11/27/24
February 16, 2010
SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle:
A place to discuss the sports stories that aren't making news, share links that aren't quite front-page material, and diagram plays on your hand. Remember to count to five Mississippi before commenting in anger.
I would never ever wish it on BC or Canada in general (a country of which I am very fond), but I understand this assessment completely. Just too many things have not gone right.
The sweat pouring off of Gretzky's face as he stood stoically holding his torch during the cauldron malfunction is a summation of the overall feel of these Games.
My dismay at the luge situation was further fueled when I saw the hastily added retaining wall that was put up in the area where Nodar died.
The design and construction of that wall is an embarrassment. Cheap stud framing, with the studs not even set on regular centers. There is no visible sign of any engineering involved either in the design or choice of materials. The overall build quality is on a par with the stage set for a high school play.
There are a lot of people trying very hard to make these Games go well. But they're fighting an uphill battle against the climate in an area that should not have been considered as a viable host site to begin with.
In terms of being the worst ever Games, it depends on what your criteria is, but in terms of tragedy and debacle, one would have to go a long way to top Munich 1972. Hopefully, that standard will never be equaled or surpassed.
posted by beaverboard at 08:24 AM on February 16, 2010
They should call Mike Holmes, he could fix this.
posted by NoMich at 08:35 AM on February 16, 2010
And they didn't even mention the zamboni (ok, I think it's technically not a zamboni) that keeps breaking down during long-track speed skating resurfacing.
posted by fabulon7 at 09:15 AM on February 16, 2010
What?! They didn't use Zambonis? Well there's your problem right there. I didn't even know there was another manufacturer.
posted by bender at 10:01 AM on February 16, 2010
Also (if I may link to two Globe editorials):
- Not enough French in the opening ceremonies
- Outdoor Olympic flame is fenced off
posted by DrJohnEvans at 10:02 AM on February 16, 2010
Not enough French in the opening ceremonies
Not again ....
I guess choosing our Olympic athletes on a language basis (rather than performance) to ensure equality isn't enough.
posted by cixelsyd at 10:32 AM on February 16, 2010
They should call Mike Holmes, he could fix this.
Technically, he could talk about all the extra work his martyred ass will have to put into to get it done right while Damien and the rest of the crew do the work.
posted by yerfatma at 11:59 AM on February 16, 2010
Ain't that the truth. Is he a scammer of sorts? Something just seems to be off about that show.
posted by NoMich at 12:35 PM on February 16, 2010
Oh, THAT Holmes. The scenes of bad renovations seem exaggerated to me as well.
posted by yzelda4045 at 12:44 PM on February 16, 2010
Three days in, and already it's being suggested as the worst ever Games.
Dear U.K.,
If you keep badmouthing our Olympics, we'll be sure to return the favour when your turn comes.
Sincerely,
Your Colonial Brothers
Not enough French in the opening ceremonies
Which is pretty funny because my wife turned to me during the opening ceremonies and asked "Why is it French first for everything? The bilingual speeches, it's French first. The announcement of the nations, it's French first. All of the signs, it's French first."
Throw in the fact that all three goalies for Team Canada are French...
Outdoor Olympic flame is fenced off
I'd rather have that than the headline from 3 days in the future:
Olympic flame vandalized by protesters
posted by grum@work at 12:54 PM on February 16, 2010
Based on the committee-driven disaster that is the London 2012 logo, I would have guessed that U.K. papers would be careful about stones and glass houses, etc. Plenty of time yet for London to fail royally if that's a glimpse of the future.
I understand fencing the Olympic flame for protesters. What I don't understand is how anyone thought putting it 50 feet behind an ugly-ass link-mesh fence could be anything but a public relations disaster. Its the Olympic flame, people; the single biggest visual symbol of the event all those tens of thousands of fans have come to see. Of course they want to take photos of it, and they don't want it way in the background behind the family thru a jersey barrier and wire mesh. Seriously, it would have been better all round to not have an Olympic flame at all than to come up with this half-assed arrangement.
posted by deflated at 01:49 PM on February 16, 2010
disaster that is the London 2012 logo
Wow, that really is hideous. That shouldn't be allowed to criticize anything until after 2012.
....or maybe the world really IS going to end in 2012.
posted by myshtigo at 02:21 PM on February 16, 2010
disaster that is the London 2012 logo
Nah, that's just the new tube map. By 2012 all of London's transport infrastructure will look like that.
posted by owlhouse at 02:57 PM on February 16, 2010
Meanwhile, on the rest of the planet, Afghanistan defeats the USA as part of a plan to conquer the world. However this time it's good news.
posted by owlhouse at 03:09 PM on February 16, 2010
disaster that is the London 2012 logo
1983 just called, it wants is zaniness back.
posted by NoMich at 03:46 PM on February 16, 2010
Get a grip! Evidently there's a national bias between left-handed and right-handed hockey players. This article from The New York Times via The Boston Globe gives a couple of ideas why this might be. I had never really thought about it, but it makes some sense.
posted by Howard_T at 04:22 PM on February 16, 2010
Three days in, and already it's being suggested as the worst ever Games.
"Canadian Olympic Committee president Michael Chambers agrees that these are still great Games despite the problems.
