2008 Olympics

[Chopstick]

In 2 days the 2008 Olympics will begin. I'm not sure if anyone cares about the Olympics before, with it turning into a massive heap of doping scandals, but I'm pretty excited anyway. I probably won't be following all of the sports, but there are a couple that interest me.

Tennis. I may be biased since tennis is my favorite sport, but it should be exciting nonetheless. While some players are skipping it (since the US Open is only a few weeks after that), all of the top players are participating (excluding Roddick, but he is going downhill anyway). Can Roger Federer win gold? He states that he would rather win gold than another grand slam, so he does have the ambition to do so. His form however, is lacking. After losing the Wimbledon final, he has been bounced out early in the two master events that he has played in. While people are thinking that Rafael Nadal will win gold, I think that he's just too tired to win the whole thing. Novak Djokovic is always a threat, especially on hard courts. He also beat Rafa last week, so that probably raised his confidence a little bit. Andy Murray has been playing exceptionally well the past two weeks, and I believe he has a strong shot to medal. For the women, honestly, I don't care. I expect either Ivanovic/Jankovic to medal, as well as either Venus/Serena, and an obligatory Russian. Right now Safina has a lot of momentum going for her, winning her last two tournaments.

Basketball. Men's basketball, anyway. The US is obviously the favorite, but can they stop playing like it is an all star game and start acting as a team? Will they be able to play decent defense, and not underestimate all of the other teams? Who knows. I still pick them to win gold anyway.

Track and field. The only event I'm interested in are the sprints, as well as long jump/triple jump. But the men's 100m should be pretty exciting considering that Usain Bolt, Tyson Gay, and Asafa Powell can all run it in under 9.8 seconds. Hopefully Gay's leg is alright though, since at the Olympic trials he had to pull out of the 200 metre in the middle of his heat.

Swimming. Can Michael Phelps win another 8 medals this time? Will that 41 year old swimmer be able to do well (which is just freaking crazy if I must say).

If any of you plan on watching, what events are you most excited for?

This stadium is also pretty interesting. Also go !

[Nino]

All the Olympics have done is expose China for the shithole it really is. It's almost embarrassing, really.

[Crystal Shards]

All the Olympics have done is expose China for the shithole it really is. It's almost embarrassing, really.

This.

Of course, it's really easy to jump on the "I HATE CHINA" bandwagon, too, so that's part of it.

However, I am looking forward to tennis. That's my favorite sport.

[DMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMA JonnyJon]

While I deplore China's actions and was never wild about China winning the bid in the first place, I do admit that ignoring it outright is a little harsh on the athletes. This chance to go to the Olympics only comes around every four years and, in many events, you're only going to be in good enough shape to be able to compete--let alone have a chance to win--once in your entire lifetime.

It has to be a bit depressing not to get your own countrymen's support because of the actions of what amounts to a police state over which you have no control.

[Superbus]

While I deplore China's actions and was never wild about China winning the bid in the first place, I do admit that ignoring it outright is a little harsh on the athletes. This chance to go to the Olympics only comes around every four years and, in many events, you're only going to be in good enough shape to be able to compete--let alone have a chance to win--once in your entire lifetime.

It has to be a bit depressing not to get your own countrymen's support because of the actions of what amounts to a police state over which you have no control.

Sorry, but some things are just... bigger than someone's athletic pursuits, sponsored by McDonalds and Coca-Cola.

That's why I'm totally boycotting these Olympics, even the basketball. Our coverage of them is terrible, anyway.

[DMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMA JonnyJon]

Sorry, but some things are just... bigger than someone's athletic pursuits, sponsored by McDonalds and Coca-Cola.

While bigger they may be, equal I find them not. While I'll likely pass the coverage of the games up myself in protest (of the IOC, rather than China), when it's all said and done boycotting the games will do about as much as they did in 1980 and 1984: nothing. China needs a bigger kick in the pants than a couple months worth of extra tourism cut off.

[kryptonite]

It's not good to hate China for what a few Chinese people did, or whatever (you all are talking about the Tibet thing, right?)... >_> Not all Chinese people are bad or mean. I mean, those protesters running out and putting out the Olympic torch were kind of stupid, IMO... <_<

But either way, I never really cared about sports or the Olympics, so... But my parents are excited because it's in China... *cough*

[Sword Saint]

(you all are talking about the Tibet thing, right?)

The atrocities committed by the Chinese government stretch far beyond their actions in Tibet.

