players would go back to wearing leather helmets...
Belgium blew five chances to steal a set from Walsh and May-Treanor. I anticipate them getting blown out in the second set.
[Ebonics]
Shol' did.
[/Ebonics]
piksi
Hall of Famer
great job girls
Looking at some scores I couldn't help but wonder whether Dick Bavetta got himself a summer gig. Let's face it - he knows as much about BB as he knows about gymnastic. All You can ever ask is for the best athlete to win and it happened tonight.
Still a mystery - how You can have 2 such a dominant athletes and not win the team competition in 3 of 3 format
Looking at some scores I couldn't help but wonder whether Dick Bavetta got himself a summer gig. Let's face it - he knows as much about BB as he knows about gymnastic. All You can ever ask is for the best athlete to win and it happened tonight.
Still a mystery - how You can have 2 such a dominant athletes and not win the team competition in 3 of 3 format
LoungeLizard
Starter
USA Basketball. Any Questions? (Sorry VF21, just had to.)
I will be very, VERY surprised if this team gets beat. They just HANDLED Spain.
I will be very, VERY surprised if this team gets beat. They just HANDLED Spain.
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Well, it's somewhat disappointing that she didn't manage to win gold, but three silver medals at forty-one years of age is an incredible feat.
You know, when I think about it, this is a pretty ****ty way to organize an event, in my opinion. I mean, unless you have a dog in the race, what could possibly be the incentive to watch ninety-five percent of the weightlifting event when you know that only the last five percent (or perhaps even less) is at all relevant.
Case in point:
Mi-ran Jang of South Korea absolutely crushed all opponents in the 75+ kg women's weightlifting competition today. How dominant was she? Well, as mentioned above, you don't lift until everybody else is either done, or until they work their way up to the weight you want to lift. So, if you want to lift two hundred pounds, you have to wait until either everybody else is lifting two hundred pounds as well, or, if no-one else is going to lift that much, you have to wait until everybody else is finished.
Olha Korobka, the silver medalist from the Ukrain,e completed the Clean and Jerk portion of the event with a successful lift of 153kg (336.6 lbs). They get three chances to lift, and she didn't even attempt a third lift, knowing that a) her second lift was good enough to clinch the silver and b) she had no chance of sniffing gold.
And why was so sure? Because, whereas her max lift was 153 kg, Jang's starting weight was 170 kg (374 lbs), almost forty pounds better. Jang was already so far out in front by virtue of a World Record-breaking 140 kg snatch, that she could have clinched the gold medal with a C&J of 137 kg.
Instead, she lifted over seventy pounds more than she had to, and blew away the competition on her very first attempt... but, at least she went on to give the fans a show at that point, going out on her next attempt (despite not needing to) and lifting 183 kg (402.6 lbs) to break the World Record... and then went out and lifted 186 (409.2) to break it again! She finished with a combined lift in the snatch and clean and jerk of 326 kg (717 lbs) to win the gold in dominant fashion, outdoing the silver medalist by over a hundred pounds!
But, the point is that everybody else had long since been finished before she even started. When the rules state that whatever weight you lift, everybody after you has to be able to lift that much as well, and all the other competitors have completed their three lifts before she's attempted her first, then it takes all the drama out of the event, because you know that all she has to do is complete one lift, and it's over.
Olha Korobka, the silver medalist from the Ukrain,e completed the Clean and Jerk portion of the event with a successful lift of 153kg (336.6 lbs). They get three chances to lift, and she didn't even attempt a third lift, knowing that a) her second lift was good enough to clinch the silver and b) she had no chance of sniffing gold.
And why was so sure? Because, whereas her max lift was 153 kg, Jang's starting weight was 170 kg (374 lbs), almost forty pounds better. Jang was already so far out in front by virtue of a World Record-breaking 140 kg snatch, that she could have clinched the gold medal with a C&J of 137 kg.
Instead, she lifted over seventy pounds more than she had to, and blew away the competition on her very first attempt... but, at least she went on to give the fans a show at that point, going out on her next attempt (despite not needing to) and lifting 183 kg (402.6 lbs) to break the World Record... and then went out and lifted 186 (409.2) to break it again! She finished with a combined lift in the snatch and clean and jerk of 326 kg (717 lbs) to win the gold in dominant fashion, outdoing the silver medalist by over a hundred pounds!
But, the point is that everybody else had long since been finished before she even started. When the rules state that whatever weight you lift, everybody after you has to be able to lift that much as well, and all the other competitors have completed their three lifts before she's attempted her first, then it takes all the drama out of the event, because you know that all she has to do is complete one lift, and it's over.
kennadog
Dog On It!
I agree. Pretty much all the swimmers had the same technology available to them, so it's not like there was any advantage given to any one person.
There are always technological advances in sports. Swimmers wearing goggles and skintight swim caps are technological advances. Spitz swam against guys with the same technology as him and so did Phelps.
On the other hand, sometimes great athletes come along, who take a sport to a new level. Usain Bolt was incredible in the 100m! Hardly looked like he worked up a sweat.
Here is a picture of a table tennis player representing the People's Republic...
... Of the Congo.
I dunno... maybe her grandparents emigrated from there... [/Kaman]
In other news, I love Bela Karolyi as a commentator. The man is such an unbearable homer for USA Women's Gymnastics that he's made a full revolution around annoying and come all the way back to funny!
I also loved the underhanded snark by Costas: "With me is Bela Karolyi, whom you may be surprised to learn has an opinion..."
I also loved the underhanded snark by Costas: "With me is Bela Karolyi, whom you may be surprised to learn has an opinion..."
This is insane: have you ever seen a nine-run, two-out rally? In the first inning?
China's manager pulled her starting pitcher after she gave up four runs with two outs... and all her relief did was give up five runs before she got anybody out!
China's manager pulled her starting pitcher after she gave up four runs with two outs... and all her relief did was give up five runs before she got anybody out!
Dime Dropper
All-Star
What about Usain Bolt?
Can't wait to see him in the 200m tomorrow.
Can't wait to see him in the 200m tomorrow.
After another sluggish start, the Redeem Team layeth the smacketh down on Australia.
Argentina/Greece coming up, with the winner of that game to play the United States in the semis...
Argentina/Greece coming up, with the winner of that game to play the United States in the semis...
piksi
Hall of Famer
Michael who ???
What Bolt did in this Olympics has never been done before
total domination and he even erazed Michael Johnson from record books with "chest wind." I really thought that 19:32 will never be broken but now I know that it will be broken again. A Superman - Usain Bolt
What Bolt did in this Olympics has never been done before
total domination and he even erazed Michael Johnson from record books with "chest wind." I really thought that 19:32 will never be broken but now I know that it will be broken again. A Superman - Usain Bolt
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