2012 Olympics discussion thread
- Thread starter VF21
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I think for the first time iin the history of the Olympics, no American male won a boxing medal. On the other hand, Clerrisa Shields is an amazing boxer. Sheilds is incredible and still is in high school. She can show off her gold medal to her classmates. I don't think I've ever seen a woman with such power, hand speed, and form.
The only event that had a "I'll live or die" element to it for me was women's soccer. A lot of my soul is locked up with these ladies. Thank goodness I don't have to die this year. There have been a few other instances that have gotten my attention once I scan the large amounts of medals the Americans have gotten.
Botswana and Guatamala just won their first Olympic medals in history in the men's 800 meters run and the 20k men's walk!!! That's cool and is part of what the Olympics are about. Not the event but the achievement of the countries. Edit: Gabon and two or three only timers were in this Olympics. That's wonderful.
I wonder why Americans dominate the decathlon. Do we have a decathlon training center? Of course not but I believe we go back to Jim Thorpe (1912), Brutus Hamilton (1920), Harold Osborn and Emerson Norton (1924), Ken Doherty (1928), Jim Bausch (1932), Glenn Morris, Bob,Clark, and Jack Parker (1936), Bob Mathias and Floyd Simmons (1952), Milt Campbell and Rafer Johnson (1956), Rafer Johnson (1960), none (1964), Bill Toomy (1968), none (1972), Bruce Jenner (1976), none (1980, 1984, and 1988), Dave Johnson (1992), Dan O'Brien (1996), none (2000), Bryan Clay (2004), Bryan Clay (2008), and Ashton Eaton and Trey Hardee (2012). That's outrageous. Not all won the gold but we did sweep all three medals one year and this year had gold and silver. We missed out on winning a medal 5 times and once was because we boycotted the games. Any ideas? It certainly is an event that requires you to be an all around athlete.
Then there is the dominance of African Americans and Caribbean Islanders in many track events both men and women. BTW, a Caucasian Frenchman won the 100 meter dash several decades ago. Shocked the hell out of me.
So why no medals in boxing? I find that odd. I am not being greedy too much but it is a strange phenomena as I think we have lost our stranglehold on pro boxing also. We used to dominate the heavyweights and now I can't think of a winner in the last 10 years even with 3 or 4 different championships available.
There are other oddities like weight lifting. Not important, I suppose, but for some countries it is THE athletic event for men and women especially in Eastern Europe and what I think is called South Asia. East Asians are creeping into the sport.
A British rower of great popularity perhaps quoting Boris Johnson said that if you are British and can't play soccer, you sit down. What he meant was you ride bicycles, sail boats, row boats, or ride horses. If you look up the British collection of medals in these areas, you might begin to believe him.
Man, how much more is there? It's all becoming a blur.
Get used to China piling up medals. They are comparitively late to the Olympics and in their push to become a world power, focus on athletics to build up a positive image. There are many events they haven't taken part in but I think soon they will routinely pile up medals at a higher rate than the US. After all, they have 5 times the population or something like that. Their practice of selecting kids at a young age and separating them from their families so they can train will help in this endeavor also. Seems cruel especially to the kids who do not achieve and to all the parents but it's a fact and will pile up medals if they expand the sports they take part in. I believe dressage is safe for awhile.
Why doesn't India win anything.
Anyway, it's late and I am still riding the high of the US women's soccer gold but will shut up. Anyone else recognize any curiosities? Are there any sports that should be eliminated or added?
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As a followup to another note, of the 39 US gold medals won, 26 are by women. 8 of the men's gold medals are from swimming leaving 5 golds to men in other sports. So as not to alarm males in this country, this is a response to Title IX of 40 years ago which mandated equal support of women's sports with men's sports. I don't think any other country has such a national law. For instance, when the Japanese soccer teams came to London, the men's team flew first clas and the women flew tourist. It doesn't mean American women are better than American men but simply that American women are better than the women of the rest of the world. Imagine our medal count if not for Title IX. It's shocking. Does it mean we'd have a total of 10 non-swimming golds?
(These stats can't be up-to-date!)
Botswana and Guatamala just won their first Olympic medals in history in the men's 800 meters run and the 20k men's walk!!! That's cool and is part of what the Olympics are about. Not the event but the achievement of the countries. Edit: Gabon and two or three only timers were in this Olympics. That's wonderful.
