I wanna know: Your thoughts on the Olympics
Aug. 8, 2008 @ 1:47 p.m. by Joannaby joanna
I love the Olympics. I’m working the next two nights on our copy desk, but I can tell you that the TV there will be on the Olympics (it better be anyway.) I’ll be watching the opening ceremonies tonight, I’ll have the TV on tomorrow morning to check out whatever sport is on NBC.
Will you be watching? What sport do you want to see? What’s your favorite Olympics memory?
One of my favorite memories is watching Muhammad Ali be the final torch carrier in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. That brought me to tears. I’m not afraid to admit it.
I can’t wait for track, volleyball, basketball and swimming. But I’ll watch anything.
Your thoughts?
August 8th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
It’s just too geared up for the female viewer now. I respect the men and women in gymnastics, figure skating, etc. but I just can’t watch that stuff.
I dig the track and field though, and Phelps swimming to break records this year is compelling enough to watch i think. Team USA will be DVR’d and watched as well, but that’s about it for me.
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August 8th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
I like some of the Olympics but this year I won’t be watching and I hope the majority of people do not either. There is no way a county like China should have been awarded an event of this prestige. A county that constantly violates human rights should not get squat. It’s a complete farce China is hosting.
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August 8th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Not watching the Olympics; football and baseball are way more interesting!
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August 8th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
Yes it is Hitman,but you should support our athletes!
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August 8th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
Fballfn I do support them but that does not mean I have to watch. Personally I hope the USA kicks a in every single event there and brings home a boatload of gold!
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August 8th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Hitman, I understand both your points. Doesn’t mean you don’t support the athletes. Just like coming out against the war — doesn’t mean a person doesn’t support the soldiers.
I personally love the Olympics — and I know they’re geared to me. I forgot to mention I like the gymnastics, too.
I’ve got the opening ceremonies on right now, but I’m not able to watch much. Too much work. Dang it.
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August 9th, 2008 at 12:12 am
Will watch anything except syncronized swimming.
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August 9th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
billmangino — I’m with you. I don’t like the ribbon thing, either.
So did anyone watch the Olympics today? Or last night?
I enjoyed the ceremony, although I was quite annoyed that I had to edit the wire story on the ceremony before it even came on TV. My boss didn’t agree that I shouldn’t have to read it until after I saw it.
I watched two beach volleyball matches today, refused to check out the handball and caught a bit of the US women’s basketball game. I think we’re skipping church in the morning to watch the men. (OK, and I’m going to be exhausted from working tonight. That’s a good reason, too.)
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August 9th, 2008 at 11:52 pm
I watched May and Walsh dominate the Japanese team in the first round. Next I watched the US in a mediocre proformance in mens gymnastics. Then the swim team, with Phelps crushing his world record in winning his first of nine golds, and then Rice (how hot is she?!?!) absolutly demolishing the world record in her IM win over favorite Hoff, who finished third (shocker). Then I watched Japan, China, and the Russians in gymnastics. And finally, as I type, I am watching mens volleyball (Germany vs. USA).
To all who oppose the olympics being held in China: Shut up about it already.
Enjoy the games instead of bitching about the location. I mean, they are only around once every four years (who cares about the winter games). All this attention on China being inhumane is taking away from the honor of being in the olympics. Someday I hope to compete at the trials, and will probably miss the olympic team. But if I did make it, and all the attention was focused on how terrible the hosting country is, it would tear me apart. My dream would be forever tarnished, no matter my finish at the games.
So to all the China opposers: please just keep it to yourselves. There’s nothing any of you can do, except put despare into our athletes.
GO USA
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August 10th, 2008 at 8:52 am
I will watch basketball and track and field. a little swimming, volleyball. Not many other events interest me. like someone else said football has started and baseball is going strong right now. Will get up early to watch the basketball team though!
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August 10th, 2008 at 10:11 am
jackporter,
I’m all for cheering for the USA. I really only care about the USA, although I try to cheer for athetes and stories.
But it is pretty amazing that China got these Olympics. I mean, their issues with freedom is distressing. Look at how the country is censoring what the media can access on the Internet. I think it’s impossible when you have these many countries together to not pay attention to the political side.
We can’t just look at the sports aspect, when politics is part of it. So often the news that comes out of the Olympics is not only about sports, primarily because so much of sports is intertwined with the rest of life. I mean think about the issues that followed Tommie Smith and John Carlos after their statement at the Mexico City games. What about the Israeli athletes who died in 1972 in Munich?
It’s impossible to ignore what’s going on in China. Personally, I think we shouldn’t. Too often we ignore and look what happens — Darfur is a great example. It’s unbelievable what’s happening there.
Sorry for the soap box. I know, it’s pretty early on a Sunday morning to be this serious.
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August 10th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Yes I primarily agree with you, but the point I want to make is that we need to have our attention on the athletes FIRST and then on other issues, although the issues surounding China are quite severe. It may be hard to do, but think of it through the athletes’ perspective. That’s what I was trying to get at there.
Of course I oppose everything surounding China, from its complete violation of human rights all the way to the ammount of carbon being secreated into it’s atmosphere. I, in no way, think that the olympics should be conducted there,but, instead, focus my attention and views on athletes first, then on political and environmental issues.
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August 10th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
USA just beat France in the swimming relay’s
probly the greatest race i’ve ever seen
anybody else agree???
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August 11th, 2008 at 9:17 am
lushious lou, that was a great race. I couldn’t believe that Lezak came through and won it. I thought the U.S. was done. I mean, Lezak was behind by what, a body length? Unbelievable. France was just in shock.
Katie Hoff’s silver medal race was unbelievable, too. I thought she had won, but she got beat by about the same time as the U.S. beat France in the 4×100 relay.
This morning we watched the U.S. women’s basketball team. It was 8-8, then I looked back and it was something like 30-11.
The interesting thing about these Olympics is how you see a different side to people. Like George Bush. And then there was Kobe Bryant watching women’s beach volleyball, which I watched early this morning.
It cracked me up to hear just how big Kobe is in China. Did you see him getting virtually mauled (OK, a little strong) by fans as he walked through the stands?
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August 11th, 2008 at 9:49 am
I have to say that I do love the sprint events in T&F. I will never forget watching Michael Johnson (maybe my favorite ever athlete) run that 19.32 200 meters in the gold shoes. Then as he kicked tail in the 400 meters. I absolutely loved watching the man run. And now you have Jeremy Warriner in the men’s 400 meters. How is it that a white guy can run that fast *L*.
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August 11th, 2008 at 10:46 am
NBC’s coverage has something to be desired. Swiming and T-F are the basis of the Olympics. I feel like many of the other blogers, If God was going to give Earth an enima, it would be in China! Bob Beaman in 68 and his reaction will always be a classic moment.
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August 11th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
I was totally thrilled to share my t.v. screen with channel 3 weather bullitins all day Saturday. From 11:00 A.M. until at least three I got to see “Flood warning for Hitchcock County, Neb. and Flood warning for Red Willow County, Neb.” over and over and over again. Just that. My question is…why? There is no good excuse. The olympics would have been more enjoyable without that crap.
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