The 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics

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I think my Summer Olympic watching has been in decline for a couple of decades.

I've been more into the Winter Games, I just enjoy the sports more.

I suppose if the US men's Soccer team had made it I'd be interested in that but... I am going to say something elitist and sexist ion the same statement. Top level Women's Soccer is about the same level of speed, size and skill as really good club soccer played by 14-16 year old boys. I just can't enjoy it, to slow. If you took a top level boys U-16 club (like an academy team for an MLS franchise) the US Woman's National Team would have no chance. Over the years I don't even watch MLS any more because the quality is so low. Sorry.

The basketball is contrived, I don't appreciate sports with judges so Gymnastics is out. Track and field is still pure and If I timed it to watch the 100m finals live or the 220 I'd probably keep it on, but the preliminary races are just dull. It's like tuning in for the whole Kentucky Derby telecast when the only good part is 3 minutes long.

Maybe it's me, maybe it's the presentation (I really hate all the "human interest" stuff mixed in with the events), maybe it's that it's not live, I dunno, I'm just not interested.
 
Darth Despot said:
I think my Summer Olympic watching has been in decline for a couple of decades.

I've been more into the Winter Games, I just enjoy the sports more.

I suppose if the US men's Soccer team had made it I'd be interested in that but... I am going to say something elitist and sexist ion the same statement. Top level Women's Soccer is about the same level of speed, size and skill as really good club soccer played by 14-16 year old boys. I just can't enjoy it, to slow. If you took a top level boys U-16 club (like an academy team for an MLS franchise) the US Woman's National Team would have no chance. Over the years I don't even watch MLS any more because the quality is so low. Sorry.

The basketball is contrived, I don't appreciate sports with judges so Gymnastics is out. Track and field is still pure and If I timed it to watch the 100m finals live or the 220 I'd probably keep it on, but the preliminary races are just dull. It's like tuning in for the whole Kentucky Derby telecast when the only good part is 3 minutes long.

Maybe it's me, maybe it's the presentation (I really hate all the "human interest" stuff mixed in with the events), maybe it's that it's not live, I dunno, I'm just not interested.
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Oh I 100 percent agree. I love winter Olympics much more. The hockey (I'm Canadian so I love hockey), snowboarding, skiing, skating etc I find very entertaining.... I do like summer olympics but pretty much just because of the volleyball and some of the gymnastics. I have barely watched any this year and I don't overly care.
 
Darth Despot said:
I think my Summer Olympic watching has been in decline for a couple of decades.

I've been more into the Winter Games, I just enjoy the sports more.

I suppose if the US men's Soccer team had made it I'd be interested in that but... I am going to say something elitist and sexist ion the same statement. Top level Women's Soccer is about the same level of speed, size and skill as really good club soccer played by 14-16 year old boys. I just can't enjoy it, to slow. If you took a top level boys U-16 club (like an academy team for an MLS franchise) the US Woman's National Team would have no chance. Over the years I don't even watch MLS any more because the quality is so low. Sorry.

The basketball is contrived, I don't appreciate sports with judges so Gymnastics is out. Track and field is still pure and If I timed it to watch the 100m finals live or the 220 I'd probably keep it on, but the preliminary races are just dull. It's like tuning in for the whole Kentucky Derby telecast when the only good part is 3 minutes long.

Maybe it's me, maybe it's the presentation (I really hate all the "human interest" stuff mixed in with the events), maybe it's that it's not live, I dunno, I'm just not interested.
Click to expand...


You're 100% right on the bolded part. From a physiological standpoint men are going to dominate in those sports. It's not sexist, it's just the way it is. Same goes for quality. I love soccer, but if I've invested a few minutes watching MLS highlights it would be too much. The quality is so poor it's embarrassing. The Gold Cup is going on right now, and other than some select nations, they're having a tough time filling out stadiums. I watched Jamaica - US the other day, and I can see exactly why -- the lack of quality was so easy to spot.
 
Darth Despot said:
I think my Summer Olympic watching has been in decline for a couple of decades.

I've been more into the Winter Games, I just enjoy the sports more.

I suppose if the US men's Soccer team had made it I'd be interested in that but... I am going to say something elitist and sexist ion the same statement. Top level Women's Soccer is about the same level of speed, size and skill as really good club soccer played by 14-16 year old boys. I just can't enjoy it, to slow. If you took a top level boys U-16 club (like an academy team for an MLS franchise) the US Woman's National Team would have no chance. Over the years I don't even watch MLS any more because the quality is so low. Sorry.

