Biggest Winter Olympic Flop

[Cujo]

I'm just giving my take on the Winter Games that just wrapped up, and there were many athletes that tanked it over the last two weeks. Team Canada hockey. Team USA hockey. Bode Miller going 0-for-5 and the American snowboarder who showed off, ate :censored: and lost gold, among others.

I gotta say the biggest choke job has to belong to Team Canada Hockey. Canada is loaded with great hockey players. 50% of the NHL is Canadian ... and for this team to not even make the semi-finals was a shocker. They left off some pretty good players and got burned for it. Maybe Wayne "Betzky" should leave the GM thing to somebody that assemble an actualy winner with the insane amout of talent Canada posesses.

[NJTank]

Its Bode just becuase he didnt even try and his attitude made the entire US ski team look bad.

as for Team Canada this is not a dream team situation every team was loaded with stars.

[winghaz]

This is a tough one.

There are plenty of great (or, if you will, lousy) candidates for this.

But Bode Miller has to win the gold medal in flops. He was so superhyped and didn't win one medal.

The silver medal has to go to Johnny Weir. I mean, when you miss the bus to the event and complain about not having room service ... sheesh.

Bronze goes to Norway's cross-country skiing. This is a sport Norway is supposed to dominate, but ended up getting very little.

As for Canada in hockey, I agree with Tank. Yes, Canada was expected to medal, but there really are a lot of great hockey players spread around.

[NJTank]

Heres a bust for ya NBC TV Raitings getting slammed by American Idol and Dancing With the Satrs.

[HatCityEnforcer]

Can't say Canada was a pure "bust", seeing all the teams (well, cept for Italy) had bonafide NHLers playing.

Anyways, here's my podium....

Gold--Bode Miller's uninspiring 0 for 5 after the Nike/NBC hype machine was making this guy out to be the second coming of Jean Claude Killy...that and the blase attitude he had at the end of it.

Silver--Norway's awful performance in cross-country skiing. It's a sport they not only invented, but dominated for years. It's a lot like the US not getting any medals in basketball.

Bronze--A tie between Mike Modano of Team USA and the goalie from the US Women's Team, just for being idiots. Modano's whining about trivial stuff and the goalie's SEVERE lack of class after losing to Sweden was too hard to choose between...

[Roger Clemente]

Wayne "Betzky"

You do realize that Wayne himself really does have nothing to do with this betting scandal...?

--Roger "Time?" Clemente.

[jkrdevil]

Heres a bust for ya NBC TV Raitings getting slammed by American Idol and Dancing With the Satrs.

I know. The Olympics aren't compelling. It features minor sports some of which aren't even sports (Figure Skating). All the action is tape delayed so you already the result and that's even for the game sin North America.

I say in 50 years the Winter Olympics (and maybe even the summer games) won't exist anymore.

[yh]

My vote goes to Michele Kwan.

[leopard88]

My vote goes to Michele Kwan.

I think it is hard to call her a flop if she never competed.

My problem with her situation is that she should not have been on the team in the first place. Absent some compelling circumstance beyond your control (e.g., having your knee whacked by thugs conspiring with the boyfriend of one of your competitors and/or such competitor), you should not be placed on the team if an injury prevents you from competing at the Olympic Trials (or equivalent thereof). Injuries are a part of sports and, as unfortunate as it was that she suffered one that kept her out of the U.S. Championships (or whatever specific event that was), she should never have received a spot on the team based on some Flashdance-style tryout before a panel of judges.

I am quite certain that if the situation were reversed, Emily Hughes would not have been given a second chance. Michelle Kwan's status in the sport should not have afforded her treatment that most other competitors would not have received. I would have sympathized with her (or anyone else in her position) for missing out on the opportunity to compete in the Olympics, but that is as far as it goes for me.

Okay -- rant over. Please resume the discussion of Olympic flops.

[Shumway]

Johnny Weir was a big disappointment. Oddly enough, he's from my hometown.

But still, Canada's hockey team was a huge shock. I expected them to run away with the gold. Luckily, my favorites won the gold(it's not that I didn't root fo U.S., but I had no thoughts of them getting a medal).

[IceCap]

U.S. Women's hockey team. It should be a given that in any international women's hockey tournament the finals are to be played between the U.S. and Canada. They simply have the most talented players. The U.S. not reaching the finals was a huge shock.

[Coast2CoastAM2006]

Heres a bust for ya NBC TV Raitings getting slammed by American Idol and Dancing With the Satrs.

I know. The Olympics aren't compelling. It features minor sports some of which aren't even sports (Figure Skating). All the action is tape delayed so you already the result and that's even for the game sin North America.

I say in 50 years the Winter Olympics (and maybe even the summer games) won't exist anymore.

according to the so called time traveler, John Titor, this year could be the last year for the olympics due to some major events that puts the olympics on hold.

enough science fiction, i say the biggest olympic flop is the olympics itself getting drilled by American Idol. I don't watch either but im surprised that more people watched American Idol, I figure there would be more interest in the olympics.

[Breakwood]

Jeremy Wetherspoon, what a bust! At least if he would have tripped agian we could still assume that he could compete in the oylmpics but he just played sucked.

[winters in buffalo]

The biggest flop was Nike, who once again threw way too many ad dollars behind an athlete who failed to excel.

[ProvidenceRI]

Bode Miller hands down. He had 5 chances!

I love every opportunity to rip Canada, in a friendly way, but they just had a bad week. They didn't choke, they just didn't show up.

Bring back non-pros to the Olympics and I might watch again.

[CZzyzx41]

I would add to that, the Swift Hockey Outfits that Nike experimented with. Like the White Sox in shorts, let's hope we never see these again.

[DEAD!]

I say in 50 years the Winter Olympics (and maybe even the summer games) won't exist anymore.

The winter olympics won't exist in 50 years, not because of tv ratings, but because of global warming

[HedleyLamarr]

Heres a bust for ya NBC TV Raitings getting slammed by American Idol and Dancing With the Satrs.

I know. The Olympics aren't compelling. It features minor sports some of which aren't even sports (Figure Skating). All the action is tape delayed so you already the result and that's even for the game sin North America.

I say in 50 years the Winter Olympics (and maybe even the summer games) won't exist anymore.

Perhaps if NBC would promote the Games and some athletes, they would get more viewers. In today's athletics, people care more about names than teams. How do you promote names? You air more of these competitions like the bobsled and luge and skiing, other than once every four years, and people will learn more about these events and the athletes that perform in them. The only hype I got about these Olympics was from watching NHL games.

I really hope some network will take up curling coverage, now that it has a bit of a cult following. Perhaps air some bobsled or skiing or luge events on Saturdays during the January and February months.....

[pollux]

Heres a bust for ya NBC TV Raitings getting slammed by American Idol and Dancing With the Satrs.

I know. The Olympics aren't compelling. It features minor sports some of which aren't even sports (Figure Skating). All the action is tape delayed so you already the result and that's even for the game sin North America.

I say in 50 years the Winter Olympics (and maybe even the summer games) won't exist anymore.

Why? Because it doesn't work in USA??

Believe me, it works pretty damn well in Europe, so I doubt the Winter Games will disappear.

[TBGKon]

Biggest winter olympic flop? Four words........"I ski while intoxicated"