The Official Winter Olympics Thread

[Paelos]

Tells us why the French judge is a conniving whore here.

Viva Games!

[Zetleft]

Cause he's french *shrug*

[Triforcer]

What was with the 80s American pop that accompanied every single team entrance at the opening ceremonies?  For some reason, I don't associate Ireland with Funky Town or Senegal with YMCA.

[Soln]

"Olympics -- your tax dollars at work"... buuuuuut not for you

[Murgos]

Eh, I don't mind funding student/amature atheletes (which is most Olympians.)  The ones I know pretty much kill themselves for about 15k a year of carefully regulated and closely watched funds.  The few good enough to get an endorsment deserve it.  The professional atheletes, on the other hand, should not be elegible for government subsidies.

[Signe]

You mean professional like most of the hockey players and tennis players?  I know it makes for better watching but it doesn't really seem fair, does it?

[Strazos]

Erm, are you guys trying to say that pro players, such as hockey players, shouldn't be able to go to the Olypmics (and not get paid) simply because they can make more money in their sport, compared to....Skeleton?

[Murgos]

Erm, are you guys trying to say that pro players, such as hockey players, shouldn't be able to go to the Olypmics (and not get paid) simply because they can make more money in their sport, compared to....Skeleton?

I'm just saying that if someone makes moeny off thier sport, i.e. it is a profession, they shouldn't get gov't funding.  I was directly replying to the comment about my tax dollars funding the olympics.  My resposnse was: I don't mind that they do.

Next time, read the fucking thread.

[squirrel]

Erm, are you guys trying to say that pro players, such as hockey players, shouldn't be able to go to the Olypmics (and not get paid) simply because they can make more money in their sport, compared to....Skeleton?

No, people are saying that pro athletes shouldn't receive government sponsorship for going to the Olympics because they don't need it. Here in Canada most of our Olympians (and we're only really good at the winter olympics, 100m sprinters aside) work at Home Depot or Walmart for most of the year. The money we do have needs to go to those guys, not NHL'ers who make a metric fuckton already for playing their sport.

[Strazos]

And where is the evidence that NHL'ers and getting Olympic funds?

[Murgos]

And where is the evidence that NHL'ers and getting Olympic funds?

Are you mentally retarded?

[Strazos]

You, simply another person on the internet, proposing something as fact means jack and shit to me without something to back it up.

No link, no credibility.

Though I don't follow the olympics Too closely, I've never heard of any of the atheletes being paid simply to go to the Games.

Please, prove your point, or drop the issue. No need to get worked up over it. They are simply games, after all.

[Murgos]

Point out where I said something about the NHL players recieving funds?

Do it fucktard.  You fucking can't can you?

Go make up things to troll about somewhere else.

[Ironwood]

Heh.  This went bad fast.

[Murgos]

I don't have a clue how he went from, "I don't mind tax money funding olympians as long as it's not funding pro-atheletes who are olympians" to "Prove that NHL players are recieving funds."

My only conclusion is that he decided he needed to take a crap and this thread is where he decided to lay it.

At this point I think the thing should be denned and allowed to start anew.  Like a mushroom.

[Signe]

The Olympics always causes this sort of reaction.  All that figure skating and ice dancing is emotional stuff, you know.  Just den the forum boxing bit so we can still call Strazos names and stuff in there.

[Ironwood]

I just hate the pervs that wait for the gymnastic events to drool.

It's a self-loathing thing.

[Strazos]

I'm just saying that if someone makes moeny off thier sport, i.e. it is a profession, they shouldn't get gov't funding.  I was directly replying to the comment about my tax dollars funding the olympics.

The professional atheletes, on the other hand, should not be elegible for government subsidies.

And NHL players are pros. You're implying, by design or accident, that NHL players are recieving money somehow to play in the Olypmpics. I simplied asked for clarification.


This only went bad fast because Murgos has sand in his fucking vagina or something, and made a big stink about being questioned on his not-crystal-clear posts.


Get a grip.

[Murgos]

There are other professional atheletes than NHL players, your trying to make something an all inclusive statement when it was never intended to be.  It was a statement of my preference of when I would be comfortable with my tax money funding olympians and when I wouldn't, I SPECIFICALLY STATED AMATUERS AND COLLEGIATE.  Jesus Christ, lay off the stupid pills.

On that note, if there is an NHL player recieving gov't funds (and that includes housing at the olympics, air fair and even uniforms) I don't think they should accept it and I would not be happy with my tax dollars funding that.

