quote:Originally posted by Kwea: I didn't feel bad for those 2 Korean's at all. The only reason we didn't take the Gold is that they were bumping and pushing Apollo on the last 2 turns, and then tried to team skate and form a wall we couldn't pass. They should have been DQ'd as it was, but team skating is hard to prove.
Jockeying for position is an intrinsic part of the sport. I don't think they were trying to team skate, especially since it was a Korean who hit the other Korean and thus opened the way for Apollo to move into second on the final turn.
Looked like they were trying to set up a wall against us, and one skated too close to the other.
2 laps before that one of them shoved him so bad it was obvious, and he got jostled out of his stride. Had teh one who did that not fallen, I am sure it would have been reviewed at the least.
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quote:Originally posted by Kwea: I didn't feel bad for those 2 Korean's at all. The only reason we didn't take the Gold is that they were bumping and pushing Apollo on the last 2 turns, and then tried to team skate and form a wall we couldn't pass. They should have been DQ'd as it was, but team skating is hard to prove.
Jockeying for position is an intrinsic part of the sport. I don't think they were trying to team skate, especially since it was a Korean who hit the other Korean and thus opened the way for Apollo to move into second on the final turn.
Looked like they were trying to set up a wall against us, and one skated too close to the other.
2 laps before that one of them shoved him so bad it was obvious, and he got jostled out of his stride. Had teh one who did that not fallen, I am sure it would have been reviewed at the least.
Yeah I noticed the shove too after reviewing it today. That sort of behavior is unfortunately part of the sport as you can get away with it. I wish the athletes would check themselves, but with so much at stake, you're going to get the very best and worst out of people in these events.
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quote:Originally posted by Lyrhawn: How do Canadians generally view their provincial identity? I'm thinking that might be the biggest factor.
Well, before thinking too deeply about it, I wouldn't have thought that it was too different. However, I think I can convince myself that there is a bit of a difference, particularly in the Ontario case.
I find it hard to articulate precisely why though. Think muddled thoughts along the lines of how the Civil War, the 13 original states thing, and balance of power between the federal and provincial/states might have affected attitudes differently (except in Quebec).
quote:Originally posted by Launchywiggin: ... Most annoying: The Olympic Anthem sung by Mrs. Mile-Wide Vibrato. It sounded like a parody. It boggles my mind that the style is considered high art.
Yeah. On the other hand, during that performance I was thinking that she looked awfully tough. Like she could single handedly crush four of the female singers that performed as a quartet during the closing ceremonies of Beijing Olympics.
quote:Originally posted by Teshi: ... I have very mixed feelings about the Opening Ceremony. First, I was glad it wasn't embarassingly horrible. ... Secondly, though, I thought it was a little uninspired. A whole five minutes of the boy flying through the field was tiresome ...
Yep, sums up my thoughts well. (Also, is that person singing the song from Watchmen )
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You know I don't usually get that involved in the figure skating, but they've managed to make this pairs figure skating competition fairly exciting. I'm really rooting for this last Chinese pair.
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The silver medal winning Chinese pair actually skated better in Monday night's competition than the Chinese pair that won the gold, but the latter did a much better short form the previous day, so the combined scores put them ahead.
It is surely a great day for the Chinese coach that his skaters came in 1 and 2 in this Olympics. Personal vindication in his decades-long effort to build the Chinese figure skating program into respectability.
Sad day for the Russians, who were shut out of Olympic medals for the first time in decades. They had been so dominant for so long!
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Not only shut out, but it was the first time the Russian's hadn't won gold in pairs in something like 50 years.
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Sean, you referred to the infamous scandal in the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City. Would it be reasonable to say that the judging of figure-skating in the Olympics has improved lately? I have heard no suggestions of anything wrong with the judging in the current Vancouver Olympics, other than complaints from some observers such as Dick Button that some of the recent requirements (such as skaters grabbing their skates in some positions) is unnecessary, contrived, and gets in the way of the artistry.
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quote:Originally posted by Lyrhawn: The curse isn't no medals, it's that they're the only nation in Winter games history to not win a gold when hosting. And they've done it twice.
Woo! Reversal!
quote:Canada have become the most successful ever hosts of a Winter Olympics after guaranteeing that they will finish top of the medals table in Vancouver.
With 13 golds, Canada have beaten the previous record - jointly held by the United States and Norway - of 10.
"We have come on strong and we thought we had the right plan," said Canadian Olympic Committee chief Chris Rudge.
"But I don't think in our wildest dreams we thought we'd get this many gold medals."
Ironically though, Canada have fallen short of their own definition of success which was to win more medals - of any colour - than any other team.
The vast majority of countries judge Olympic success on the basis of the number of golds won, but Canada and the US prefer to measure the total number of medals.
With 36 medals in all (nine gold, 14 silver and 13 bronze), the US comfortably beat any other nation on that measure. But Canada's 13 golds, three more than nearest rival Germany, ensure that most of the world view the hosts as the most successful team at the Games.
I personally trend towards total medals won. But I like the idea of sort of a weighting system. Weight golds as worth more, but don't totally discount silver and bronze. Why should only first place count?
Regardless, Canada has done an absolutely amazing job in these Olympics. Tomorrow is going to be an amazing game.
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Technically, in the international system, silver and bronze are still used to tie-break, so they aren't totally discounted.
But I agree that a weighing system would be preferable. That said, since the obvious merits of metric over imperial measurements are still being fought over, the actual parameters used to weigh would probably be harder to find broad agreement on.
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Medal count should also be modified by percentage of the country able to participate: population, percent of the population able to participate (e.g. age, reasonable access to relevant sports geographically or economically) etc.
However, either way, Canada did splendidly.
