2014 Sochi Olympics

[Yachtzee]

So, this is a get off my lawn moment....

I feel like there are too many x games type events. I mean, what is slope style? It feels like they made it up over a hookah.

Carry on....

I actually like them. I like most of the Winter sports. The Summer Games on the other hand, why they reject baseball, yet keep the equestrian events is beyond me. My guess is that it appeals to the hoity toity European elites that make up much of the IOC.

[Roy Tucker]

I actually like them. I like most of the Winter sports. The Summer Games on the other hand, why they reject baseball, yet keep the equestrian events is beyond me. My guess is that it appeals to the hoity toity European elites that make up much of the IOC.

Yep. I like them too.

But my point was that sports like wrestling and baseball get cut from the summer games yet it seems that these winter snowboard/x game type sports seem to be made up from year to year. I didn't know slope style existed till tonight. But then, I'm a fossil.

[Yachtzee]

Yep. I like them too.

But my point was that sports like wrestling and baseball get cut from the summer games yet it seems that these winter snowboard/x game type sports seem to be made up from year to year. I didn't know slope style existed till tonight. But then, I'm a fossil.

One difference between the Summer and Winter Games is that the Summer Games is bloated with over 300 events vs. 98 for the Winter Games. I think the Winter Games has room to grow. What I find ridiculous is that they talk of dropping baseball and wrestling from the Summer Games, yet keep sports like equestrian events, sailing, and modern pentathlon. I guarantee you more people in more countries are involved in baseball and wrestling than those three sports I mentioned, which seem to be pastimes for the wealthy. Really the only time we hear about them at all is when they have some relative of the Queen of England competing.

[dabvu2498]

One difference between the Summer and Winter Games is that the Summer Games is bloated with over 300 events vs. 98 for the Winter Games. I think the Winter Games has room to grow. What I find ridiculous is that they talk of dropping baseball and wrestling from the Summer Games, yet keep sports like equestrian events, sailing, and modern pentathlon. I guarantee you more people in more countries are involved in baseball and wrestling than those three sports I mentioned, which seem to be pastimes for the wealthy. Really the only time we hear about them at all is when they have some relative of the Queen of England competing.

Re: Equestrian. Those events have a largely military tradition. Also interesting... Equestrian is the only "coed" Olympic event. Forty-two different countries were represented in Equestrian in 08. Austrailia, New Zealand, and Brazil all have pretty strong history in equestrian and there are some strong Middle Eastern entries, particularly in eventing and jumping, in recent years.

/equestriannerdrant

[HeatherC1212]

I'm super excited about the Olympics all the while hoping and praying for everyone to be safe over there. The news reports do make things look really scary but from all the athletes and reporters that I follow on Twitter who are over there, besides a few random things (one reporter accidently locked them self into a bathroom, LOL), they haven't had any troubles at all. They're excited to be over there and have said that the people around them have been wonderful. This may be one of those Olympics where we get one story in the media and one story from all the people who are actually in the village and attending events behind the scenes.

I'm probably going to end up watching almost everything but I love the figure skating best which probably doesn't surprise anyone here who's known me for a while. I was in Boston last month for the US Figure Skating Championships so I personally saw all the figure skaters from team USA and can't wait to cheer them on. I actually have friends who competed in the pair event four years ago in Vancouver and now I have different friends competing in the pair event so I'm REALLY excited for them! I've also casually known Meryl Davis & Charlie White (the faves to win gold in Ice Dance from the USA) since 2007 so I'm really looking forward to seeing if they can win the US's first ever gold in dance. I try not to think about the judging too much (no one knows better than me how horrible judging can be in figure skating...I've seen it happen in person) and just focus on the performances of the skaters themselves and it makes my life way easier, LOL

BTW-If you have a smartphone or tablet, you can watch everything live with the NBC Live Extra app. You have to confirm your cable provider with it in order to access all the features but that's really easy to do and the video quality is quite good. Hopefully they don't have any hiccups with it but for the most part, it seems like a solid way to keep up with the action in Sochi. You can also watch online at NBCOlympics.com.

[bucksfan2]

Yep. I like them too.

But my point was that sports like wrestling and baseball get cut from the summer games yet it seems that these winter snowboard/x game type sports seem to be made up from year to year. I didn't know slope style existed till tonight. But then, I'm a fossil.

IMO its a smart move. The X games type sports are really picking up steam across the world. Its bring a fresh new perspective to the games, getting young people drawn to the game. The Snowboard half pipe wasn't a part of the games until recently, can you imagine a Olympic Games without Shawn White? The X style games are not only gaining in popularity but they also make the Olympics the biggest event on their calendar.

