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Olympics-- Hopefully a Disaster
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Monk
Aug 6, 08 4:49
Post #1 of 73 (1061 views)
Olympics-- Hopefully a Disaster
Can't Post
That's just me, of course, but I would love to see these be a public relations disaster for China. Let's start with air quality, and the US cyclists showing up with masks:
"Official readings collated by Beijing's municipal environmental protection bureau yesterday gave an air pollution index (API) of 91 for Beijing as a whole, and 87 at the Olympic stadium. The World Health Organisation regards an API of more than 50 as high, and a reading of 100 or more is considered unsafe. The authorities monitor air quality hourly, including levels of particulates, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide, and take limited readings for ozone. " (Some day we can discuss why they were not going to be bound by the Kyoto Treaty but the US was).
And one celebrated marathon runner said he will do shorter distance, but not the marathon over air quality concerns.
Meanwhile, the IOC says "Its
mist
". The cyclists have been force to apologize for taking the precautionary measure, but it turns out that their National Governing Body issued the masks to them. Nonetheless, there had to be a profuse written apology.
Internet censorship, and I'll bet the media puts a happy face on EVERYTHING, or their access will be limited. Kind of like CNN and Iraq--if you wanna stay you gotta play.
I would like a building to collapse, but nobody get hurt.
I would like the algae to return and shut down the sailing events.
Some more terrorist attacks by Muslims would be a nice touch
Edit: the kind where nobody gets hurt except the terrorist/freedom fighter
. Also, some Dalai Llama protests would be good. Some "Free Tibet" protests.
Of course, about that time, all of the US athletes will fail drug tests.
Regardless, I will TIVO the female gymnasts, for later viewing and reviewing. I wish I could get the raw feeds, before the editing.
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Old and Haggard
Aug 6, 08 5:33
Post #2 of 73 (1024 views)
Re: Olympics-- Hopefully a Disaster [Monk]
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Your concern for the athletes is touching. I gather you were all for the 1980 boycott of the Moscow Olympics.
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Ken Lehner
"reread klenher [sic] and pretty much skip the rest." - desert dude 5/25/2008
Andrewmc
Aug 6, 08 5:38
Post #3 of 73 (1017 views)
Re: Olympics-- Hopefully a Disaster [Monk]
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The US never signed nor ratified the Kyoto treaty so why should the Chinese find it binding?
Fatmouse
Aug 6, 08 5:52
Post #4 of 73 (1004 views)
Re: Olympics-- Hopefully a Disaster [Monk]
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That's just disturbing. I don't think I've ever heard of anyone wishing for terrorist attacks before.
_____________________________________
"Also, of course the United States can't do everything. It does not follow that we should do nothing." AF
Hid
Aug 6, 08 6:02
Post #5 of 73 (993 views)
Re: Olympics-- Hopefully a Disaster [Monk]
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You have issues.
"it's like information without the facts." - Mr. Tibbs
"it's not posted to a triathlon forum, but to a lifestyle forum that happens to be inhabited by triathletes. all kinds of stuff gets posted here, and i'm grateful that it does. - Dan Empfield aka Slowman
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/...0what%20to%20;#65849
dupeetriclub
Aug 6, 08 6:16
Post #6 of 73 (978 views)
Re: Olympics-- Hopefully a Disaster [Monk]
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I saw this morning that they revoked some athletes visa... apparently he is a big Darfur activist and a member of Team Darfur. I am not sure if this is
truly
the reason why they revoked his visa, but that is what this article implied.
WTF?
David in FL
Aug 6, 08 6:17
Post #7 of 73 (977 views)
Re: Olympics-- Hopefully a Disaster [Monk]
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My only hope is that the elitist pansies on the US basketball team who are just too damn proud of themselves to even stay in the Olympic Village with the
real
Olympians, get their sorry asses handed to them.
"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a grey twilight that knows not victory nor defeat."
Theodore Roosevelt
SwBkRn44
Aug 6, 08 6:45
Post #8 of 73 (943 views)
Re: Olympics-- Hopefully a Disaster [David in FL]
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Do you feel the same way about the Canadian and Australian triathlon teams who are doing the same thing?
Monk
Aug 6, 08 6:54
Post #9 of 73 (928 views)
Re: Olympics-- Hopefully a Disaster [Fatmouse]
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That's just disturbing. I don't think I've ever heard of anyone wishing for terrorist attacks before.
In China, they are "Freedom Fighters".
Monk
Aug 6, 08 6:55
Post #10 of 73 (925 views)
Re: Olympics-- Hopefully a Disaster [Hid]
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You have issues.
Clearly. Undeniably.
Fleck
Aug 6, 08 6:55
Post #11 of 73 (925 views)
Re: Olympics-- Hopefully a Disaster [Monk]
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That's just me, of course, but I would love to see these be a public relations disaster for China.
There is the real potential for that to happen. I have mixed feelings about the whole thing. Looking forward to the actual competion, but sad regarding all the background politics and manuevering of the IOC and the Chinese.
