Best Part of the Games

It's finally here!!! The women's figure skating is on tonight, which is awesome. The ladies did their short programs on Tuesday night, and tonight's free skate is going to be even better. I've watched the recaps, slow-mo replays, analysis, Kristi Yamaguchi's predictions, and pretty much everything NBC has shoved down my throat since Tuesday. My thoughts?

1. The female commentator for the skating events irritates the crap nuggets out of me. The two guys (Scott Hamilton and the other one who's name I've forgotten) are awesome. They tell it like it is, but also root for people and act like normal humans. The female y>akker though is a WENCH! Everything she says is negative or pessimistic. Listen to her tonight - a skater can have the best performance of her life, no falls, no mistakes, and this chickee-poo will snootily remark, "well, the skating was good, but I'm just not sure her essence was up to par." Seriously?!?! Half the stuff she adds doesn't even make sense! Argh.

2. The South Korea girl (Kim Yu Na) is supposedly unbeatable, and while I would be happy if she won (cuz she seems fun in her interviews, and oh yeah, she's pretty good at the skating stuff), it would also be fun to see an underdog give her a run for her money. At least have everyone do really well so Kim has to actually pull an amazing performance and not just stay upright for four minutes.3. Joannie Rochette (Canada) is currently in third place, and is the sentimental favorite. Her mother passed away Saturday of a heart attack, and the 24 year old opted to go ahead with her performance because that's what her mother would have wanted. I saw an interview with Dan Janssen yesterday (who competed in the Olympics hours after learning his sister had died), and he was amazed at how well she performed. Rochette would have been a big story merely for being from the home country, but her courage, determination, and humanity make her even more exciting to watch (if you didn't tear up watching her finish her performance on Tuesday, when she finally allowed herself to break down, you should see a cardiologist to figure out how blood is pumping through your body without the benefit of A HEART!).4. Apparently, we are to focus on the edges of the skates and the amount of turning once a skater lands her jump. Kristi Yamaguchi brought her skates on the Today Show this morning and attempted to explain the nuances to Meredith Viera (who really keeps getting sassier and sassier, no?). Anyway, according to Kristi, watch to make sure the girls land on the outer edge of their skate; that's what all the jumps have in common. Also, they can't rotate more than 1/4 of a turn when they're landing, or they lose points. I think. Basically, I'll still be watching to see if they land upright, and then let Scotty Ham tell me what's really going on. (Thought - why can't Kristi do the commentating instead of cranky wench?)

5. Found this awesome 2010 Olympic Figure Skating Drinking Game. Might be the only way I can get NavyGuy to participate in my Olympic madness.

Seriously, I'm so excited. Because we live on the stupid West Coast though, the TV coverage of the skating doesn't start until 8pm. Which I don't understand. The events are happening literally two hours north of us (presumably in the same time zone). Yet my mom, in the Central Time zone, will get to start watching her evening Olympic coverage at 7pm. So are the events actually starting at 5pm my time? I don't get it. All I know is that I have to stay up until midnight to see the finish, so I'm preparing to nap this afternoon and hog the tv all night (I have no clue what NavyGuy plans to do but he's been warned that the tv will not be available... and that his snarky comments about skaters or random exclamations of "It's Johnny Weird!" will not be tolerated).

Are you as excited as I am? Or are you anxious to return to regularly scheduled programming? (Whoa - Jim and Pam have their baby on The Office next week!!!)

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"Olympic" TV Coverage No Accident

The New York Times has a really interesting article (On TV, Timing is Everything at the Olympics) about how NBC managed to turn a potentially ratings-killing-time-zone-difference Olympics, into one of the most watched in recent memory. Apparently, Michael Phelps played a role in making sure that the swimming finals were scheduled for morning times in Beijing, allowing primetime viewing for Americans. (See, throw in Phelps' name, and now you're all going to read the article :)

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Speedy Swimmers

Unless you've been living under a rock (in Antarctica... with headphones on...), you probably already know that more and more world record times are being set during swimming races in these Olympics.  Some attribute that to simply better swimmers, but as the Herald International Tribute investigates, it's actually a combination of several factors that are producing such speedy times.

