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Friday Morning Open Thread

Finally! The track and field starts at the Olympics! 100 meter dash on Sunday. Got Tyson Gay at a nice price.

Also, too, the suspended badminton players were treated unfairly, as I explain on Daily Kos Radio.

Open Thread.

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    The olympics are like Xmas for me.. (5.00 / 1) (#7)
    by observed on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 12:23:51 PM EST
    I can't wait for it to be over.

    Getting a little tired myself (none / 0) (#9)
    by ruffian on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 12:34:29 PM EST
    But the track events breath new life into it for me.

    Also can't miss the can't miss the closing ceremony and the salute to the Circumlocution Office.

    Parent

    I like some sports, but (1.00 / 1) (#17)
    by observed on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 12:44:01 PM EST
    I can't stand the hype.
    Also, I have the distasteful feeling that in the Olympics, as in American football, young bodies are destroyed for the pleasure of others.


    Parent
    Mother nature ruins our bodies (none / 0) (#21)
    by Slado on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 12:47:47 PM EST
    Every day as we march towards death.

    Enjoy the celebration of the human spirit.  It's in our DNA to compete for food, shelter etc...

    Sports is a way to get that natural urge out and not have it involve bonking someone over the head with a stick to steal their food.

    Think of it as progress.

    Parent

    Well said... (none / 0) (#25)
    by kdog on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 12:52:06 PM EST
    I say the same about sports all the time...a safe constructive refuge for our primal nature.

    Long live sport!

    Parent

    But this is not sport for pleasure. (none / 0) (#27)
    by observed on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 12:56:21 PM EST
    Nor is it natural sport, without enhancements.
    I personally don't see how a civilized person can enjoy watching college or professional football, or boxing, or hockey, knowing the cost in irreversible brain damage, to say nothing of extreme wear and tear on the body, so that some ex-football players are in wheelchairs by 40.

    If you like sports, PLAY THEM.


    Parent

    Disagree. (none / 0) (#30)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 01:01:01 PM EST
    Are you saying pro football athletes are only on the field because they're getting paid to be there? If so, big disagree.

    When they go to bed at night it's the high from outplaying the guy across from them that they're dreaming about, although the new car they're getting is certainly welcome as well...

    Parent

    btw, many (most?) of the people (none / 0) (#32)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 01:09:12 PM EST
    watching sports have played sports and many of them have injuries from playing.

    I myself have a crushed disc in my spine that affects the nerves that go down my legs and a shoulder that will need a complete surgical replacement at some point, and both injuries I sustained due to playing football and rugby.

    I really have no regrets, although I'm also reserving the right to change my mind about that when I get older!

    Parent

    I played high school and college bball (5.00 / 1) (#58)
    by Slado on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 03:16:35 PM EST
    Then when I was done I got diagnosed with cancer and have had 4 operations that f'd up my body.

    Old mother nature did a much bigger number on me then sports ever could have.

    Now I have to play golf to get any sort of real competition but luckily soon I will live like all real Americans vicariously through my children.

    Long Live Sport!

    Parent

    I'm so sorry, Slado (5.00 / 1) (#80)
    by Zorba on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 06:08:33 PM EST
    I hope that you are doing much better now.
    I can never criticize sports too much, even though there are many problems arising from them.  Yes, there are sports scandals, yes, there are performance-enhancing doping problems, and yes, many people glorify sports way too much (if only they glorified academic learning and accomplishments half as much).
    But still, I would wish that more people would participate in sports, not necessarily at the competitive or professional level, but as something that is not only good exercise (which way too few Americans engage in), but also as a learning experience in how to work as part of a team (depending upon the sport), and how to excel in something physically.  My kids did a variety of sports when they were young, and they learned a lot, got a lot of physical activity, and are still active.
    I have physical problems to a great extent myself, but I still go swimming 3-4 times a week, do some Pilates and yoga (okay, Pilates and yoga are not "sports," but they are still helpful physically) and if I did not, I would probably be much more of a physical wreck than I am.   ;-)

    Parent
    Swimmin' is the best exercise. (5.00 / 1) (#82)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 06:22:27 PM EST
    Non weight bearing, works all major muscle groups, easy to do.  I incorporate a bunch of exercises to build up problem spots (knees, wrists, abdomen) in addition to my laps.  Half an hour and I get a full work out.

    Parent
    Yes, indeed (5.00 / 1) (#86)
    by Zorba on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 06:55:25 PM EST
    My orthopedic surgeon told me "I tell all of my patients: 'Get in the water.'"
    Very helpful.  Plus, I love the water- in a previous life, I may have been a mermaid.   ;-)

    Parent
    Destroyed my knees playing rugby. (5.00 / 1) (#74)
    by caseyOR on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 05:34:39 PM EST
    Also, broke nearly every finger. So, arthritis looms large in my life these days. And I am trying mightily to keep from having to replace the knee joints. My goal is to hobble around on the original models for at least another ten years. :-)

    Still and all, I do not ever regret my rugby years. I grew up before Title IX, in a time when it was illegal in my home state for high school girls to participate in interscholastic sports. And, of course, no girls in Little League in those days.

    So, when, in my mid-twenties, I hooked up with women's rugby I was thrilled. My first honest-to-goodness team sport. Oh sure, I had played pick-up games of football and baseball in the neighborhood, but it was not the same as being on a team and having practices and uniforms and a coach and a win-loss record.

    And it was rugby where the rule is "if you don't win the game, win the party after."  So, what was not to like?

    And, damn if I don't mis it some days.

    Parent

    team forming in my area, and even at my age (49) I bet I could still compete. I know I'm in better aerobic shape now than I was when I played in my teens and 20's. If it wasn't for this dam shoulder...

