Olympic TV Coverage

If you could only watch one Olympic event on TV, which would it be?

  • Archery

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Badminton

    Votes: 1 2.6%

  • Baseball

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Basketball

    Votes: 1 2.6%

  • Beach Volleyball

    Votes: 2 5.3%

  • Boxing

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Canoe/Kayak

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Cycling

    Votes: 2 5.3%

  • Diving

    Votes: 2 5.3%

  • Equestrian

    Votes: 3 7.9%

  • Fencing

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Futbol

    Votes: 1 2.6%

  • Gymnastics

    Votes: 7 18.4%

  • Trampoline

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Handball

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Hockey

    Votes: 2 5.3%

  • Judo

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Modern Pentathlon

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Rowing

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Sailing

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Shooting

    Votes: 3 7.9%

  • Softball

    Votes: 2 5.3%

  • Swimming

    Votes: 4 10.5%

  • Synchronized Swimming

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Table Tennis

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Taekwondo

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Tennis

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Track & Field

    Votes: 4 10.5%

  • Triathlon

    Votes: 2 5.3%

  • Volleyball

    Votes: 2 5.3%

  • Water Polo

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Weightlifting

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Wrestling

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    38
gibbons

gibbons

En-Route
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
3,385
Location
Rogers, Arkansas
Display Name
Display name:
iRide
Just curious. This seems like a pretty average cross section of America so I'll ask you guys:

If you could only watch one event on TV, which event would you choose?

I must be out of touch (as usual).
 
chip there is one error in your poll. You should have broken down Beach Vollyball into

1) Mens Beach Vollyball

and

2) Womens Beach Vollyball:D
 
Beach Volleyball - women's beach volleyball.
 
yes, womens beach volleyball, but you have to watch on Univision. much lower camera angles.
 
Gymnastics... both women's and men's. It takes talent and coordination as well as strength. To handle the rings or saddle horse the way they do... Geeze!

Recent Joke: What kind of saddle is the Saddle Horse, English or Western? :D
 
oh and i did watch badminton today, which was much more entertaining that i ever would've imagined.
 
KennyFlys said:
Gymnastics... both women's and men's. It takes talent and coordination as well as strength. To handle the rings or saddle horse the way they do... Geeze!
Click to expand...

My long standing opinion has been that if a judge determines who wins, then it's not a sport. This includes "sports" such as gymnastics, diving, figure skating, etc., etc., etc. The participants are very talented athletes but it's not a sport.

This opinion was fortified a few winter olympics ago when an up and coming figure skating couple gave the performance of their life. The commentator (I think it was Dorothy Hammel (sp?)) said something like:

"If they continue to skate like that they'll start winning competetions."

Translation:

"They were the best skaters in the event but they're still young and unproven so they must pay their dues before the judges will allow them to win"
 
Track and field. No rules. Just run.
 
timwinters said:
My long standing opinion has been that if a judge determines who wins, then it's not a sport. This includes "sports" such as gymnastics, diving, figure skating, etc., etc., etc. The participants are very talented athletes but it's not a sport.
Click to expand...

Well put!

Nothing against the skill, fitness, and talent involved in the non-sport portions of the olympics.
 
timwinters said:
My long standing opinion has been that if a judge determines who wins, then it's not a sport. This includes "sports" such as gymnastics, diving, figure skating, etc., etc., etc. The participants are very talented athletes but it's not a sport.

This opinion was fortified a few winter olympics ago when an up and coming figure skating couple gave the performance of their life. The commentator (I think it was Dorothy Hammel (sp?)) said something like:

"If they continue to skate like that they'll start winning competetions."

Translation:

"They were the best skaters in the event but they're still young and unproven so they must pay their dues before the judges will allow them to win"
Click to expand...
Agreed the scoring is not very objective. At least there are ten judges from around the world and they are averaged. It's rare you find a judge so far out of line with the others. That was the case before with a competition and I do believe it was figure skating.
 
I think it humorous to not consider gymnastics a sport in a day and age where poker is considered a sport....
 