The basketball is contrived, I don't appreciate sports with judges so Gymnastics is out. Track and field is still pure and If I timed it to watch the 100m finals live or the 220 I'd probably keep it on, but the preliminary races are just dull. It's like tuning in for the whole Kentucky Derby telecast when the only good part is 3 minutes long.

Maybe it's me, maybe it's the presentation (I really hate all the "human interest" stuff mixed in with the events), maybe it's that it's not live, I dunno, I'm just not interested.
Click to expand...

I am in 100% agreement on most women's sports, particularly pro.

You wanna be paid like the men, be as good. Sorry, you just aren't for a number of reasons none of which are your or anyone else's doing. So stop trying to play the equity card and equity is just another anti-concept.
 
I'm enjoying the softball, volleyball, triathlon, and looking forward to the track and field. :shrug-n:

And watching much of it in glorious 4k HDR.

Edit... I've also watched some archery, fencing, and judo.
 
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SkiptoMyLou said:
You're 100% right on the bolded part. From a physiological standpoint men are going to dominate in those sports. It's not sexist, it's just the way it is. Same goes for quality. I love soccer, but if I've invested a few minutes watching MLS highlights it would be too much. The quality is so poor it's embarrassing. The Gold Cup is going on right now, and other than some select nations, they're having a tough time filling out stadiums. I watched Jamaica - US the other day, and I can see exactly why -- the lack of quality was so easy to spot.
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US sent the JV team to the Gold Cup
 
Roberto71 said:
All sportspeople get nervous. You read of guys puking their guts up before games. You can imagine the tennis playing men or golfers who play on their own, before a big major. Of a golfer leading on the final day of the Masters. Or a boxer before a huge bout. They'd all be nervous, losing sleep in the build-up, full of self doubt....but they get on with it and turn up and compete.

If you've made the decision to go pro in sports, this goes with the territory. It is not an option to chicken out.

It's so disappointing to see Biles doing this, following Osaka. What kind of role models are they going to be to young girls?? This has to stop.
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I had a goalie on my 99 team. He was the best in our state, no question. Mid-year 2nd year bantams he began to have issues with his stomach before games and sometimes in the first few minutes of games ultimately throwing up in his own net through his cage a couple of times early in games. It never seemed to impact his play. Thankful for that, but weird. We sat him down after the 2nd time and he had had enough of the pressure. He was getting calls from juniors already. Some college coaches (illegal!!!) and it was fucking his head up. He asked for a couple of games off. We agreed immediately. He started to skate out during practices. We picked up another goalie. He never played net in a game again.

He did become a very good LW, played in the NAHL for a couple of years and in now playing D1 college hockey out of state.

Pressure is funny and I feel sorry for Simone.

BUT, BUT! She signed up for this and I can't help but feel that she is getting shitty advice. This is not AAA bantam hockey with parents were paying the freight (ice bills). This is the Olympics. Quitting is not an option.
 
aloyouis said:
Pressure is funny and I feel sorry for Simone.

BUT, BUT! She signed up for this and I can't help but feel that she is getting shitty advice. This is not AAA bantam hockey with parents were paying the freight (ice bills). This is the Olympics. Quitting is not an option.
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Agreed. I feel sorry for her too. The girl had a ton of pressure heaped on her and it was only ratcheting up as the days went on. I watched the preliminaries and her head wasn't in it.

But she must have had those doubts going in. You don't take up the spot on the world's biggest stage against the best in the world and then just quit. She has let down her teammates more than if she had gone on with it but not performed well.
 
I've been casually flipping it on here and there and the biggest problem to enjoying the games is the lack of people in the stands.

I've had about enough of all that. I like to watch international futbol and the quality of the play didn't catch up to what it should be
until crowds were allowed and the atmosphere got back to where it was instantly. The Tokyo Olympics
feels sort of lacking with all the empty seats. It's a little too quiet.

However, one exception was Women's Softball. I used to go to a lot of my niece's games and I found the constant chatter and
involvement by the bench to keep their teammates pumped up to be unique in sports and it made the US/Japan Gold medal
game seem better than the majority of other stuff because at least there was some sort of human element. We lost that one, but
at least it seemed like a real sporting event, to me. Some people find all the noise annoying, but I enjoy it. I think it's a great
sport to watch on TV, as well.