    Parent
    sarc, have you heard about touch rugby? (none / 0) (#92)
    by caseyOR on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 08:27:33 PM EST
    It's a pretty good workout, rugby w/o the tackling. There is a co-ed team here in Portland that I just learned about. I'm going to check it out after the summer. Touch rugby certainly extends the playing life of a rugger.

    Here is a link for info.

    And another link with info on touch rugby clubs throughout the U.S.

    Parent

    before.

    Parent
    I still have a (none / 0) (#71)
    by Zorba on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 05:24:39 PM EST
    permanently damaged Achilles tendon, lo these many years later, from getting it strongly whacked with a field hockey stick in college.  Man, if people think that football players can be vicious, you've never seen girls' college field hockey- those gals can be mean!  (Of course, I was the model of decorum.)  {{Cough, cough. Ahem.}}  
    Every few years since then, it flares up into tendonitis, and every time, it takes longer to heal.
    Never did damage anything in archery or rifle marksmanship, though.  ;-)

    Parent
    You are so (1.00 / 1) (#73)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 05:34:39 PM EST
    funny! I bet you're a lot of fun to be around in "real life".

    Parent
    Well, thanks (none / 0) (#78)
    by Zorba on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 05:50:48 PM EST
    I think.    ;-)
    Ask my kids about when they were much younger (we had lots of fun, but we also expected a lot of work from them, which I must say they gave, even if not always willingly- raising beef cattle on a farm is not exactly all fun and games), or Mr. Zorba even now, though.  
    Although we do manage to have a lot of fun and laughter, in between all the work here on the farm, and his job, which drags him down way too often.  (And in the interest of full disclosure, I must admit that I let him know when he brings his work angst home.)

    Parent
    Speak for yourself, Slado! (none / 0) (#53)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 02:37:02 PM EST
    I don't bonk people over their head and steal their food. Rather I prefer to throw them over a cliff and into the raging surf below. It's much more theatrical ...

    ;-D

    Parent

    Remind me to not tell you (none / 0) (#59)
    by Slado on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 03:17:46 PM EST
    I have any food.

    Parent
    "I HAVE to play golf" (none / 0) (#72)
    by NYShooter on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 05:28:22 PM EST
    Poor baby.

    lol

    Parent

    Yes. I read that Kerri Strug (none / 0) (#29)
    by Towanda on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 12:59:18 PM EST
    still suffers from aftereffects of landing on that injured ankle when told that the team needed her score to win -- and it turned out not to be so, not that the team could know that then.  But who could tell a kid to risk a lifetime injury?  Not me.

    Parent
    I once played the final two innings of a ... (2.00 / 1) (#63)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 03:50:53 PM EST
    ... high school baseball game on a broken right foot, although I didn't realize it at the time. I was 16 years old and in 10th grade, and I was cocky Mr. Baseball Stud -- first-team all-conference, as a matter of fact.

    With two men on second and third, I had drilled that first pitch over the first baseman's head and into the alley for an easy double, and was racing around first when I must've stepped on the bag wrong. I felt something on the outside portion of my right foot go "POP!", and I had an immediate and really sharp pain down there. Nevertheless, I was quickly on second with a stand-up double. As the home crowd stood and cheered, I was grinning from ear to ear and in my element.

    Now, I actually have a very high threshold of pain -- not necessarily a good thing, really -- and my adrenaline level was such that my foot almost immediately went numb, so I really didn't feel anything. One batter later, I scored and went back to the bench. Now, by that time my right foot had begun to ache, so I had the trainer tape it up tightly, which allowed me to ignore the injury and finish the game, albeit hardly at 100%.

    About an hour or so after the game, the pain had finally set in -- with an effin vengeance -- when I returned home by dinnertime, and I was clearly limping pretty badly. My mother made me take my shoe off to see what was wrong for herself, then immediately told me she was taking me to the emergency room.

    "Shut up now," she said, brushing aside my repeated protests that it would be all better by tomorrow. "You don't have an option here." She ordered my older brother to help me get in the car, and studiously ignored my finest teenaged tantrum directed toward her. Unable to dissuade her with my angry fit, I pouted silently during our mile-long drive up to St. Luke's Hospital in Altadena.

    Four hours later, I left St. Luke's E.R. on crutches and in an ankle cast, having suffered two fractures in my right metatarsals, and I was out of the lineup for the next four weeks.

    (In retrospect, it was actually better that I had only broken two small bones in my foot and not suffered a more serious high ankle sprain as was initially thought at the ER, because I'd have otherwise been done for the season.)

    Moral of the Story: When evaluating a potential injury to an athlete, the decision regarding whether he or she can continue should never be left in the hands of the athlete him- or herself, because the competitive spirit can sometimnes lead to some very unwise personal choices.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    not that that means she doesn't have any residual pain from the incident.

    Parent
    I hope so (none / 0) (#88)
    by Towanda on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 07:01:57 PM EST
    and also saw that in Wikipedia, googling for more.

    And she's a mother now.  That's a marathon, too.

    Parent

    Not what I am talking about (none / 0) (#89)
    by observed on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 07:59:05 PM EST
    Who becomes an athlete so they become a brain-injured husk of a human at 40?
    And what about the cost paid for the use of steroids and other performance enhancers?
    I really, really do not understand how people can be upset about, say, harsh treatment of horses in dressage, and yet can enjoy watching people destroy themselves for the pleasure of viewers.


    Parent
    Adrenaline junkies? (5.00 / 1) (#93)
    by Anne on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 08:35:25 PM EST
    I think one can become addicted to the whole thing that surrounds competitive athletics - and adrenaline fuels a lot of it, I think.

    Not to mention that for a lot of these athletes, what they do becomes indistinguishable from who they are.

    Looking at it from a distance, it doesn't make much sense, and sports like football don't seem to far removed from the arena sport of Christians v. Lions.  Sometimes, even as big a football fan as I am, I catch myself realizing that these are grown men wearing uniforms going out on a field every Sunday and hitting each other.  It's bizarre, really.

