The Thread of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad

[maz]

Painful silver medal for the US Women in gymnastics.

[Cujo]

After seeing Phelps win #5 just now, I am fully onboard with his quest for eight gold medals.

[Joshawaggie]

There is no way in hell that those girls on the Chinese women's gymnastics team are 16. It's pretty oblivious that they haven't hit puberty yet. But there's nothing anybody can do about it because the Chinese government says they are. Of course this is the same government that "enhanced" the fireworks of the opening ceremony and had a girl lip-sync because the real singer was deemed "not cute enough."

Gotta love communism.

What's the big stink about their ages, anyway? Shouldn't a 16- or 20-year-old perform better in an athletic feat than a 12-year-old?

Not necessarily. These girls are trained from like age 3, so by the time they are like 12, 13, 14, they are vets at this.

If a 12-year-old is the best in the country at doing what they do, why shouldn't they be allowed to compete? Is it really an advantage for a 12-year-old to perform than it is for a 16-year-old?

If I lost to a 12-year-old at anything, I know I'd be hella pissed at myself for losing to a kid.....

I agree with you, sorry I wasn't saying that the 12 year old shouldn't compete. I think they should just do away with the age limit anyways, it's not like it's really stopping certain country(ies).

[HedleyLamarr]

USA softball player Natasha Whatley kinda looks like Julio Franco.....

[HedleyLamarr]

They're talking about the extra innings in the US-Australia game. Did you know that international rules dictate that, beginning in the first extra inning, the girl that made the last out the previous inning goes to second base before the first batter steps in?

That's kind of bogus.....

[lilgump]

I think I was reading on ESPN how younger participants will most likely be smaller, hence allowing them to do more difficult routines.

[gatorade09]

They're talking about the extra innings in the US-Australia game. Did you know that international rules dictate that, beginning in the first extra inning, the girl that made the last out the previous inning goes to second base before the first batter steps in?

That's kind of bogus.....

What is this some rule stupid China came up with before the games started so they have a chance at a medal.

[HedleyLamarr]

They're talking about the extra innings in the US-Australia game. Did you know that international rules dictate that, beginning in the first extra inning, the girl that made the last out the previous inning goes to second base before the first batter steps in?

That's kind of bogus.....

What is this some rule stupid China came up with before the games started so they have a chance at a medal.

They said the rule was enacted in 2002, or some point before the Athens Games.....

[Viper]

They're talking about the extra innings in the US-Australia game. Did you know that international rules dictate that, beginning in the first extra inning, the girl that made the last out the previous inning goes to second base before the first batter steps in?

That's kind of bogus.....

What is this some rule stupid China came up with before the games started so they have a chance at a medal.

More likely, it was meant as a way to get the games over with quickly by making it easier to score in OT, so subsequent events at the same venue don't fall behind schedule. (Think the NHL's 4-on-4 in regular-season OT.) Just be happy they don't break ties with a home-run derby or something.

[gatorade09]

They're talking about the extra innings in the US-Australia game. Did you know that international rules dictate that, beginning in the first extra inning, the girl that made the last out the previous inning goes to second base before the first batter steps in?

That's kind of bogus.....

What is this some rule stupid China came up with before the games started so they have a chance at a medal.

They said the rule was enacted in 2002, or some point before the Athens Games.....

Yeah but the Chinese still came up with it

[NJTank]

I think Tanya Harding was looking for Jeff Gilooly after giving up that homer

[gatorade09]

I think Tanya Harding was looking for Jeff Gilooly after giving up that homer

Man I missed three runs watching volleyball on another channel.

[oddball]

Am I the only person that wants Andrea Kramer to just shut up and go away? And as far as the faltering of the American women in gymnastics, it all starts from above. Whoever runs the organization is an idiot. How many coaches do they have? I'm tired of the crap that is the Karolis, they remind me of Tommy Lasorda, it's fun the first time, the 100th time it gets old. They need to go back to whatever country they came from. If the United States ever is to get back on top the Karolis need to be shown the door and a new philosophy needs to be instituted. The problem is there are way too many coaches and way too many organizations, it needs to be whittled down to one. If a girl wants to be in the Olympics she goes to the US Organization in wherever and you have one set of coaches. There are too many friggin coaches and they all want to run the show. Well it's been said if you have two quarterbacks you have none. I have no clue what that means about Tampa Bay and their 100 QB's, but the United States women's gymnastics has no coaching because every gymnast has their coach and there's no direction. I don't know anybody out there see Terry Francona, Joe Torre, Ozzie Guillen, and Bobby Cox coaching a World Series together on the same team while bringing their own players? That has disaster written all over it and that is what US women's gymnastics is, DISASTER!!!

[Alphabet Man]

Well the Chinese fooled us all.

[TFoA]

Am I the only person that wants Andrea Kramer to just shut up and go away? And as far as the faltering of the American women in gymnastics, it all starts from above. Whoever runs the organization is an idiot. How many coaches do they have? I'm tired of the crap that is the Karolis, they remind me of Tommy Lasorda, it's fun the first time, the 100th time it gets old. They need to go back to whatever country they came from. If the United States ever is to get back on top the Karolis need to be shown the door and a new philosophy needs to be instituted. The problem is there are way too many coaches and way too many organizations, it needs to be whittled down to one. If a girl wants to be in the Olympics she goes to the US Organization in wherever and you have one set of coaches. There are too many friggin coaches and they all want to run the show. Well it's been said if you have two quarterbacks you have none. I have no clue what that means about Tampa Bay and their 100 QB's, but the United States women's gymnastics has no coaching because every gymnast has their coach and there's no direction. I don't know anybody out there see Terry Francona, Joe Torre, Ozzie Guillen, and Bobby Cox coaching a World Series together on the same team while bringing their own players? That has disaster written all over it and that is what US women's gymnastics is, DISASTER!!!

And there you have it, CCSLC: The first ever rant on gymnastics.

[Breakwood]

First games in Baseball are done:

Chinese Taipei 5-0 Netherlands

Canada 10-0 China

Korea 8-7 Canada

Cuba 4-2 Japan

I find it kinda weird that Korea and Japan get to use their professional players from their top leagues, while the Americans (and Canada) can't get players from MLB. Anyways I see Cuba taking gold like usual, Japan finishing second, and the USA taking bronze.

[Jamikel]

I find it kinda weird that Korea and Japan get to use their professional players from their top leagues, while the Americans (and Canada) can't get players from MLB.

What about Japanese MLB players? Are there any of them playing in the olympics?

[gatorade09]

I find it kinda weird that Korea and Japan get to use their professional players from their top leagues, while the Americans (and Canada) can't get players from MLB.

What about Japanese MLB players? Are there any of them playing in the olympics?

No because the MLB doesn't give them any time off to let them go play unlike the NHL where they set aside a week so they can play in the winter games

[Jamikel]

Ah, duh. Shows how much attention I pay to baseball (at least during the regular season.)

[jkrdevil]

I find it kinda weird that Korea and Japan get to use their professional players from their top leagues, while the Americans (and Canada) can't get players from MLB. Anyways I see Cuba taking gold like usual, Japan finishing second, and the USA taking bronze.

That was the way it was for a couple years in hockey when the NHL didn't break and that will be the way it is in hockey after 2010 when the NHL pulls out of the Olympics for 2014.

You can't really blame MLB it's right in the middle of a pennant race if a player, specifically a pitcher gets hurt playing in the Olympics it would be a huge controversy. This doesn't mention some Olympics take place in September which makes it worse. It's the same reason why the NHL is probably going to pull out of the Olympics after Vancouver.