[Strazos]

We're not even debating the "funding" of amateur or college atheletes, so why even bring it up. I was only using NHL players as an example. There are plenty of pro skiiers and riders there also, among others I am sure.

As far as I know, Team USA covers equipment (if manufacturers don't outright give it away) and air fare for their participants. Housing is provided by the host country. Expecting anyone to provide their own living quarters at an invitational event that attracts thousands upon thousands of is entirely unrealistic. Without the Olympic village, the atheletes would have nowhere to stay, or you would be shutting out fans.

With the amount of sponsership that goes on at these things, I'm not even sure the amount of "tax money" that is spent directly on the atheletes themselves is worth mentioning - most of these costs are probably mitigated by the influx of spending by fans etc at the games. I reckon the lion's share of the money is spent on facilities to host the events. If you object to that, then I don't know what else to say.

[Cheddar]

[Strazos]

So anyway, about the games....when are they actually being broadcast in the US? I saw that the opening ceremony on NBC was broadcast in the middle of the night. Arre most of the other events going to be done live like this, or is there going to be a tape delay?

[Murgos]

We're not even debating the "funding" of amateur or college atheletes, so why even bring it up.

No, you're not.  Everyone else is though.  See the fourth and fifth post in this thread.  You know, the ones from just before you stuck your dick in the punch.

[Righ]

So anyway, about the games....when are they actually being broadcast in the US? I saw that the opening ceremony on NBC was broadcast in the middle of the night. Arre most of the other events going to be done live like this, or is there going to be a tape delay?

It's only six hours away for us East coast folks. There's live stuff happening, and tape delayed stuff too. They've televised almost everything, not just highlights. You missed Chad Hendrick's first gold medal. Jonathan Myles is currently in line for a medal in Luge. You can't watch it now, because oval track qualifying is SOOOOO exciting.

[Paelos]

There was an interesting moment in cross country skiing when a dude from Norway fell down in the first ten meters, breaks a ski, gets way behind, gets a new ski, his teammates get up front and slow the pace, he catches back up, and he takes the silver. Pure moxy.

[Righ]

I saw that. It's possible he could have won were it not for that start and the need to push a bit harder in the early sections, but the Russian made an awesome finish.

[Hanzii]

There was an interesting moment in cross country skiing when a dude from Norway fell down in the first ten meters, breaks a ski, gets way behind, gets a new ski, his teammates get up front and slow the pace, he catches back up, and he takes the silver. Pure moxy.

They carry rifles, don't they?
Why don't he just pop a few rounds at the guy in the lead and swipes his skis? Or is using skis from other teams against the rules?

[Murgos]

They carry rifles, don't they?
Why don't he just pop a few rounds at the guy in the lead and swipes his skis? Or is using skis from other teams against the rules?

Now that's a biathalon in the true spirit of the Olympics.

[UD_Delt]

I saw that. It's possible he could have won were it not for that start and the need to push a bit harder in the early sections, but the Russian made an awesome finish.

I just caught the tail end of this and the announcer mentioned something about how the Norway guy will always be the one remembered for the great comeback and then something about ignoring the Russian dude because of his poor sportsmanship. They never mentioned what exactly the russian dude did that was shitty though.

[HaemishM]

I plan on only watching the US Men's Hockey, because that's really all I give a shit about.

[WayAbvPar]

Ski jumping, downhill, maybe some luge- anything with people going wayyy too fast that might result in horrific injuries (and yet, I can't stand NASCAR- go figure). Men's hockey for sure, although the US team is gonna get beat like a rented mule.

[Righ]

A medal for Canada is like a victory for all the US teams (except the Olympic one).

[shiznitz]

Anyone have a video clip of the Kildow crash? Not finding anything with a cursory google. I am sure NBC has a tight grip on all clips.

[WayAbvPar]

Slideshow here. Haven't seen video of it yet, but it looks relatively painful. As an aside- wtf is up with the spiderwebs on the uniform? She looks like a fucking CoH character.

[Righ]

Sounds like Allison Forsyth's crash was more painful - she's out of the games with several tears to her knee ligament.

WTF is up with the BBC's coverage? Nothing except Ice skating? The British pair don't stand a chance, and the Scots, er, Team GB are defending a gold in curling. NBC is showing curling - mens, US team matches, so we have to wait til the weekend for USA vs Scotland, er, Team GB.