    Competitive riding is not without its dangers to riders; two weeks after my daughter and her horse crashed going over a fence, with the horse rolling over on her, almost the exact same thing happened to another young woman at a horse show not too far up the road in Pennsylvania.  The difference was that, while my daughter came away from it with a split-open chin and a mouthful of sand, the other girl was killed.  Killed.  And yet, my daughter was back in the saddle and competing just days later; I was a wreck on the inside, but we survived.

    Why do we compete at anything?  Whether it's sports or chess or video games or racing, it's the chance to feel - to coin a familar phrase - the thrill of victory, and to stare down defeat.

    It's primal.  Problem is, we're mortal and far from indestructible.

    Parent

    One is by choice (none / 0) (#90)
    by CoralGables on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 08:02:18 PM EST
    Yet, legally, can it be choice (5.00 / 2) (#95)
    by Towanda on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 09:19:12 PM EST
    if these athletes are children?  They are treated as juveniles if they hurt others but as adults if they hurt themselves.

    Adults make their choices for them.

    Parent

    Dumb (none / 0) (#83)
    by ScottW714 on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 06:27:22 PM EST
    Plenty of bodies getting injured and some destroyed, a couple even end up dead, but doing things they love to do or not.  

    We want to keep bodies from being destroyed, well that list is infinite, and even sitting at home watching the news can destroy ones body.  Driving to the gym, getting your feet xrayed back in the day, that list is never ending.  And in my opinion if you aren't out there taking some chance, some risk you are living.  My body could be destroyed driving home, but I don't care to walk 8 miles in the Houston heat.  And in reality, I am probably safer in a car.

    Everyone is willing, and of course there are bad players in any facet of life who will exploit, but come on, for the most part, it's people doing what they love to do.  Certainly at the collegiate and Professional levels.  Its true of most entertainers, they sacrifice for glory.  To them, the risk is worth it, who are you to argue with their choices.

    Plus the Olympics were originally a way for countries to compete without killing each other.  So back then sports, sans that weird meso-American basketball, probably saved lives.

    But I don't blame you on the hype, I hate it, not so much with the Olympics because it's avoidable for the most part.  But football is started to get ridiculous, corporations running the entire show and not respecting the game.  Like NBC is doing with the tape delay, but they aren't messing with game, but they will soon enough.

    Parent

    Track (none / 0) (#16)
    by CoralGables on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 12:43:06 PM EST
    always breaths new life into them for me but unlike Christmas I want the Olympics to last for a month.

    The 100 meter final (hopefully with Usain Bolt) is this Sunday and so is the women's 400m and the women's marathon...and the the women's vault competition with McKayla Maroney. It's going to be a very good day.

    Parent

    I love track, swimming and gymnastics (none / 0) (#19)
    by Slado on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 12:46:13 PM EST
    The rest of the sports other than the occasional glance don't interest me.  

    Those three sports I find very compelling because they are legitimate sports in my view while this is also the biggest competition for their respective sports.

    Other sports are nice but they don't really care about the Olympics as opposed to other competitions or the sport is so obscure that I can't really get interested in it.

    Parent

    That's about it for me too (none / 0) (#26)
    by ruffian on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 12:55:57 PM EST
    I don't get into the team sports much in the Olympic context. To long for my sports attention span. One exception is the Misty May and Kerri Walsh duo. They are just fun to watch with Kerri covering the court with those long arms and legs.

    Parent
    Well (none / 0) (#31)
    by CoralGables on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 01:08:09 PM EST
    if we're going to pick our favorites thus far, give me Kerri Walsh running around thanking the ball girls after every match,  McKayla Maroney soaring through the air then acting as lead hugger and watergirl for her teammates, and the constant smile of Missy Franklin.

    Parent
    Speaking of Missy... (none / 0) (#34)
    by kdog on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 01:13:27 PM EST
    what are we gonna do about that poor girl's Olympic tax bill?  She ain't taking the prize money, or endorsements, to preserve her amatuer status, but she's still on the hook for the taxes.  And as awesome as she is, it's gonna be some bill!

    Like the late great Joe Louis shoulda got a get out of IRS hell card for service to his nation, so should amatuer athletes like Missy Franklin.  Sh*t ain't right.

    Parent

    watchu talkin' about Willis? (none / 0) (#35)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 01:16:32 PM EST
    Are you saying she has to pay taxes on money she did not earn? Something sounds a little fishy about that...

    Parent
    My mistake... (none / 0) (#37)
    by kdog on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 01:21:31 PM EST
    not on the hook for prize money taxes since she won't accept it, to placate the NCAA. Just the tax on the medals themselves.  Lucky for her gold medals are not pure gold, but gold plated silver.  We are the only country on earth that does this.

    Linkage

    Parent

    Well, while I do see your point, (none / 0) (#40)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 01:26:12 PM EST
    according to your link, we are NOT the only country on earth that does this...

    Parent
    I suck today... (none / 0) (#41)
    by kdog on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 01:27:56 PM EST
    most countries don't do it.  TGIF.

    Parent
    Well, someone's gotta pay for ... (none / 0) (#52)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 02:34:04 PM EST
    ... Mitt Romney's tax cuts.

    (Bah-DUMM-Bumm-Bumm ...!!)

    I'm sorry, but when you lob a slow-pitch underhand over the plate like that, you really can't expect someone like me to have the take sign on.

    ;-D

    Parent

    Likely false (none / 0) (#38)
    by CoralGables on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 01:23:15 PM EST
    she only owes the tax on the money if she takes the money. You can't be taxed on earnings when you aren't paid because you are a volunteer. The US Olympic committee does pay $25,000 for each gold medal won but if you don't take the money you won't owe tax on it. And if you do take it you have plenty to pay the tax.