Posts: 8473 | Registered: Apr 2003
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Canada did wonderfully, as did the US. The US surpassed its record of total medals in a winter games, and we were weaker in some areas (like Ladies figure skating) than we normally are yet worn medals in area we traditionally have not done well (Nordic combined, for one).
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Teshi: Again, the parameters and weighing would be heavily debatable.
But, I guess we could take advantage of that debate by looking at what odds were given before the games. It doesn't look like Intrade has anything for the Olympics but there is this gambling site:
quote:Germany is expected to dominate everyone in the Vancouver Olympics this year and the betting odds show them as the 1/1 even money favorite. ... The Germans do have a bit of competition if they want the top spot in the gold medal count for the Vancouver games. The United States is supposed to be a prime contender and their betting odds for the Winter Olympics are at 7/2 as the 2nd choice. Russia and Canada should also figure into the top spot in the gold medal count and both countries are listed at 4/1 betting odds in Vancouver.
Norway at 10/1 odds for the 2010 Winter Olympics figures to be the only other country with a real chance at winning the gold medal count. There are some 100/1 long shots if you are feeling lucky and those are the betting odds for China, Finland, Holland, and Japan to top the gold medal count.
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Canada won the big showdown hockey game this afternoon against the USA for the gold medal, with a score of 3-2 in overtime. They will of course be celebrating north of the border.
We Americans regard Canadians as our little cousins, so naturally we are proud when they do well.
Although, it should be noted that the USA defeated the same Canadian team when they met earlier, 5-3. Perhaps we should have another game, to make it best 2 out of 3.
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It is pretty crazy up here. I'm stuck at home, but there is a lot of partying. I knew we had won from the cheering in the streets, rather than the internet.
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I totally agree with the need for a best 2 out of 3 game! But, honestly, for Canada to win the gold and the US to win the silver is a nice way to end the Olympics. I like seeing the host country do well - and I find myself now wanting to visit British Columbia for a vacation because I've been sold on how beautiful it is. They seemed to do a great job hosting and from what I could see it was a very successful winter Olympics.
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I was totally okay with Canada winning. I've got maple syrup in my blood, so my Canadian half was very happy. Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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Lyrhawn, I prefer my maple syrup from Vermont, or northern New York. I think there are some farms here in Michigan that produce it, too. Some people will be mapling in the spring and fall anywhere that sugar maples grow--which is a very wide area. I've tapped maple trees for sap here in southeastern Michigan. The challenge is in boiling it down 20:1 for sugar maple sap, or up to 50:1 for other kinds of maples, to get syrup--without making the wallpaper in your kitchen peel. (Pros do it outdoors, in little shacks.)
You can get sap from some other kinds of trees, too, and boil it down for syrup. I did it once from a water birch tree, and the syrup tasted like sweet potatoes.
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Maple syrup from anywhere outside of Vermont ain't nothin' but nasty sugar goo.
And those closing ceremonies where painful. Giant inflatable beavers and moose? Really?
I drove back home to watch the gold medal hockey game with my brothers and father. We were torn: we all follow the Buffalo Sabres, so my brother declares "We are cheering for Miller and Canada." It was a confusing blend of emotions at the end.
And really, what more can you want? U.S. and Canada going to overtime? I guess a shootout would have been fantastic. And after that great game, the U.S. team looked WAY to upset to receive the silver, IMO.
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quote:Originally posted by Ron Lambert: Lyrhawn, I prefer my maple syrup from Vermont, or northern New York. I think there are some farms here in Michigan that produce it, too. Some people will be mapling in the spring and fall anywhere that sugar maples grow--which is a very wide area. I've tapped maple trees for sap here in southeastern Michigan. The challenge is in boiling it down 20:1 for sugar maple sap, or up to 50:1 for other kinds of maples, to get syrup--without making the wallpaper in your kitchen peel. (Pros do it outdoors, in little shacks.)
You can get sap from some other kinds of trees, too, and boil it down for syrup. I did it once from a water birch tree, and the syrup tasted like sweet potatoes.
quote:Although, it should be noted that the USA defeated the same Canadian team when they met earlier, 5-3. Perhaps we should have another game, to make it best 2 out of 3. [/QB]
It's worth pointing out that this was the second Canada/US gold medal game in the 21st century, and we've won both. Four years from now, it'll be a three for three sweep.
I live in Seoul, and had to wake up at 4 am and go to a bar owned by Canadians to watch the game. It was packed, like, fire code violation packed. A vocal cadre of Americans off in the corner. Misery and silent stares at them as they chanted "USA! USA!" after that ridiculous goal in the third period. Absolute chaos when Crosby pulled off the OT goal.
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The symbol on the Canadian flag is a red maple leaf--which has to be from a red maple. Sugar maple leaves turn yellow in the fall. So maple syrup cannot really be a Canadian symbol. They should put Dudley Doright on the Canadian flag instead of the red maple leaf. At least then people wouldn't call it "a nosebleed."
Dudley Doright on the flag would be great, to go along with their Loonie Tunes money. ("Loonies" and "Toonies" are what Canadians call their one dollar and two dollar coins. Loonies have a picture of a loon on them.)
I'm kidding. I love Canadians. They're the hobbits of America.
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It was a hell of a hockey final, and it was won in a great way. IF you are going to lose, let it be in overtime, with the best hockey player of this generation scoring the winning goal against you.
Hell of a job by BOTH goaltenders. I thought Canada should have scored at least 3 times in overtime, and the US almost scored 2-3 times as well, including a heck of a slap shot for our least shot on goal.
I LOVE seeing good hockey, and this game was wonderful.
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That's one of the things I like about Canadians. They can take a little kidding. Then every once in a while they come back with something like the Canadian lighthouse vs. the U.S. carrier task force. One of the funniest jokes ever!
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