Know wonder the Germans beat us...

[+ glutes]

For weeks now Nike has advised us to "Join Bode." Join him where? At the bar? That's one place you might find Bode Miller after the Turin Games, unless he's in his motor home, finding new ways to duck all that pressure he put on himself.

And Michelle Kwan flaking, along with showboating / jackassing Jacobellis?

Know wonder the Germans beat us in medals...

[Guest LatinoRican]

I defintitely agree! Bode, Kwan and a few others were big disappointments, but let's not dwell on the negative. Think of the winners and Apolo Anton Ohno in particular! Yess! I jumped out of my seat as he won the 500m! What a race! What a finish! What thigh mucles! What a butt! Way to go, Apolo!!

[+ deej]

RE: NO wonder the Germans beat us...

 

My gripe with Michelle Kwan is she shouldn't have been there in the first place. :-(

 

I can't really blame Bode Miller for anything other than being a big, over-confident, loudmouthed jock. The media caused all the hype. He fed it, to be sure, but we probably wouldn't even know his name if it weren't for all the sound bites leading up to the games. Some people believe their own PR.

 

I give all of the athletes the utmost respect they are due. It takes a great deal of determination (not to mention talent) to devote so much time and effort to incessant training. They all reached the top in their respective sports. If anyone thinks they can do better, well, go get 'em tiger!

[+ glutes]

RE: NO wonder the Germans beat us...

 

"I just did it my way. I'm not a martyr, and I'm not a do-gooder. I just want to go out and rock. And man, I rocked here,'' Miller was quoted by Jim Litke as saying. "... It's been an awesome two weeks. I got to party and socialize at an Olympic level."

 

How would he know? Were there judges present?

[Guest]

RE: NO wonder the Germans beat us...

 

It is rather appalling. He didn't even have to admit it verbally in order to make it clear he was there to party, not to win a medal. He didn't even bother to wake up to inspect the course before going down it, as all of the other skiers did. Of course, there's no law that says that you have to do your best once you get to the olympics. Nevertheless, he was representing his country, and I feel he should be banned from future participation.

[pierrot]

I think it is appalling that the media, particularly NBC, build these young people up to delirious heights of hero-worship in order to make their ratings good, then turn on them when they don't win. At this level of competition, the pressure is immense and on any given day one of them is capable of a gold medal or making a major error. Living on the edge is how these athletes got so good.

Anyone who has competed in anything knows that you go through good and bad periods -- often inexplicably so.

The media are now making a vilain of Miller because he had a bad week and made some lame excuses from a p.r. standpoint. But you can be sure that his explanations were covering up immense personal disappointment.

The bottom line is that these young men and women were built up to be national heroes. When they didn't win, some people feel betrayed -- egged on by sensationalist media.

I say leave them alone for God's sake, they feel bad enough for losing -- what the media are doing to Miller particularly is sickening.

[+ Lucky]

Where is acuna when we need him? Shouldn't it be "No Wonder..."???

 

A slow Sunday otherwise...

[+ glutes]

It is Miller time!

 

So let's see: proclivity for alcohol, a bit hyped by media, arrogant, and giving the middle finger wave to the public. Who does Bode remind you of?

 

 

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/rids/20060215/i/r752366573.jpg?

[Guest]

>Living on the

>edge is how these athletes got so good.

 

No, practice, and personal sacrifice from both themselves and their supporters is what got them so good (that and inborn talent).

 

>Anyone who has competed in anything knows that you go through

>good and bad periods -- often inexplicably so.

 

There's nothing inexplicable about partying the night before your competition, and not bothering to inspect the course as you're entitled to, and as all of your competition is doing.

 

>The media are now making a vilain of Miller because he had a

>bad week and made some lame excuses from a p.r. standpoint.

 

He didn't have lame excuses. He freely admitted that he went to the Olympics to party, not to compete. At least he's an honest asshole.

[Guest ReturnOfS]

I say forget Bode Miller. The real person to look at is Shani Davis! While we're at it, screw Chad Hedrick for whining about Shani not participating in a team event that he wasn't signed up to compete in in the first place. Shani won the gold in 1,000 speed skating event and the silver in the 1500 speed skating. Not only was he the first african-american to ever win an INDIVIDUAL gold in the Winter Olympics, he was the first black person in the world to win an individual gold in the Winter Olympics. (Vonetta Flowers is the 1st African-American to Win a Gold Medal in the Winter Olympics back in 2002. She was part of the US bobsledding team.) The ironic thing is that Shani wasn't even supported by the US. He had to train in Canada. Now thats someone who I call a true Olympian.

