Winter Olympics

[hopemax]

Now what am I going to watch?!? No more celebrity big brother or Olympics... Lmao

If you enjoyed the curling, the Canadian Men's National Championships aka the Brier is available to US audiences live streaming on ESPN3. Starts March 3rd, lasts a week.

 

[robinb]

Am I the only one who thinks the designers of the closing ceremony must have dropped a lot of acid?

 

[htmom]

I do really love curling, and the Paralympics...

 

[starry_solo]

I am really disappointed in NBC's coverage this year. Last night i watched the skating gala and I realized they cut a ton of skaters so I went and watched it on the app. I can't believe they cut Javi's performance!!! It reminded me of Scott Hamilton's exhibition skates.

I know! I had to watch it in a Yahoo! Article!

 

[Julie's Haircut]

The stadium looked more than half empty.

Why not? Most of the venues for most of the events had plenty of empty seats. Even for figure skating.

But the post quoted below explains it.

I think the screend used for the stadium displays over the seats make it look empty but im pretty sure there are people seated in them.

Yes, it was the same at the opening ceremony. The displays by those LED screens made the seating areas appear empty, but they were full. (Except for the sections reserved for the athletes).

Seems a shame to spend $50 million (or however much) for a temporary stadium. It will be used again for the Paralympics then torn down.

 

[ashley0139]

Primetime coverage is always going to cut a lot. There's just not time for them to show everything. I for one am very grateful for the app that has had comprehensive coverage of every event that you could go back and replay.

 

[NotUrsula]

It is not a sport if:

1. Scoring is primarily decided by judges;
2. It requires a costume instead of a uniform;
3. Makeup and/or glitter are involved;
4. It is performed to music; or
5. You can smoke a cigarette while doing it.

If any of these apply it may be considered an athletic competition, performance art or an active hobby.

You know, I've heard that canard and others like it many times, but I've always answered that I'm only going to respect a person's opinion of what a sport is and isn't if they can make the distinction in positive terms. Don't tell me what a "sport" shouldn't have, tell me what it must have, and then if you can manage to exclude on that criteria, perhaps I'll be willing to concede. Every time I've ever heard someone try, the criteria they come up with always ends up excluding some activity that they DO consider a sport.

 

[ronandannette]

The closing ceremonies are OK so far. I always feel a little sad when they're over though.

By the way, why is "it's all Greek to me" rude? I always thought it meant that it was difficult to understand like an unknown language but maybe I've had the wrong idea.

You're not wrong and that comment made me too. I don't imagine too many Greek people would actually find the common idiom offensive, since the emphasis is put on the speaker's own ignorance, not a slur against Greece or Greek language or culture.

Many other languages and cultures have a similar idiom expressing the exact same idea. This little chart shows them. Some of the translations are a hoot!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_to_me

 

[SirDuff]

You're not wrong and that comment made me too. I don't imagine too many Greek people would actually find the common idiom offensive, since the emphasis is put on the speaker's own ignorance, not a slur against Greece or Greek language or culture.

Many other languages and cultures have a similar idiom expressing the exact same idea. This little chart shows them. Some of the translations are a hoot!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_to_me

Currently in Athens for work. Definitely all Greek to me

Add me to the group confused about why the phrase is rude.

 

[DisneyOma]

The closing ceremonies are OK so far. I always feel a little sad when they're over though.

By the way, why is "it's all Greek to me" rude? I always thought it meant that it was difficult to understand like an unknown language but maybe I've had the wrong idea.

You're not wrong and that comment made me too. I don't imagine too many Greek people would actually find the common idiom offensive, since the emphasis is put on the speaker's own ignorance, not a slur against Greece or Greek language or culture.

Many other languages and cultures have a similar idiom expressing the exact same idea. This little chart shows them. Some of the translations are a hoot!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_to_me

Well, the Greek gymnastics coach we knew was very offended by that saying, and explained that to him, it meant that his native language was being insulted. If you don't understand something, don't slam someone else's knowledge. It's as simple as that.

 

[SirDuff]

Well, the Greek gymnastics coach we knew was very offended by that saying, and explained that to him, it meant that his native language was being insulted. If you don't understand something, don't slam someone else's knowledge. It's as simple as that.

What's not simple is your lack of explanation as to how the phrase is insulting someone else's knowledge. Still don't understand that claim.

 

[declansdad]

You're not wrong and that comment made me too. I don't imagine too many Greek people would actually find the common idiom offensive, since the emphasis is put on the speaker's own ignorance, not a slur against Greece or Greek language or culture.

Many other languages and cultures have a similar idiom expressing the exact same idea. This little chart shows them. Some of the translations are a hoot!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_to_me

I'm assuming that comment was made on NBC's coverage somewhere??

I don't see it as offensive either.

