Unofficial Olympics Thread

[Rinoabella]

USA jumpers are an exception though, especially in New Zealand and probably Australia. If you wore one people would look at you funny. You have to be here to understand.

As for the topic, this has turned into a pretty big argument thread. And as for the Olympics, I just read that there was a massive booing at the 200m Men's sprint final, and also an argument at the Men's basketball final between Spain and the US. Amazing what arguments an event such as the Olympics can create. I don't remember this happening 4 years ago.

[Kirobaito]

There was a story in the Greek media that that Greek track guy (don't remember his name) missed the drug test due to some USA conspiracy to try to keep the Greeks from going 1-2-3 in their event. I must say, one of the funniest things I've heard in awhile.

[Dingo Jellybean]

The olympic games in Sydney were by far, the best games I have ever seen...winter or summer. And I've seen 7 Olympic games so far.

As for the Greeks finishing 1-2-3...eh, they might have 1 gold medalist from Sydney, but the other 2(other than Kentaris) were like...bleh 200m sprinters. But eh, I think it's just bitterness from <i>some</i> of the Greek fans.

[Rinoabella]

I agree. Sydney was spectacular. It'll be hard for any other host to outdo them in the future!

[Dingo Jellybean]

See, the real problem now is _AFTER_ the olympics.

I went to Sydney twice after the olympics and visited Olympic park and the facilities there were like...empty...twice...despite being open to the public. It's amazing how useless these gigantic structures are after the olympics. LA and Atlanta never had this problem, mainly because they're such big markets...but for such a small country like Greece...whew, not sure if they'll recover from this.

[Rusty]

I agree. Sydney was spectacular. It'll be hard for any other host to outdo them in the future!

That's a really nice comment to read when your an Aussie, so thank you


To Dingo Jellybeans comment, you right some people might admire the USA, but jealous? Of what? That there on top of the medal tally at the moment? I reckon most of the countries are happy or downright proud they one a medal or that they made it to the olympics at the least, not stewing over the fact that they didn't win more medals than the USA.
I know us Aussie's are just proud of our athletes and the medals they have won and we hope that they do well in the other competetions they are in

[Rinoabella]

That's a really nice comment to read when your an Aussie, so thank you

And a nice comment by a Kiwi (me) to an Aussie (you) might I add Nothing wrong with a little trans-tasman friendlyness here and there.

And damn right about the medals thing. NZ is a country of less than 4 million. We have 3 gold medals. I'm so proud of our little country down under! With the small number of medals we have, we can really spend time congratulating each of our winners

[*ETERNAL FANTASY*]

See, the real problem now is _AFTER_ the olympics.

I went to Sydney twice after the olympics and visited Olympic park and the facilities there were like...empty...twice...despite being open to the public. It's amazing how useless these gigantic structures are after the olympics. LA and Atlanta never had this problem, mainly because they're such big markets...

yea u might have only been there twice but ive grown up here before and after the olympics and trust me when i say its not "useless".... Its still used for footy games, competitions, live concerts....but mainly for sports.....so just because you've been there twice does not mean its a "useless sturcture".

Sorry bout the whole mistreatment for wearing an american t-shirt but honestly i can assure you is that theres no jealousy here in Australia mate! as long as its a good game....the people are happy.....heck were commin 3rd or fourth in the tally equalling our record here in Sydney and best record out of the country and heck were stoked here! so....there isnt any jealousy round here.... but just becase u got treated badly by some people doesnt mean all of us aussies dislike americas domminance of the games.....heck good on ya!

Again im seriously proud of how Sydney handled the games n all.....though it showed alot of cultural background in Athens....i loved Sydneys opening ceremony!

btw THORP, PHELPS, VAN DEN HOOGENVAN (sp? sorry), HACKETT....best swimming match

oh and the indoor volleyball is crazy!

Sydney rocks....!

[Dingo Jellybean]

yea u might have only been there twice but ive grown up here before and after the olympics and trust me when i say its not "useless".... Its still used for footy games, competitions, live concerts....but mainly for sports.....so just because you've been there twice does not mean its a "useless sturcture".

Sorry bout the whole mistreatment for wearing an american t-shirt but honestly i can assure you is that theres no jealousy here in Australia mate! as long as its a good game....the people are happy.....heck were commin 3rd or fourth in the tally equalling our record here in Sydney and best record out of the country and heck were stoked here! so....there isnt any jealousy round here.... but just becase u got treated badly by some people doesnt mean all of us aussies dislike americas domminance of the games.....heck good on ya!

Again im seriously proud of how Sydney handled the games n all.....though it showed alot of cultural background in Athens....i loved Sydneys opening ceremony!

btw THORP, PHELPS, VAN DEN HOOGENVAN (sp? sorry), HACKETT....best swimming match

oh and the indoor volleyball is crazy!

Sydney rocks....!