I enjoyed the US besting Ireland in rugby, which is a fine sport, despite the silence. I don't understand everything yet, but it's
very watchable and the US has two of the fastest athletes in the sport and an interesting team. Some of those players are pros,
but pampered Superstars need not apply. Those guys are for real. I'll try to catch their next match.

It's OK, so far. Not great, but not terrible.
 
Hawg73 said:
I've been casually flipping it on here and there and the biggest problem to enjoying the games is the lack of people in the stands.

I've had about enough of all that. I like to watch international futbol and the quality of the play didn't catch up to what it should be
until crowds were allowed and the atmosphere got back to where it was instantly. The Tokyo Olympics
feels sort of lacking with all the empty seats. It's a little too quiet.

However, one exception was Women's Softball. I used to go to a lot of my niece's games and I found the constant chatter and
involvement by the bench to keep their teammates pumped up to be unique in sports and it made the US/Japan Gold medal
game seem better than the majority of other stuff because at least there was some sort of human element. We lost that one, but
at least it seemed like a real sporting event, to me. Some people find all the noise annoying, but I enjoy it. I think it's a great
sport to watch on TV, as well.

I enjoyed the US besting Ireland in rugby, which is a fine sport, despite the silence. I don't understand everything yet, but it's
very watchable and the US has two of the fastest athletes in the sport and an interesting team. Some of those players are pros,
but pampered Superstars need not apply. Those guys are for real. I'll try to catch their next match.

It's OK, so far. Not great, but not terrible.
Click to expand...

I haven't seen the softball or hardly anything really, more busy than anything. But I ran into a friend at my r&r spot down the river who is a huge Sox fan and he has been fascinated by the softball. Wish I hadn't missed a bunch of it.
 
Hawg73 said:
I've been casually flipping it on here and there and the biggest problem to enjoying the games is the lack of people in the stands.

I've had about enough of all that. I like to watch international futbol and the quality of the play didn't catch up to what it should be
until crowds were allowed and the atmosphere got back to where it was instantly. The Tokyo Olympics
feels sort of lacking with all the empty seats. It's a little too quiet.

However, one exception was Women's Softball. I used to go to a lot of my niece's games and I found the constant chatter and
involvement by the bench to keep their teammates pumped up to be unique in sports and it made the US/Japan Gold medal
game seem better than the majority of other stuff because at least there was some sort of human element. We lost that one, but
at least it seemed like a real sporting event, to me. Some people find all the noise annoying, but I enjoy it. I think it's a great
sport to watch on TV, as well.

I enjoyed the US besting Ireland in rugby, which is a fine sport, despite the silence. I don't understand everything yet, but it's
very watchable and the US has two of the fastest athletes in the sport and an interesting team. Some of those players are pros,
but pampered Superstars need not apply. Those guys are for real. I'll try to catch their next match.

It's OK, so far. Not great, but not terrible.
Click to expand...

Just a very quick one. The Rugby in the Olympics is not the proper sport, it's Rugby '7s', which is the cut down frothy version of the sport, 7 a side and 7 minutes a half, kind of like 2 on 2 basketball. It's a very different skillset and Ireland don't focus on it. We played the USA recently in Dublin in the proper version (15 a side, 40 minute per half) and we won 71-10.

That's not diminishing any USA play in 7s, they're tight to concentrate on this version as they will always have speedy players. 7s is the sport where countries like Fiji concentrate on and do very well as they don't do well in the full version typically. New Zealand do take 7s seriously along with the full version.
 
Roberto71 said:
Just a very quick one. The Rugby in the Olympics is not the proper sport, it's Rugby '7s', which is the cut down frothy version of the sport, 7 a side and 7 minutes a half, kind of like 2 on 2 basketball. It's a very different skillset and Ireland don't focus on it. We played the USA recently in Dublin in the proper version (15 a side, 40 minute per half) and we won 71-10.

That's not diminishing any USA play in 7s, they're tight to concentrate on this version as they will always have speedy players. 7s is the sport where countries like Fiji concentrate on and do very well as they don't do well in the full version typically. New Zealand do take 7s seriously along with the full version.
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I don't understand why the Olympic committee makes decisions like 3x3 basketball and Rugby 7's.

Those are not the sports.
 