    Parent
    Not plenty... (none / 0) (#42)
    by kdog on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 01:30:43 PM EST
    considering athletes not raking in the endorsements often go into debt just to get to the Olympics and compete for their country.  I seriously doubt our judo winner Kayla Harrison is rolling in it.

    Wonder how many medals have been pawned to pay taxes?

    Parent

    Ya, that's what I thought. (none / 0) (#43)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 01:35:07 PM EST
    That said, Olympic Gold is no guarantee of financial security.

    I know Joanna Hayes, who won Gold and set an Olympic record in the 100m hurdles in the 2004 Olympics. She lives in an apartment in Burbank and coaches track at a local private HS. While she is working on a public speaking career, I doubt she makes 25K/year as a coach. And before she got that recent coaching gig, she was not working at all that I was aware of, except for the occasional paid appearance like at the AAU Track Junior Olympics...

    Parent

    It's a Grover Norquist myth (none / 0) (#47)
    by Yman on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 02:13:48 PM EST
    Politifact breaks it down.

    Long story short, the athletes get taxed on any prize money ($25K for gold, $15K for silver and 10K for bronze) plus the value of the medals themselves (gold - $675, silver - $385, bronze - $5).  But they can also deduct their business expenses (coaches, equipment, cell phones, etc.) before they have any tax liability.

    Parent

    Mea culpa... (none / 0) (#48)
    by kdog on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 02:25:15 PM EST
    not as harsh as I first thought...but I still think the prizes and medals should be 100% tax exempt, as a further expression of gratitude for all the thrills and bringing it home for the USA.

    OTOH, I guess somebody has to pick up Mitt Romney's slack;)

    Parent

    It would be nice ... (none / 0) (#49)
    by Yman on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 02:29:06 PM EST
    ... if they wrote an exception - at least for the medals and Olympic prize money.  Hard to imagine any pols opposing that.

    Parent
    This is correct (none / 0) (#57)
    by Slado on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 03:13:46 PM EST
    As much as I love a good "Government Sucks" story this one is a myth.

    Our tax policy sucks for plenty of real reasons.  No need to make more up.

    Parent

    Oh yes, absolutely love them too (none / 0) (#44)
    by ruffian on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 01:35:40 PM EST
    I was just taking about it on a level of my enjoyment of watching team sports, like volleyball, basketball, soccer, badminton, etc. Even thought though the gymnasts and swimmers do some events as a team, it is not a long game like basketball.

    Parent
    You're not into... (none / 0) (#36)
    by kdog on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 01:17:21 PM EST
    the handball, the field hockey, the water polo?  I love the oddball team sports ya never see outside the Olympics.

    I was in awe watching the women's field hockey and handball...them ladies are getting creamed out there, they are tough as nails!

    And water polo...how did they rise outta the water like that? Never mind the stamina required.  It's like they're marine mammals.

    Parent

    I can't stand to watch (5.00 / 2) (#68)
    by Zorba on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 04:51:43 PM EST
    water polo, but maybe because Mr. Zorba (in college) had his nose broken at least 3 times while playing it.  He still has trouble breathing.  After the first two times, he had his nose operated on, but then broke it again, and gave up getting it fixed.  So he snores terribly, I blame water polo, and it's on my sh!t list.    ;-)


    Parent
    Sorry, to say in most cases I don't get into (none / 0) (#45)
    by ruffian on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 01:37:17 PM EST
    them enough to invest the time it takes to see the outcome. I do enjoy brief snippets of it in my Olympics viewing however.

    Parent
    I hear ya... (none / 0) (#46)
    by kdog on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 01:43:48 PM EST
    I don't get too invested in any Olympic event...just enjoy the show, snippets here and there.  More so since the Mets fell apart after the All-Star break, the Olympics have come in very handy this year!

    Parent
    The indoor cycling is pretty exciting (none / 0) (#33)
    by nycstray on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 01:11:34 PM EST
    and crazy :) Very similar to track and swimming as far as competition goes, aside from the fact you can wipe out :)

    Parent
    Yep. (none / 0) (#67)
    by Zorba on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 04:48:06 PM EST
    Those are my main interests, as well.
    I have a certain interest in archery, shooting, and fencing, but only because I've participated in some of each (when I was much younger).  For archery and shooting, in particular, they're really fun to do (at least, for me), but watching others do it is like watching paint dry.  Fencing is a bit more interesting to watch (although still much more interesting to do).
    Judo and Taekwondo are somewhat interesting to watch, but not like swimming (and, for me, diving), gymnastics, and track.

    Parent
    Love the rowing events. Wish NBC showed (none / 0) (#70)
    by caseyOR on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 05:09:20 PM EST
    of them.

    Also, of course, the swimming and the track and field. I have never been a big fan of gymnastics, but I have been captivated by this year's U.S. women's team. How could you not cheer for a girl nicknamed "The Flying Squirrel"?

    Parent

    The best picture (5.00 / 1) (#75)
    by CoralGables on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 05:37:05 PM EST
    I've seen of

    The Flying Squirrel

    taken by AP Photographer Gregory Bull last night

    Parent

    Great photo. Thanks. (none / 0) (#76)
    by caseyOR on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 05:40:02 PM EST
    Gabby is so tiny. How does she get that kind of altitude?

    Parent
    And how does she land on that (none / 0) (#91)
    by nycstray on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 08:13:53 PM EST
    freakin' beam after?! Wow.

    Parent
    Wow, that is a wonderful shot (none / 0) (#81)
    by ruffian on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 06:10:59 PM EST
    She is so much fun to watch.

    Parent
    I've been watching team vollyball. (none / 0) (#77)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 05:50:05 PM EST
    So athletic, fantastic teamwork, great stuff.

    Parent
    The last girl with a chance... (none / 0) (#99)
    by Gandydancer on Sat Aug 04, 2012 at 09:45:11 AM EST
    ...to beat her was the blonde Russian. NBC never gave her score. A very brief graphic of the totals near the end. Unbelievable.

