Winter Olympics Thread: Vancouver 2010

[Lavabe]

Unfortunately, I won't be online to chat back and forth with you Yanks during the game as I'm heading home to my parent's place tomorrow morning to do some shopping with my Mom and then I'll hang around there so that I can watch the gold medal game with my Dad on Sunday. When Canada last won Olympic gold in hockey the party here in my town was insane (I wasn't here but my younger brother was and he told me all about the thousands of people who were out partying in the streets). Although it would be cool to be around for the street party after the game, especially if I was drinking in a bar during the game, I think it would be way cooler to just hang out and watch it with my Dad.

"Insane" like College Park, MD after a loss to Duke in the last 90 seconds? ;)

[colchar]

Sunday should be interesting eh? If Canada plays like they did against the Slovaks it will be a good game that will likely come down to whoever has the hotter goalie. If Canada plays like they did against the Russians then no amount of heroics from Miller will be able to save the US as they will be overwhelmed by the Canadian juggernaut.

You are forgetting one other important IF statement. If Canada plays like they did against the US, then no amount of heroics from Luongo will be able to save Canada as they will be overwhelmed AGAIN by the US juggernaut.

There... I think that covers all possible IF's.
;)

Well that would be true if there had been a US juggernaut in that game. The US played well but they were hardly overwhelming. Canada played alright but not great. The US won because they played well and Canada didn't play all that well. If that happens again the US will will but it certainly won't be a juggernaut. For an example of a juggernaut watch the first period and a half from the Canada-Russia game.

If we play like that again, y'all are in deep shit ;)

[colchar]

Unfortunately, I won't be online to chat back and forth with you Yanks during the game as I'm heading home to my parent's place tomorrow morning to do some shopping with my Mom and then I'll hang around there so that I can watch the gold medal game with my Dad on Sunday. When Canada last won Olympic gold in hockey the party here in my town was insane (I wasn't here but my younger brother was and he told me all about the thousands of people who were out partying in the streets). Although it would be cool to be around for the street party after the game, especially if I was drinking in a bar during the game, I think it would be way cooler to just hang out and watch it with my Dad.

"Insane" like College Park, MD after a loss to Duke in the last 90 seconds? ;)

Fortunately no, it was just a good party. There are two universities in this town that are only three blocks apart so there are a lot of students (30,000+) crammed into a small general area and people streamed out of house parties and bars to party in the streets. The cops were smart enough to realize they couldn't do anything about public drinking and partying and didn't even try - they just let things go for as long as people wanted to party.

Can you imagine what the atmosphere in the arena will be like on Sunday? That place will be insane...

[wilson]

Steve Holcomb and his four-man USA bobsled team are in first place in the "Night Train" at the halfway point. If they can hang on to a medal today, they will ensure that the USA will break the record for most medals by a single country in a single Winter Olympics. USA stand at 34 medals currently, equaling the all-time American best, set in Salt Lake City 2002. They are assured of medals in the men's speed skating relay (in the finals today) and men's hockey (final tomorrow), meaning a guaranteed minimum of 36, equal to Germany's all-time record from Salt Lake. A bobsled medal would make 37. To sweeten the pot even more, Holcomb is in the driver's seat (pun intended) for the first American 4-man bobsled gold since 1950.

[colchar]

Steve Holcomb and his four-man USA bobsled team are in first place in the "Night Train" at the halfway point. If they can hang on to a medal today, they will ensure that the USA will break the record for most medals by a single country in a single Winter Olympics. USA stand at 34 medals currently, equaling the all-time American best, set in Salt Lake City 2002. They are assured of medals in the men's speed skating relay (in the finals today) and men's hockey (final tomorrow), meaning a guaranteed minimum of 36, equal to Germany's all-time record from Salt Lake. A bobsled medal would make 37. To sweeten the pot even more, Holcomb is in the driver's seat (pun intended) for the first American 4-man bobsled gold since 1950.

How are they assured medals in the speed skating relay? Are there only three countries entered? I thought they always entered four countries in the speed skating finals.

