2008 Summer Olympics

[seeinred 1,488]

Speaking of unstoppable, congratulations to Alain Bernard and the French on their silver medal in the 4x100 relay. I speak some French, but I didn't know that "smash the Americans" was French for "choke on the last length of the relay." Simply awesome.

I can't describe how happy I am that they talked s*** before that race.

Here's the medal count so far if anyone cares:

Total medals:

Rank   Nation   Gold   Silver   Bronze   Total   
1  China (CHN) 8 3 2 13 
3  United States (USA) 3 4 5 12 
2  South Korea (KOR) 4 3 0 7 
4  Italy (ITA) 2 3 1 6 
16  Russia (RUS) 0 4 2 6 
5  Australia (AUS) 2 0 3 5 
17  France (FRA) 0 3 2 5 
6  Japan (JPN) 2 0 2 4 
18  North Korea (PRK) 0 1 3 4 
7  Great Britain (GBR) 2 0 1 3 
9  Netherlands (NED) 1 1 1 3 
8  Czech Republic (CZE) 2 0 0 2 
10  Spain (ESP) 1 0 1 2 
10  Finland (FIN) 1 0 1 2

Gold:

Rank   Nation   Gold   Silver   Bronze   Total   
1  China (CHN) 8 3 2 13 
2  South Korea (KOR) 4 3 0 7 
3  United States (USA) 3 4 5 12 
4  Italy (ITA) 2 3 1 6 
5  Australia (AUS) 2 0 3 5 
6  Japan (JPN) 2 0 2 4 
7  Great Britain (GBR) 2 0 1 3 
8  Czech Republic (CZE) 2 0 0 2 
9  Netherlands (NED) 1 1 1 3 
10  Spain (ESP) 1 0 1 2 
10  Finland (FIN) 1 0 1 2

[timothy1997 0]

Ok, I am watching weightlifting and having lunch and I heard the announcers say "That was a very good ****** lift". After cleaning up the mess from spitting up my drink...I am like WTF?!?!?! I heard of clean and jerk in weightlifting but not the "****** lift". I can't believe the announcers can say that with a straight face.

Enlighten me folks, because to me it sounds like something done in a porno.

[CopenhagenWing 38]

Also, I didn't know such a sport existed until watching a match of it yesterday between S. Korea and France. Similar to hockey and soccer in terms of scoring and playing field per se, I liked watching handball for a short while. The match I saw yesterday had plenty of scoring in a 60-minute match., nearly 60 goals between the two teams, so I'm guessing a lot of scoring is standard in it.

http://en.beijing2008.cn/sports/handball/index.shtml

As BRTD said, handball is very popular in certain parts of the world, especially Europe.

My parents played, my sisters played. I played on and off for 15 years (highest level I played at equates to Major Junior hockey). Handball is a fairly physical sport with little to no protective equipment. Whoever said it it boring should give it a try.

[seeinred 1,488]

Ok, I am watching weightlifting and having lunch and I heard the announcers say "That was a very good ****** lift". After cleaning up the mess from spitting up my drink...I am like WTF?!?!?! I heard of clean and jerk in weightlifting but not the "****** lift". I can't believe the announcers can say that with a straight face.

Enlighten me folks, because to me it sounds like something done in a porno.

The 1st lift in this video is a ******.

[betterREDthandead 58]

Gold number three for Phelps! Ahead for all 200 meters of that swim, from pull-out to the wall. He's got a weird stroke, his strokes aren't even. Some swimmers are doing the same as him but nobody as much. And watch his finishes - he's always perfect. Never has to reach for it. Seems like his strokes always end up in just the right spot for touching the wall.

[auxlepli 17]

Phelps is a machine!

Kudos to Coughlin too.

[Cern 0]

Tell me, if the talent level is so unstoppable, what happened in '04?

They waltzed into a podium finish they didn't play as though they deserved, which if anything is only more telling of how pathetic the rest of the international competition is. Come back to me when the event's laughably monopolized talent pool leaves the US with no medal of any kind - which has all of zero chance of happening since, lending to aforementioned monopolized talent pool, the only time the US hasn't hit the podium in the Olympic history of the sport was on account of the 1980 boycott - then you can start legitimately talking to me about a level playing field.

[sjradio 0]

Would somebody remind Canada that the games have actually started.

Medal table as of Tuesday Morning has the Americans leading with 21...

tiny little Tajikistan has more than our neighbors to the North, (or south if you're in Detroit)

Georgia, even despite being invaded by Russia has a bronze. That's still one more medal than Canada

I guess we know what "O' Canada" really means "O fer Canada"

[betterREDthandead 58]

They waltzed into a podium finish they didn't play as though they deserved, which if anything is only more telling of how pathetic the rest of the international competition is. Come back to me when the event's laughably monopolized talent pool leaves the US with no medal of any kind - which has all of zero chance of happening since, lending to aforementioned monopolized talent pool, the only time the US hasn't hit the podium in the Olympic history of the sport was on account of the 1980 boycott - then you can start legitimately talking to me about a level playing field.

