The Swamp

I live in canada - the heavy hype has begun.

As always, they have added some new sports, the most interesting (weird) is this one...

Luge Team Relay: (International Luge Federation - FIL) This new race format features teams comprised of a doubles sled, a women’s singles sled and a men’s singles sled. All three entrants from one team slide one after another with the clock stopping only after the third sled has crossed the finish line. A touch pad at the finish line must be activated by an athlete in one sled before the gate at the start line opens for the following team member to compete.

Wouldn't it be better if there were side by side tracks, with teams racing against each other? Winner moves on to next round.

One of the reasons Skicross & Bordercross are better for TV than typical downhill ski events.

Lindsey Vonn will not be skiiing at Sochi. She wrote the following on Facebook:

Lindsay Vonn wrote:I am devastated to announce that I will not be able to compete in Sochi. I did everything I possibly could to somehow get strong enough to overcome having no ACL but the reality has sunk in that my knee is just too unstable to compete at this level. I'm having surgery soon so that I can be ready for the World Championships at home in Vail next February. On a positive note, this means there will be an additional spot so that one of my teammates can go for gold. Thank you all so much for all of the love and support. I will be cheering for all of the Olympians and especially team USA!
XO Lindsey

Sabo wrote:Lindsey Vonn will not be skiiing at Sochi. She wrote the following on Facebook:

Lindsay Vonn wrote:I am devastated to announce that I will not be able to compete in Sochi. I did everything I possibly could to somehow get strong enough to overcome having no ACL but the reality has sunk in that my knee is just too unstable to compete at this level. I'm having surgery soon so that I can be ready for the World Championships at home in Vail next February. On a positive note, this means there will be an additional spot so that one of my teammates can go for gold. Thank you all so much for all of the love and support. I will be cheering for all of the Olympians and especially team USA!
XO Lindsey

But I'm sure we will still see plenty of bikini pics of her over the next 2 months.

A look at the main venues.

One of the two hockey arenas and the curling arena were built to be "moveable", so they can be taken apart and transported to another city after the games.

May I be the first to crack an "Ice Cube('s a Pimp) Curling Center joke.

Amazing what you can get for $50 billion.

Pruitt wrote:Amazing what you can get for $50 billion.

I said this on Twit, too, but . . . really, Dubai could successfully host the 2014 Winter Olympics, including the Alpine Skiing events, for less than $50 Billion. Probably far less.

Although that $50 Billion price tag (so far) might finally knock Montreal off of the top of the "most corrupt Olympic city ever" list.

Quebec can't compete with mother Russia. Can't wait for Griftmas 2014!

No opening for Wide World of Sports from training?

Scottie wrote:

Pruitt wrote:Amazing what you can get for $50 billion.

I said this on Twit, too, but . . . really, Dubai could successfully host the 2014 Winter Olympics, including the Alpine Skiing events, for less than $50 Billion. Probably far less.

Although that $50 Billion price tag (so far) might finally knock Montreal off of the top of the "most corrupt Olympic city ever" list.

Whoa! http://www.businessweek.com/articles/20 ... 51-billion

The Sochi contracts were awarded without a public tender; a Russian law that requires state companies to hold open tenders only came into force in 2012.

Whoa!

Another person in the construction business says he was offered a contract, potentially worth millions of dollars, to lay a water line at an Olympic site. The officials at the state body awarding the contract weren’t interested in whether he had the necessary resources for such a large job or would do quality work—the only question was whether he was willing to pay 20 percent back to them.

Whoa!

An article in Russian Esquire estimated that for the sum the government spent on the road, it could have been paved entirely with a centimeter-thick coating of beluga caviar.

Well, Beluga isn't an ideal road-construction material. For that you're gonna wanna go with rice krispy treats for traction.

I suppose you know of a better way to use up the Belugas?

Another person in the construction business says he was offered a contract, potentially worth millions of dollars, to lay a water line at an Olympic site. The officials at the state body awarding the contract weren’t interested in whether he had the necessary resources for such a large job or would do quality work—the only question was whether he was willing to pay 20 percent back to them.

Thank goodness none of that kind of government corruption goes on here!

brian wrote:

Another person in the construction business says he was offered a contract, potentially worth millions of dollars, to lay a water line at an Olympic site. The officials at the state body awarding the contract weren’t interested in whether he had the necessary resources for such a large job or would do quality work—the only question was whether he was willing to pay 20 percent back to them.