[wilson]

How are they assured medals in the speed skating relay? Are there only three countries entered? I thought they always entered four countries in the speed skating finals.

The speed skating relays are bracketed, head-to-head matchups. The U.S. upset the heavily favored, top-ranked Dutch in the semifinals.

[ArkieDukie]

Just got off the phone with my mom. She was talking about how horribly the Canadian women's hockey team behaved and how the Olympic committee was investigating and might strip them of their medal. Good grief.

Has anyone else heard this? Is it really true? If so, it seems like an over-reaction of epic proportions.

[CameronBornAndBred]

From what I understand the arena was empty except for the team and reporters...it might not have been smart, but jeez, they just won a gold medal. I haven't heard anyone mention the possibility of their medal being stripped, that would be epicly stupid.

[TillyGalore]

Can't you imagine wanting to pop the cork on a champagne bottle and celebrate at center court of the Dean Dome after annihilating the Tarholes?

Best. Analogy. Ever.

[colchar]

How are they assured medals in the speed skating relay? Are there only three countries entered? I thought they always entered four countries in the speed skating finals.

The speed skating relays are bracketed, head-to-head matchups. The U.S. upset the heavily favored, top-ranked Dutch in the semifinals.

I haven't watched much speed skating. I saw highlights of the Canadians winning relay gold last night and thought there were four teams competing.

[wilson]

How are they assured medals in the speed skating relay? Are there only three countries entered? I thought they always entered four countries in the speed skating finals.

The speed skating relays are bracketed, head-to-head matchups. The U.S. upset the heavily favored, top-ranked Dutch in the semifinals.

I haven't watched much speed skating. I saw highlights of the Canadians winning relay gold last night and thought there were four teams competing.

That was short track...different format.
And that was one of the wackiest things I ever saw.

[colchar]

Just got off the phone with my mom. She was talking about how horribly the Canadian women's hockey team behaved and how the Olympic committee was investigating and might strip them of their medal. Good grief.

Has anyone else heard this? Is it really true? If so, it seems like an over-reaction of epic proportions.

It has been discussed in this thread - and they most certainly did not act horribly. There is absolutely no threat of them having their medals taken away - and I don't even know how anyone could claim that as having a party isn't grounds for taking away a medal.

[colchar]

That was short track...different format.
And that was one of the wackiest things I ever saw.

Good point. I was forgetting that there is short track and long track in speed skating.

[colchar]

Minor controversy in the gold 500m short track finals w/Ohno. They DQ'd him on the final turn when he put his hand on the third place Canadian, who then went crashing to the wall. That call was probably correct (although Ohno said he didn't push ;) ). But in the process, the judges didn't look at the 1st-place Canadian who, upon NBC TV replay, clearly put his hand on the 2nd place Korean, forcing the Korean down. No DQ there.

The judge in that race is Canadian.

Although Ohno mentioned the Canadian judge after the race, Ohno did also mention that he should have skated faster, so that the judging shouldn't have been an issue.

When I first watched the race, I felt Ohno should be DQ'd, but I wasn't watching the action between the Korean and the 1st place Canadian. Anyone else see it?

I have just watched it, and continue to watch it, in slow motion on my PVR and Ohno's complaints are baseless. He clearly, and I do mean clearly, pushed the third place Canadian causing him to fall. He deserved to be DQ'd and no amount of whining on his part will change that.

As for the Canadian who won, I had originally thought that he also deserved to be DQ'd for pushing the Korean and that we had gotten away with one there. Now that I've been able to repeatedly watch it in slow motion I no longer think that. Watching it now, it is clear that the Korean began to fall before he was touched. The Korean's right leg had gone askew, his left leg was starting to come out from under him (it looks like he caught the ice with the toe of his left skate blade thus causing the start of his own fall), and he had touched the ice with both hands before the Canadian reached up to touch him. The Korean had lifted his second hand off of the ice after attempting to correct his fall and the Canadian's hand was still visible between the Korean's own arm and body which makes it clear that the Canadian only touched the Korean to prevent the Korean from falling into him.