The fact is it really is a marriage made in heaven between the IOC and China - this will be in many respects the best Olympic games ever and for the forseeable future. What other country is going to spend money( No one knows for sure the real amount, but rumoured to be $50 Billion and coutning range) the way the Chinese have. The IOC loves that sort of thing - make it so, no matter the cost, and make it look nice, no matter the hardship.
It's strange to me that the Chinese did not think this all through to clearly as it has the potential for turning ino a PR nightmare for them. Did thy honestly think that the could exert total control on 10,000 athletes and 20,000 media people coming into the country. I know that in Canada, the CBC has already aired some pretty powerful and hard hitting news features that are not painting the pretty picture the Chinese only want us to see - and the Games have not even started!
Steve Fleck
steve@nineteenwetsuits.com
http://www.nineteenwetsuits.com
http://stevefleck.blogspot.com
Monk
Aug 6, 08 6:57
Post #12 of 73 (919 views)
Re: Olympics-- Hopefully a Disaster [Andrewmc]
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The US never signed nor ratified the Kyoto treaty so why should the Chinese find it binding?
You missed it. Sorry I was not clearer. It was NOT to bind China to the same standards that the US and other developed nations were to be held to. You did know that, right? So the US would have had to compete with China and others with one, or both, hands tied behind its back. You did know that, right?
David in FL
Aug 6, 08 6:59
Post #13 of 73 (914 views)
Re: Olympics-- Hopefully a Disaster [SwBkRn44]
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Do you feel the same way about the Canadian and Australian triathlon teams who are doing the same thing?
Really? I wasn't aware of that, but yes.
Beyond that, call me old fashioned, but I still think that the Olympics should be contested by
amateur
athletes........and yes, I'm aware that there's a fine line between funding training and competition of national teams and professionalism, but pulling NBA players together for a couple of weeks and calling them Olympians just doesn't pass the smell test for me.
"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a grey twilight that knows not victory nor defeat."
Theodore Roosevelt
(This post was
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LorenzoP
Aug 6, 08 7:05
Post #14 of 73 (895 views)
Re: Olympics-- Hopefully a Disaster [Monk]
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you and McCain should get a room - you sound perfect together.
Monk
Aug 6, 08 7:12
Post #15 of 73 (886 views)
Re: Olympics-- Hopefully a Disaster [Fleck]
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"It's strange to me that the Chinese did not think this all through to clearly as it has the potential for turning ino a PR nightmare for them. Did thy honestly think that the could exert total control on 10,000 athletes and 20,000 media people coming into the country."
Yes, they did. It is a Communist country. All they understand is the Iron Fist. Generally the media is putting a happy face on China so they can maintain access and have good ratings for the games. That is all the media cares about..well, that and President Obama.
I know that in Canada, the CBC has already aired some pretty powerful and hard hitting news features that are not painting the pretty picture the Chinese only want us to see - and the Games have not even started!
Do you think Katie will be doing one of her hard hitting presentations on the issue, or be staring at Bill Clinton's crotch?
Andrewmc
Aug 6, 08 7:15
Post #16 of 73 (883 views)
Re: Olympics-- Hopefully a Disaster [Monk]
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yes I did know that but what they would or would not have been bound by is largely academic given that the US did not ratify it. The rest of the western world by and large sucked it up and ratified it in spite of still having to compete with China with hands tied behind their backs, the US did not.
Dr. Bearmilk
Aug 6, 08 7:16
Post #17 of 73 (879 views)
Re: Olympics-- Hopefully a Disaster [David in FL]
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Do you feel the same way about the Canadian and Australian triathlon teams who are doing the same thing?
Really? I wasn't aware of that, but yes.
Beyond that, call me old fashioned, but I still think that the Olympics should be contested by
amateur
athletes........and yes, I'm aware that there's a fine line between funding training and competition of national teams and professionalism, but pulling NBA players together for a
couple of weeks
and calling them Olympians just doesn't pass the smell test for me.
I completely disagree. AMATEUR athletes? Who in the olympics is an amateur? The greatest athletes in the world are not amateurs, it's where the BEST go to compete. Take any of the NBA players. They grow up shooting basketballs at 6 ft. high hoops, pound away the late hours in the gym when everyone else goes home. Play in countless summer leagues when all their friends are sitting by the pool in high school. Devote their lives to getting better and hopefully landing a college scholarship. Give up the 'typical' college lifestyle and spend 100% of their time in the gym, foregoing a solid education to hopefully do this for a career. Luckily for them (unlike track and field, swimming, gymnastics, you name it) THEIR sport just happens to pay a lot for the entertainment value. GOOD for them. Well deserved. The BEST the USA has to offer should go the big show, they have earned it.
oh, and to my 2nd point.
"but pulling NBA players together for a couple of weeks."
actually, if you knew what you were talking about you would also know that these nba players have been playing international ball (very different rules than the nba) to prepare. actually this team has been together since 2006, playing in the FIBA worlds and now the olympics.
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Did you touch my drumset? Nope. Why are you so sweaty? I was watching Cops.
