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The Winter Olympics Begin!

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Sherlock

Sherlock

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Alright then, 15 minutes until the opening ceremonies for the Winter Olympics start, they are so close to home for me (a 12 hour drive away) but it's not going to happen... But with Canada being the host country it's rather special and I'm looking forward to it, including the big national party here tomorrow...

A photo you ask? Taken when the Olympic Torch passed through Calgary about a month back...

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And one more, a little unusual, but I rather like it...
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Cool! They're starting here too
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What an awesome ceremony so far! Excellent performances by the artists, and nicely touched off with a performance of spoken word/slam poetry by Shane Koyczan, a person who I've seen perform on a much smaller stage and he was a worthy choice of poet... And we're still waiting for the crowning touch, the torch lighting...
 
Following the snooze-bowl at least we have 16 days of decent sports to watch. I just hope NBC doesn't concentrate on figure skating (or snowboarding) like some have done in the past.
 
aerog said:
Following the snooze-bowl at least we have 16 days of decent sports to watch. I just hope NBC doesn't concentrate on figure skating (or snowboarding) like some have done in the past.
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Yeah, I agree. Even though we watch all the events shown, I think my wife could watch nothing but the figure skating the whole time. I enjoy watching it, but like you, I believe they lean too much on it and should balance out the time more for all the events. Some events and the contestants competing in them, you hardly ever see. For their exposure, it doesn't seem fair.
 
aerog said:
Following the snooze-bowl at least we have 16 days of decent sports to watch.
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:shocked: OUCH!
 
PAUL161 said:
... Some events and the contestants competing in them, you hardly ever see. For their exposure, it doesn't seem fair.
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:iagree:

Hardly any <span style="font-weight: bold">curling</span> is ever shown. Seriously, at the last Winter Olympics, the only time curling was shown was in the late afternoon on one of the cable channels. It one of those sports that once you figure out what's going on, it becomes chess on ice. The strategy and precision required is enormous. :laugh:

On a sad note, during practice yesterday, there was a death in a luge accident. He ran off the track at 89 mph and slammed into a steel girder.
 
martx-5 said:
PAUL161 said:
... Some events and the contestants competing in them, you hardly ever see. For their exposure, it doesn't seem fair.
Click to expand...

:iagree:

Hardly any <span style="font-weight: bold">curling</span> is ever shown. Seriously, at the last Winter Olympics, the only time curling was shown was in the late afternoon on one of the cable channels. It one of those sports that once you figure out what's going on, it becomes chess on ice. The strategy and precision required is enormous. :laugh:

On a sad note, during practice yesterday, there was a death in a luge accident. He ran off the track at 89 mph and slammed into a steel girder.
Click to expand...

What's with the link to a pair of wire strippers?
 
I curled two seasons in Oslo in an intramural league--and even ran into Dordy Nordby, the Norwegian women's olympic skip and a top-ranked curler. Great sport!
 
aerog said:
Following the snooze-bowl at least we have 16 days of decent sports to watch. I just hope NBC doesn't concentrate on figure skating (or snowboarding) like some have done in the past.
Click to expand...

I've heard about the past reputation of the American broadcasters during the Olympics... Here in Canada we have usually had more balanced coverage, CBC had the rights for many years but CTV is doing it for the first time so we'll have to see...

As for curling? Here in Canada it's very popular, the big tournaments get huge TV audiences by avid curling fans... I do agree that it's a very strategic sport, I've only curled a couple of times in my life, enough times to know that there it's a very subtle sport and requires skill...
 
I liked "OH! Canada".

The rest was umm, okay.
 
martx-5 said:
Hardly any <span style="font-weight: bold">curling</span> is ever shown.
Click to expand...

I won't disagree - but I remember watching a lot of it last time for some reason. Luck of the draw I suppose.
 
Sherlock said:
I've heard about the past reputation of the American broadcasters during the Olympics...
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It's all about what they <span style="font-style: italic">think</span> the viewers of the ads want to see. One of the US skiers was hurt in training/practice and concern was raised about loss of advertiser viewers/income if she doesn't participate.

I don't blame them at all, I just don't like the results sometimes.
 
Growing up in Detriot, we watched plenty of Fun News, Johnny Gingers and Soupey Sales. Saturdays we watched Big Time Wrestling and Cross-Canada Curling. I loved watching them sweep that ice!
 
Basil said:
What's with the link to a pair of wire strippers?
Click to expand...

A mistake. I linked the wire strippers to a discussion on the Miata forum earlier, and must not have copied the link to the luge accident correctly...

Sorry about that. Most times I check to see if the links are working, this time I didn't and it bit me. :hammer:
 
When I watched the Summer Olympics on the BBC in 1976, they mostly showed dressage, sailing, and some swimming. I think the networks prefer to cover events where they think their nation has a chance to look good...of course that ties into advertising revenue.

If NBC loses money on the broadcasts, it probably means the next bid for TV rights will come in lower, cutting revenue to the USOC too, and they get a chunk of the US rights.
 
I want to see Night Train make some fast times in bobsled and bring home the GOLD! This sled is suppose to be scarry fast .
 
I guess I'm old-fashioned. I find the whole thing very inspiring & try to look past the sometimes frustrating coverage provided by the network. Some sports are just more spectator friendly than others. My favorites (e.g. biathlon in winter & sailing & rowing in summer) generally aren't broadcast as fully as I'd like but overall I think they (networks) do a good job.

It probably helps that I actually like figure skating although I miss the likes of Gary Beacom. (Check out his "I'm Your Man" performance on youtube here. )
 
*sigh*

You guys win the first round... Your American skier beat our Canadian in ladies freestyle skiing... I guess someone has to win but it's rather disappointing and didn't make my night :frown: we'll get our chance yet... :hammer: The big deal this year is that no Canadian has won a gold medal on home soil (two previous Olympics - Montreal & Calgary), so far we're still waiting...
 
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