 

[ronandannette]

Well, the Greek gymnastics coach we knew was very offended by that saying, and explained that to him, it meant that his native language was being insulted. If you don't understand something, don't slam someone else's knowledge. It's as simple as that.

Then there was something lost in translation to your Greek gymnastics coach because the saying is not slamming Greek, but sure - anybody can be offended by anything they want.

 

[Pacolovestacos]

Then there was something lost in translation to your Greek gymnastics coach because the saying is not slamming Greek, but sure - anybody can be offended by anything they want.

And these days they usually are.

 

[SirDuff]

I'm assuming that comment was made on NBC's coverage somewhere??

I don't see it as offensive either.

No, Disney Oma was criticizing a poster who had used the phrase.

Of course, in the same post (where she called someone out for being rude), she:

- Referred to two people as "very under-educated, ignorant, entitled oddities" and "inane and clueless"
- Said that someone "had so many injections that she looks inflated, plastic"
- Called someone "self-centered and obnoxious"

But, of course, none of that is rude

 

[cabanafrau]

As a parent with a skater who is about to move to Juvenile level (the level at which most clubs switch over from using the ordinal-6 scoring to the IJS model that you see in major competitions), what I can tell you is that repetitive stress injuries are worse now than they were a few years ago, and we see a lot more skaters on crutches and wearing back braces. I know of 3 skaters under age 12 in my daughter's club who are sidelined right now with serious stress fractures. The Russian-style emphasis on early jumping may produce champions, but it also breaks down growing young bodies. In the US we don't have universal health care, and the average family of a skater already puts out a huge amount of money on training. I know promising young skaters who have had to give up the sport because the addition of nasty medical bills to what was already a financial strain was the straw that broke the camel's back.

I think that THAT is probably the reason why commentators think that it will take a long time for US women to catch up using a Russian-style system. USFS gives promising skaters grants when possible, but those are usually along the lines of a new pair of skates, not the ongoing cost of a coach, and certainly not the cost of extensive medical treatment. American figure skating coaches nearly all are self-employed; they cannot afford to have too many of their skaters off the ice, because if they are, the coach is not getting paid. There is a reputation cost as well, because no matter how many champions you produce, if your injury rate is too high, most parents will avoid you like the plague, and USFS also places emphasis on limits that prevent avoidable injuries. This means that American coaches make it a point to try to minimize risk of serious injury, especially in younger skaters. It won't be until a new generation of coaches (who have always known the new system) comes up that that level of risk will become standard, if it ever does, given health-care costs here.

As a former dance and ballet mom it doesn't surprise me in the least that the Russian style is incredibly destructive to the body. Russian ballet chews up dancers' bodies.

 

[declansdad]

No, Disney Oma was criticizing a poster who had used the phrase.

Of course, in the same post (where she called someone out for being rude), she:

- Referred to two people as "very under-educated, ignorant, entitled oddities" and "inane and clueless"
- Said that someone "had so many injections that she looks inflated, plastic"
- Called someone "self-centered and obnoxious"

But, of course, none of that is rude

Thanks I missed that. I see it now.

 

[cabanafrau]

Wait, when did Ryan Lochte join the Canadian winter Olympic team?
http://www.espn.com/olympics/winter...ete-detained-pyeongchang-allegedly-taking-car

Remember, Lochte tore a poster & told lies. Brazilian authorities extorted thousands of dollars from some of those with Lochte that night before they could leave the country. Somehow I expect the Koreans will handle this rather more serious behavior both more appropriately and with more forgiving spirit.

 

[cabanafrau]

So, you are a fan of the 'waist up' skating. I suggest going to the ballet?



I agree with some of this - Lipinski and Weir are horrible commentators. Both are very under-educated, ignorant, entitled oddities. Lipinski is 35 years old, and has had so many injections that she looks inflated, plastic. It's sad. Weir is just self-centered and obnoxious. I turned off the women's short program because they were inane and clueless. They couldn't even call half of the jumps. Not impressed. I miss Dick Button.



Tara wouldn't have made it out of nationals if she was skating now - her under-rotated jumps (by at least half a rotation sometimes) and her low to the ground roller skating technique (which gave her the injuries) shouldn't have been given the value they were even back then. She got lucky, by one judge, I think?

I too, miss Dick Button. Not Peggy Fleming. I met her once and she was less than gracious. Actually, she was nasty. Scott Hamilton is awesome, Sarah Hughes is a sweetheart, but Peggy Fleming? Nope. Kurt Browning? Adorable and sweet. Sasha Cohen? Obnoxious. The stories I could tell about her!

Clearly you have much knowledge of the ballet, as well as so much knowledge of skating you're not at all bashful about spreading your opinions about while stating that those of former Olympic competitors in the sport should be ignored.

 

[Pacolovestacos]

Yea I'm not sure what stories could be told about Sasha Cohen when the poster has likely never even been allowed within 100 feet of her.