(This post was
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Tridiot
Aug 6, 08 7:16
Post #18 of 73 (877 views)
Re: Olympics-- Hopefully a Disaster [David in FL]
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Not really defending the athletes not staying in the village, but is there a chance it is better for the rest of the athletes to not have Lebron and Kobe around (no rape joke with Kobe intended) and the increased media attention they'd elicit?
Where do host country athletes stay? I can't recall from Australia.
David in FL
Aug 6, 08 7:39
Post #19 of 73 (840 views)
Re: Olympics-- Hopefully a Disaster [Dr. Bearmilk]
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As I said, I'm a traditionalist when it comes to the Olympics and believe it still be a test of the best amateur talent. All spring long we watch college hoops and celebrate the road to the final four and the crowning of the national champ. You don't think that it would be appropriate to pull the US Olympic Team from our college ranks? Hey, maybe it would even encourage a couple of players to stick around college for the Olympics rather than bailing out for the NBA draft in their junior year.
"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a grey twilight that knows not victory nor defeat."
Theodore Roosevelt
monty
Aug 6, 08 7:53
Post #20 of 73 (819 views)
Re: Olympics-- Hopefully a Disaster [David in FL]
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My only hope is that the elitist pansies on the US basketball team who are just too damn proud of themselves to even stay in the Olympic Village with the
real
Olympians\\
I guess there will not be too many real Olympians this time around. I read that besides the triathlon teams already mentioned, lots of the athletes are bypassing the Village, at least until the very last minute when they have to compete.
And as to the pureness of ametuerism, you would have to be at least 80 years old to remember any of that. Even the swimmers that don't swim professionally as a sport(except the open water ones), make in the millions of dollars each year at the top. There are some amatuers left, but only because no one will pay them. Either not good enough, or in a sport that is too obscure..
Dr. Bearmilk
Aug 6, 08 7:58
Post #21 of 73 (811 views)
Re: Olympics-- Hopefully a Disaster [David in FL]
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Yea, I hear what you're saying. I think sending NCAA players would be a good idea, but I don't mind the NBA boys being there either, I really think they've earned it (yes, some are spoiled and just complain about money, but in some respect they've earned the right to complain all they want).
There are just very few olympic sports that are also national/international entertainment sports. So we want to watch the 'un-sung" heroes that have grinded away their lives in a dark gym and haven't gotten any attention ever. Oh, maybe some internation and national championships. But what percent of the U.S./world watches the national gymnastic competitions or indoor track racing championships?
So I see what you mean, let's give some attention to some really good athletes who deserve it, the NBA guys have had enough, I agree. But I still think the NBA team should be there. I mean cmon, they're the DREAM TEAM, team USA, the ultimate superpower!!, global dominance!!, best of the best, crush every little country in our way!!!! :)
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Did you touch my drumset? Nope. Why are you so sweaty? I was watching Cops.
Monk
Aug 6, 08 7:58
Post #22 of 73 (812 views)
Re: Olympics-- Hopefully a Disaster [Andrewmc]
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yes I did know that but what they would or would not have been bound by is largely academic given that the US did not ratify it. The rest of the western world by and large sucked it up and ratified it in spite of still having to compete with China with hands tied behind their backs, the US did not.
Yes, the US did not, no thanks to the Democrats. Which is really weird since the Democrats "own" the environmental issue, and here is China polluting so badly that athletes have to wear masks to walk around, the IOC has to lie about air quality (either that or the UN is lying to manipulate us??? WTF? No WAY!!!), calling it mist, and meanwhile there is 300 yards of visibility, as of yesterday. But its OK for China to pollute the shit out of everything, as long as the US agrees not to. You are beautiful.
It is only academic because the US did not ratify it. And if the US had ratified it, it would not be academic. This statement qualifies you as a critical thinker. You could join the BHO think tank.
And if all of your friends jumped off a bridge...
Monk
Aug 6, 08 8:01
Post #23 of 73 (803 views)
Re: Olympics-- Hopefully a Disaster [David in FL]
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As I said, I'm a traditionalist when it comes to the Olympics and believe it still be a test of the best amateur talent. All spring long we watch college hoops and celebrate the road to the final four and the crowning of the national champ. You don't think that it would be appropriate to pull the US Olympic Team from our college ranks? Hey, maybe it would even encourage a couple of players to stick around college for the Olympics rather than bailing out for the NBA draft in their junior year.
Right--we don't want to see the best, we want the ones that aren't good enough to get jobs at it.
I assume you will be watching Pop Warner games this fall instead of the NFL?
Monk
Aug 6, 08 8:04
Post #24 of 73 (796 views)
Re: Olympics-- Hopefully a Disaster [LorenzoP]
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you and McCain should get a room - you sound perfect together.
Cindy is balking.
ajfranke
Aug 6, 08 8:08
Post #25 of 73 (786 views)
Re: Olympics-- Hopefully a Disaster [Andrewmc]
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The rest of the western world by and large sucked it up and ratified it in spite of still having to compete with China with hands tied behind their backs, the US did not.
They sucked it up enough to ratify, but not enough to obey it. How many countries actually complied with its terms? One or two?
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This forum is going to be a place of civil discourse, and those who wish to foment hate and discord are no longer welcome here. -- slowman 11/8/04
Art Franke
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