So if they'd lost the bronze medal game it would have changed everything?

Tell me, why do you watch any regular season hockey? It's so uncompetitive. The Wings win the division every year.

Just out of curiosity, what are you watching this year? Seems you're not watching the swimming, at any rate. Beach volleyball is probably out. Track and field sprint events are out. When looking for a competitive Olympic sport by your definition, what do you settle on? Fencing? No, probably not, the American ladies swept the medal podium. Equestrian?

[timothy1997 0]

They waltzed into a podium finish they didn't play as though they deserved, which if anything is only more telling of how pathetic the rest of the international competition is. Come back to me when the event's laughably monopolized talent pool leaves the US with no medal of any kind - which has all of zero chance of happening since, lending to aforementioned monopolized talent pool, the only time the US hasn't hit the podium in the Olympic history of the sport was on account of the 1980 boycott - then you can start legitimately talking to me about a level playing field.

Well we know who casted the 3rd vote to not watching these games.

Why even post in this thread then. Go back and prepare for the Vancouver games in 2010, which the United States will dominate anyway.

[Jwo 7]

As BRTD said, handball is very popular in certain parts of the world, especially Europe.

My parents played, my sisters played. I played on and off for 15 years (highest level I played at equates to Major Junior hockey). Handball is a fairly physical sport with little to no protective equipment. Whoever said it it boring should give it a try.

I played it as well within the neighborhood.

[timothy1997 0]

real simple question:

Is Phelps the greatest swimmer ever? I think you can definately claim he is the best American swimmer, but now I think you can move that into of all time swimmer categories.

Edited August 13, 2008 by timothy1997

[Doggy 130]

real simple question:

Is Phelps the greatest swimmer ever? I think you can definately claim he is the best American swimmer, but now I think you can move that into of all time swimmer categories.

I know f*** all about swimming but by the sounds of it, he is.

[Aussie_Wing 354]

Boomers have been disgraceful. Opals looking good, as expected.

Stephanie Rice is a legend, what a win today!

[betterREDthandead 58]

real simple question:

Is Phelps the greatest swimmer ever? I think you can definately claim he is the best American swimmer, but now I think you can move that into of all time swimmer categories.

I don't think that's even a question.

I think the real question is: Is Phelps the greatest athlete in the history of the world?

He has more gold medals than anyone who ever participated in the Olympics, and he's only going to keep racking them up. If he wins the 200 IM that's coming up later this week, the eight golds are his because nobody's going to beat him in the 100 fly and our medley relay team will be nearly as untouchable as that relay last night.

Speaking of which HOLY s***. WOW. That was an awesome race not only because of the domination, but there was actually a real good race going on for second place too. The relays this year have been nothing short of spectacular.

[GMRwings1983 8,803]

Does anyone else think the Chinese women's gymnastics team was lying about their age, as several media outlets have suggested?

Those girls looked like they were about 8.

[auxlepli 17]

Yes. I think they're lying. Most of the Chinese girls look like pre-teens to me. The American women might've only won silver, but at least they look feminine instead of stick-like.

[betterREDthandead 58]

I agree - I don't think those girls are at all of legal age for the competition.

And furthermore I agree with Martha Karolyi that the stadium officials might have been hindering our girls. I don't normally buy conspiracy theories like that, but this is China, after all - and when I was watching, I got the distinct impression that the Chinese were "icing" our girls before the vault, much the same way you call a timeout in football to ice the kicker. That took way too long. Nobody else had to wait like that before they were allowed to go.

[heinz57 11]

Does anyone else think the Chinese women's gymnastics team was lying about their age, as several media outlets have suggested?

Those girls looked like they were about 8.

There's no way some of those girls are 16.

My friend said he felt like a pervert watching them.

[GMRwings1983 8,803]

There's no way some of those girls are 16.

My friend said he felt like a pervert watching them.

I felt like a pervert watching the 16 year old Americans, so I know how he feels about the Chinese girls who looked twice as young.

[hallelujahlogic 1]

I felt like a pervert watching the 16 year old Americans, so I know how he feels about the Chinese girls who looked twice as young.

8 year olds, dude.

[mannysBETTER3434 1]

Does anyone else think the Chinese women's gymnastics team was lying about their age, as several media outlets have suggested?

Those girls looked like they were about 8.

No doubt about it. Compare Shawn Johnson, the youngest U.S. gymnast to any girl from China. You really think those girls are the same age? Heck no...maybe 1, or 2 at most. It makes perfect sense to because A) It's China. B) There is no way to prove it.

I also agree with whoever mentioned the Chinese hindering the girls. I thought that while I was watching it live.

[seeinred 1,488]

Where do I sign up to start playing handball? It looks like a ton of fun to play, and it also looks like I could be on the next olympic team.

[mannysBETTER3434 1]

Where there's smoke there's fire

http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/summer08/gym...tory?id=3534544

[auxlepli 17]

I'm hoping for an all U.S. final in the women's beach volleyball.