Olympics, what are YOU watching?

[FSTargetDrone]

I hope it's okay to start another Olympics thread. I'm just curious what everyone is watching. The other thread seems to be a bit more of general Olympics discussion.

Mostly I've been looking at the swimming, the various track and field events (when I can find them), baseball, basketball, volleyball and tennis.

Speaking of swimming, a nice highlight was Dara Torres' wonderful and classy move last night:

Dara Torres helps rival swimmer, then easily advances to final
10:37 PM, August 15, 2008

BEIJING -- Dara Torres survived some pre-race drama when she tried to help one of her competitors, Therese Alshammar of Sweden, who suffered an equipment malfunction before their semifinal of the 50-meter freestyle.

Torres, 41, was the fastest qualifier for Sunday's final, going 24.27 seconds. Sixteen-year-old Cate Campbell of Australia and Britta Steffen of Germany were second and third, respectively.

"Therese's suit ripped when we were getting ready to walk out," Torres said. "I tried to help her with it, tried to do it up, and it ripped again. So I walked out and was trying to get them to hold the race for her. I was saying, 'Her suit's ripped.' And waving my arms around."

Needless to say, Alshammar didn't make the top eight for the final, finishing in 14th place.

-- Lisa Dillman

[Tsyroc]

I haven't been watching any of it if I can help it.

I ocassionally see clips and stuff online or on the tv in passing.

I've found the US Olympic coverage to be stomach churning in it's focus on circle jerking for everything and everyone American since the Atlanta Olympics that I really can't watch NBC's Olympic broadcasts.

I wonder, this year are they hitting winners from other countries with questions about performance enhancing drugs and the like, but letting American medallists completely slide even if there's just as much of a reason, or more, to ask them the same sort of questions?

[Ford Prefect]

I was only interestedi n one thing: the men's 100m sprint.

[Lusankya]

I quite like the men's gymnastics. (It's for the same reason that my sister's boyfriend likes the women's beach volleyball.) Also, I thought that the water polo was boring as heck at first... but then they showed an underwater shot, and I realised what they get up to underneath the surface.

The synchronised diving seems to be quite popular in South Australia. Everyone here quite likes it because you can become an instant expert. "Ooh. They did that spin at the same time." "Uh, oh. That was a large splash. They'll lose points for that."

[Phantasee]

Women's beach volleyball (Russia vs Georgia created interest around here, until we found out that Team Georgia are just a bunch of Brazilians), watching Canada not win anything (especially the swimming), Michael Phelps (commonly referred to as either the Swim Machine or the Sex Machine, depending on who you talk to).

[Akhlut]

I wanted to watch Greece, but, unfortunately, NBC only shows Americans, and USA Network only occasionally shows non-Americans, but only with the more obscure stuff like the air rifles at 10m or something like that.

However, I suppose it might be a mixed blessing that I can't watch Greece, they've done about squat from what I've seen on Yahoo Sports.

Other than that, I'll flip to NBC or USA Network to watch whatever's on there for a little while. Regular women's volleyball, women's badminton, weightlifting, some various track-and-field stuff, and shooting were all pretty fun, but I could only watch them for a little bit. I'd like to have watched more soccer, but it was on at weirdish times and the matches I saw weren't too exciting (I much preferred the World Cup matches from a few year's back; that was a lot more fun).

[Block]

I wanted to watch Greece, but, unfortunately, NBC only shows Americans, and USA Network only occasionally shows non-Americans, but only with the more obscure stuff like the air rifles at 10m or something like that.

Not to be weird, but what do you expect exactly? Americans are more likely to be interested in our own athletes, so if they show them it's better ratings. They did show a pair of soccer games today that involved no Americans, though Brazil-Cameroon was an awful game.

[chitoryu12]

I'm not interested in the Olympics, but I'll sometimes watch whatever record Michael Phelps is breaking and a news special on China's ping-pong coach who went to the U.S. team.

[Pelranius]

Sailing. If the races weren't continuously delayed I'd be a lot happier, though (brings back my memories of Casco Bay's quirks).

[Battlehymn Republic]

Say do you guys think if Michael Phelps was cast as the lead in an Aquaman or Namor movie would it rock or would it be another Steel.

[Ford Prefect]

I think I would probably gouge my eyes out on reflex if someone told me Michael Phelps was going to play Namor in a film.

[Battlehymn Republic]

that's what they said about Heath Ledger too, etc.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

I might just watch the table tennis double finals tonight. Singapore vs China (or rather China vs China, depending on how you look at it).

[Ford Prefect]

that's what they said about Heath Ledger too, etc.

