2008 Summer Olympics

[Akiyama]

Grats to the US Men's Gymnastics team for pulling off a Bronze when no one gave them a shot after losing their best guy. Granted they fumbled away the Silver with two horrendous pommel horse performances, but the last one was outstanding. Way to go.

Still amazed at how much we swept up swimming tonight.

[Kang]

Yeah, a big congrats to the U.S. men's gymnastics team on getting that bronze when everyone wrote them off.

I believe the baseball starts midweek. I'm really looking forward to see how Canada can do, they finished 4th in Athens so now's the time for redemption.

[Tyche]

I just checked the channel guide and it has the "Today" show coming on at 8EST. I'm going to be fucking pissed if I have to stream it.

[Furtwangler]

Is it me, or is china getting way higher scores than they should be getting? I'm not understanding this at all. Also, the fact that their womens gymnastics team looks like a group of 10 year olds makes me suspicious of them. I smell bullshit, there is no way that they're 16 or older.

I don't understand this either, I was amazed by US's high bar routines and it seems that they got lower scores than china did, and china messed up and wasn't as much of a wow factor. The one dude on the US had an amazing horse routine and he got like almost the same as others I saw that just did ok. I'm not a judge for obvious reasons but I'm baffled as well.

[Akiyama]

Well as far as I know, the scores on the horse are traditionally lower in average anyway due to the new scoring system. Some events you can get 16.5+ and some you're lucky to get a 15.3. Then again, the US had two guys get a 12+ and a 13+, and god knows that's awful.

Also, Tyche.. it comes on at 7 AM CST on USA Network, not NBC.

[Pyro]

That is exactly why I don't like the gymnastics related events. The medals are awarded based on someone elses decisions. I like the events where the figuring out who the winner is cut and dry.

[Kurp]

That is exactly why I don't like the gymnastics related events. The medals are awarded based on someone elses decisions. I like the events where the figuring out who the winner is cut and dry.

So you don't like anything that has referees or judges?

That cuts out a ton of events.

[Tekki]

Im a little upset by the scores as well. The first USA team member Pommel Horse was bad and had 2 instant penalties, but wasn't 12.XX bad... The second member up had a bad dismount and scores terrible. The third was absolutely insane and perfect and gets a 7th place score behind some "ok" routines. Even the crowd was going nuts in the middle of his routine.

What really upsets me is the high bar. Are you fucking serious? All three of them had the crowd roaring with their routines. They were ballsy and perfectly executed, yet 2 of them score behind the 3 "Oh we've got this, just land, and play safe" routines played by the chinese. Even our last routine (like our last pommel horse routine) was a crowd pleaser and was a super strong finish to the set... and it scored behind the "best" Chinese.

Phelps is a machine btw.

[Kurp]

I don't think crowd wowing necessarily equals high scores. There are a lot of technical things that I don't think the common viewer, like me, actually sees.

You don't see hardly anyone involved question the scores, even the biased Americans doing the broadcast. The only time I can really remember much being made about judges was when that Canadian figure skating duo got hosed by that cheating French judge.

edit: Do they disclose what each individual judge scores a routine in gymnastics like they do with figure skating?

[Tonko]

Fuck yes. Wrestling. That's some hot shit right there.

[Pyro]

So you don't like anything that has referees or judges?

That cuts out a ton of events.

Ok? And?

Watching the women's gymnastics balance beam was a joke. When Shawn Johnson did her routine, every judge gave her around a 9.5 but the Venezuelan judge gave her an 8.8. He then did the exact same thing to Nastia Liukin.

[Deftscythe]

I don't think crowd wowing necessarily equals high scores. There are a lot of technical things that I don't think the common viewer, like me, actually sees.

You don't see hardly anyone involved question the scores, even the biased Americans doing the broadcast. The only time I can really remember much being made about judges was when that Canadian figure skating duo got hosed by that cheating French judge.

edit: Do they disclose what each individual judge scores a routine in gymnastics like they do with figure skating?

Actually, in an interview with Bob Costas the other day Bela Karolyi said he felt the new scoring system was making it easy for judges to express an anit-American bias.

[terranova]

Is it me, or is china getting way higher scores than they should be getting? I'm not understanding this at all. Also, the fact that their womens gymnastics team looks like a group of 10 year olds makes me suspicious of them. I smell bullshit, there is no way that they're 16 or older.

It's not you.

I was getting a bit angry at that shit. That Horton guy was giving 16+ point performances and they were shitting him with 15.5s and 15.7s. Meanwhile the chinese were getting damn near 17s. What the hell?

[Roranora]

Angola's certainly not timid about fouling us; some of those were some mean hacks.. but I'm liking those good, early minutes from Prince and Bosh. Wade missed a FT, so much for perfection. >.>

[Roranora]

Am I the only one awake watching this game? wruuuu Tyche~

Anyway, I'll keep talking to myself. I feel bad for Kobe; he just can't get his jumpshot going yet. I'm sure he will before the Olympics are over, though.

[Kurp]

It's hard not to lose interest in the game.

[octopus]

Am I the only one awake watching this game? wruuuu Tyche~

Anyway, I'll keep talking to myself. I feel bad for Kobe; he just can't get his jumpshot going yet. I'm sure he will before the Olympics are over, though.

I watched the first half and then I have to go to work ; ;

[Kyo]

Big gratz to thw womens softball team winning 11-0 over venezula and abbot/finch threw a no hitter, it was amazing to watch, also for men's basketball they still cant hit a fuckin 3, bryant 0-8 team 5-21.. overall wade and james played well. Michael phelps is amazing, lookin good for those medals, lets see if he can break the medal record tomorow he has 2 compettions tomorrow.

[Elesirdur]

Wow, Phelps strikes again. Gold number three.

I was impressed by the Canadian women's softball team tonight. They easily handled Chinese Taipei 6 to 1 behind the strong pitching of Lauren Bay Regula who, for all you Red Sox/Pirates fans, is the younger sister of MLB player Jason Bay.

I'm looking forward to the women having a real shot at a medal. Can you believe the IOC plans to do away with both men's baseball and women's softball in 2012? What an injustice. I love watching softball and baseball being a big baseball fan. I can think of a couple of sports that don't deserve to be a part of the olympics (hello equestrian).

I'm getting up early to watch the Canadian women's soccer team take on Sweden. They just need a tie to advance to the playoff round.

Yeah, I think it's bull that they pull baseball and softball but keep stuff like dressage in. Apparently spectators got up and left half way through the dressage event on the weekend in Hong Kong and were having difficulty giving their tickets away lol

I'm thinking Canada's good chances for medals for womens team sports will come in softball and maybe even soccer. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the men's heavy eight rowing to place a medal, but I don't realistically think that a gold is in the books this year. Canada's overall performance so far has been rather lacklustre (like the poor lone Cdn boxer who got absolutely trounced by the Kazakhstan boxer in his first and only round 21-1 decision bout, ouch)

[Kang]

Canada has to face the Americans in the quarters in women's soccer. I was hoping they wouldn't face them lol. The U.S. team isn't the number one team on the world for nothing. I'm hoping for a good performance nonetheless.

Yeah, Canada has been doing rather badly so far. i wasn't really expecting any great results from them in this olympics. The men's rowing eights will definitely win a medal (hope its gold) and the softball team has a good chance for one as well.

I think someone above mentioned before that the crowd doesn't affect judging. Well i was just watching the women's 10M synchro diving final and the Canadian colour commentator was saying that the big roars the Chinese team was getting after every dive, no matter how poor it was, was affecting the judging since it seemed to cause the judges to be distracted and miss any small technical mistakes they made.