Thank goodness none of that kind of government corruption goes on here!

I think they called in the Big Dig management team to head up the infrastructure projects. Actually, nothing comes close to the corruption in Russia, particularly right after the fall of Communism. Entire industries were basically handed to friends of politicians, since they were State owned. That is how guys like Roman Abromovich became billionaires over night.

AB_skin_test wrote:Well, Beluga isn't an ideal road-construction material. For that you're gonna wanna go with rice krispy treats for traction.

U.S. warns of possible terrorism at Sochi, but no specific threat

Be careful of getting blowed up, pickpockets, crappy medical care, no hotel rooms. Oh, and getting arrested for that rainbow flag pin.

Olympics have a pretty good win streak of no major terrorism since Munich '72 (no, I'm not counting Atlanta--hero Richard Jewell did his job well, discovered the bomb, he and security cleared spectators preventing a bloodbath.) Particular success in preventing any London attacks. Hope Putin keeps everyone safe--how's that for an unlikely sentence?

Rush2112 wrote:US Skating goes with 4th rather than 3rd place finisher for woman's team (some argue marketability had to do with decision.)

If those are the parameters that the full year counts and not just the olympic trails than that's fine.

Yeah it is not based on one this one event and a bit subjective...but under that same basis, the kid who finished 2nd have not competed in an international level event ever but is going.

and Marketing is a factor. Remember how it was going to be settled in Barcelona...except for that one event qualification thing

Rush2112 wrote:US Skating goes with 4th rather than 3rd place finisher for woman's team (some argue marketability had to do with decision.)

Yeah, I could see that:






The other girl is a 20 yo very plain look Japanese girl who could easily pass for 14. I think the blonde chick was the front runner and strongest gold medal hope, so maybe that was the real factor.

The Sybian wrote:

The other girl is a 20 yo very plain look Japanese girl who could easily pass for 14. I think the blonde chick was the front runner and strongest gold medal hope, so maybe that was the real factor.

Mirai Nagasu, who finished fourth at the Vancouver Games, is out

So she couldn't move up a place (or three?) I've read NBC had big promotions built around Vonn and Wagner and since Vonn pulled out...

Dan and Dave was a real thing. Two gold medal contenders.

I can't see how a girl that can't even medal in her own country be considered a contender or someone important for television. She'll be hardpressed to finish ahead of her countrymen. I haven't watched figure skating in ages but doesn't how you rank going in affect your score? Or is that all thrown out the window now with the new scoring system.

Can't see her finishing in the top 10.

degenerasian wrote:
Can't see her finishing in the top 10.

Figure skating isn't as bad as gymnastics, but typically the medal winners are going from a very select group of countries. A US skater has a very good chance of making the podium.

Wagner is pretty good:

She is the 2012 Four Continents champion, 2012 Grand Prix Final silver medalist, 2012 Skate America champion, 2012 and 2013 Trophée Eric Bompard champion, 2012 and 2013 U.S. national champion. Her highest World Championship placement is fourth in 2012.

(and ranked 4th in the World.)

iirc, in '94 the third place finisher got left home. They gave Edna Kerrigan the slot--she couldn't skate in the natinals due to a thigh bruise.

Rush2112 wrote:

degenerasian wrote:
Can't see her finishing in the top 10.

Figure skating isn't as bad as gymnastics, but typically the medal winners are going from a very select group of countries. A US skater has a very good chance of making the podium.

Wagner is pretty good:

She is the 2012 Four Continents champion, 2012 Grand Prix Final silver medalist, 2012 Skate America champion, 2012 and 2013 Trophée Eric Bompard champion, 2012 and 2013 U.S. national champion. Her highest World Championship placement is fourth in 2012.

(and ranked 4th in the World.)

Then she is there on merit not marketing. There is no controversy.

degenerasian wrote:
Then she is there on merit not marketing. There is no controversy.

Actually both of them deserve to make it on merit, I believe it's the market that swayed the decision.

Twenty years ago, I was going out with a woman who had been a competitive figure skater - not a star, she was good enough to represent her university here in Ontario - and who spent parts of her weekend coaching skating. Many of her friends were from the figure skating subculture.