Are you actually being serious? No matter what misgivings there were about Ledger as the Joker, the fact remains that Ledger used to act for a job, whereas Phelps swims really well. Can you see the disconnect here? Just because someone is a good swimmer does not mean they can play the kings of the sea in a superhero action movie.

I'm going to assume that you're just having a laugh.

[Lord Pounder]

Due to my current job I have a vested interest in watching the Swimming.

Also been paying attention to the wrestling, beach vollyball and various athletics. Hell what ever happens to be on the BBC iPlayer when I get to work is usually watchable.

[loomer]

I was only interestedi n one thing: the men's 100m sprint.

Fuck me that bloke could run, couldn't he? It was like he was taking a leisurely bloody stroll!

[Ford Prefect]

Fuck me that bloke could run, couldn't he? It was like he was taking a leisurely bloody stroll!

One of the Australian commentators was all like 'what is this man capable of!?' and I couldn't help but think that the sentiment was well founded. Usain Bolt didn't run, he flew. After they all got started, it just stopped being a race.

[mr friendly guy]

Pretty much watch whatever is on. I am just too tired from work to do much else. Generally I would prefer to watch badminton (since I play it occasionally with friends) and table tennis (wow that was a great match between China and Singapore).

I also found women's diving interesting for similar reasons to why Lusankya found men's gymastics interesting.

[ray245]

I might just watch the table tennis double finals tonight. Singapore vs China (or rather China vs China, depending on how you look at it).

Given that we cannot say that a person born and raised in another country make them less singaporean...given the fact that singapore IS a country build up by immigrants...

[Akhlut]

I wanted to watch Greece, but, unfortunately, NBC only shows Americans, and USA Network only occasionally shows non-Americans, but only with the more obscure stuff like the air rifles at 10m or something like that.

Not to be weird, but what do you expect exactly? Americans are more likely to be interested in our own athletes, so if they show them it's better ratings. They did show a pair of soccer games today that involved no Americans, though Brazil-Cameroon was an awful game.

I'm well aware of that, it's just that I wish NBC networks were more cosmopolitan about their sports (well, at least the one's I get; I don't know if MSNBC or CNBC are better about it or not). Plus, I'd like it a bit better if they didn't focus almost exclusively on the Americans in the game. Hell, in several of the beach volleyball games, I didn't even get a close-up of the other team, even when they were serving (US vs. Japan game), though, to be fair, I didn't watch that game in its entirety.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

I might just watch the table tennis double finals tonight. Singapore vs China (or rather China vs China, depending on how you look at it).

Given that we cannot say that a person born and raised in another country make them less singaporean...given the fact that singapore IS a country build up by immigrants...

Doesn't change the fact that most of us here are already 2nd or 3rd generation immigrants which gives us more hold the term "Singaporean".

[Guardsman Bass]

I've watched the Men's and Women's Gymnastics (or a lot of it).

[FSTargetDrone]

I'm well aware of that, it's just that I wish NBC networks were more cosmopolitan about their sports (well, at least the one's I get; I don't know if MSNBC or CNBC are better about it or not). Plus, I'd like it a bit better if they didn't focus almost exclusively on the Americans in the game. Hell, in several of the beach volleyball games, I didn't even get a close-up of the other team, even when they were serving (US vs. Japan game), though, to be fair, I didn't watch that game in its entirety.

It seems like there is a lot of non-US-involved boxing being shown. I forget which channel it's on, but every time I turn to it there is another match that doesn't involve an American fighter.

[Styphon]

My personal favorite bit for NBC's America wanking was the announcers acting like Shalane Flanagan was Lance fucking Armstrong ("oh, it's just such an amazing story... triumph over adversity..." that sort of tripe) because she overcame food poisoning to win the bronze. Now I know that getting a medal at all in the Olympics is a pretty impressive feat, but that's still third place. Is it too much to ask that they stop showing her parading around wearing the flag over her shoulders and give ten seconds of screen time to the people that beat her?

[Block]

My personal favorite bit for NBC's America wanking was the announcers acting like Shalane Flanagan was Lance fucking Armstrong ("oh, it's just such an amazing story... triumph over adversity..." that sort of tripe) because she overcame food poisoning to win the bronze. Now I know that getting a medal at all in the Olympics is a pretty impressive feat, but that's still third place. Is it too much to ask that they stop showing her parading around wearing the flag over her shoulders and give ten seconds of screen time to the people that beat her?

Was she sick with food poisoning during her event? Cause getting a bronze is pretty freaking impressive if so, it can be hard to get out of bed with food poisoning a lot of the time.