Olympics

[CC]

I am looking forward to seeing the opening ceremonies tonight as they are always inspiring.  Winter Olympics are much more exciting to me than summer as there are only just so many times you can watch someone run around a track.  It certainly will be nice to watch live events with no time change to.

On a sad note, Kumaritashvili of Georgia seriously hurt himself on the men's luge today and they were performing chest compressions when he was air lifted to the hospital.  I hope for his recovery.

[CC]

Sadly, it looks like Kumaritashvili lost his life at only 21.

[Sky King]

It doesn't matter but he was from the Russian Georgia.

So sad.

[CC]

Yes, sorry I wasn't clear.  I guess it was bound to happen.  These guys are human bullets.

[Sky King]

Did you see Colbert get kicked downhill on a skeleton?

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/257741/december-03-2009/skate-expectations---skeleton-team-tryouts---zach-lund

Stephan Colbert and the Colbert Nation raised $300,000.00 for US Skating after the previous bank sponsor went bankrupt.

Dick Ebersole made him a site analyst and reporter at the skating events.

Team USA made Colbert a team psycologist.

Plus he really loves skating!

(I wanted to lighten up for the opening ceremonies )

Ready?!

USA USA USA USA USA USA!!!  Repeat until you're tired of saying it!

[Sky King]

I was fortunate to get a business trip to Vancouver some years ago. I was on Lonsdale Quay. Google earth the area. It really was spectacular.

[CC]

Yeah, I have been following Colbert and donated towards the cause as part of his official Colbert Nation.  I almost peed myself when he challenged for speed skater.  This will be a fun week.

[Sky King]

I am not so cultaralry inclined.

Opening ceremonies fall short.

Sorry! Fail!

[CC]

Oh I enjoyed them very much.  Sure they weren't Beijing, but hell they spent a hell of a lot more money.  I'm glad to see it go back to a more modest presentations.  SLC was my favorite.

Most memorable torch lighting?  No.  I liked the one where the archer shot the flaming arrow.  Wow that was dramatic.

[Petz2]

The opening ceremonies reflected a desire for political correctness that should make those of us south of the 44th parallel shudder.

The Canadian national anthem sung in English and French is a warning shot to those of us who recognize  the divisions  appearing between the Azlan crowd and those who have sworn a loyalty to the US Constitution.

The emphasis on 1st nation in the opening ceremonies was way  over the top for my liking.  The whole thing looked like a Chamber of Commerce infomercial meant to entice the film industry to move their operations north.

[FiscalCon]

Opening ceremonies usually bore the crap outta me. Couldn't make it through this one either. 

I hated the rendition of the Canadian National Anthem, not 'cause of the French thing (BTW it's Aztlan) but because it took what to me is one of the best, most stirring NAs and took it pop.

Oh and Yoko or Apollo or whatever, (hasn't someone yet had the guts to tell him to shave his face?) what's the deal with taking the Flag around after the final?  You got silver, dude.  I know you got the record for most medals or something but Americans don't bring out the Flag for silver-especially since you only got it because two of the 3 Koreans in front of you messed themselves up.

[Brother Karamazov]

I too thought the opening ceremonies were ... on the long side.  My wife enjoyed them though.


I did enjoy the individualistic theme they employed. Compared to China's vaguely creepy, mass synchronizations it was a relief.  Apparently Canada spent $30-40 million, where as China spent $300-400 million on their ceremonies.

On the language issues, I am ambivalent.  French and English are the official languages of both host nation Canada and the IOC, so it should have come as a surprise to anyone. 

You might be interested to know that both the Premier of Quebec and the Federal Heritage Minister of Canada have both publicly asserted that there was NOT ENOUGH French in the opening ceremonies.

That's just part of the constant whining and demands English Canadians have to put up with from French Canada.

Multiculturalism is a lovely theory, but in practice things often go very badly.  Despite being one of the greatest places to live on earth, Canada has long struggled to remain unified. 

Unfortunately, once a nation buys into identity politics and group rights, it can often become a vicious political spiral. 
Individualism is the only ethical foundation for political rights.


As for Apollo Ohno skating around with the flag, I'm with FC on this.  It seemed ungracious and unsportsmanlike under the circumstances.

Ohno was solidly heading for fourth place when one of the three Koreans (who had Gold, Silver, and Bronze basically locked up) slipped and knocked himself and one of his teammates out of the race.  This handed the silver to Ohno and the bronze to Celski. 

It was the Korean's bad luck that gave Ohno a medal in the Men's 1500 meter shorttrack.

[RAmenPirate]

Disagree. Couldn't give a rat's ass about English French.  It's their country whatever.

Falling is part of short track so I call BS on that as well. I seem to recall all three medalists donning flags in prior Olympics.  Someone hands you a flag, what are you going to do? Throw it aside? What kind of comments would come then?

[FiscalCon]

Disagree. Couldn't give a rat's ass about English French.  It's their country whatever.

Falling is part of short track so I call BS on that as well. I seem to recall all three medalists donning flags in prior Olympics.  Someone hands you a flag, what are you going to do? Throw it aside? What kind of comments would come then?

Now that's BS. You don't have to reach out and take it.  Feel free to cite when the runner up in another Olympics pulled a flag for a lap unless a countryman (or woman) had taken the Gold (or one country had taken all 3).  Solidarity and team spirit is different.

Maybe if you're some podunk berg of a country you get props for runner up and bring out the Flag.  Not one of the big ones.  Silver is nice and all but there is a reason that only one NA is played, the Country that gets the Gold gets the props.

[Jammer Mann]

Perhaps Appolo Ohno shouldn't have skated with the flag since coming in 2nd place and to deny him even the honor of coming in 2nd, would you say the same when he was involved in a simular crash in in either the last winter olympics or the one before that, not sure which one, would you say the Australian that won didn't deserve the gold.