Yea I agree, that should not be an olympic sport any more than poker should be... and thats lulz.
However I still think archery is the same thing. There is very little extra athletism involved over shooting a gun imo. I suppose if you want to call drawing the bow back 'athletism' then loading the chamber of a rifle should be too, no?
Takes more muscle energy to squeeze the trigger than it does to release the arrow.
Inaccurate. While releasing the string itself is not physically demanding, drawing the string with the arrow knocked and holding it drawn for maximum velocity while lining up your shot is quite taxing. An infant can fire a gun whereas a weak adult would be hardpressed to draw a bow.
That aside, I haven't watched a second of Olympic coverage this year. It simply does not appeal to me for many of the reasons Mark and Trigs stated. So much hype and so much money wasted. I don't hate the Olympics, I'm completely apathetic now. I don't get all rilled and protest them or make any effort to stop. I assume they will keep happening and I will continue to go on blithely indifferent.
Call me when there isn't a huge correlation between medal counts and nations that pour funding into their programs. When it truly becomes an exhibition of amateur athleticism.
I just hope that Canada NEVER gets awarded another Summer Games . . . we cannot afford it. At least the losses on a Winter Games are manageable. I mean, how many Olympic Games have EVER turned a profit? As a pure guess, I will say less than three, with the proviso that Beijing and Moscow do not count, due to the nature of their governments skewing the whole "profit" concept.
I just hope that Canada NEVER gets awarded another Summer Games . . . we cannot afford it. At least the losses on a Winter Games are manageable. I mean, how many Olympic Games have EVER turned a profit? As a pure guess, I will say less than three, with the proviso that Beijing and Moscow do not count, due to the nature of their governments skewing the whole "profit" concept.
It would make sense, at a simplistic glance (i.e. mine), that Summer Games would be more profitable than Winter Games. The amount of sports in Summer is much greater, but so many of them need very little in the way of structures to be built, where as the Winter games need massive bobsled tracks and skiing courses. Summer needs a big pool, a big piece of grass, a long road (or at least several smaller roads that can be linked together in a course to become one long one), a lake and a river.
A big pool, a smaller one for diving, a velodrome for the cycling events, an arena for volleyball, another for basketball, an outdoor stadium for tennis, one for beach volleyball, and one BIG stadium for the track and field stuff. The only large things for winter that are unique are the bobsleigh/luge track, the speed-skating oval, and the ski-jump.
The amount of sports in Summer is much greater, but so many of them need very little in the way of structures to be built, where as the Winter games need massive bobsled tracks and skiing courses. Summer needs a big pool, a big piece of grass, a long road (or at least several smaller roads that can be linked together in a course to become one long one), a lake and a river.
Yeah building those mountains can get pretty spendy.
There are way more events in the summer games. Every venue would need stands for the fans, security, and transportation for the athletes. You would also need a huge athlete village. In addition to Milo's list, there is also synchro, waterpolo, team handball, weightlifting, martial arts/wrestling, equestrian, field hockey, soccer, table tennis, badminton, kayak, gymnastics, boxing and fencing which all need venues.
There were 198 events in the 76 Montreal Olympics, 86 in Vancouver 2010 and 312 in London.
Yeah building those mountains can get pretty spendy.
There are way more events in the summer games. Every venue would need stands for the fans, security, and transportation for the athletes. You would also need a huge athlete village. In addition to Milo's list, there is also synchro, waterpolo, team handball, weightlifting, martial arts/wrestling, equestrian, field hockey, soccer, table tennis, badminton, kayak, gymnastics, boxing and fencing which all need venues.
There were 198 events in the 76 Montreal Olympics, 86 in Vancouver 2010 and 312 in London.
Of the sports you've listed, most are held in very small venues that are already built.
The money spent on our Winter Games (events, not talking road construction or things of that nature) were on the bobsled/luge track, creating the courses for the skiing events and creating snow for said events. All of these things cost a buttload of money.
