Olympics Thread (Doping Scandal!?)

[Outer Sparta]

Cairo's probably going to be too hot by then.

Maybe Cape Town or Johannesburg? Or perhaps they can go smaller and host it in Port Louis.

I wouldn't be surprised if we have a Dubai or somewhere like that, somewhere that is happy to stump up the money to whitewash their image.

Doha. Let's see Qatar try to bribe the IOC to host the Olympics just like the World Cup.

[Bombadil]

Well, the women's eights first heat certainly can't be complained about. In case of delayed coverage, I think I'll spoiler it.

Er, maybe not if you're a fan of GB (they were terrible, awful... never in it), but a very tight run thing. Would I care so much if NZ weren't catching up the whole time? No idea.

The weird thing with TVNZ's coverage is the obviously British commentary team in both that hockey game and these two races (I also saw the end of the men's eights second heat, not anything like as interesting). I guess, Sky (NZ Sky, not British Sky?) wouldn't let them use Sky's commentary team... or is it a Covid thing? I dunno.

Probably cheaper to stream through than pay for local hosts and coverage.

[The Champions League]

I wouldn't be surprised if we have a Dubai or somewhere like that, somewhere that is happy to stump up the money to whitewash their image.

Doha. Let's see Qatar try to bribe the IOC to host the Olympics just like the World Cup.

Could've bribed the IOC in 2016 or 2020 but Rio and Tokyo took the spots. Maybe the IOC is smarter than other organizations (cough FIFA cough).

[Forsher]

Well, the women's eights first heat certainly can't be complained about. In case of delayed coverage, I think I'll spoiler it.

Er, maybe not if you're a fan of GB (they were terrible, awful... never in it), but a very tight run thing. Would I care so much if NZ weren't catching up the whole time? No idea.

The weird thing with TVNZ's coverage is the obviously British commentary team in both that hockey game and these two races (I also saw the end of the men's eights second heat, not anything like as interesting). I guess, Sky (NZ Sky, not British Sky?) wouldn't let them use Sky's commentary team... or is it a Covid thing? I dunno.

Probably cheaper to stream through than pay for local hosts and coverage.

Of course, it's just, rowing is sort of a Big Deal here and Sky do have a team in Tokyo so it stood out.

The road race... which I have to ditch for about 90 minutes because TVNZ are switching to gymnastics (ugh) and then it's the news... has what I think are Australian commentators. Well, I think the woman is, anyway... he might be from here. I'm not good at picking accents and the bastards are extraordinarily professional: I haven't noticed any interest in having a particular nation win.

Interesting race, too. If anyone has any interest whatsoever in tactical racing, it's worth having a look.

[Bombadil]

Doha. Let's see Qatar try to bribe the IOC to host the Olympics just like the World Cup.

Could've bribed the IOC in 2016 or 2020 but Rio and Tokyo took the spots. Maybe the IOC is smarter than other organizations (cough FIFA cough).

..or maybe football is seen as a better investment by totalitarian nations now that the Olympics has kind of lost its cache.

[Forsher]

Could've bribed the IOC in 2016 or 2020 but Rio and Tokyo took the spots. Maybe the IOC is smarter than other organizations (cough FIFA cough).

..or maybe football is seen as a better investment by totalitarian nations now that the Olympics has kind of lost its cache.

To be fair, the Olympics weren't so bad for Greece... it was London and Rio that don't look like they stacked up (ah, and Beijing, also).

The problem I think the Olympics have is that they want it to be in the same city too much. So, you either have the Olympics rotating through megacities (and apparently Brisbane) or you have a whole lot of reasonably niche bits of sports infrastructure that's difficult to repurpose left over (Athens had this problem in spades, but it's difficult to separate from everything else that went wrong in Greece between 2004 and now, see: the video). The IOC chose the latter.

There is simply no reason to have everything in the one city... it seems to me you need the opening ceremony, the village and the closing ceremony in the one place. Obviously you don't want the athletes to travel too far, but any reasonable location is going to have another urban area within two hours or less. The Olympics should be seen as an opportunity to prove existing infrastructure works and/or get substantive improvements to it built, rather than a motive to build sports infrastructure that's often wholly unsuitable for grassroots or even local professional sports (and, in some cases, gigs). Intranational connections are important, too, IOC (and, also, there are a bunch of cities in, particularly, Europe where those other nearby urban areas are in other countries).

