The Official 2012 London Olympics Backlash Thread

[I am DIL]

Fuckin' gems, Rambo.

Edit: That rower's boner actually moved. Wacky.

 

[gettoasty]

Brazil > China by 0.1?

 

[curzon]



Australia does really well at the sports that America doesn't try.


We're fucked when America tries though.

No worries, m8. Will always have Aussie rules. And netball. Girly netball.

 

[jarude]



I was disappointed how it shook out but I;m even more disappointed in the reaction of the players and the fans. Saying stuff like the ref was going to "go to sleep wearing her USA jersey" is just pure bush league, sour grapes crap. If you're a professional athlete, you don't say that. Tancredi and Sinclair were both spewing total garbage after the game. You gave up the lead THREE TIMES, girls. I understand the officiating sucked, but it would have been a non issue if they had defended their own end better.
As proud as I am of Canada, our national inferior complex often annoys the hell out of me, not to mention our tendency to whine when things don't go our way.

Heh, I did admit to sour grapes. Otherwise, I'm the first guy to believe in "if you have to blame the officiating, maybe you should have played better." With that being said, this was Canadian women's soccer - we already exceeded all expectations in even getting to the semi-finals. They **** the bed in an epic fashion last women's World Cup, are ranked 11th in the world and somehow held a lead 3 times against the world's #1-ranked club. They played about as well as possible, and I don't think its so much they should have defended better - I think its because USA is ranked #1 for a reason and we were only in those leads because we had one of the world's best playing the best game of her life. I don't blame the athletes for responding the way they did; the officiating was certainly not on the scale of the women's hockey final in 2002 but that sequence of calls was just about as obscene and game-changing as it could have been. When team USA's coach comes out and says she has never seen calls like that made in that situation before - much less in the 81st minute of a one-goal match - I think its fair to at least allude to questionable officiating influencing the outcome of the game, which it certainly did. Yeah, its poor form to cry about the reffing after but it is certainly understandable.

I don't find the whining to be the problem - every country has their hubris, and Canada's is related to having a seriously external locus of control. My issue is with how fickle Canadians are when it comes to be athletics. In anything outside of men's hockey, we are far too content to completely ignore our athletes, jump on the bandwagon when they are winning and immediately bail out and commence crucifying some Canadian institution for failing them as soon as they lose. There is an air of cynicism before every single Olympic games, especially the Summer games. Even with the Vancouver Winter Olympics being held on home soil, everyone was holding their breath, expecting the colossal ****-up to happen. Everyone had written the games off completely for a week until we started winning all of the gold medals, and then suddenly it was cool to be a Canadian again. Nobody gave a **** about the women's soccer team until they beat Great Britain, at which point the balance shifted from extreme cynicism to the polar opposite of the spectrum; expecting victory at all costs and having a hissy-fit when it didn't happen. It pisses me off that its cool to celebrate mediocrity and then get angry when we achieve it. Whats worse is how the nation pays lip service to making the country a better place for sport and standing behind our athletes each time the Olympics roll around yet year after year, all of our varsity athletes are playing at American colleges on scholarships because nobody gives a **** about sport in this country.

 

[munchausen]



No worries, m8. Will always have Aussie rules. And netball. Girly netball.

Rugby Sevens will be in the next summer games. That ought to work out well for Oz and NZ

 

[Piobaire]

...

 

[edmorel]

Can't believe there was still more facking diving going on yesterday in primetime

I'm happy the american men lost in beacj volleyball, between them and the american women volleyball, there's been like 500 hours of volleyball on. I hope missy may and kerri whatever lose, I'm tired of those two and want to see some fresh players.

Is there more gymnastics on the slate for primetime tonight??/? Are you kidding me

 

[jarude]

Gymnastics owns one of the most difficult, if not the most

 

[munchausen]

Yeah I can't hate on the focus on gymnastics. It's truly amazing stuff and looks great on tv. I wish they would show it live, though. Streaming is fine, but I would like to see it on the big screen.

 

[erictheobscure]

Google's hurdle Doodle is pretty awesome.

 

[Blackfyre]



Google's hurdle Doodle is pretty awesome.

10.34. You?

 

[edmorel]

I can take a day or two of gymnastics but seeing these stunted growth, oddly proportioned humanoids 6-7 nights is just way too much. I'd rather watch handball/socceer/indoor volleyball/rowing/basketball/track and field/cycling/weightlifting etc. The only thing I hate more right now are the water events (other than water polo).

 

[munchausen]



I can take a day or two of gymnastics but seeing these stunted growth, oddly proportioned humanoids 6-7 nights is just way too much. I'd rather watch handball/socceer/indoor volleyball/rowing/basketball/track and field/cycling/weightlifting etc. The only thing I hate more right now are the water events (other than water polo).

Well, if it makes you feel better, today is the last day of gymnastics. Watching it right now.

 

[erictheobscure]



10.34. You?

Holy ****--not even close.

 

[I am DIL]

No worries, m8. Will always have Aussie rules. And netball. Girly netball.

Fuckin' oath.

Rugby Sevens will be in the next summer games. That ought to work out well for Oz and NZ

Perhaps -- although, Fiji'll probably take the gold. They're ruthless sevens players.