1994 Olympics, they had a figure skating pool for the Olympics, and it was the only time I won a pool and didn't brag about it to me friends.

Anyway, that is the last time I took figure skating seriously, and even though I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Oksana Baiul who won me $250, I am shocked that the discussion of figure skating in this forum has become serious.

Enjoy Russia, Olympians!

That's not what Biathlon means!

I thought Synchronized Shitting was a summer sport.

Pruitt wrote:
Anyway, that is the last time I took figure skating seriously, and even though I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Oksana Baiul who won me $250, I am shocked that the discussion of figure skating in this forum has become serious.

And Katerina Witt set me up with a lifelong fetish for figure skating outfits. I should clarify before Rass responds. Fetish for women in figure skating outfits. So if you are wondering what to get my wife for her birthday...

The Sybian wrote:

Pruitt wrote:
Anyway, that is the last time I took figure skating seriously, and even though I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Oksana Baiul who won me $250, I am shocked that the discussion of figure skating in this forum has become serious.

And Katerina Witt set me up with a lifelong fetish for figure skating outfits. I should clarify before Rass responds. Fetish for women in figure skating outfits. So if you are wondering what to get my wife for her birthday...

A date with someone not so creepy?

DSafetyGuy wrote:

The Sybian wrote:

Pruitt wrote:
Anyway, that is the last time I took figure skating seriously, and even though I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Oksana Baiul who won me $250, I am shocked that the discussion of figure skating in this forum has become serious.

And Katerina Witt set me up with a lifelong fetish for figure skating outfits. I should clarify before Rass responds. Fetish for women in figure skating outfits. So if you are wondering what to get my wife for her birthday...

A date with someone not so creepy?

Come on! I can't be the only one.


Followed the toilet story to a blog discussing it, which led to some bizarre pics of toilets in Russia. Trust me, those people will shit anywhere. Pulling into Novgorod, a somewhat touristy city as it is one of the first cities in Russia and home to the oldest Kremlin (city wall), we stopped at a public bathroom. You had to pay to use it (worker's paradise my ass!) and the crapper was a hole in a cement floor angled down towards the hole. It had two handrails to allow for the ideal squatting position. No stall doors, three of these side-by-side. "Urinals" were noting more than holes in the wall. Not very big hole, either. I probably told this story before, but on the way home, we stopped at a highway rest stop, which was a wooden shack on the side of the road. No light, so you couldn't see shit. I stumbled into what felt like a wooden bench, but I wasn't about to feel around for a seat or a hole, so I just pissed all over the place, laughing. Wasn't funny when one of the few moderately attractive Russian girls in my school went in after me. I felt so guilty about that, but it was probably covered in the urine of many men.


That bathroom reminded me of this classic

Heard an interview on the radio this morning with a Toronto guy who is heading to Sochi as a volunteer for the Paralympics. He'll spend two weeks helping to monitor the ski events. Guy had to pay for a visa, booked tome off work - unsure if he had to pay for his flight.

Now, this is undoubtedly a nice man who is committed to what he calls the "Olympic ideal" and to helping the paralympians.

But when the Olympics are costing $50 billion, isn't the very idea of volunteers working on the Olympic sites a bit much?

The Sybian wrote:Come on! I can't be the only one.

Nope. Debi Thomas.

Well until I met her irl. Much shorter, much wider, much more beastly than on the ice.

That Katarina Witt Playboy spread was amazing.

howard wrote:

The Sybian wrote:Come on! I can't be the only one.

Nope. Debi Thomas.

Gak!




J/k, that was clearly the worst pic. I thought she was cute back then, and my crush at the time was an older girl named Debbie Thomas. She was way cuter, and had BOOBS! I was in 7th grade, so that was a new discovery.

you guys would know more about this than me

one of the bigger controversies the past couple of days for skiing has been the USA's decision to leave Tom Wallisch off of their Men's slopestyle team. The guy is basically the face of slopestyle skiing, and arguably the single best park skier on the planet. However, he didn't have the results some of the other guys did in competitions this season, leading to some speculation he might be nursing an injury (which would explain the selection). That said, USA has for the past two years or so basically used Wallisch as the face of their freestyle team, with numerous profiles and interviews, not to mention being the guy to unveil their olympic uniform.

I don't know if we care about the "jackass" sports.