    Maybe they just thought the audience was too dumb for numbers. Seemed to be a penchant for bouncing out of landings in the FE this year rather than trying to stick them. Seems sensible if the scoring supports it, but not the sort of thing the dumbed-down announcers would bring up.

    Parent

    I think the floor was a bit bouncy. (none / 0) (#100)
    by nycstray on Sat Aug 04, 2012 at 10:21:50 AM EST
    On the qualifying, there was a lot of bouncing/sliding out and it was mentioned. They seemed to do better in the finals adjusting to it. Can't quite remember the Russian gal's score, but iirc, she was needed a 15.3+ and scored a 15.1+. I was watching the live stream, so it hadn't been chopped up and dumbed down yet :)


    Parent
    Well, if they were changing... (none / 0) (#102)
    by Gandydancer on Sun Aug 05, 2012 at 03:06:03 AM EST
    ...the choreography to deal with a bouncy floor I would have liked to be told that. What I noticed was that after a tumbling run some of the gymnasts would pop a simpler figure rather than try to stick and hold the landing...

    I thought the blonde Russian had a much cleaner floor excercise than Gabby, but without comparison of difficulty and scores it was impossible to know what to think of the result.

    Parent

    Komova (none / 0) (#103)
    by Politalkix on Sun Aug 05, 2012 at 09:33:13 AM EST
    got more points than Douglas on the floor exercise event but not enough to erase the deficit from earlier events.

    Parent
    Yes this is true (none / 0) (#94)
    by fishcamp on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 08:47:05 PM EST
    and the biggest tennis matches will be over too.  I love that Bravo does the tennis.  Another channel I just found is OLY and is 752 on Direct TV...it's all basketball.  The track events should be really good.  Can't wait.

    Parent
    Cass Sunstein going back to Harvard... (5.00 / 2) (#39)
    by Anne on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 01:25:34 PM EST
    From The Hill:

    Cass Sunstein, a top adviser to President Obama who functions as a gatekeeper on federal regulations, is leaving the White House to return to Harvard Law School.

    Obama heralded Sunstein, administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, "for his friendship and for his years of exceptional service." [...]

    A specialist in administrative law and regulatory policy, Sunstein worked as a "regulatory czar" in the White House, looking to streamline government policies.

    Sunstein drew a fair amount of controversy from both the left and the right. His departure will bring a sigh of relief to some environmental and public health advocates, who alleged Sunstein was too willing to bend an ear to oil companies and other industries seeking to weaken regulations. And other liberals objected to his libertarian-leaning behavioral economics theories.

    The Center for Progressive Reform:

    Cass Sunstein brought impressive credentials and a personal relationship with the President to his job as Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. But in the final analysis, Sunstein has continued the Bush Administration's tradition of using the office to block needed health and safety protections disliked by big business and political contributors. Worse, the narrative that Sunstein helped craft about the impact of regulations on American life -- that regulatory safeguards are fundamentally suspect -- was discordant with the rest of the President's agenda and the arguments he makes for his reelection.

    Sunstein's departure is an opportunity for the Administration to reset its regulatory policy and embrace public health and safety protections that have long been stalled in the White House.

    As bad as Sunstein has been, he's also always been considered to be a possible Obama SC nominee - which doesn't make me feel better.  At all.  

    Here's hoping that's not in Sunstein's future.  Or ours.

    Poor Mittens, (5.00 / 1) (#51)
    by KeysDan on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 02:32:07 PM EST
    still stung by Senator Reid's claim that he did not pay taxes for ten years. So unfair, a charge against Mittens that he has no way of setting the record straight The best he is able to do is to retort that we should "trust" him that he has paid "taxes every year--a lot of taxes." Actually, I do believe him; he surely did pay a lot of taxes--after all, it is hard not to pay real estate taxes on homes that are not in the Caymans or Switzerland. And, he must have paid gas guzzler taxes on a couple of Cadillacs before taking delivery. And, then there are those pesky sales taxes that he paid on Rafalca-related feed and equipment. Now, if we are talking about income taxes, well, that's a horse of different color.

    Colorado's next National Monument (5.00 / 2) (#84)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 06:33:53 PM EST
    Chimney Rock

    Chimney Rock's 4,700 acres contain the ruins of about 200 ancestral Puebloan structures, some of which are 1,000 years old. They include a great house that archaeologists believe could be the most remote outpost of the powerful Chacoan culture of New Mexico.

    Link

    If you've never been to the lands of the ancient ones--Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde, Bandelier or Chimney Rock--you're missing out on something special.

    I always wondered... (none / 0) (#104)
    by heidelja on Mon Aug 06, 2012 at 03:07:03 AM EST
    ...what caused those cliff-dwellers' extinction since the time I first saw Mesa Verde when about 15 yrs-old. Of course, that was in the political correct days before it was ever spoken the affect white man disease had on native Americans. Apparently, something the Asian societies knew by remaining "closed" to the exploiting white voyagers for many centuries.

    Parent
    "White voyagers" were in the 4 corners (none / 0) (#106)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Aug 06, 2012 at 09:40:16 AM EST
    region (spreading disease) in 1250 AD? Perhaps you should let Columbus know he didn't "discover" America...

    Parent
    Katie Ledecky (5.00 / 2) (#96)
    by CoralGables on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 10:07:57 PM EST
    wins a gold and sets a new American record at 15 years old? I don't even remember 15 years old. I'm thinking we'll see her again in Rio in 2016 and either Istanbul, Madrid, or Tokyo wherever they end up in 2020.

    Yes! Track & Field! (none / 0) (#1)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 12:00:20 PM EST
    So... is anyone else not digging the Blade Runner?

    S. Africa's Oscar Pistorius is competing in the Olympic 400m and 4x400m relay who's a double amputee below the knees, so he has two prosthetics and has been nick-name "The Blade Runner."