I wonder why Americans dominate the decathlon. Do we have a decathlon training center? Of course not but I believe we go back to Jim Thorpe (1912), Brutus Hamilton (1920), Harold Osborn and Emerson Norton (1924), Ken Doherty (1928), Jim Bausch (1932), Glenn Morris, Bob,Clark, and Jack Parker (1936), Bob Mathias and Floyd Simmons (1952), Milt Campbell and Rafer Johnson (1956), Rafer Johnson (1960), none (1964), Bill Toomy (1968), none (1972), Bruce Jenner (1976), none (1980, 1984, and 1988), Dave Johnson (1992), Dan O'Brien (1996), none (2000), Bryan Clay (2004), Bryan Clay (2008), and Ashton Eaton and Trey Hardee (2012). That's outrageous. Not all won the gold but we did sweep all three medals one year and this year had gold and silver. We missed out on winning a medal 5 times and once was because we boycotted the games. Any ideas? It certainly is an event that requires you to be an all around athlete.
Then there is the dominance of African Americans and Caribbean Islanders in many track events both men and women. BTW, a Caucasian Frenchman won the 100 meter dash several decades ago. Shocked the hell out of me.
So why no medals in boxing? I find that odd. I am not being greedy too much but it is a strange phenomena as I think we have lost our stranglehold on pro boxing also. We used to dominate the heavyweights and now I can't think of a winner in the last 10 years even with 3 or 4 different championships available.
There are other oddities like weight lifting. Not important, I suppose, but for some countries it is THE athletic event for men and women especially in Eastern Europe and what I think is called South Asia. East Asians are creeping into the sport.
A British rower of great popularity perhaps quoting Boris Johnson said that if you are British and can't play soccer, you sit down. What he meant was you ride bicycles, sail boats, row boats, or ride horses. If you look up the British collection of medals in these areas, you might begin to believe him.
Man, how much more is there? It's all becoming a blur.
Get used to China piling up medals. They are comparitively late to the Olympics and in their push to become a world power, focus on athletics to build up a positive image. There are many events they haven't taken part in but I think soon they will routinely pile up medals at a higher rate than the US. After all, they have 5 times the population or something like that. Their practice of selecting kids at a young age and separating them from their families so they can train will help in this endeavor also. Seems cruel especially to the kids who do not achieve and to all the parents but it's a fact and will pile up medals if they expand the sports they take part in. I believe dressage is safe for awhile.
Why doesn't India win anything.
Anyway, it's late and I am still riding the high of the US women's soccer gold but will shut up. Anyone else recognize any curiosities? Are there any sports that should be eliminated or added?
______________
As a followup to another note, of the 39 US gold medals won, 26 are by women. 8 of the men's gold medals are from swimming leaving 5 golds to men in other sports. So as not to alarm males in this country, this is a response to Title IX of 40 years ago which mandated equal support of women's sports with men's sports. I don't think any other country has such a national law. For instance, when the Japanese soccer teams came to London, the men's team flew first clas and the women flew tourist. It doesn't mean American women are better than American men but simply that American women are better than the women of the rest of the world. Imagine our medal count if not for Title IX. It's shocking. Does it mean we'd have a total of 10 non-swimming golds?
(These stats can't be up-to-date!)
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Nice review and I'll add this before I've had morning coffee - so maybe more later. If those now independent countries under former USSR were one team as before breakup, present Russian metal count in London would stand 26 gold with 101 total - putting them in comfortable overall metal lead. Instead Russia is now very respectable third at 12 gold and 57 metals. Of course, just conjecture as dozen former Soviet states have won metals in these 2012 summer games.
I don't recall "Caucasian Frenchman" who shocked you in sprints "a few decades ago." I do recall powerful Valeriy Borzov, the gold metal winner at 1972 Munich Olympic in both 100m and 200m sprints. Obviously, he was Caucasian Russian (also Ukrainian ancestry) and for several years a dominant world sprinter and recognized as fastest man on earth for his time.
Lastly, I'm an Olympics purest and prefer fewer rather than incredible glut of individual and team sports being added all the time to saturated Olympics. I watch track and field the most, followed by others in various levels of interest. Some not at all like marbles, tiddly winks, horses ballet (what, for real?!)
I don't recall "Caucasian Frenchman" who shocked you in sprints "a few decades ago." I do recall powerful Valeriy Borzov, the gold metal winner at 1972 Munich Olympic in both 100m and 200m sprints. Obviously, he was Caucasian Russian (also Ukrainian ancestry) and for several years a dominant world sprinter and recognized as fastest man on earth for his time.