One of the most cited factors is the new LZR Racer swimsuit, which aims to make athletes more aerodynamic in the water, thus reducing drag.  Couple that with the specifications of the Olympic pool in Beijing (deeper than most, extra lanes to collect waves, special plastic lane buoys), the increase in sports-science technology to study breathing techniques, stroke movements, etc., and the fact that swimmers have more and more incentive to be record breaking, and suddenly it doesn't seem as surprising that Rowdy Gains is constantly screaming, "That's a new world record!"

Also of note - apparently, while we here in the US have become rabid Phelps fanatics (or at least some of us), there are still many in China who don't even know who he is.

And that's been your Olympics news for the day.  Unfortunately, I have a jam-packed schedule in the coming days, and limited internet access, so new posts will be sporadic at best.  In the meantime, keep yourselves occupied with my suggested reading material (look right), and NBC's internet coverage of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics!!!  Go USA!!

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A Perfect... 17?

Women's Gymnastic Team Final - Tonight!  NBC has provided a handy cheat sheet for those of you perplexed by the intricate and illogical scoring system (probably designed by a bitter Romanian IOC member).  Anyone who watched the men's gymnastic final last night, might have noticed that the numerical scores seemed a little... weird.  Well, you're right - there is no longer a "Perfect 10" score.  Instead if you do okay, you end up with a 14, good is a 15, super great is a 16, and "perfect" per say is a 17.  Huh?

Ok, long story short - after the 2004 Olympics in Athens, the IOC realized they needed to revamp the scoring system after some debacle with a Russian gymnast getting shafted.  So, their solution was to split the judges into 2 panels (Panel A and Panel B), whereby having Panel A judge the difficulty score (more death-defying, more points), and Panel B judge the execution (fewer flops, fewer lost points).  That is where it also gets complicated - Panel A judges are working upward, awarding more points for more difficult skills in the routine; Panel B judges are working downward, starting each routine at 10 points and subtracting when a gymnast falls or makes a mistake.  (Confused yet?  I know, my head hurts too.)  Here's another explanation of it if you're still lost.

Now, what does this all mean?  On the one hand, coaches and some athletes are complaining that the system encourages gymnasts to attempt more and more difficult / dangerous skills in the hopes of increasing their Panel A score.  With more and more focus on the athletic skills, and less on the dancing/artistry of the routines, watch for more tumbling passes in the floor routines, and less tapping toe pointing on the balance beam.

On the other hand however, Jordan Ellenberg (writing for Slate) makes a compelling argument of the benefits of a scoring system that doesn't have an upper limit (which the old system theoretically did):

"Gymnasts can perform moves that no one's carried out before - that no one ever thought of carrying out before.  Now, the sport has a scoring system that's built to reward that...  With the new system, gymnasts have the incentive to keep making their routines tougher and more complex.  In every other sport, the competitors in Beijing are superior to their predecessors and get better scores to prove it.  Why should gymnastics be the only sport without world records?"

The one thing we can be sure of is that the women tonight will continue to perform feats never before dreamed of - regardless of the scores awarded.

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Cheers and Jeers

One of the best sections of the TV Guide is their listing of the Cheers and Jeers of the week.  After watching a few days of Olympic coverage already, I'm prepared to offer up a few of my own.

Cheers... to Bob Costas and NBC for their dramatic montages that play at the beginning of each night of Olympic Primetime coverage.  The slow-motion shots of athletes, the pained expressions of frustrated coaches, the joyful winners celebrating a victory, the obligatory shots of training and practicing, all matched up with appropriate music starts my evening off well.  I immediately get psyched for whatever competition is taking place that evening.

