12/21/24
August 20, 2004
Olympic Babes:: Is pocket billiards a sport?
posted by Fat Buddha to general at 05:29 PM - 24 comments
What you mean is the Internet is excellent for an armchair pervert like yourself. And myself. That link makes me wanna holla! Whooooo!
posted by worldcup2002 at 10:32 PM on August 20, 2004
Huzzah!
posted by dusted at 10:39 PM on August 20, 2004
Love the nude Hungarian pole vaulter. So many double entendres it hurts.
posted by rcade at 08:21 AM on August 21, 2004
That's good stuff. Too funny.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 01:48 PM on August 21, 2004
Carolina Kluft is stinking hot, hot enough to get me to watch the heptathlon.
posted by wfrazerjr at 02:14 PM on August 21, 2004
Are you nuts?!? She looks like a mutant, weird angular somewhat cadaverous face, especially with that "so blonde its like I have no eyebrows at all" Cletus the hillbilly yokel look. Hideous! Hell of an athlete, was just cruising on the first 4 events yesterday, but by no means attractive. Most Olympic athletes aren't attractive- they're extremely fit, yes, and in a land of fat Americans that might have an appeal just from the stark difference to plump Cinnabon-eating heifers who like to drunkenly howl Michael Bolton tunes at karaoke night. But to me, many of these women are too skinny- too low a body fat percentage, too muscular, too lean and sinewy, completely lacking in any breasts, feminine hips, or anything that could be called a female secondary sex characteristic. They look more like wiry alley cats or unusually muscled teenaged boys than women, and if they are what you consider stinking hot, then a career in the priesthood might be in your future. Regardless. You should be watching them for their athletics, their drive, their Olympic spirit- that is what is impressive. You surely can't be watching them because they're tissue-worthy.
posted by hincandenza at 03:02 PM on August 21, 2004
Wow Hal, way to impose your values on everyone else! And thanks for telling the rest of us how to behave too. Much appreciated, really.
posted by billsaysthis at 04:02 PM on August 21, 2004
What bill says. Oh, and would Hal care to point us to a picture so we can critique the shining example of manhood you no doubt present?
posted by rodgerd at 05:02 PM on August 21, 2004
No Jade Johnson? Poo!
posted by Pete at 05:09 PM on August 21, 2004
You should be watching them for their athletics, their drive, their Olympic spirit- that is what is impressive. You surely can't be watching them because they're tissue-worthy. My sister is obsessed with Ian Thorpe. I'm sure that is all to do with his Olympic spirit, and nothing to do with the fact that he's one sexy fucker...
posted by dng at 06:34 PM on August 21, 2004
Sex-appeal is a part of sports. Why is this difficult to accept?
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 06:41 PM on August 21, 2004
Sex-appeal is a part of sports. Why is this difficult to accept? I don't think that's difficult to accept, but remember that for many years, women with genuinely athletic physiques were vilified as "un-feminine", and therefore, un-sexy. The cultural template of attractiveness for men has always had more leeway than for women; although it's changed some, men have to have a physique that's a lot farther out there in order to be considered unattractive for that reason. And then again, there are athletes that are lookers for reasons that have nothing to do with being athletic. They'd look good if they were flipping burgers.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 05:34 PM on August 22, 2004
Watching the women's marathon today, I did happen to wonder who would think the typical ultrarunner's body, male or female, is particularly attractive. Not me, at least.
posted by billsaysthis at 06:52 PM on August 22, 2004
First, sorry for my outburst. Been in a cranky mood lately, tho' that doesn't really justify it. That said: Weedy McSmokey: Sex-appeal is a part of sports ... is precisely what I disagree with! Sex appeal has nothing to do with sports- except I suppose when casual fans watch sports, or in the case of men watching women's sports. I defy anyone to point to evidence that the majority of the audience watching the Superbowl did so because of the "tight ends" involved, to find a pattern of "hotornot" posting here at sportsfilter, or long ruminations on the sexual appeal of the Marlins, Patriots, Pistons, or Tampa Bay Lightning (repeated cat-calls for a certain Spofite's photo notwithstanding). Talking about a player's attractiveness is mostly the province of those who aren't interested in the sport to begin with, and thus are looking for something else to focus on (i.e., dng's sister, people watching sports they either don't care about as sports, or don't care about because it's "chicks" that are playing them). Talking about the attractiveness of other people is a time-honored tradition that predates the original Olympics (although ironically, the spirit of the first Olympics was in part that Greek appreciation of the nude form at the pinnacle of its power and refinement). But modern viewers musing on the sex appeal of athletes has nothing to do with the sport as sport, but the same consumer-driven lust you get sated with beer commercials. My point was also to agree with billsaysthis- in many of these sports, the drive to achieve athletic goals can twist the body into shapes that are often unappealing, like a caricature of fitness, the shaping of the body pushed to unexpected extremes. Lord knows that when I watch a ballgame, the thought of players attractiveness never crosses my mind- it's their OPS or ERA. Well, except for mocking Johnny Damon, but he's really asking for it with that hair.
posted by hincandenza at 07:09 PM on August 22, 2004
Hal, congratulations for keeping it in your pants, but frankly, I'm with Weedy. The whole concept of a "physical ideal" covers a lot of ground. Speaking personally, someone who keeps themselves in better-than-average shape is the kind of person I'm reacting to positively on what sure feels like a hormonal, if not genetic, level. And again, not to speak for anyone other than myself (I would never dare speak on behalf of what or who anyone else should or shouldn't be attracted to), but -- if you google almost any famous athlete's name (especially but not exclusively the female ones), you'll come across a lot of picture galleries that are appreciatory of more than merely their ability to run or jump or skate or throw stuff really far. In a purely physical-accomplishment sense, these people are better than (I'm guessing) you or (definitely) I. It makes way more sense than finding some dead stoner rock star hot, to name another example.
posted by chicobangs at 09:03 PM on August 22, 2004
Oh, and pocket billiards? Total dorkfest.
posted by chicobangs at 09:08 PM on August 22, 2004
Basically, sports is a test/challenge/celebration of the human being. And human's are sexual... and sexy! Seperating the sexual aspect of sports deprives it of it's humanity! Plus, I can't help but feel that most of what everyone does is related to fucking - or wanting to fuck. Your nice car, shiny stereo, good job, six-pack abs, yadda, yadda is your vibrant plumage to attract the desire of others. Silly, perhaps - but very predictable, and you don't have to go far to see the theory in practice.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 10:21 PM on August 22, 2004
My new hero: Allyson Felix. 200m USA runner. Just watched her kick everybody's ass (including her older teammates) in the heats tonight. Only 19, went from high school straight to pro. Looked like she wasn't even trying. Beautiful.
posted by worldcup2002 at 02:06 AM on August 24, 2004
NSFW, just FYI.
posted by Joey Michaels at 02:42 PM on August 24, 2004
huh?
posted by worldcup2002 at 05:12 PM on August 24, 2004
I think he was making a crack that a NSFW disclaimer at the top of the page might have been helpful?
posted by smithers at 05:14 PM on August 24, 2004
Not really intended as a crack as a warning to others who might might, like me, not be smart enough to get the reference to "pocket pool" until after they've opened up a page with naked ladies at work. My bad.
posted by Joey Michaels at 06:17 PM on August 24, 2004
I make sure that when there are links with "Babe" or "Babes" in them, I wait until I get home to click them. Especially when the link in question is posted by FB. Ha!
posted by worldcup2002 at 08:38 PM on August 24, 2004
The Olympics is excellent for an armchair pervert like myself, really. Especially the swimmers...