Lastly, I'm an Olympics purest and prefer fewer rather than incredible glut of individual and team sports being added all the time to saturated Olympics. I watch track and field the most, followed by others in various levels of interest. Some not at all like marbles, tiddly winks, horses ballet (what, for real?!)
I think the unbelievable separation from pro-boxing and the current format of the amateurs is why US no longer competes in Olympic boxing. Hell I seem to remember a US guy a few years back practically knocked his opponent out but lost on the point format. It's like fencing with fists. And in a way I get the beauty of it, but the after close to 20 years of the current computerized scoring method it is just friggin awful and doesn't work half the time.
It used to be that winning the gold (or occasionally being controversial screwed out of it) was the ticket to being a household name, now many of the gold medalists go nowhere as pros.
It used to be that winning the gold (or occasionally being controversial screwed out of it) was the ticket to being a household name, now many of the gold medalists go nowhere as pros.
Anybody want to discuss BMX? Didn't think so. These world famous athletes have found a home next to rhythmic gymnastics. What? And they discontinued softball because of what? Why do the humans get the medal in show jumping? One of these athletes in dressage (horse dancing) was 71. Do you compare this guy with Bolt? Maybe we should add frisbee catching and pretend that the human does all the work as the dog twists and turns to catch an old pie plate.
I loved the interview where Mr. Khardashian explained why anyone who wins the decathlon is the greatest athlete in the world. It was fascinating watching how his mouth moved whenever he frowned or lifted his eyebrows.
I never watched team dressage. Is it like square dancing?
I loved the interview where Mr. Khardashian explained why anyone who wins the decathlon is the greatest athlete in the world. It was fascinating watching how his mouth moved whenever he frowned or lifted his eyebrows.
I never watched team dressage. Is it like square dancing?
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Unfortunately, Soccer and Basketball are few of the events which I have not been able to watch much (if any) of, as I do not get all of the channels which carry Olympic coverage...With that being said, good for Mexico, I am sure they deserved it...I just wish that the US Men can become a dominating force in the Soccer world, just like the Women have been for some time now.....
I like tiddly winks but should it be an Olympic event? Actually upon further review, I agree BMX should be an Olympic event. It seems to be pretty much an international sport. Next comes skateboarding I suppose and why not? We are long past naked Greeks wrestling with each other and the Olympics has adjusted to the explosion of athletic events fairly nicely.
This has been a good Olympics. I cannot turn off my nationalism so I celebrate the guilty pleasure of the USA's medal count. I also am happy for the 6 countries who medaled for the first time. There has been thought to adding cricket because it would allow Pakistan, Fiji, etc. the chance to win a gold. I have no complaints. I wouldn't watch more than one match but that's because I have never seen a cricket match but don't begrudge those who love cricket the privilege of battling for a gold.
No violence and the weather cooperated as well as it could. I also understand that traffic wasn't as hideous as it could have been. Congrats UK.
This has been a good Olympics. I cannot turn off my nationalism so I celebrate the guilty pleasure of the USA's medal count. I also am happy for the 6 countries who medaled for the first time. There has been thought to adding cricket because it would allow Pakistan, Fiji, etc. the chance to win a gold. I have no complaints. I wouldn't watch more than one match but that's because I have never seen a cricket match but don't begrudge those who love cricket the privilege of battling for a gold.
No violence and the weather cooperated as well as it could. I also understand that traffic wasn't as hideous as it could have been. Congrats UK.
They had skateboarding I thought as a trial event one or two games ago. To be honest, if they have snowboarding in the winter games they should have skateboarding. But I guess the Winter Games always needs to add new stuff to make it bigger whereas the Summer Games it seems if something is added something has to go. I wish they kept softball.
Gutted it's over.
What a fantastic 2 weeks. Team GB did us proud, way above our wildest expectations.
After the immense pleasure we've had watching athletes who have given blood sweat and tears to the cause and the flag, British TV will yet again dominated by football (soccer) coverage of overpaid mercenaries crying and whining about how much money they earn.
... that and antique shows.
what a shame.
Roll on the winter games in Sochi.
What a fantastic 2 weeks. Team GB did us proud, way above our wildest expectations.
After the immense pleasure we've had watching athletes who have given blood sweat and tears to the cause and the flag, British TV will yet again dominated by football (soccer) coverage of overpaid mercenaries crying and whining about how much money they earn.
... that and antique shows.
what a shame.
Roll on the winter games in Sochi.