A big pool, a smaller one for diving, a velodrome for the cycling events, an arena for volleyball, another for basketball, an outdoor stadium for tennis, one for beach volleyball, and one BIG stadium for the track and field stuff. The only large things for winter that are unique are the bobsleigh/luge track, the speed-skating oval, and the ski-jump.
The pool for diving and swimming is in the same building. Arenas in cities that win the right (not going to say privledge as that would be completely wrong) to host the games are usually already built and get small upgrades to add more seats when possible.
The only crazy buggers that built pretty much everything from scratch were China. They just did it like that because they could and they wanted all of us in the west to feel bad for not being able to build things as quickly as they do.
There were 198 events in the 76 Montreal Olympics, and 312 in London.
That is a crazy stat.
Also don't forget about the cost of new/improved infrastructure on the taxpayers of the host city. Roads, rails, and airports are usually all upgraded before an Olympics.
Considering it took decades to pay off the debt to Montreal, I'm glad Toronto didn't host in '08.
We won't get a crack at another for a awhile too since Vancouver just hosted. Pretty sure the USA will get to host one in the near further. Let them endure the expense.
What a joke the womens soccer game was vs the USA. Every call went for them. The indirect kick in the second half to tie the game at 3 was unreal. I guess they lined the ref's pockets with $$$$$. It should be Canada going for the Gold.
I agree. Definitely got robbed by extremely questionable calls. Hopefully they can regroup and put in a good effort for bronze. Too often there is a let down after a game like that.
Gotta love the exciting brand of soccer they're playing though. Better entertainment than the recent Euro Cup games, in my opinion.
Side note: I also thought we got robbed of a bronze in the trampoline when the Chinese woman fell and still got the medal over the Canadian Cockburn. How can you fall and get a medal? They should fix that.
What a joke the womens soccer game was vs the USA. Every call went for them. The indirect kick in the second half to tie the game at 3 was unreal. I guess they lined the ref's pockets with $$$$$. It should be Canada going for the Gold.
Read The Fix, by Declan Hill . . . if the fix was in, it would more likely have been some sort of betting syndicate, rather than the US itself. Also, for a "fix", it is almost never just the officials, as that is too easily recognized (sort of like why we are all bitching about the game). I have almost never seen a free kick given for "stalling", and only rarely seen a yellow given for it. Truly a bizarre call, and the PK call immediately resulting from it did prick up one's suspicion radar. But the ref was terrible for the entire game . . . and she was terrible in both directions. I mean Solo was delaying worse than Macleod in the Extra Time, and not even a caution is given . . . the knee crunching tackle on Scott is not even rewarded with a yellow card, several Canadian tackles were dubious, but unpunished. PErsonally just think the ref lost control of the game, had both teams chirping her, and decided to stamp her authority at the next opportunity, and it came in the 80th minute.
Been such a disastrous Olympics so far. Hosed in soccer and equestrian, hosed in boxing and synchro today. Crash in 1500m, crash in tri today. Our woman tri sent when obv not ready to compete, completely embarassing the poor girl. Our best hurdlers crash in qualifying so we send two nobodies in their place who can't medal. Busto in tennis.
The Olympics do a good job of stealing taxes from the poor to spend on entertaining the rich.
It's good old fashioned competition between the pharmacists of each country to see if they can outwit each other.
I think it's very educational for Canadians, we learn about bribery and cheating.
Hiter pioneered the concept of using the Olympics as a showcase to "prove" his country was better than others in the 1936 olympics. He showed off a new technology in the opening ceremony that showed his face over a new medium called, "television"
Hiter pioneered the concept of using the Olympics as a showcase to "prove" his country was better than others in the 1936 olympics. He showed off a new technology in the opening ceremony that showed his face over a new medium called, "television"
And then Jesse Owens took that theory and crammed up his arse sideways . . . with PICKLES !!!
Comments
However I still think archery is the same thing. There is very little extra athletism involved over shooting a gun imo. I suppose if you want to call drawing the bow back 'athletism' then loading the chamber of a rifle should be too, no?
CTV site sucks. Still looking.
