Let's not rewrite history here. Nadia Comeneci was the first gymnast ever to get a perfect 10 at the Olympics. I don't think Olga Korbut ever did. But even (or perhaps, especially) then, the judges were not impartial, did carry prejudice, reacted based on home court effect, and often split along pro-Soviet/pro-US lines.
Elizabeth
I didn't say Olga got a ten. I made reference to them in the same sentence, but just to name a few gymnasts who were brilliantly talented, not tortured through childhood as parents do these days. Everybody has to win. Bull. Not everyone wins and it's okay.
Pppbbblllffftt! You guys aren't alone in the partisan camp! Here in Oz, all we hear about is Libby Trickett and Grant Hackett (both swimmers) as if they were the only athletes competing on our behalf. Never mind that the Oz equestrian team is doing *marvellously* well against frightful odds. I think the TV would explode if we got more than the obligatory five minutes of coverage per week.
It's no secret that I'm an equestrian tragic, but I'd like to see other sports as well. Last night, I had to sit up until 1am to see the gallant weightlifters from Colombia and Korea and China battle it out in the
62kg division. I know nothing about weightlifting, but gee it was great to watch! I wouldn't mind seeing the kayaking or the fencing or the taekwondo either, but all I get is a steady diet of swimming and beach volleyball.Hnnnnnnnhhh!!!
NB. Here's two gems for you, courtesy of the Australian Olympic TV coverage:
When the Oz team failed to win the women's 400m relay, an intelligent commentator remarked 'Not to bag the little 16-year-old new entry, but if she had only gotten off the block a fraction of a second more quickly, this race would've been in the bag for Libby Trickett.'
Hellooo? It was a team relay race...
An even more intelligent (?) commentator observed during Lucinda Fredericks' flawless dressage test 'A wag of the tail from the horse! That'll be points deducted for Lucinda!' AND HE WAS SERIOUS!
Don't you mean the "uniforms". LOL
We love the swimming - one of them ( I think one of the women) has local ties, so we are rooting for the whole team.
Gymnastics is no longer fun to watch - period. For a real eye opener, seek out college level gymnastics. That is the real home of the sport now.
I think as soon the media figure out the new scoring, they'll let us know. I heard part of an interview with Bella Karoli that the new rules were just the latest way to hide existing favoritism.
Spew warning needed.
Cheryl
Can you get CBC - the Canadian broadcast down there ?
IF any one, any where, seriously expects the Chinese government to do what they promised to do as far as human rights is dreaming. It is an authoritarian regime and has been from the time of the emperors if not before.
C
I have to admit my new favorite Olympian is Lyzak - the anchor swimmer. I am in awe of the job he did in overtaking the French loud mouth.
Cheryl
Amen - as I said before, based on an interview with Bella Karolyi ( think I spelled it right this time), it is just the latest way to cheat.
C
You might want to go read some of the bios for those ladies. They were at "schools" much like the ones run today.
Cheryl
I ADORE RFD - it lets me give the DD a taste of "country life" that she won't see other wise.
C
Not anymore. Used to get it on DirecTV
C
As I previously said, I think the Olympics were more fun when the competitors had to be amateurs and weren't allowed to endorse anything but the financial strain on families, even if the athletes trained locally, was horrendous. I'm sure that there were under the table sponsorships to help out but I'm also sure that those were available mostly to those who had proven themselves in some way.
One story about Phelps told how much he eats (10,000 + calories a day) and went on to say he slept, he ate, he swam... not much of a life but he'll be financially secure for life (if he's careful) when his swimming days are over.
p.s. confession time -- even though I love seeing everyone do their best, I gotta admit that it's stirring when the USA takes a medal.
p.p.s. does anyone else wonder if the NBC 'journalists' and others have their hands tied to some extent and are going out of their way to be 'nice' to the host country?
I do
I can even see that among some of the girls DD plays hockey with - not that it is all hockey. But a number of them bounce from hockey to soccer to lacrosse to dance to the pool or gymnastics and some times two or three of them in a day.
Cheryl
I do hope he's careful and finds the time to go to college and in 15 years, he'll be coaching.
Of course their hands are tied. They want to get out of there alive after all.
Cheryl
We used to get it when we had our big satellite dish, but we now only have the digital small dish and are limited. We got rid of the big dish recently because they no longer carried the Sunday Ticket which shows all the football games. We definitey used to watch the Olympics on the CBC in the past. Wonderful coverage.
Should they not be nice to the host country ? Are you saying that they should paint China out of the picture ?
China has as many, or nearly as many medals as the USA, can that be ignored ?
What are you saying Cheryl ?? I sincerely trust you were joking, rather than following a Bushite type of thought.
Oh good! Everybody laughs at me. Do you watch the horse training shows and the Mule training shows? They also have some gardening shows, too.
Of course they are clearly pandering. We are in such debt to China it would be insane to be rude to them. They own us.
Well, to be fair - the Chinese did take away Joey Cheek's visa - for no reason except suspecting he would make human rights statements.
As I'm sure you've followed the news prior to the Olympics, you would know that there was a rather large round-up of "subversive" journalists for several months prior. There is one in particular that has been imprisoned all year, and won I think a national book award or Pulitxer. Which the only way that writer could be notified was by the monthly visit from some relative. A union of writers here in the US wanted to make a statement and protest to the Chinese government. Lots of coverage on the air, big interview with Edward Albee on NPR. The writers took their petition to the Chinese consulate in NY, and the Chinese refused to answer the door - so Edward Albee shoved the petition essentioally under the door. Interesting.
I'm sure there is some guidance about what may be said by the media, lest they have credentials rescinded.
But, certainly the Chinese athletes are doing themselves proud, and like all the athletes deserve good reporting.
Ellice
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