Some sports just don't show well on TV: gymnastics does. I don't like the judging on occasion, but they usually do pretty well. Having participated a bit in HS probably makes me appreciate the skills it takes a bit more.

Best,

Dave
 
Dave Siciliano said:
Some sports just don't show well on TV: gymnastics does. I don't like the judging on occasion, but they usually do pretty well. Having participated a bit in HS probably makes me appreciate the skills it takes a bit more.

Best,

Dave
Click to expand...

The other night one of the Chinese guys rolled himself, body completely outstretched, from an iron cross to a handstand very slowly through the whole rotation basically powering the rotation with his forarms and wrists, I thought "damnnnnnnn"
 
I'd just settle for just broadcasting the events. I am sick of all that human interest crap NBC tries to foist on us. I'd much rather watch the rowing or track cycling events than listen to yet another sob story of how some american athlete had to overcome their ingrown toenails etc.

As for the original poll I'd have to pick Track Cycling
 
timwinters said:
My long standing opinion has been that if a judge determines who wins, then it's not a sport. This includes "sports" such as gymnastics, diving, figure skating, etc., etc., etc. The participants are very talented athletes but it's not a sport.
Click to expand...

TMetzinger said:
Well put!

Nothing against the skill, fitness, and talent involved in the non-sport portions of the olympics.
Click to expand...

Mostly, of course, those athletes you discount are participating in sports where women can dominate. Unfortunately, in these types of events, there is only one winner in each competition.

In team sports, 50% of the participants in any game are winners, whether they gave their best or just showed up. hmm... How sporting is that? As far as objectivity is concerned, aren't there referees (judges?) handing out penalties that are decided subjectively?

The combination, of course, is competitions like javelin or sprinting where individuals win and the outcome is objectively measured.
 
Henning said:
The other night one of the Chinese guys rolled himself, body completely outstretched, from an iron cross to a handstand very slowly through the whole rotation basically powering the rotation with his forarms and wrists, I thought "damnnnnnnn"
Click to expand...

That is always so amazing!

Did you see the opening ceremony? When the team from Denmark came by, their flag bearer was holding the flagpole with his arm parallel to the floor outstretched full-length and his fist wrapped around the pole, not straining one bit. I don't know what his event is, but that was another incredible display of strength that no one seemed to notice.
 
Whoops - doesn't make a damn bit of difference to me whether the atheletes are male or female.

Soccer - played by men or women - is a sport.
Diving - done by men or women - is not a sport.
Curling - done by men or women - is a sport.
Figure skating - done by men or women, or both - is not a sport.

And since your message makes me think that your hackles got raised, I'm not discounting the athleticism at all. The Olympic Games today are about national pride, marketing, and entertainment, as well as (perhaps more than) an athletic event.

So if you ask me if the Olympics are Athletic, my answer is Yes, Ja!, Da, Si!. If you ask me if all the events are sports - then my answer is No, Nein, Nyet, No.

Referees/Umpires make subjective calls of OBJECTIVE standards - enforcing the rules. While these calls may affect the score, they are NOT the score.
 
TMetzinger said:
Soccer - played by men or women - is a sport.
Diving - done by men or women - is not a sport.
Curling - done by men or women - is a sport.
Figure skating - done by men or women, or both - is not a sport.
Click to expand...

During a night of wine tasting a friend of mine and I had the "what is a sport" discussion. Over the years we've modified the list a little, but here is our best inebriated effort at defining what constitutes a sport - short and simple:

1) There must not be judges or subjective scoring
2) There must be a ball in play
3) The participants must be fit, athletic and skilled

Not sports - aerobatics, swimming, cycling, gymnastics, hockey, racing (especially NASCAR), diving, figure skating, synchronized anything, curling, golf (see #3), and cheer leading for christ sake, etc.

Sports - football, basketball, futbol, water polo (that hurts), volleyball, etc.

Still under debate - Baseball (see #3)

You are welcome to disagree. To do so, please bring two bottles of good red wine and your own steak to the lake house.

:D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top