 

 

http://eur.news1.yimg.com/eur.yimg.com/ng/sp/ap_photo/20051011/all/l1596155.jpg

 

Shani and Apolo, whose medal wins made the US proud this year, are best friends, btw.

http://www.nbcolympics.com/images/athletes/shanidavis_490wide.jpg

 

Here's an article inspired by Shani Davis's accomplishment that I liked.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/blog/2006/02/24/BL2006022401806.html

[FLJohn]

>>Living on the

>>edge is how these athletes got so good.

>

>No, practice, and personal sacrifice from both themselves and

>their supporters is what got them so good (that and inborn

>talent).

>

>>Anyone who has competed in anything knows that you go

>through

>>good and bad periods -- often inexplicably so.

>

>There's nothing inexplicable about partying the night before

>your competition, and not bothering to inspect the course as

>you're entitled to, and as all of your competition is doing.

>

>>The media are now making a vilain of Miller because he had a

>>bad week and made some lame excuses from a p.r. standpoint.

>

>He didn't have lame excuses. He freely admitted that he went

>to the Olympics to party, not to compete. At least he's an

>honest asshole.

[VaHawk]

I'm really tired of all the berating of the American athletes' performance in this Olympics. Second place in total medals, and second place in gold medals, behind the Germans only, in both categories, so just where is the disappointment?

 

Before the 2002 Winter Olympics, the USA sucked in the Winter Olympics, and way back in the day, say the 1970's and 1980's, before pros (at least those from non-communist countries, aka East Germany and the Soviet Union), were allowed to compete, the USA would be lucky to come home from the Winter Olympics with 5 or 6 medals total, and rarely won a gold, unless it was in women's figure skating, aka Peggy Flemming. Why else would the USA beating the Soviet Union in hockey and beating Finland (Soviet Union controlled) in the gold medal game in the 1980 Olympics have been "THE MIRACLE ON ICE!!!!!"

 

I think the spirit of the Olympic games disappeared sometime during the first events held after World War II. It is all about "flag waving" and "representing the honor of the athlete's country". First with the cold war agenda between democracy and communism (USA all amateurs, communist countries amateurs who were paid, housed and practiced 365 days a year), and now even sadder, as a media event!

 

The media is the one to blame for the Bode Miller brouhaha, and the media is to blame for Michelle Kwan's going to this Olympics. If you didn't notice, this was the lowest tv ratings for any Olympics in recent history, and it was NBC who browbeat Michelle Kwan into going, as it is the women's figure skating event that draws the biggest tv ratings.

 

Too damn bad, that it is hopeless that the modern Olympics will ever return to the purity of the original ancient games. Just athletes, without media, without idiotic fans waving flags, without running tallies of medal winnings, competing head to head in the spirit of true sportsmanship, and all being grateful to compete against the best, congratulating the winners and feeling no shame in coming in second, third, or even last, as just competing made the athlete a winner.

[+ deej]

>the media is to blame for Michelle Kwan's going to this Olympics

>it was NBC who browbeat Michelle Kwan into going

 

I'm curious to know your source for this. First I've heard of it.

 

I thought it was USOC and IFS that made the decision to allow her to compete.

 

I do agree she shouldn't have been there. It's unfortunate that her health made it impossible to compete in the qualifying competitions, but her competitors managed to stay healthy enough to properly qualify. That just goes with the turf of competing at that level. She shouldn't have been given a waiver.

[VaHawk]

My source is every column in every sports page of every major metropolitan newspaper and every sports related magazine published in the United States.

 

As, they all stated, it is common knowledge that women's figure skating is the ratings draw for the Winter Olympics, and it was NBC, not Michelle Kwan, who insisted that Michelle, as the reigning World's champion, and multiple World champion and prior Silver medal winner compete, despite Michelle's injuries, and her reluctance, as such to compete. And it was NBC that INSISTED that Michelle, after dropping out due to those injuries, stay on board as a commentator. To Michelle's credit, she refused, so as not to detract from the remaining USA competitors.

 

After all, without the U.S.A. media's big bucks, there is no need to hold the Olympics in a more powerful spotlight, other than what the Olympic torch generates.

[+ deej]

I'll just have to take your word for it, I guess. Google can't find it and you won't provide it.

 

I do see a lot of nattering about Kwan turning down a NBC commentator job offer AFTER she dropped out of the competition. (There's even commentary on this at bondage.com -- who knew? LOL) But not a damn thing about NBC browbeating her into competing in the first place, which is what you originally said.