Summer Olympics 2021 (er, 2020)

[Jerjo]

The Games of the IXCVIIMXX Olympiad are approaching. Despite a pandemic, the IOC needs its beak wet and they don't get a taste of all that TV broadcast cash unless the games are played. And they're still calling this the 2020 Olympics because hey, all the merchandise is in storage and it's gotta be sold somehow. In short, the IOC makes other sports organizations look positively principled. FIFA is petty pickpocket compared to the Costa Nostra of sports.

I do love the games. Despite the rampant corruption, ridiculous cheating, and the lousy US broadcasts I love the competition and the spirit. I'm also a big fan of swimsuit and track shorts wedgies but that's beside the point. This tribute to the glory of international cooperation and competition needs a thread and this might as well be it.

[Scott Bails]

They're really doing this, eh?

[markwoll]

I saw something like an 80% not in favor by Japanese citizens.
Postponement to the next olympic year would be ok.
Bill Maher had a segment (5/28) with Bob Costas talking about the olympics. Made a few good points.
Nostalgia clouds the memory, but the older games were very memorable. The more recent, not so much. I blame the media. ( easy target, I know ).

[ronmac]

Isn't Japan experiencing another COVID surge?

Money is all that matters, so I fully expect the wrong decision to be made.

[Jerjo]

Isn't Japan experiencing another COVID surge?

Money is all that matters, so I fully expect the wrong decision to be made.

Yes, and apparently 80% of the population opposes having the games because of that.

[NogbadTheBad]

I can't get excited about this, obscene cash grab.

[spellbound]

The Games of the IXCVIIMXX Olympiad are approaching. Despite a pandemic, the IOC needs its beak wet and they don't get a taste of all that TV broadcast cash unless the games are played. And they're still calling this the 2020 Olympics because hey, all the merchandise is in storage and it's gotta be sold somehow. In short, the IOC makes other sports organizations look positively principled. FIFA is petty pickpocket compared to the Costa Nostra of sports.

I do love the games. Despite the rampant corruption, ridiculous cheating, and the lousy US broadcasts I love the competition and the spirit. I'm also a big fan of swimsuit and track shorts wedgies but that's beside the point. This tribute to the glory of international cooperation and competition needs a thread and this might as well be it.

I love the games and the international competition. I lament that US television seems unable to cover the Olympics each and every time. The merchandise will have to move without me. Hope the games start soon, because there has been FA on broadcast TV, day or night, for ages.

[JKL2000]

They're really doing this, eh?

IXCVIIMXX again!

[Jerjo]

I saw Bob Costas being interviewed and he was less than pleased about the situation. Costas thinks the best option would be summer of 2022 and then its back in sync with the Winter Games. Around three quarters of the Japanese population is against hosting the games this summer but it's all about the money. The Tokyo Olympic committee is on the negative end of every contract with the IOC and they'll lose millions if the games don't happen. The IOC doesn't see a dime of that lucrative broadcast money unless the games go on and NOTHING gets between the IOC and currency. And then they move on to cuddling up to yet another authoritarian government that needs the publicity.

[ronmac]

Bob Costas makes far too much sense, which is why he would be a great baseball commissioner.

[spellbound]

I saw Bob Costas being interviewed and he was less than pleased about the situation. Costas thinks the best option would be summer of 2022 and then its back in sync with the Winter Games. Around three quarters of the Japanese population is against hosting the games this summer but it's all about the money. The Tokyo Olympic committee is on the negative end of every contract with the IOC and they'll lose millions if the games don't happen. The IOC doesn't see a dime of that lucrative broadcast money unless the games go on and NOTHING gets between the IOC and currency. And then they move on to cuddling up to yet another authoritarian government that needs the publicity.

Sounds like they're on the verge of eliminating all Olympic competition except the Capitalism Games. Perhaps the games should be renamed to reflect that reality.

[Gruno]

Nostalgia clouds the memory, but the older games were very memorable. The more recent, not so much. I blame the media. ( easy target, I know ).

Agreed.

Unpopular opinion: I can't stand the athlete spotlights. I don't care where they came from, what adversities they overcame to get there, etc. I just want to see the competitions!

[markwoll]

Next up, Ballroom Dancing, and esports

[Tangram]

Agreed.

Unpopular opinion: I can't stand the athlete spotlights. I don't care where they came from, what adversities they overcame to get there, etc. I just want to see the competitions!

With you on this one. Show more sports and less of the tear jerk stuff. I find it tough to watch between the personal stories and the commercials. You get three minutes of commercials for a 10 second race.

[NogbadTheBad]

Agreed.

Unpopular opinion: I can't stand the athlete spotlights. I don't care where they came from, what adversities they overcame to get there, etc. I just want to see the competitions!

Very popular opinion with grumpy old men (us), less so with our wives.

[Jerjo]

Very popular opinion with grumpy old men (us), less so with our wives.

Agreed. NBC is pretty sure that the only way to get women to watch is to have "stories" to enhance the drama. I have noticed my wife gets tired of these productions but then again, all bets are off during ice skating competition. Then she wants the drama.

[ronmac]

Agreed. NBC is pretty sure that the only way to get women to watch is to have "stories" to enhance the drama. I have noticed my wife gets tired of these productions but then again, all bets are off during ice skating competition. Then she wants the drama.

Not in our house. My wife and daughters enjoy many of the events with or without the "up close and personal" stories.

And, what gets me is that the networks get criticized every time around for the same thing. Yet, they continue.

[Hobo Chang Ba]

All the crap is certainly the worst, even more annoying than the commercials imo. That's why I prefer the non primetime coverage. That is usually just sports (and the strange ones to us americans, which are my favorites).

[markwoll]

Not in our house. My wife and daughters enjoy many of the events with or without the "up close and personal" stories.

And, what gets me is that the networks get criticized every time around for the same thing. Yet, they continue.

The same folks who decide what plays on "classic rock" stations decided it was a good thing.

[Jerjo]

Trials are on but I've only caught bits and pieces. Japan is going to allow some spectators. Yeah, that will work.

[Scott Bails]

Trials are on but I've only caught bits and pieces. Japan is going to allow some spectators. Yeah, that will work.

I heard yesterday that only "local" spectators will be allowed, and no yelling or cheering will be allowed. No idea how they'll enforce any of that.

[Jerjo]

Here's the numbers on how much $$$ is at stake if the Games are held.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/21/s...ening-why.html

[Jerjo]

And the games have begun! I swear that last night Savannah Guthrie made about a third of those countries up.

[spellbound]

So it doesn't seem all I do is complain, I did enjoy the drones in the shape of the earth (they should have also done a Covid virus ), the performance by Hiromi, and Naomi Osaka having the honor of lighting the official Olympic flame.

But this morning I awoke to the wife watching Olympic men's volleyball. The French team had a few longhairs with man-buns. I think if you're gonna go feminine on the hair (I have nothing against long hair, having sported some myself in daze gone by) you should go full beehive. But I don't blame the Frenchmen for their hairstyles, many of which seemed borrowed from the US (we had to have invented the man-bun). And I have nothing against France.

The US men's team, by contrast, had mostly very short haircuts. I don't know if that has any significance. Most noticeable to me was the US men's volleyball uniform wifebeater shirts. That does seem to have some significance. Way to represent 'Murica, guys.

[SteveSly]

It has been cool having live coverage late at night and then early to mid-morning. I watched U.S. women’s softball last night before I went to bed and woke up to U.S. women’s 3 on 3 basketball this morning.