Jeers... to Elfi Schlegel, Tim Daggett, and Al Trautwig, the commentators for the womens' gymnastics events.  I'm normally somewhat rational.  I don't necessarily believe in ghosts or hoaxes or superstitions... HOWEVER, it absolutely never fails, that as soon as one of these three yahoos proclaims how well a gymnast always does on an event, she sucks.  Last night was no exception.  Chellsie Memmel was performing her routine on the uneven bars, and I swear to God above, no sooner than Elfi had opened her big jinxing mouth to say how she's "never seen Memmel be anything but perfect on this event," wouldn't you know - Memmel slips right off the bars!  Damn you Schlegel!  Daggett did it later on in the night when one of the USA girls was on the balance beam; the gymnast managed to stay on despite Daggett's voodoo curse of talking too much, but it was a close call.  If it was up to me, this entire trio of useless commentators should be ducktaped to a wall in the stadium, and only allowed to speak after the event has been scored.

Jeers... to another annoying reporter.  Andrea Kremer takes a sick joy in tackling swimming competitors seconds after they vacate the pool, and forcing them to endure endless questions about their emotions regarding the race.  Most of these swimmers can barely talk let alone wax poetically about how it feels to come in 3rd in the quarterfinal qualifying heat for the 100m breaststroke.  And poor Michael Phelps.  She has an especially big crush on him (maybe she gets paid per interview, like how papparazi get paid per pic), and interrogated him for five minutes after his first gold medal win in the 400m Individual Medley about how he felt during the race, how he felt about winning, why he was so emotional about it, what emotions was he feeling, and on and on and on...  She reminds me a clingy high school sophomore girl who's in her first relationship and wants her boyfriend to explain to her in every possible language how much he likes her.  I have a malicious hope that after Phelps' last race, he picks her up and drops her in the dive pool.

Cheers... to the NBC graphics department who understands that most of us are tuning in each night to watch specific people perform, and we'd prefer to have time to go to the kitchen for a snack, etc., when the Bolivians and Pakistanis are competing in yet another qualifying race.  Watch closely, and you'll notice that occasionally a small TV set will appear in the lower right-hand corner advertising how many more minutes until Shawn Johnson competes on the floor exercises, or Misty May and Kerri Walsh play Baywatch, er, beach volleyball.  Bravo, NBC, bravo.

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Where do you learn to play field hockey?

One of my favorite parts of the Olympics is how quickly I get sucked into sports that in a normal setting I would have absolutely no interest in.  For example, this morning I have already watched soccer, field hockey, water polo, basketball, fencing, and sculling.  Do I know anything about most of those sports?  No.  Do I have a clue what the rules are?  No.  Does that matter?  Heck no!

So far I have learned:

1) you cannot touch the ball with your feet in field hockey

2) traveling, double dribbling, and lane violations are non-existent in Olympic basketball

3) water polo seems worse than waterboarding (you float... the entire game... imagine trying to play basketball, but without a floor below you)

And where along the way in life do you decide, hey, I might like to play field hockey.  Do kids play this in gym class and pick it up there?  I mean, soccer, track and field, bball - these sports are fairly common and kids have lots of opportunities to join school or community teams.  But where do you find a water polo team?  Can I sharpen the end of a yard stick and take up fencing?  The more I watch the more I refuse to give up my Olympic dreams.  If Dara Torres can still compete in the swimming events (at age 41... with a 2 year old daughter), who says I don't have a shot at joining the U.S. Olympic sculling team!

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Olympic Photos

For more photo galleries from the Olympics, courtesy of NBC, click here.

For a disturbing photo of President Bush at the beach volleyball practice, click here.  (You have been warned.  Don't whine at me later.)

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Opening Ceremonies Recap

Modern technology has certainly upped the ante at the Opening Ceremonies.  Most of what made last night's spectacle so spectacular, wouldn't have been a possibility even four years ago, because of the vast advances in video, computer, and other technologies.  I would say you also need to keep in mind that China essentially told the creator of the Ceremonies, "Here, have as much money as you want, and as many people as you need, to do whatever you think will wow the pants off those doubting Westerners."  (According to NBC, the Ceremonies included 15,000 individual performers - no duplicates throughout the night - and cost $300 million dollars... 10x what Athens spent in 2004.)

