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sambista
Joined: 25 Sep 2004
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 Posted: 07/28/12 5:34 pm ::: random olympic thoughts |
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i've changed the title of this thread because i thought there should be a place for random comments, and i didn't wanna create new threads. anyway . . .
Invisible flame is burning issue of London Games
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The cauldron sits low in the center of Olympic Stadium in London, invisible from the outside. It will be moved Sunday to a corner, and visible in person only to fans lucky enough to have tickets to track and field, which starts Friday.
Until then, if you want to see the Olympic flame, you'll have to settle for a beauty shot on television, where it looks from above like a small, distant campfire, or the pilot light under the eye of a giant stove. |
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| At the last Winter Games, in Vancouver in 2010, there was an outcry when organizers put the cauldron behind an unsightly chain-link fence along the harbor, touching off a "free the flame" movement. |
hahahahahahahaha!
ap via myway.com
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Last edited by sambista on 07/29/12 5:57 am; edited 1 time in total |
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sambista
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| Posted: 07/29/12 5:52 am ::: |
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and now, for my next random thought . . .
i just saw nadia comaneci on cnn (noting the spaniards' complaints about their taco bell uniforms), and wow - that girl grew up! she's gorgeous and sporting a smart british accent. i had no idea.
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caune
Joined: 18 Nov 2004
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| Posted: 07/29/12 8:26 am ::: |
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| sambista wrote: |
and now, for my next random thought . . .
i just saw nadia comaneci on cnn (noting the spaniards' complaints about their taco bell uniforms), and wow - that girl grew up! she's gorgeous and sporting a smart british accent. i had no idea. |
LOL, I thought she lived in Oklahoma? Maybe it was a slight Southern accent?
My random comment.
Hey NBC, I want more Mary Carillo and less, ok, let's make that no, Ryan Seacrest!
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Linzin
Joined: 19 May 2007
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| Posted: 07/29/12 8:35 am ::: |
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| Not that bitching about the officiating is new to the Games, but I have never seen a judges' decision in judo get overturned...
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readyAIMfire53
Joined: 20 Nov 2004
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| Posted: 07/29/12 9:14 am ::: |
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| caune wrote: |
| sambista wrote: |
and now, for my next random thought . . .
i just saw nadia comaneci on cnn (noting the spaniards' complaints about their taco bell uniforms), and wow - that girl grew up! she's gorgeous and sporting a smart british accent. i had no idea. |
LOL, I thought she lived in Oklahoma? Maybe it was a slight Southern accent?
My random comment.
Hey NBC, I want more Mary Carillo and less, ok, let's make that no, Ryan Seacrest! |
Oy. Foisting the worst of Americana on the Olympics with a 'fluffy fluff' doing the fluff pieces there is no longer any connection to them as athletes and turning them into entertainers.
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ChicagoAnnie
Joined: 04 Sep 2009
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| Posted: 07/29/12 9:33 am ::: |
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random thought... i am tired of hearing the names of the following:
phelps
the 1992 dream team
hope solo
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readyAIMfire53
Joined: 20 Nov 2004
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| Posted: 07/29/12 9:37 am ::: |
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| ChicagoAnnie wrote: |
random thought... i am tired of hearing the names of the following:
phelps
the 1992 dream team
hope solo |
YEP. Phelps had his day. Over now.
1992 dream team. Yawn.
Hope Solo = fingernails on a blackboard. She's just not that good.
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sambista
Joined: 25 Sep 2004
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| Posted: 07/29/12 10:13 am ::: |
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| maybe i've been away from the states too long, but i suppose you guys are seeing all the yanks competing in events where yanks are supposed to do well, right? because all i'm getting here are chinese competing in events where chinese are supposed to do well - or already have (i really don't know if i'm watching live or recorded), or maybe even not. i've seen chinese in basketball, chinese in swimming, chinese in shooting, chinese in weightlifting, chinese in volleyball, chinese in judo, chinese in field hockey . . . i'd love to see some yanks, and i get that the chinese athletes have been stars in the water, but right now i'd be happy to see anyone else.
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vanyogan
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| Posted: 07/29/12 10:43 am ::: |
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Random?
I'm seriously looking forward to watching some women's sabre fencing.
I did some research to learn about the game, because of Zagunis (who is she and why is she carrying our flag) and watched the Medal matches and semi-finals at Beijing...
Sabre Fencing is a very cool sport, very fast, very intense, watch Z's foot work!. Watch this [Bout  ]:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSA5H976dj8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tV6Oj61pznU
Semi-final, Zagunis v Ward, in Beijing, sold out crowd, high tech armor, George HW Bush is sitting in the front row, USA sweeps the medals. History in the making and a huge, huge, boost to USA fencing. So the USA became a force in women's fencing, still not dominant but a force. The place where Zagunis trains only has 12 slots, one room and an office located in an obscure gym in Portland. World class coach.