[Hatsunia]

In 2013, I was excited for the "Mikulympics."
In 2016, I was excited during the Rio closing ceremony handover.
In 2021, I am not excited anymore.

[Kowani]

New Olympic Record goes to Javad Foroughi of Iran in the men's 10-meter air pistol, with h 244.8 points

meanwhile, China took the first gold medal of the Olympics, with Qian Yang in the women's 10 meter air rifle

[Forsher]

The men's road race concluded in a non-exciting fashion as the winner ran away with it a bit. In context, an underdog story though based on previous results alone, the winner was probably among the favourites.

Bronze and silver was, however, too close to call... a bunch of cyclists sprinted in. I could've sworn the guy they gave the silver was third.

The NZ interest dissipated back at the start of the final climb... which was the part that really drew you in. Apparently, it was a bad idea to not do the Tour de France beforehand.

New Olympic Record goes to Javad Foroughi of Iran in the men's 10-meter air pistol, with h 244.8 points

meanwhile, China took the first gold medal of the Olympics, with Qian Yang in the women's 10 meter air rifle

In opposite news, this is the first time since 1980 (if you include the boycott) or 1972 (if you don't), that the US won no medals whatsoever on day 1.

At one time, it looked like at least a silver was certain for the USA in the cycling road race.

[Dakini]

The fact that Japan is able and willing to host the Olympics shows how dedicated they are to its ideals.

According to a poll published July 13, 2021, only 22% of Japanese citizens believed the games should go ahead this year. This tracks with a Japanese survey published in May that reported 83% of Japanese citizens opposed the games being held this year. Outside the Opening Ceremony, Protestors shout "Go to Hell, IOC"


This isn't one of your hypothetical magic worlds where hosting an Olympics somehow makes a populace happy in the face of hardship, people are pissed and they're showing it.

Even in the midst of a pandemic where lives are risked… sports matter, ads matter, brands matter, Olympic glory matters, medals matter.

Very sadistic you're openly happy to see lives risked for these things - especially advertisements and brands, disgusting

It really shows the priorities of the leaders.

Perhaps the leaders should reevaluate their priorities.

Approval rating for Prime Minister Suga's Cabinet hits all-time low ahead of Olympics at 35.9%; disapproval rating at record high at 49.8%

Oh wow, Japan's other political parties might get a crack at running things again.

They're not wearing their masks correctly either.

You'd think after a year people would have figured out wearing masks.

For real.

[The Huskar Social Union]

Good luck to the Irish team in the Olympics.

[Ifreann]

Good luck to the Irish team in the Olympics.

Apparently the Japanese press are very pleased with how they stopped to bow. "First class behaviour". Everyone's mammies will be very proud.

[Duvniask]

The fact that Japan is able and willing to host the Olympics shows how dedicated they are to its ideals.

Or that the Japanese government is run by spineless faggots that don't care about the people they're supposed to lead. The handling of the pandemic has been truly idiotic, the response inept and misdirected towards stupid bullshit like banning restaurants from serving alcohol instead of, you know, enforcing social distancing.

Even in the midst of a pandemic where lives are risked… sports matter, ads matter, brands matter, Olympic glory matters, medals matter. It really shows the priorities of the leaders.

Keeping the pandemic under control: I sleep

Brands and advertising: REAL SHIT?

[San Lumen]

The fact that Japan is able and willing to host the Olympics shows how dedicated they are to its ideals.

Or that the Japanese government is run by spineless faggots that don't care about the people they're supposed to lead. The handling of the pandemic has been truly idiotic, the response inept and misdirected towards stupid bullshit like banning restaurants from serving alcohol instead of, you know, enforcing social distancing.

Even in the midst of a pandemic where lives are risked… sports matter, ads matter, brands matter, Olympic glory matters, medals matter. It really shows the priorities of the leaders.

Keeping the pandemic under control: I sleep

Brands and advertising: REAL SHIT?

Is there a reason you felt the need to use a gay slur?

[The Jamesian Republic]

Good luck to the Irish team in the Olympics.