    I have all the respect for him in the world, and he is very inspiring, but while my heart says let him compete, my head says I really don't think he should be competing against athletes who do not/cannot use machines to enhance their physical abilities during the race.

    Regardless of the his disabilities, he's using technology during the actual competition to run faster than he would otherwise that no one else can use.

    For example, would we be OK with a guy on the mound as ML pitcher who was missing his left hand, but who had some sort of sling or catapult type prosthetic? Make it long so he gets more leverage, like a lacrosse stick does, and he could throw a 120mph fastball. With the right soft rubber on the prosthetic, think of the curve balls he could throw.

    Pistorius's carbon-fiber blades don't get tired, don't get injured and are (much) lighter than flesh and bone.

    If he can wear blades why can't everyone else? Say 6" blades strapped to the bottom of your shoes? The increase in stride length would absolutely give you a huge advantage over your performance w/o them. If Oscar was smart he'd tinker with the length of his blades until he found the "sweet spot" for him.

    Think of the advantage in the high jump or hurdles if you had such tall and bouncy blades strapped onto your shoes. There's a reason their are rules regarding how thick the soles of your shoes can be in HJ and LJ...

    Oscar participated in some tests and the results of which were used to make the point to the IOC that the blades were no advantage. What isn't usually mentioned is that the tests were done by a scientist who invented and sells high-performance blades and who is a double below the knee amputee himself.

    Um, I understand that this whole issue is a sticky wicket for the powers that be in international sport, but, really? These are the tests you rely on?

    Sport is about who the athlete actually is, not who he/she mighta/coulda/shoulda been if only he/she had been born differently...


    A 120 mph fastball... (none / 0) (#2)
    by Dadler on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 12:02:48 PM EST
    ...would be a wild anomaly in baseball, whereas Pistorius's times are much more in the realm of normal for his events.  Just my opinion.  But I agree, it's not an easy question.

    Parent
    Also... (none / 0) (#3)
    by Dadler on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 12:04:12 PM EST
    ...because a sling or other pitching device would directly impact a baseball batter's POV and ability to react to the ball, I'd say that's another strike against the baseball analogy.

    Parent
    Not really discussing the point... (none / 0) (#4)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 12:07:58 PM EST
    I agree... (none / 0) (#5)
    by kdog on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 12:16:49 PM EST
    but I wouldn't wanna have to be the guy to tell Oscar he can't run.  

    Life isn't fair, obviously, but athletic competition can be and should be. OTOH, maybe the other runners relish the challenge?  Have any runners voiced an opinion?

    Parent

    Who's gonna be the bad guy and tell him he can't run?

    And, by the same token, what athlete's gonna be the bad guy and voice their opinion, if they have it, that Oscar shouldn't run?

    Parent

    The same guy who tells men they (none / 0) (#11)
    by Slado on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 12:37:53 PM EST
    can't compete in female competitions.

    He doesn't have legs.   That's a shame and if he was fast on his hands or by rolling down the track that would be fine and he'd be more than welcome to compete.

    But he doesn't do that.  He uses a mechanical device to make up for the fact that he doesn't have legs.

    If they need someone to be the bad guy they can give me a call.


    Parent

    I'm with you. I think the head of the IOC (none / 0) (#14)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 12:41:53 PM EST
    is too concerned with keeping his job, or something, than doing what's right.

    Parent
    I've got it! (none / 0) (#18)
    by kdog on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 12:44:25 PM EST
    Secret ballot vote by his fellow competitors should decide the issue.

    Or Oscar should voluntarily withdraw, but where can he go to compete?  He'd destroy the Special Olmpics.  Maybe we need a Special Olympics Plus or something...for the amazingly gifted athletes with disabilities like Oscar.

    Parent

    He did destroy the Special Olympics. (none / 0) (#20)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 12:46:22 PM EST
    Golds in 100, 200 and 400, irrc.

    Parent
    Actually, maybe it was the Paralympics, (none / 0) (#23)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 12:49:20 PM EST
    can't remember...

    Parent
    It was (5.00 / 1) (#65)
    by Zorba on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 04:35:38 PM EST
    the Paralympics.  Special Olympics is for the intellectually disabled and developmentally disabled.  Paralympics is for those who are physically disabled e.g., amputees, paraplegics, the cerebral palsied, visually impaired, etc, and may include those with intellectual disabilities, but the athletes need to meet stated qualifying standards.  For the Special Olympics, they must have deficits in intellectual, learning, and life (or adaptive) skills (they can also exhibit physical disabilities, in addition).

    Parent
    My orginal thought (none / 0) (#10)
    by CoralGables on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 12:35:07 PM EST
    was that a better analogy would be Casey Martin on the PGA tour who was permitted to use a cart while everyone else had to walk due to his disability. That doesn't hold though as it's more like a golf cart taking an Olympic competitor to the starting line. The cart didn't give Casey a competitive advantage in making a golf shot.

    Can't say I'm proud of my thoughts on this, but even though I was in favor of the Casey Martin argument to compete,  I don't think Oscar Pistorius should be able to compete. For this Olympics at least, this ahould be nothing more than a feel good story as he isn't likely to advance to the final of the 400 meters.

    Parent

    Yup, and that's the crux of it. (none / 0) (#12)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 12:38:38 PM EST
    Can't say I'm proud of my thoughts on this, but even though I was in favor of the Casey Martin argument to compete, I don't think Oscar Pistorius should be able to compete.


    Parent
    I think you hit the nail on the head (none / 0) (#13)
    by Slado on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 12:39:24 PM EST
    He is being allowed to compete because no one thinks he'll win so they'd rather avoid the controversy.

    If he was able to make the final or even medal they wouldn't let him.