That's what I mentioned in my earlier posts...that not everyone is jealous of the US. But for countries equally as large in terms of economics and political power, you can't deny it. I think people misinterpret what I meant by my posts. I never said all people were jealous, I'm just stating that you can't deny there's people sick of the US dominating the olympics every 4 years. Especially when I see Greek newspapers insist that there was an American conspiracy to keep Kostas Kenteris out of the 200m race(the US swept this event), it just shows that some people like to point fingers at the US...even though it's not the US' fault Kenteris skipped a drug test and had a motorcycle "accident."

As for the stadiums in Sydney, which is my hometown, my family lives there and that's what they tell me. As for holding concerts, usually they hold it in the Sydney convention center. The track & field stadium is much too big to hold a concert, you would have too many open seats. The indoor pool hardly has anyone in it. My family has been to olympic stadium several times, and every time the stadium's lot is like a ghost town.

[Dingo Jellybean]

Okay, next time Stu Jackson decides to build Team USA...keep Tim Duncan and lose everyone else.

Ugh, the way Team USA lost was so embarrassing. They can't defend the 3, let alone make the 3. Any team that shoots over 50% from downtown should win the game, and that's what Argentina did. I hope they win the gold medal...but jeez, no defense whatsoever. You only have one All-NBA defensive player on the team and that's Tim Duncan. As last I saw, Tim Duncan can't guard 5 players at once...but eh.

It's good for the world that Team USA lost...but I won't put an asterisk next to this All NBA 3rd team. Even though the NBA's best players didn't bother playing on this team, Argentina should win. How the US beat a team like Spain, I'll never know.

Amazing, USA was 109-2 in Olympic play. Now they're 4-3 in these olympics.

[Kirobaito]

Had Shaq or KG decide to do these Olympics, a frontline of those three would be invincible. That doesn't mean I feel sorry in the slightest for the US. There were plenty of shooters available that this team needed (Anthony Peeler, Voshon Lenard, even <i>Wesley Person</i> for crying out loud) that they failed to go get. Instead they took guys like Emeka Okafor and LeBron James that never even really played all that much.

[CloudySky]

Damn, how can they be that bad?????! They have no idea how to play BB! I'm so pissed!!!!

BTW congrats to Argentina!

[Miriel]

On further review, Paul Hamm did win that medal.

The Korean gymnast should have lost .2 points off his score...so that means someone was snuffed out of a bronze medal. I think they mentioned something about having only 6 holds total or was it 5? But anyways, that medal Paul Hamm won was legitimate.

Judges miss mistakes ALL the time. To watch the Korean gymnast's routine in slow-mo and then point out a mistake to justify Paul Hamm's gold medal is just silly. This isn't a question of who's the better gymnast it's whether or not the medal was given to the gymnast with the most points. Everyone, from the Americans, the Koreans and the IOC acknowledge that a mathematical error determined the winner. The only real question is what to do about the mistake.

The International Gymnastics Federation today suggested to Paul Hamm that he give the medal to the Korean gymnast (which infuriated the United States Olympic Committee) but in my opinion, it doesn't even matter anymore.

I really think the South Koreans should let it go (the gymnast himself has stated that he lost because of his own mistakes, and he has to deal with that). The gold medal is tainted with controversy and whether it stays with Paul Hamm, or goes to the Korean, it can't ever give the recipient the same sense of joy or accomplishment as it could have without all the controversy.

[*ETERNAL FANTASY*]

Yea the gymnastics scores have caused quite a stirr....and after watchin it few days ago i can see why....i mean nemov did not have the best landing in high bars but to come 5th or 6th.....thats just rediculus (sp?)!

[Doc Sark]

Jealous of the USA team?

Congratulations to the Great Britain 4x100 Sprint team. Rank outsiders to take the Gold away from the Americans. Excellent display and good luck to Amir Khan today.

Britain cannot compete with the USA for total medals, to say that is utter nonsense, since the first Olypmpics I watched in Seoul, the Brits have never come close. You obviously have a problem with other peoples opinions, all you have done is throw stats at me. Statistically Claus Jensen was the highest scoring midfield player in the Premiership last season, we was sold for a million pounds, peanuts in football terms. Statistics don't do all the talking in sport, the 4x100 result should tell you that. The gold Britain won in the Equestrianism should tell you that. Carl Lewis upgrading to gold should tell you that. There are thousands of variables in sport that cannot be accounted for by statistics. The Americans have sent more athletes to every Olympic games I have watched since 1988, I think you have already stated that. And they have won them all. Do you have a job by the way?

The olympics is the only major sporting event that America have any dominance over. They can't play rugby, they can't play cricket, and despite their high FIFA ranking, they are a long way off being dominant in world Soccer. In fact their high world ranking is another example of stats in sport not working. Pretty good at Tennis though, in fact America tends to excel in individual events only (with the exception of the sports they invented so they would be the best at.). To say other countries are jealous is just an example of an egotistical American, don't be a sterotype man! I don't need help researching anything, get over yourself! I have a full time job and a degree to think about, I'm not gonna waste my time researching, at length, an arguement with an arrogant "we're the best, we're the best" american. What's the point, you've made up your mind that America rule the sporting world, who am I to argue?