Apparently the Japanese press are very pleased with how they stopped to bow. "First class behaviour". Everyone's mammies will be very proud.

I think we should do that instead of elbow touching here in the US to greet people since the pandemic. Bowing is just more formal to me.

[Duvniask]

Or that the Japanese government is run by spineless faggots that don't care about the people they're supposed to lead. The handling of the pandemic has been truly idiotic, the response inept and misdirected towards stupid bullshit like banning restaurants from serving alcohol instead of, you know, enforcing social distancing.


Keeping the pandemic under control: I sleep

Brands and advertising: REAL SHIT?

Is there a reason you felt the need to use a gay slur?

Long ago, South Park explained it thusly: it means an inconsiderate douchebag. Don't think I've ever used it for someone's homosexuality; heck Japan could use some LGBT people in power to help shake the old boys' club up a bit.

[Heloin]

Is there a reason you felt the need to use a gay slur?

Long ago, South Park explained it thusly: it means an inconsiderate douchebag. Don't think I've ever used it for someone's homosexuality; heck Japan could use some LGBT people in power to help shake the old boys' club up a bit.

South Park using a gay slur doesn’t actually mean it stopped being a gay slur.

[Forsher]

Long ago, South Park explained it thusly: it means an inconsiderate douchebag. Don't think I've ever used it for someone's homosexuality; heck Japan could use some LGBT people in power to help shake the old boys' club up a bit.

South Park using a gay slur doesn’t actually mean it stopped being a gay slur.

I'm inclined to argue that South Park used it specifically because it was... and is.

[Giovenith]

The fact that Japan is able and willing to host the Olympics shows how dedicated they are to its ideals.

Or that the Japanese government is run by spineless faggots that don't care about the people they're supposed to lead. The handling of the pandemic has been truly idiotic, the response inept and misdirected towards stupid bullshit like banning restaurants from serving alcohol instead of, you know, enforcing social distancing.

Even in the midst of a pandemic where lives are risked… sports matter, ads matter, brands matter, Olympic glory matters, medals matter. It really shows the priorities of the leaders.

Keeping the pandemic under control: I sleep

Brands and advertising: REAL SHIT?

*** Warned for Trolling ***

What is this? You know better. Don't use slurs to make your points.

Long ago, South Park explained it thusly: it means an inconsiderate douchebag. Don't think I've ever used it for someone's homosexuality; heck Japan could use some LGBT people in power to help shake the old boys' club up a bit.

It doesn't matter what you or South Park think it "should" mean, what matters is how it's actually used. Do not pull this nonsense again.

[Ifreann]

There are, it should be noted, large protests against the holding of the Olympics.

[The Free Joy State]

The fact that Japan is able and willing to host the Olympics shows how dedicated they are to its ideals.

Even in the midst of a pandemic where lives are risked… sports matter, ads matter, brands matter, Olympic glory matters, medals matter. It really shows the priorities of the leaders.

Oh, it shows where the leaders of Japan's priorities lie, alright (not Japan's priorities as a whole; as Kannap said, people have been protesting, a lot -- there have been scuffles with police).

It doesn't mean those things you listed -- bar lives -- matter.

[Heloin]

There are, it should be noted, large protests against the holding of the Olympics.

And like the World Cup while I hate everything surrounding it I’ll still get really exciting and watch.

[Dakini]

Good luck to the Irish team in the Olympics.

Apparently the Japanese press are very pleased with how they stopped to bow. "First class behaviour". Everyone's mammies will be very proud.

They're probably especially pleased because they managed to bow correctly (though it's possible that everyone did the male version of the bow, the footage I saw only showed a few of them really well).

[The Archregimancy]

They also selected Brisbane for 2032.

I think for 2036 they should hold it in Berlin or maybe Cairo. I think it would cool to see the Olympics in those cities.

I don't think anyone who's spent a summer living in Cairo - or faced its traffic - would make that suggestion.

[Heloin]

They also selected Brisbane for 2032.

I think for 2036 they should hold it in Berlin or maybe Cairo. I think it would cool to see the Olympics in those cities.

I don't think anyone who's spent a summer living in Cairo - or faced its traffic - would make that suggestion.

And I doubt they’d be able to handle the Winter Olympics.