    Parent

    What are you afraid of? (none / 0) (#97)
    by womanwarrior on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 11:34:22 PM EST
    This guy is not strapping springs to otherwise normal feet as you have put up as a straw man.  He is running with what he has.  He has the Olympic Spirit and he has struggled through adversity.  Let go of it. What, are you going to propose that someone who is 7 feet tall can't play basketball int the Olympics?  

    Parent
    "What are you afraid of?" (none / 0) (#98)
    by Gandydancer on Sat Aug 04, 2012 at 09:03:32 AM EST
    "running with what he has"?

    "are you going to propose that someone who is 7 feet tall can't play basketball in the Olympics?"

    You are saying nonsensical things. Are you afraid of rational argument?

    None of the able-bodied sprinters could be competitive if their calves, etc. were paralyzed. Pistorius clearly has an offsetting mechanical advantage which it is impossible to calibrate "fairly". What he's done is amazing and admirable, but there is no way he should be competing in the Olympics. He's just not doing the same sport as they are.

    Parent

    The Badminton players... (none / 0) (#6)
    by kdog on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 12:22:52 PM EST
    shouldn't have been suspended, the stupid seeding format begged for something like that travesty to happen.

    That being said, bad form by the players...good strategy or not, taking a dive flies in the face of the spirit of the Olympics and atletic competition.  And people paid good money for tickets to watch that disgrace...full refunds are in order.

    If you look at it as strategy, as opposed (5.00 / 1) (#24)
    by Anne on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 12:49:28 PM EST
    to sportsmanship, I don't know how it's fair to punish these players for their strategic decision to lose a match in order to gain a more winnable draw in the next round.  The competitive nature of the games is such that all athletes look for and will take whatever strategic advantage they can get, and if it means, in this case, losing, so what?  They aren't responsible for the format - that's on the governing body for the sport itself - so if the format's not promoting the kind of sportsmanship desired, change it.

    No one watches the Olympics in order to see any athlete or team deliberately lose, but are the Olympics about the athletes or about the entertainment factor?  I'm sure NBC believes it's about entertainment, but I don't think the athletes are participating on that basis.

    Oh, wait - I forgot - it's also about money.  About the billions invested.

    So, maybe those who had tickets to those matches should get their money back, the badminton federation should revisit how it structures match play, and if NBC couldn't or didn't make their own strategic decision to leave the match for something else, that's on them.

    Parent

    Agreed (none / 0) (#56)
    by Slado on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 03:11:30 PM EST
    Well put.

    You make a stupid rule and the players take predictable advantage of it.  Doesn't mean you should disqualify them.

    Parent

    Well, you'll be happy to learn... (none / 0) (#62)
    by unitron on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 03:31:09 PM EST
    "Oh, wait - I forgot - it's also about money. "

    Well, you'll be happy to learn that Congress is making it a priority to keep the winners from having to pay income taxes on the prize money.

    Parent

    Don't agree (none / 0) (#15)
    by Slado on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 12:42:01 PM EST
    In the NFL/NBA/NHL and basically any sports league you can think of teams tank games if it means that it doesn't effect their standings or they get higher draft picks etc...

    Its part of sports and if one wants to be a purest one can say why wouldn't an athlete do everything possible to get in a better position to win.


    Parent

    Teams tank, sure... (none / 0) (#22)
    by kdog on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 12:48:49 PM EST
    but never so obviously.  They might bench the studs to play the scrubs, but I don't recall NFL players fumbling on purpose or NBA players missing layups on purpose.

    If you're gonna tank at least be slick about it!  That was a disgrace Slado.  How would you feel if you were a badminton junkie and that was the match you scored tickets for?

    No suspension, that's excessive considering the format is flawed, but refunds for the fans and a format change to prevent it in the future are in order.

    Parent

    Agreed (none / 0) (#28)
    by CoralGables on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 12:58:07 PM EST
    It was ugly. What the badminton teams did was the equivalent of a baseball team striking out 27 straight times to lose, or a quarterback throwing a pick 6 on every play from scrimmage...or boxing judges giving the win to someone that was knocked down 6 times in the final round (oh wait that last one happened in this Olympics too but was thankfully overturned)

    Parent
    I went to an NFL game with ... (none / 0) (#50)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 02:29:11 PM EST
    kdog: "They might bench the studs to play the scrubs, but I don't recall NFL players fumbling on purpose or NBA players missing layups on purpose."

    ... my cousins at Green Bay's Lambeau Field on New Year's Day 2006 -- a Sunday, so no college bowl games -- between the Packers (3-12) and the Seattle Seahawks (13-2), which was the year the Seahawks won the NFC championship and went to Super Bowl XL.

    It was the final game of the regular season, and the Seahawks had already clinched the best record and home field advantage throughout the playoffs. But Seattle Coach Mike Holmgren started and played his reserves rather than the regular Seahawk starters, i.e., QB Seneca Wallace in place of Elizabeth Hasselback's husband, etc. And so, not too surprisingly, the Seahawks proceeded to lose to the lowly Packers, 23-17.

    Now, that's not to say that the Seahawks reserves purposely tanked in that game, because they did not. But it was pretty apparent to everyone watching the game that this was obviously not the same Seahawk team that had rolled into Green Bay on an 11-game winning streak.

    And in that regard, fans like me who were braving the fierce Green Bay winter that day to see the Seahawks, far and away the best team in the NFC, were sorely disappointed and left wanting.

    Parent

    Not cool... (none / 0) (#54)
    by kdog on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 02:40:20 PM EST
    but a far cry from that badminton display.

    As a Seahawks fan, wouldn't you have been more upset if Holmgrem played the starters and Hasselback got hurt?

    That being said, you'd have a legit claim to a refund in my book, you paid for the best of the Seahawks and got jipped.  And personally, I'm not a fan of the rest the starters strategy...it sometimes backfires as the starters can get rusty. Winning, and losing, are contagious...play to win all the time.