Roberto71 said:
Just a very quick one. The Rugby in the Olympics is not the proper sport, it's Rugby '7s', which is the cut down frothy version of the sport, 7 a side and 7 minutes a half, kind of like 2 on 2 basketball. It's a very different skillset and Ireland don't focus on it. We played the USA recently in Dublin in the proper version (15 a side, 40 minute per half) and we won 71-10.

That's not diminishing any USA play in 7s, they're tight to concentrate on this version as they will always have speedy players. 7s is the sport where countries like Fiji concentrate on and do very well as they don't do well in the full version typically. New Zealand do take 7s seriously along with the full version.
Click to expand...

I understand the difference and neglected to include that info. Mea culpa.

The other night, they showed a pic of our two speed demons, Baker and Isles sitting with Nate Ebner, who played sevens in college and was phenomenal. Anyhow,
he withdrew from trying out for Tokyo due to an injury and probably would have made the team, according to smarter people than me. Too, bad, but we're out
now anyway after losing to the Brits.

To make amends for my omission, I'll mention that among my favorite sporting events of the last ten years was Ireland beating the All-Blacks in 2016 in the full version of the
game. They were the first team I've ever seen who looked unimpressed during the pregame Haka, which made me feel proud. That ritual is pretty good theater, but it is
a little strange when you think about it.

It's sort of the rugby equivalent of the Patriots doing a "Do Your Job" pregame dance while 6 mascots run around wearing super bowl ring costumes.
 
WRT to Biles, I guess my initial thought was why wait until the middle of the competition to withdraw? If she had done so before the games, it could have made a spot for someone else.
Upon some reflection I think that is the wrong thought.
This girl was sexually abused by a coach throughout her childhood and teen years. I think that alone is enough to screw up anyone's head and create mental health issues. I don't think anyone can easily understand what that does to someone.
It's unfortunate but I hope she gets her issues sorted out and back on an even keel.
 
Hawg73 said:
I understand the difference and neglected to include that info. Mea culpa.

The other night, they showed a pic of our two speed demons, Baker and Isles sitting with Nate Ebner, who played sevens in college and was phenomenal. Anyhow,
he withdrew from trying out for Tokyo due to an injury and probably would have made the team, according to smarter people than me. Too, bad, but we're out
now anyway after losing to the Brits.

To make amends for my omission, I'll mention that among my favorite sporting events of the last ten years was Ireland beating the All-Blacks in 2016 in the full version of the
game. They were the first team I've ever seen who looked unimpressed during the pregame Haka, which made me feel proud. That ritual is pretty good theater, but it is
a little strange when you think about it.

It's sort of the rugby equivalent of the Patriots doing a "Do Your Job" pregame dance while 6 mascots run around wearing super bowl ring costumes.
Click to expand...

Good post! That day in Chicago was special. Ireland had never beaten the All Blacks and bear in mind the first match between the two counties was back in 1905! The pre-Haka was reflecting the very sad loss of an Irish rugby icon, Anthony Foley, who died suddenly of a heart attack while in his hostel room in Paris when the team he was coaching was due to play the Parisian team Racing 92. As a player, his shirt number was 8 and that was what the team formed as a response to the Haka.

You're right about the Haka, it is a peculiar phenomenon and is geared to give the All Blacks a huge boost and it has all gotten very precious in these times and no team is now allowed to challenge it or ignore it. It's gotten very silly. The All Blacks will tell you it's simply a traditional Maori challenge but when you see them do it (after the national anthems have been played) it's clear it gives them a major boost before the kick off.

We beat them again in Dublin 2 years later, it was epic. The last 5 mins were insane, we had to withstand a barrage...the crowd were fantastic.


View: https://youtu.be/45GxlMaBu48?t=5883
 
patswin said:
WRT to Biles, I guess my initial thought was why wait until the middle of the competition to withdraw? If she had done so before the games, it could have made a spot for someone else.
Upon some reflection I think that is the wrong thought.
This girl was sexually abused by a coach throughout her childhood and teen years. I think that alone is enough to screw up anyone's head and create mental health issues. I don't think anyone can easily understand what that does to someone.
It's unfortunate but I hope she gets her issues sorted out and back on an even keel.
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I hadn't heard about her sexual abuse. Thank you for that info.
 
Darth Despot said:
It's sad and disturbing, but I think it's safe to assume all the US National level gymnasts were abused for several years.

Nasser was a real sick asshole.
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Yes, Nasser was a real shit.

I didn't know he was her trainer at some point.
 
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