The Winter Olympics

[naaga]

Not one thread. It's no longer sport?


Great hockey win. Otherwise......?

[Déjà Bru]

I'm just going to throw this out there.

I love the idea of the Olympics. However, as far as getting INTO the Olympics, that's a different proposition altogether.

One big problem (for me, at least): The many variations of the same sports in terms of distances and courses make some of them look . . . repetitious and boring.

First, there's only this array of basic Winter Olympic sports to begin with; basically skis, skates, or sleds:

Snow Sports
Alpine Skiing
Biathlon
Cross-Country
Freestyle Skiing
Nordic Combined
Ski Jumping
Snowboarding

Ice Sports
Bobsled
Curling (OK, this one involves big round stones)
Figure Skating
Hockey
Luge
Short Track
Skeleton
Speed Skating

Then, consider the number of variations in some of these sports. For example:

Alpine Skiing
Downhill
Super-G
Giant slalom
Slalom
Combined

Biathlon
Individual
Sprint
Pursuit
Mass start
Relay

Cross-Country
15 kilometre classical
30 kilometre skiathlon
50 kilometre freestyle
4 x 10 kilometre relay
Sprint
Team sprint

Speed Skating
500 metres
1000 metres
1500 metres
5000 metres
10000 metres
Team pursuit

You get the idea. If you tune in to the Olympics day after day, you seem to see the same events over and over again. Like the people on skis with funny-looking rifles. Them again?

Take a look at the chart below. I find myself gravitating toward the sports that have less events or, if they do have multiple events (blue), are leading up to exciting finals (gold). Yes, that includes Curling!

Otherwise, you really have to be INTO these sports to sustain interest in them for over two weeks.

I watch it for Ice Hockey and Ski Jumping (don't know why but I find Ski Jumping interesting!)

Summer Olympics is so boring though. Sometimes I'll watch the Soccer and if they include baseball (they better do!) I'll watch that too.

[TGH-Adfabre]

I love it, my only problem is that I ditched cable so my viewing options suck.
1) Biathalon
2) Anything involving launch ramps and ice or snow
3) skeleton/bobsled
4) curling

If never see any variation of figure skating/dancing I probably will not notice.

Originally Posted by TGH-Adfabre

I love it, my only problem is that I ditched cable so my viewing options suck.
1) Biathalon
2) Anything involving launch ramps and ice or snow
3) skeleton/bobsled
4) curling

If never see any variation of figure skating/dancing I probably will not notice.

Curling is pretty interesting I must admit. Skiing, slalom (?!) is alright to watch too.

[RchW]

Snow Cross just rocks.

[Le Grande Orange]

An issue I have with the Winter Olympics is the number of judged events. As some shady instances in past Winter Olympics have shown, any event which relies on judges is very much rendered into a subjective sporting event, and one prone to voting manipulation behind the scenes.

[Mikex5]

Originally Posted by Garethw87

Curling is pretty interesting I must admit. Skiing, slalom (?!) is alright to watch too.

I'm still trying to figure out the rules of curling. I watched the Swedes knock out all of the stones. The US had one more turn. Their thrower (I don't know what you call the guy who rolls the stone) threw it down when he had a clear shot at getting his last stone in the circle. Plus I saw he had a black eye. Didn't know curling was such an intense and physical sport.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

You get the idea. If you tune in to the Olympics day after day, you seem to see the same events over and over again. Like the people on skis with funny-looking rifles. Them again?

By the way, take everything I said before and multiply it by two. Competition by men and women in each sport, each variation. It's a wonder they can cram it all into two weeks.

Originally Posted by Le Grande Orange

An issue I have with the Winter Olympics is the number of judged events. As some shady instances in past Winter Olympics have shown, any event which relies on judges is very much rendered into a subjective sporting event, and one prone to voting manipulation behind the scenes.

Yes, particularly ice skating, of course. That also takes some of the thrill away.

Basically, I view the Olympics with momentary interest, here and there. Every Olympiad, I do start out wanting to follow the games from start to finish due to their special, inspiring nature but each time my interest flags to the point where I am not sorry to see the closing ceremony.

[PotatoPeeler]

Ice hockey is really the only Olympic sport I care about. That includes the Summer Olympics as well. It's been a great tournament so far. I wish Alexander Radulov played in the NHL. He's a beast. It's a shame things went so poorly between him and Nashville.

[canadiancreed]

Originally Posted by Mikex5

I'm still trying to figure out the rules of curling. I watched the Swedes knock out all of the stones. The US had one more turn. Their thrower (I don't know what you call the guy who rolls the stone) threw it down when he had a clear shot at getting his last stone in the circle. Plus I saw he had a black eye. Didn't know curling was such an intense and physical sport.

Did he throw it right through the house? (the rings area). If so, it's because he could only score one point, but would lose last shot for the next round. having last shot is more important, especially if you already have the lead.

[wireman]

Mrs. wireman likes the figure skating. I just read and wait for Opening Day.

[rpriske]

The only winter Olympics sport that I find interesting to watch is curling.

Hockey would be okay, but I have never been a big fan.

As for the rest of them, I don't denigrate their existence, but I don't care enough to watch.

And yes, summer Olympics is worse. The Baseball world cup thingie replaced any need for Olympic baseball. The same goes for soccer.

[jbergey22]

Originally Posted by canadiancreed

Did he throw it right through the house? (the rings area). If so, it's because he could only score one point, but would lose last shot for the next round. having last shot is more important, especially if you already have the lead.

I also have a question if you dont mind.

Shouldnt a good team like the Canadians be able to hold the other team to 1 every time(when the other team has the hammer) if they just knock the first 7 stones from the sheet every time? Theyd give up the point but get the hammer back.

I guess in my opinion there is more scoring than I think there should be unless there is something about the rules/sportsmanship clause that I dont understand.

[rpriske]

You actually can't. The first few rocks that get thrown are inviolate... you aren't allowed to remove them.

[David Watts]

Originally Posted by rpriske

You actually can't. The first few rocks that get thrown are inviolate... you aren't allowed to remove them.

So Curling is a lot like marriage?

[MorseMoose]

It's selfish, but I can't get into tape delay or early morning events. I absolutely love the Olympics if they're within a couple hours off, but 10 hour differences doesn't work for me.

I'd love if they were in North/South America all the time . Like I said, selfish.

[Déjà Bru]

Pretty much the same result, time after time. Initial interest, boredom half way through, and "feh" by the end. Opening and closing ceremonies no longer thrill me either. Jaded.

[KurtBevacqua]

I have a couple of quick suggestions to improve the Lady's figure skating: nudity and fire.