Last edited by vanyogan on 07/29/12 10:55 am; edited 1 time in total |
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jaye
Joined: 12 Sep 2007
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| Posted: 07/29/12 10:49 am ::: |
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| ChicagoAnnie wrote: |
random thought... i am tired of hearing the names of the following:
phelps
the 1992 dream team
hope solo |
add lolo jones to that... she's the anna kournikova of track....
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BCBG25
Joined: 23 Sep 2004
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| Posted: 07/29/12 10:53 am ::: |
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| Linzin wrote: |
| Not that bitching about the officiating is new to the Games, but I have never seen a judges' decision in judo get overturned... |
It happened a couple of times today, both ippons against the same Japanese wrestler. He wound up winning bronze, Japan's first medal in a sport they hoped to win several.
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pilight
Joined: 23 Sep 2004
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| Posted: 07/29/12 10:54 am ::: |
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| jaye wrote: |
| ChicagoAnnie wrote: |
random thought... i am tired of hearing the names of the following:
phelps
the 1992 dream team
hope solo |
add lolo jones to that... she's the anna kournikova of track.... |
Agree big time. Lolo Jones is so overrated it isn't even funny.
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scullyfu
Joined: 01 Jan 2006
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| Posted: 07/29/12 10:59 am ::: |
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| vanyogan wrote: |
Random?
I'm seriously looking forward to watching some women's sabre fencing.
I did some research to learn about the game, because of Zagunis (who is she and why is she carrying our flag) and watched the Medal matches and semi-finals at Beijing...
Sabre Fencing is a very cool sport, very fast, very intense, watch Z's foot work!. Watch this match:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSA5H976dj8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tV6Oj61pznU
Semi-final, Zagunis v Ward, in Beijing, sold out crowd, high tech armor, George HW Bush is sitting in the front row, USA sweeps the medals. History in the making and a huge, huge, boost to USA fencing. So the USA became a force in women's fencing, still not dominant but a force. The place where Zagunis trains only has 12 slots, one room and an office located in an obscure gym in Portland. World class coach. |
van, in your research did you find out beyond practicing their sport, what sort of other training regimes do these athletes participate in? running, weights? thanks.
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jammerbirdi
Joined: 23 Sep 2004
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| Posted: 07/29/12 12:11 pm ::: |
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| pilight wrote: |
| jaye wrote: |
| ChicagoAnnie wrote: |
random thought... i am tired of hearing the names of the following:
phelps
the 1992 dream team
hope solo |
add lolo jones to that... she's the anna kournikova of track.... |
Agree big time. Lolo Jones is so overrated it isn't even funny. |
Agree also, except that Lolo can't hold a candle to the admittedly overated herself Kourni._________________ Every woman who has ever been presented with a career/sex quid pro quo in the entertainment industry should come forward and simply say, “Me, too.” - jammer The New York Times 10/10/17 |
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jammerbirdi
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| Posted: 07/29/12 12:15 pm ::: |
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The Olympics can sadly even peripherally produce some of the worst possible television imaginable. I was flipping through the channels fairly quickly and happened onto Peirs Morgan interviewing Michael Phelps. And I almost died of boredom in the instant it took for the channel to change. That must be what's on TV in hell._________________ Every woman who has ever been presented with a career/sex quid pro quo in the entertainment industry should come forward and simply say, “Me, too.” - jammer The New York Times 10/10/17 |
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vanyogan
Joined: 09 Aug 2005
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| Posted: 07/29/12 2:56 pm ::: |
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| scullyfu wrote: |
| vanyogan wrote: |
Random?
I'm seriously looking forward to watching some women's sabre fencing.
I did some research to learn about the game, because of Zagunis (who is she and why is she carrying our flag) and watched the Medal matches and semi-finals at Beijing...
Sabre Fencing is a very cool sport, very fast, very intense, watch Z's foot work!. Watch this match:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSA5H976dj8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tV6Oj61pznU
Semi-final, Zagunis v Ward, in Beijing, sold out crowd, high tech armor, George HW Bush is sitting in the front row, USA sweeps the medals. History in the making and a huge, huge, boost to USA fencing. So the USA became a force in women's fencing, still not dominant but a force. The place where Zagunis trains only has 12 slots, one room and an office located in an obscure gym in Portland. World class coach. |
van, in your research did you find out beyond practicing their sport, what sort of other training regimes do these athletes participate in? running, weights? thanks. |
Yes, I only researched Zagunis (sabre fencing), who is the Face of USA fencing, all fencing. Zagunis got the flag bearer because the top male fencer (Moorehouse) advocated for her. The voting was tied thru 4 rounds of the Captian's meeting and Moorehouse gave a speech and someone changed their vote. Talk about your title IX!