Chambers says Vancouver residents and Canadians in general have embraced the Olympics and media critics are not experiencing the same Games as he is."
You see, it's just a matter of perception. Which makes me wonder if it's fog that's delaying the snowboard cross, or if it's a cloud of a different kind of smoke.
posted by Spitztengle at 04:23 PM on February 16, 2010
Is he a scammer of sorts? Something just seems to be off about that show
No, in all honesty, he seems like a very good person, given The Holmes Foundation and the other things he's done for people who've gotten screwed by contractors. It's just after watching a season or two, it becomes painfully repetitive about how awesome he is.
posted by yerfatma at 04:28 PM on February 16, 2010
Three days in, and already it's being suggested as the worst ever Games.
Really?
Worse than the Olympics with terrorist attacks?
Worse than the Olympics that nobody watched?
Worse than the Olympics that everyone boycotted?
Worse than the Olympics where the competitors didn't even know they were AT the Olympics?
Worse than the Nazi-themed Olympics?
I suggest the Guardian hire someone who is a little more knowledgeable about the Olympics.
posted by grum@work at 04:39 PM on February 16, 2010
C'mon grum, not only is it worse than all of those combined, but we know that in three days. Without hockey, bobsled, singles ice skating, etc. Based solely on one tragedy and a hiccup at the opening ceremony, all others pale in comparison.
posted by tahoemoj at 04:48 PM on February 16, 2010
Holy shit, it's three days in. Take a week before you eject hyperbole all over the place.
That said, I have been far from impressed - with the exception of the Cypress events which have been totally awesome.
Yeah, and take a second to look at Grum's list. It does lend a bit of colour and thought.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 05:21 PM on February 16, 2010
Worse than the Olympics where the competitors didn't even know they were AT the Olympics?
For my money, they stopped being the Olympics once they eliminated tug-of-war as an official event.
And when they started making competitors wear clothes.
posted by Joey Michaels at 05:24 PM on February 16, 2010
disaster that is the London 2012 logo
It looks like Marouane Fellaini fellating someone.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 05:34 PM on February 16, 2010
Take a week before you eject hyperbole all over the place.
Please tell me that was directed at The Guardian. It suddenly became apparent to me that sometimes sarcasm doesn't come through in print!
posted by tahoemoj at 07:53 PM on February 16, 2010
I would have guessed that U.K. papers would be careful about stones and glass houses, etc.
You think that's bad? Wait until 2012 to see some real negative hyperbole from the UK press. The British papers are not partisan. In fact, they'll hate 2012 even more because it's ours (or indeed, our fault). It's how they work over here. It's kids with wooden bricks. Build them up, knock them down - repeat until bored, then have a tantrum.
For what it's worth, the only thing so far that has disappointed me about the games is that the BBC still seem to think that I need each sport to be explained in great detail before they show it. Even that wouldn't be so bad if they did it quickly and injected a bit of humour, but as it is, they're so earnest about it all. The luge, for example - just take a clip of Jerry Seinfeld's stand up:
"The luge. It's like the bobsleigh, but there's no sleigh. It's just Bob!"
posted by JJ at 05:43 AM on February 17, 2010
Meanwhile, on the rest of the planet, Afghanistan defeats the USA as part of a plan to conquer the world. However this time it's good news. I never knew the US even had a cricket team. Where is it played?
posted by gfinsf at 06:25 AM on February 17, 2010
Vancouver's not even close to being as bad as Atlanta yet. Give it time.
(The London 2012 team is clued up. Lots of very good people on board. The construction's on schedule. Whether they'll be able to survive the standard onslaught from the tabloids, as JJ notes, is yet to be seen -- I'm sure the Daily Mail has headlines saved up about how foreign Olympians will lower house prices.)
the only thing so far that has disappointed me about the games is that the BBC still seem to think that I need each sport to be explained in great detail before they show it.
Better that than the NBC way, which is to shower a subset of events (figure skating, short-track, freestyle, the odd Alpine event) with soft-focus profiles while embargoing coverage so that fans already know the results; other sports (esp. long-track) get treated as contractual obligation burdens.
posted by etagloh at 06:57 AM on February 17, 2010
Better that than the NBC way, which is to shower a subset of events (figure skating, short-track, freestyle, the odd Alpine event) with soft-focus profiles while embargoing coverage so that fans already know the results; other sports (esp. long-track) get treated as contractual obligation burdens.
Amen. Without my beloved TiVo, I'd have given up by now.
posted by tahoemoj at 10:01 AM on February 17, 2010
Without my beloved TiVo, I'd have given up by now.
I couldn't agree more. I wait until at least 9:30 PM and fast forward through most of the coverage. And NBC's coverage just sucks.
And I'm on the west coast, same time zone as Vancouver.
posted by cjets at 10:43 AM on February 17, 2010
Please tell me that was directed at The Guardian.
T'was. Well, the Guardian and any other knee-jerk absolutist. Actually, I don't think "knee-jerk" is harsh enough. From now on, I will call them ass-snappers.
So go to hell, ass-snappers. Take your Day Five conclusion and shove up that thing you're snapping. Here's a hint. It's your ass.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 03:06 PM on February 17, 2010
Three days in, and already it's being suggested as the worst ever Games.