    Parent

    I blame the Olympic Organizers (none / 0) (#55)
    by Slado on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 03:10:05 PM EST
    not the teams.

    Bad plans by the lame officials lead to these results.

    Athletes like corporate tycoons are a predictable breed.   A stupid rule leads to an unintended consequence that we don't like.

    Hate the Game, not the player.

    Parent

    That's exactly what my high school ... (none / 0) (#66)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 04:44:17 PM EST
    ... baseball coach used to tell us: "From start to finish, you always play to win. When you start trying not to lose, more often than not you will lose."

    He was a Catholic priest, but before entering the clergy he had been a ballplayer in the Class-AAA Pacific Coast League during the mid-to-late 1930s and early '40s. And he was the best coach I ever had.

    He had his rules and he was strict about them. While he worked to build up your self-confidence and character, he drew a very sharp line when it came to showoffs and poor sportsmanship, and would quickly bench you for taunting and trash talk: "People want to see your game do the talking, not your big mouth."

    They don't make many coaches like him any more.

    Parent

    That is a Thing of the Past... (none / 0) (#79)
    by ScottW714 on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 06:01:53 PM EST
    ...QB rarely gets pulled, even when it's obvious they should be pulled.   I can't remember the last regular season game in which a lot of players were set down.  I don't know if it's incentives or seeding or just pride, but it doesn't happen now.

    And of course, the actual play, the game was better because of it.  A blowout vs. a countless lose, I'll take a close game anytime, even if my team lose, a game is better when it's competitive.

    Sports in which injury and endurance are critical, often have people sitting people out.  It's like getting mad because Kobe takes a breather, rest is rest, a minute, a quarter, or a whole game.  Rest is a part of most sports, especially if there is an injury, and in the NFL pretty much everyone is injured at game 15.  It's why the by week in the playoffs is so coveted and critical.

    There is never an intentional loss, a loss might be a consequence of decisions, but that's the game.

    Whereas these girls purposely lost in hope of playing an easier team.

    And lastly, could they a least pretend to not be tossing the game.  And then continue after being warned.  Had they not been warned, twice, I don't think they should have gotten the boot.  But they ignored the warnings and they can't have athletes trying to loose and then blowing off warnings to stop.

    Parent

    Just a little correction, Donald. (none / 0) (#69)
    by caseyOR on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 04:59:59 PM EST
    Matt Hasselbeck is Elizabeth's brother-in-law, not her husband. Her husband is named Tim, and he was a not very successful NFL QB.

    Parent
    Thank you for the correction. (none / 0) (#87)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 06:57:20 PM EST
    And Matt Hasselback, like that dim-bulb who's his sister-in-law, also supported George W. Bush in his 2004 re-election bid, which caused many Seahawk fans in "Überliberal" Seattle to grit their teeth in consternation.

    If some people like to think of San Francisco as the definitive liberal city, they should try going six hundred miles due north. The people of Seattle wrote the book on liberal urban politics back at the turn of the 20th century, and they've been practicing liberal arts far longer and more successfully than their counterparts in the Bay Area. Historically, San Francisco was actually known to be a rather conservative place, until the "Summer of Love" in 1967 started moving its dial left.

    Parent

    I think the comparison... (none / 0) (#105)
    by heidelja on Mon Aug 06, 2012 at 04:56:49 AM EST
    ...to past soccer "tourney play" to solve the woes of badminton is valid. For argument sake, better would be comparing badminton to "what goes on" in swimming.  This is even more striking! After all, swimming is the sport "owed by" Americans.

    But first my favorite quotes coming out of the "scandal" are -

    From BBC's very first report (it bacome a "scandal" later) found here1:

    Speaking before the disqualification verdict was released, South Korea's coach Sung Han-kook, said: "The Chinese started this. They did it first."

    But Yu [Yang] said the Chinese were aiming to preserve energy ahead of the knockout stages. "This is the first time we've played them and tomorrow it's the knockout rounds, so we've already qualified and we wanted to have more energy for the knockout rounds," she said.

    Then there is this coming after the disqualifications found here2:

    "Since Yu Yang was little she has been very obedient. I don't think she would have done it on her own initiative," state radio quoted her mother Zhou Li as saying.

    And not to be overlooked is this coming from Seth Meyers for the SNL fans found here3:

    First of all, you have to excuse the coaches and players, because they probably were not aware that anyone would be watching, as they are playing badminton, "They did not realize that you guys [at NBC] have a million hours of coverage."

    "You just realize, like as a coach, if you're ever going to ask your players to throw a game, you have to practice throwing a game." This made the entire studio laugh. Including the people who are being paid to be quiet behind the scenes.

    Really though, all sports where positioning "heats" are involved not requiring full throttle by the participant can be seen equally valid for comparision sake. Micheal Phelps sat out events to "preserve energy" for other events to win medals. Winning medals is the objective, not participating full throttle in every event!  After all, no one has been seen on a Kellogg's box who didn't win a championship (gold medal), have they?

    The "badminton scandal" is the epitome of Olympic hypocrisy.

    Parent

    Unemployement (none / 0) (#60)
    by Slado on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 03:20:16 PM EST
    Depressing Graph on Employment

    We are all getting excited or not excited about these monthly reports about stats that don't really matter.

    As this graphs shows not enough people are working and there is no end in sight.

    8.254% (none / 0) (#61)
    by Slado on Fri Aug 03, 2012 at 03:22:58 PM EST
    is Obama kidding?

    Waiting for the gaffe coverage from the MSM.

    I'm sure I'll wait a while.

    Parent

    Non-Olympics entertainment: (none / 0) (#101)
    by oculus on Sat Aug 04, 2012 at 01:38:39 PM EST
    KUSC FM's opera show is featuring its annual musical comedy sung by opera starts program. Right now: Ezio Pinza in "South Pacific." That accent always makes me smile.