Sabre is all about quickness, which means footwork, and balance. The scoring is electronic and the players wear the electronics, the scoring area is metallic, and often times both players score each exchange, so the  is which player scores first.
So the physical part is strength dominated by quickness. It is also skill, and the options rival chess, Zagunis reportedly has mastered all the skills. Zagunis trains about 7 hours a day, a passive warm up with wooden stick, intense physical training with emphasis on quick foot work. Fencing is one side dominated both upper and lower body so she has to rehab her weak side every day to avoid appearing freakish.
I think she mainly besides overall health and fitness, specifically its shoulders, hands, wrist, and forearms, and lower body, and foot speed like a mouse only she can do the same thing backwards, plus vary combinations between short and long steps. Her foot work and balance is amazing, great for basketball or tennis.
Skills, she trains one on one with her coach practicing her skills, plus she does intense one on one bout simulated work outs one hour sessions I think two hours, 1 in the morning, and one in the afternoon. The skills options are so numerous, and so chess like, 4-5 moves ahead, I think she works on specific skill combinations depending on the weaknesses of opponents she fears the most. The skill combinations are mind boggling., everything from foot patterns, defense, attack, and counter attack. In golf, I have the basic shot range of skill, so the maximum, is six ball movement combinations, three trajectories x 2, and 3 distance variables. The number of fencing skill combinations is way more than that.
Here are a couple videos I found that will explain fencing and training a bit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hza3EUTFIOY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9jKm2zP9ns
Hope this helps. I have a draft summary of my thoughts on my new found sport, but I thought I would wait until just before the big day to post, it all happens in one day in fencing, imagine a 32 or 64 slot tennis draw in one day. That is how it works in fencing. So you have to train mentally and physically for that. Plus a team draw, the sabre doesn't have a team draw this year, the other events do I think. |
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caune
Joined: 18 Nov 2004
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Nerd2
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| Posted: 07/29/12 5:20 pm ::: |
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| Sambista - yes, the US feed does try to put US athletes in the spotlight. Their live middle-of-the-night feed tends to just show whatever is happening at the moment so I've seen several non-US and non-traditional sports. As more gets going and as there are more athletes to bring in for interviews I'm sure it will become more US-centric. The big complaint against the US feed is their refusal to show some things until US prime-time which on the West Coast means 10 hours after the event completed. I would basically have to not use twitter or the web at all in order to remain unspoiled.
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Huskie
Joined: 03 Apr 2009
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| Posted: 07/29/12 5:24 pm ::: |
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| pilight wrote: |
| jaye wrote: |
| ChicagoAnnie wrote: |
random thought... i am tired of hearing the names of the following:
phelps
the 1992 dream team
hope solo |
add lolo jones to that... she's the anna kournikova of track.... |
Agree big time. Lolo Jones is so overrated it isn't even funny. |
And became 'Lolo' after an epic fail somewhere in her career....last Olympics maybe? Whatever....not worth looking up....
And Ryan F'ing Seacrest? absolutely no Sports Cred. That is the biggest WTF of all!
The Olympic coverage so far has made the necessity of doing some work from home on a Sunday afternoon pleasurable.
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blaase22
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Linzin
Joined: 19 May 2007
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| Posted: 07/29/12 7:02 pm ::: |
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| BCBG25 wrote: |
| Linzin wrote: |
| Not that bitching about the officiating is new to the Games, but I have never seen a judges' decision in judo get overturned... |
It happened a couple of times today, both ippons against the same Japanese wrestler. He wound up winning bronze, Japan's first medal in a sport they hoped to win several. |
No, that happened a billion times yesterday. New video replay tech, etc. etc. (Personally, the new rules made watching a lot less fun than before, but whatever.) What I meant was after everything, if the two players are tied, the winner gets decided by the judges' decision (Three judges with the white/blue flags). I've never seen that decision get overturned. As far as I can tell, neither has anybody else.
Cho ended up winning a bronze as well.
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Queenie
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| Posted: 07/29/12 7:35 pm ::: |
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It has been extremely frustrating trying to find coverage that isn't either fapping over Americans or screwing up/not knowing/ignoring the names of non-Americans. I ended up watching the women's team archery semis and final as a refreshing change of pace.
I should try and find out if I get international channels. Non-American coverage might be more interesting.
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Genero36
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| Posted: 07/29/12 7:38 pm ::: |
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| I'm just thankful for each passing moment I don't get to see the mother of Michael Phelps.
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Linzin
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Richyyy
Joined: 17 Nov 2005
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| Posted: 07/29/12 8:12 pm ::: |
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| Yep, massive concentration on British athletes over here as well on the main channels. Obviously, the huge number of extra channels (I only have three, but if I had satellite or cable there'd be all 24) and online options means you can watch pretty much whatever you like - but the studio-based coverage and discussion is all about anything we're any good in. |
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