So, from watching it in slow motion, I now have to concede that the Canadian didn't do anything wrong and therefore didn't deserve to be DQ'd as I had originally thought. Now, I know y'all might think I am supporting him because we're both Canadian but that isn't the case - I do not like that Canadian skater one bit and would have been perfectly happy to have seen him crash and burn in every race. So, while I am conceding that he did nothing wrong, I am doing so grudgingly.

[DukeUsul]

I don't think you can say he clearly pushed the Canadian. He laid a hand on him. But he took his hand off him before the Canadian lost control and started sliding. No extension of Ohno's hand until after he took it off the guy. I don't think it's as clear is you say it is.

[colchar]

I don't think you can say he clearly pushed the Canadian. He laid a hand on him. But he took his hand off him before the Canadian lost control and started sliding. No extension of Ohno's hand until after he took it off the guy. I don't think it's as clear is you say it is.

It sure looked to me like he pushed him when I was watching it. But perhaps you have a point as I must admit that I was paying far more attention to the interaction between the Canadian and the Korean so I might have pissed something in the Ohno incident.

[Miles]

I don't think you can say he clearly pushed the Canadian. He laid a hand on him. But he took his hand off him before the Canadian lost control and started sliding. No extension of Ohno's hand until after he took it off the guy. I don't think it's as clear is you say it is.

It sure looked to me like he pushed him when I was watching it. But perhaps you have a point as I must admit that I was paying far more attention to the interaction between the Canadian and the Korean so I might have pissed something in the Ohno incident.

Not to mention it is horribly inconsistent with the rest of the event the head referee was judging. There were definite shoves in previous events that were left uncalled, especially on the Koreans. Either way, it's a shitty way to win the Bronze.

[Lavabe]

I don't think you can say he clearly pushed the Canadian. He laid a hand on him. But he took his hand off him before the Canadian lost control and started sliding. No extension of Ohno's hand until after he took it off the guy. I don't think it's as clear is you say it is.

It sure looked to me like he pushed him when I was watching it. But perhaps you have a point as I must admit that I was paying far more attention to the interaction between the Canadian and the Korean so I might have pissed something in the Ohno incident.

My thought is that the 1st place Canadian shouldn't have been dq'd, as I think you could also see that not only did the Canadian put a hand on the Korean, but the Korean also put a hand on the Canadian's skate (which I think nearly caused the Canadian to fall as he crossed the line). The double-touch occurred nearly simultaneously.

As it was said earlier in this thread, I hate judged events.

[CameronBornAndBred]

As it was said earlier in this thread, I hate judged events.

And someone suggested speed skating shouldn't be counted. It's amazing the effect the judges had on this event, but I don't believe it suprises me.

[Lavabe]

Sunday should be interesting eh? If Canada plays like they did against the Slovaks it will be a good game that will likely come down to whoever has the hotter goalie. If Canada plays like they did against the Russians then no amount of heroics from Miller will be able to save the US as they will be overwhelmed by the Canadian juggernaut.

You are forgetting one other important IF statement. If Canada plays like they did against the US, then no amount of heroics from Luongo will be able to save Canada as they will be overwhelmed AGAIN by the US juggernaut.

There... I think that covers all possible IF's.
;)

Well that would be true if there had been a US juggernaut in that game. The US played well but they were hardly overwhelming. Canada played alright but not great. The US won because they played well and Canada didn't play all that well. If that happens again the US will will but it certainly won't be a juggernaut. For an example of a juggernaut watch the first period and a half from the Canada-Russia game.

If we play like that again, y'all are in deep shit ;)

I don't doubt that Team O Canada is the overwhelming favorite over the underdog USA, but if the Canadians meet the team that played Finland, well, it's like the Bernie Gashouse Gorillas playing the Teatotallers (see the youtube Bugs Bunny clip I posted earlier). That was the most hideous 1st period I have ever seen. I half expected Kiprusoff to start crying.

FWIW, I don't think either team is truly a juggernaut, considering the performances against Switzerland.