[YokaiKnight]

I think it's weak to boycott the Olympics because of China's random bull--it's been going on for decades, and choosing now to do something strikes me as just being dramatic.

Besides, to be blunt a few people not watching the Olympics isn't going to change shit. Like Dale said, boycotting Olympic events (which the US hasn't done) isn't likely to affect much. If we really wanted to "punish" China as much as we claim we do now, there are much more effective nonviolent means than boycotting a sporting event.

So in light of all that, I'm going to watch the Olympics this year...and I'm going to enjoy it, too.

[Crystal Shards]

I'm still going to watch it, but if you ask me this is the PERFECT time to show how pissed off we are at China, because, well, they're all over the news. They're hosting the OLYMPICS. So naturally reporting/whatever on them now would be more effective than, say, any other day of the week.

Not saying that we should spoil the Olympics for everyone or anything, but honestly the two aren't related, but I understand why this is a good time to make our point known.

[arashisama without the decorative symbols. RANDOM ENOUGH?!]

Hm... I wonder why they let certain countries even contend for the bid? I mean, with Germany, it was at least before Hitler's atrocities were exposed. This is not the case now. I don't understand why it's so extreme either, with some people in China ignoring all the bad stuff and others completely horrified.

I support the athletes, but minus big championship games, I've never found watching sports on TV fascinating, and there's no way I am going to bear stifling heat to watch it live. Last time I watched summer Olympics were back in 2000 when it was at Sydney. I visited the site in summer 2006 while on my school music tour too But there is a fencer from SF who's quite cute. Reminds me a lot of one of my friends.

[dilbertschalter]

My feelings about China are pretty 'meh' to be honest. Sure the government has done lots of nasty things, but they've at the same presided over an impressive economic boom that has changed the lives of hundreds actually of millions of their citizens for the better. Countries are not simple 'good' or 'bad', they tend to be somewhere in between and while few countries have been as repressive as China over the last 30 years few have been as successful economically either.

[Jeffer]

Why should athletes be the highest ethical persons out there? Pretty much the whole world works with China through industry or trade. Everyone has probably something in their house that comes from a Chinese sweatshop and nobody feels bad about that. But an athlete training for four years to perhaps achieve a life's dream is supposed to be a sin? He doesn't directly hurt any people, those industry products of yours probably did.

That being said, I don't think China should've recieved the Olympics. I sincerely doubt the country will make some real progress, at least not until all the party bosses who adore the repression button get out.

And for a bit of patriottism: kudos to Rogge for handling the thing. The man gets his job, he's not political, but an eternal diplomat to get the sport events going.

[Crystal Shards]

Erm, who said that the athletes were sinners?

[DMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMA JonnyJon]

Erm, who said that the athletes were sinners?

The people who are demanding the West boycott the games, ala 1980.

[Jeffer]

Erm, who said that the athletes were sinners?

People who want to boycot the games because they think the athletes are heartless commercial bastards who care not about, and even support China's draconian regime. Sadly, there's a good few of them.

[Crystal Shards]

Oh, those retards. I tend to ignore them.

Also, did you hear about the ticket scam? I thought that was horrible. Some parents won't be able to see their children compete because of it...

[I Fell In Love With Judas, then I got Herpes]

Hasn't the Olympics always been about "Sports Before Politics"? Isn't it rather silly to boycott it over, well, politics?

I mean, I hate the Chinese government as much as the next man, but the Olympics are the Olympics wherever it's set. Unless China starts spreading the medals equally amongst the people (but actually keeping it all for China), there's no real reason to block the sports over some stupid country.

Anyone who's boycotting the Olympics is missing the entire point, although I doubt they were going to watch it anyway and are just using China as an excuse.

[i am a raging faggot who loves big dicks]

Sure the government has done lots of nasty things, but they've at the same presided over an impressive economic boom that has changed the lives of hundreds actually of millions of their citizens for the better.

They've presided over an economic boom that has created a "middle class" of three to seven percent of their population, depending on who you ask, and arguably at the expense of the rest of the population. Giving them credit for such strikes me as less than ideal.

[dilbertschalter]

They've presided over an economic boom that has created a "middle class" of three to seven percent of their population, depending on who you ask, and arguably at the expense of the rest of the population. Giving them credit for such strikes me as less than ideal.

Well, their GDP has increased by an order of magnitude and the percentage of the population in poverty is ~15% of what it was 30 years ago. You can look around the world for countries that have done that well in that time period and the number is very small indeed.