That said, the Opening Ceremonies did wow my sweat pants off.  Cynics will say that it was weird, and over-hyped - phoeey.  You get 5,000 guys dressed in white to form perfect circles without any guiding tape on the floor, or a giant sphere to float in the air (no roof - where did it hang from!?!?!?!?) while people run around it in unison.  You make either of those things happen - then you can talk to me about what you would have done differently.  List below are some various photo galleries, that while not coming close to doing the event justice, will start to give you some idea of the magnitude and beauty.

The Boston Globe

Los Angeles Times

Sports Illustrated

  

Highlights of the Opening Ceremonies:

~ The light up drums that started off the evening.

~ Eating Chinese food for dinner in honor of the Chinese Olympics.

~ The Coke commercial where little animated birds fly around collecting straws in order to make their own mini "Bird's Nest" replica of the National Stadium.

~ President Bush sitting with his jacket off like he's at a Ranger's game (I so expected him to wave a five dollar bill in the air for the peanuts and popcorn guy), and getting caught checking his watch during the Parade of Athletes.

~ President Hu Jintao of China sitting in the dignitary box with his own pair of binoculars, a water bottle, and what looked suspiciously like a Cup O' Noodles container... 

~ The McDonald's commercial where a kids' soccer team loses, but wins in the end by taunting the opposing team with their Happy Meal's raised high above their heads.

~ The outfits that the Hungarians felt represented themselves best to the world (whoa!)

~ The 9 year old earthquake survivor (read his amazing story here) who marched beside Yao Ming when the Chinese athletes entered the stadium (and then later said in perfect English to a reporter who had concluded an interview with Ming, "Thank you, thank you very much.")

Overall, well done China, well done.  I'd certainly hate to be Vancouver, Canada and have to follow that show.

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Slap Face!

Congratulations to Farmer's Wife for correctly identifying Mark Spitz as the current single Games gold medal record holder (7 golds in the 1972 Munich Games)!  Your prize will be in the mail soon.

For fellow The Office fans, you will snort with glee over the new promo commercial that aired during the Opening Ceremonies last night.  I may have found my chance to make it to the games yet...

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Olympic Countdown

Let the Games begin!  My goal is to provide you with Olympic news each day, as I love the Olympics, still hold an impossible dream of walking in the Opening Ceremony (I suppose that would mean competing in an event, but that's an even more impossible dream), and feel that this Olympics is either going to be very newsworthy - or a big fat Chinese dumpling dud.  I (and China) would prefer the former.

Up today: Opening Ceremonies - NBC - 7:00 central time.  Hosted by Bob Costas and Matt Lauer, and sold as breathtaking and overwhelming.  If you only have time for a little bit, tune in for the start, and the finish, where the Olympic torch will be lit by a mystery guest. 

Michael Phelps - part man, part fish - is slated for enough swimming events to break the Olympic record of number of gold medals won in one games (the current record is 7 gold medals, also held by a swimmer... first one to throw the correct name in the comments will win a prize... ).  Phelps is sporting a goatee now, which prompted Matt Lauer to wonder why swimmer's shave their entire bodies and squeeze themselves into aerodynamic Speedos, only to voluntarily create drag on their faces (I agree, and suspect that if Phelps doesn't do well in his first race, he'll be back to a naked chin quicker than... well, quicker than he swims the 100 freestyle!)  Check out Phelps teaching Lauer how to do flip-turns!

Best of all, the John Williams / NBC Sports Olympic music begins today.  NBC actually uses a few different songs that Williams originally created for the 1984 Los Angelos Games and 1996 Atlanta Games.  Now, the "dum, dum, da dum dum dum dum" that you hear incessantly on TV is not the Official 2008 Olympic Theme Song; China came up with some unusual "Friends Forever" tune to fit that bill.  However, I will always be partial to the William's music; it's powerful, catchy, and inspires me to vacate the couch and take a walk around the block :)

Let the Games begin!

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