I can't speak for wrestling, but the Olympics didn't have the support of MLB. The games were held right in the middle of the season and MLB was unwilling to go on a break and they were reluctant to let their prospects play. They took a back stage to the MLB season and the interest wasn't there.

[IslandRed]

I can't speak for wrestling, but the Olympics didn't have the support of MLB. The games were held right in the middle of the season and MLB was unwilling to go on a break and they were reluctant to let their prospects play. They took a back stage to the MLB season and the interest wasn't there.

Yeah. I wasn't happy they did away with baseball but I can at least understand the logic of not wanting to have an Olympic competition if the actual competitors are, relatively speaking, scrubs.

Wrestling? I don't get that decision at all. The Olympics was the gold-standard competition.

[Sea Ray]

I think Salzburg would have been a great choice. I lived there for two years and it is a winter sports paradise. I think the IOC made the choice for political reasons and thought Russian oil money would be sufficient to build a summer resort area into a venue for the Winter Olympics. I think the IOC and FIFA were encouraged by the Athens Olympics and the World Cup in South Africa that you could put a major event like this in a country with serious issues and the country would rally around the event to get things done. But Athens had their pride as founders of the Olympics on the line and South Africa had Mandela as a unifying figure. Contrary to that, the Olympics and the World Cup have been a divisive issue for Russia and Brazil. I hope the Sochi Olympics come off without a hitch, but I've had misgivings since I heard they were putting the Winter Games in a summer place not far from the strife torn Caucasus region, which has been a mess for 20+ years now.

As far as sports go, I root for the Americans first, but follow the Austrians as well, for all the time I lived there. I enjoy all the winter sports except figure skating (although I was a fan of Katarina Witt). I actually think the Winter Games are often better than the Summer Games.

If it has to go to Russia, OK, but why Sochi? It's a summer resort town. Temps are in the 50s this time of year

[Sea Ray]

Yep. I like them too.

But my point was that sports like wrestling and baseball get cut from the summer games yet it seems that these winter snowboard/x game type sports seem to be made up from year to year. I didn't know slope style existed till tonight. But then, I'm a fossil.

Actually it seems like it's the Americans coming up with all these snowboarding event ideas. These events really bloated our metal count 4 years ago

[Newport Red]

Yeah. I wasn't happy they did away with baseball but I can at least understand the logic of not wanting to have an Olympic competition if the actual competitors are, relatively speaking, scrubs.

Wrestling? I don't get that decision at all. The Olympics was the gold-standard competition.

Drop wrestling? The Olympian gods must be rolling in their graves.

[BuckeyeRed27]

Actually it seems like it's the Americans coming up with all these snowboarding event ideas. These events really bloated our metal count 4 years ago

Everyone else seems to have caught up, at least in that Slope Style event. I think the US only had one of the top 8 spots on the women's side and 2 on the mens if I remember correctly.

[RedTeamGo!]

Actually it seems like it's the Americans coming up with all these snowboarding event ideas. These events really bloated our metal count 4 years ago

I don't think this is necessarily true anymore. It did the first olympics snowboarding was introduced, but it just so happens that the Michael Jordan of snowboarding is American and is still competing. When Shaun White retires I think you will see other countries take home medals. The French, Canadians, Swedish, and a few other countries are catching up fast.

[Yachtzee]

Actually it seems like it's the Americans coming up with all these snowboarding event ideas. These events really bloated our metal count 4 years ago

When I was in high school, the local ski areas banned snowboarding and building jumps for insurance purposes. I recently took my kids to those same areas and now they have hallowed and rail parks. The sport itself has really exploded over the last 20 years.

[bucksfan2]

I don't think this is necessarily true anymore. It did the first olympics snowboarding was introduced, but it just so happens that the Michael Jordan of snowboarding is American and is still competing. When Shaun White retires I think you will see other countries take home medals. The French, Canadians, Swedish, and a few other countries are catching up fast.

Thing about the X games type events is they don't take a very big mountain in order to have a half pipe or various jumps. You can do it at a little hill like Perfect North Slopes. You have half pipes popping up all over the place. I believe it started in the US but it has a pretty big international pool. If you look back at the X games medals I would imagine you would see the bulk of winners in the early years coming from the US and Canada, now not as much.

[RedTeamGo!]

Actually it seems like it's the Americans coming up with all these snowboarding event ideas. These events really bloated our metal count 4 years ago

I don't think this is necessarily true anymore. It did the first olympics snowboarding was introduced, but it just so happens that the Michael Jordan of snowboarding is American and is still competing. When Shaun White retires I think you will see other countries take home medals. The French, Canadians, Swedish, and a few other countries are catching up fast.