That aside, I haven't watched a second of Olympic coverage this year. It simply does not appeal to me for many of the reasons Mark and Trigs stated. So much hype and so much money wasted. I don't hate the Olympics, I'm completely apathetic now. I don't get all rilled and protest them or make any effort to stop. I assume they will keep happening and I will continue to go on blithely indifferent.
Call me when there isn't a huge correlation between medal counts and nations that pour funding into their programs. When it truly becomes an exhibition of amateur athleticism.
Interesting read
http://www.dw.de/dw/article/0,,1296472,00.html
It would make sense, at a simplistic glance (i.e. mine), that Summer Games would be more profitable than Winter Games. The amount of sports in Summer is much greater, but so many of them need very little in the way of structures to be built, where as the Winter games need massive bobsled tracks and skiing courses. Summer needs a big pool, a big piece of grass, a long road (or at least several smaller roads that can be linked together in a course to become one long one), a lake and a river.
Yeah building those mountains can get pretty spendy.
There are way more events in the summer games. Every venue would need stands for the fans, security, and transportation for the athletes. You would also need a huge athlete village. In addition to Milo's list, there is also synchro, waterpolo, team handball, weightlifting, martial arts/wrestling, equestrian, field hockey, soccer, table tennis, badminton, kayak, gymnastics, boxing and fencing which all need venues.
There were 198 events in the 76 Montreal Olympics, 86 in Vancouver 2010 and 312 in London.
Of the sports you've listed, most are held in very small venues that are already built.
The money spent on our Winter Games (events, not talking road construction or things of that nature) were on the bobsled/luge track, creating the courses for the skiing events and creating snow for said events. All of these things cost a buttload of money.
The pool for diving and swimming is in the same building. Arenas in cities that win the right (not going to say privledge as that would be completely wrong) to host the games are usually already built and get small upgrades to add more seats when possible.
The only crazy buggers that built pretty much everything from scratch were China. They just did it like that because they could and they wanted all of us in the west to feel bad for not being able to build things as quickly as they do.
That is a crazy stat.
Also don't forget about the cost of new/improved infrastructure on the taxpayers of the host city. Roads, rails, and airports are usually all upgraded before an Olympics.
Considering it took decades to pay off the debt to Montreal, I'm glad Toronto didn't host in '08.
We won't get a crack at another for a awhile too since Vancouver just hosted. Pretty sure the USA will get to host one in the near further. Let them endure the expense.
Gotta love the exciting brand of soccer they're playing though. Better entertainment than the recent Euro Cup games, in my opinion.
Side note: I also thought we got robbed of a bronze in the trampoline when the Chinese woman fell and still got the medal over the Canadian Cockburn. How can you fall and get a medal? They should fix that.
Read The Fix, by Declan Hill . . . if the fix was in, it would more likely have been some sort of betting syndicate, rather than the US itself. Also, for a "fix", it is almost never just the officials, as that is too easily recognized (sort of like why we are all bitching about the game). I have almost never seen a free kick given for "stalling", and only rarely seen a yellow given for it. Truly a bizarre call, and the PK call immediately resulting from it did prick up one's suspicion radar. But the ref was terrible for the entire game . . . and she was terrible in both directions. I mean Solo was delaying worse than Macleod in the Extra Time, and not even a caution is given . . . the knee crunching tackle on Scott is not even rewarded with a yellow card, several Canadian tackles were dubious, but unpunished. PErsonally just think the ref lost control of the game, had both teams chirping her, and decided to stamp her authority at the next opportunity, and it came in the 80th minute.
It's good old fashioned competition between the pharmacists of each country to see if they can outwit each other.
I think it's very educational for Canadians, we learn about bribery and cheating.
Hiter pioneered the concept of using the Olympics as a showcase to "prove" his country was better than others in the 1936 olympics. He showed off a new technology in the opening ceremony that showed his face over a new medium called, "television"
And then Jesse Owens took that theory and crammed up his arse sideways . . . with PICKLES !!!
Ain't that the bloody truth!
And I'm thinking that there will be a few more on my side with all the shenanigans that have happened. What a joke
Mark
It's thought to be the first time since the invention of human language the words badminton and scandal were used in the same sentence.