The Thread of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad

[Still MIGHTY]

Oh and I can't sympathize with you one bit on the time things. You get eternal sunshine and 80 degree weather, celebrities everywhere, big mansions, great beaches and such, and the NFL at 10 AM. Plus we have to adjust to your stupid schedule and start games at 10 freakin' PM when a team from the east plays in the west so you poor guys can get your normal schedule. Nope, I'm going to enjoy this.

Oh fine... you got me. Haha.

True, we do have great weather (today was a great beach day after I watched Team USA and the Angel game )

But I do have to correct you...

Celebrities aren't everywhere here. Maybe in Beverly Hills, Malibu, or the Newport Beach estates, but not here in South OC.

Big Mansions are again, only in Beverly Hills, Malibu, and most beachside places.

I dont live in a big mansion. I'm not rich. And the only celebrities within 5 miles of me are Ryan Getzlaf (Ducks), Corey Perry (Ducks), and maybe a few Angels. (on that note though, I did meet Ryan Getzlaf at Olive Garden.)

But yes, watching sports from 4-11 on weekdays is always a plus.

And NFL season is great. I can stay home and watch the NFL Pregame shows at 7 or 8 AM, 10 AM game, 1 PM game, Highlights of those games, Pregame, and Sunday Night Football. Or go to a local sports establishment (my favorite one for NFL season is the Fox Sports Grill) and get breakfast, watch all the morning games, get lunch, watch all the afternoon games, and get dinner, and watch the night game.

It's a tough life, I guess.

ANd I also agree with LMU.

Try not knowing when disaster can strike.

Try earthquakes, fires, El Nino, and rebuilding your house and infrastructure afterwards.

Not that I've had to yet (Thank God) but it could happen anytime.

And I too caught the flag gaffe.

At first I thought it was a protest or something, kind of like how that is for the US Flag.

But nothing changed, so just a mixup

[KevinMcD]

Boohoo, you're out west and you don't get to watch games live. For two weeks every four years you're affected. Living in the west coast the rest of the time is a dream for a sports fan. You get to watch prime time athletics in the middle of the afternoon. When monday night football ends you're just starting to think about getting ready for bed. I think you'll be fine.

You're right. Being a West Coast sports fan is pretty awesome. I had forgotten how great NFL at 10:15 in the morning is.

But I still don't see why NBC can't give the same feed throughout the whole country. The way it's set up now is bizarre.

Agreed. They're trying to make the Olympics into a primetime reality show instead of a live sporting event.

Also, with all the sporting events that people back east complain about because they go so late... they only go that late so they can get primetime ratings on the east coast, not because they're catering to us out here.

And, to those who think we're spoiled out here, try sitting though a few earthquakes, then get back to me.

They start MNF at 9pm here so they can get prime time ratings? It ends past midnight out here. They are trying to get a compromise between EST and PST.

If you like the Earthquakes so much, come here and get 10' of snow a year. Everywhere gets bad natural disasters. Plus i've heard Buffalo is on a major fault line that doesn't quake as often as in California so if there is an earthquake we will be back sent back to the stone age.

[Joshawaggie]

Shawn Johnson and Natasha Liukin are mine!

Its Nastia, you n00b.

ooo see thats better...

I always like them Nasty-a! (...nastier...)

oh! ba-zing! giggity!

And that was a very nice perform ass... I mean performance...

You are banned from ever attempting to make a pun ever again.

[Still MIGHTY]

oh and btw... the Phelps swim with the relay isnt just delayed an hour... its 3 hours.

because the guys on TV said its about an hour until the relay finals...

ahg

[Cujo]

crazy thing is, is that the WR was SMASHED, i mean by like 4+ seconds. France may have lost, but they too also smashed the previous WR, they lost out to the US by .06. That's how epic that ending was.

Not that I really get into the Olympic Games when they come around every so often -- but NBC makes it so the events almost impossible to care about or enjoy when there's a freaking one-hour tape delay out west!

"Awesome, the USA swim team killed the World Record! Cant wait to see it 60 minutes from now..."

I hear ya on that one.

I just want to check my myspace or my e-mail or whatever, and on my homepage... "PHELPS TAKES 2ND GOLD!!!"

Yeah, so I just caught the race via NBC's tape delay .... Pretty damn sweet!

BTW, Great call by whoever was announcing.

[Still MIGHTY]

Shawn Johnson and Natasha Liukin are mine!

Its Nastia, you n00b.

ooo see thats better...

I always like them Nasty-a! (...nastier...)

oh! ba-zing! giggity!

And that was a very nice perform ass... I mean performance...

You are banned from ever attempting to make a pun ever again.

I'm sorry...

I'm taking summer college classes and I'm studying for my two finals tomorrow and I'm running on a diet of saltine crackers and diet pepsi...

cut me some slack

[NJTank]

NBC should show it live across the country you guys out west are getting the shaft.

[HedleyLamarr]

Shawn Johnson and Natasha Liukin are mine!

Its Nastia, you n00b.

ooo see thats better...

I always like them Nasty-a! (...nastier...)

oh! ba-zing! giggity!

And that was a very nice perform ass... I mean performance...

You are banned from ever attempting to make a pun ever again.

I'm sorry...

I'm taking summer college classes and I'm studying for my two finals tomorrow and I'm running on a diet of saltine crackers and diet pepsi...

cut me some slack

So you're a college student lusting 16-year-olds. That's assuring....

[NJTank]

Uh oh better call Chris Hansen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9GwFoSf9uA

[Still MIGHTY]

Shawn Johnson and Natasha Liukin are mine!

Its Nastia, you n00b.

ooo see thats better...

I always like them Nasty-a! (...nastier...)

oh! ba-zing! giggity!

And that was a very nice perform ass... I mean performance...

You are banned from ever attempting to make a pun ever again.

I'm sorry...

I'm taking summer college classes and I'm studying for my two finals tomorrow and I'm running on a diet of saltine crackers and diet pepsi...

cut me some slack

So you're a college student lusting 16-year-olds. That's assuring....

Freshman.. I turned 18 in February.

So I'm sorry, they're cute.

And I spent half of my day at the beach looking at tan, blonde girls in bikinis... my mind is in other places

[Still MIGHTY]

They literally just showed the 400 relay here in California

And WOW was it worth the wait

That was an AMAZING race!

Gold by .08 secs!!!!

And the French just looked so bewildered. Their captain was quoted as saying "The Americans? We will smash them!"

WHATS UP NOW, FRENCHIE!?!?!

U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!

ALso very fitting that the French wore white swim caps. SURRENDER!

HAHA!

[Seadragon76]

Well, when I said they looked like they're underaged, I was only being sarcastic. I didn't know that was really the case with the Chinese, and let's face it: None of us can ever prove any age tampering thanks in large part to their government.

Right now, the US Women's Basketball team is giving China another epic whooping (57-22 in the 2nd Quarter as we speak, and it's live as well).

[McCall]

That 400m Relay was quite possibly the greatest race EVER! Now admittedly, I'm nowhere near any kind of a swimming expert; heck, after the Olympics probably won't watch another race until London 2012. But this was an awe-inspiring moment that made me so proud to be an American. To see them down, counted out before the race by everyone because they thought the French were too tough to beat, and that was true... until the moment it counted. The determination, the team effort and support, the support of all the Americans in attendance and here at home, President Bush included (who, whether you like him or not, you can't help but smile at the way he's supported and interacted with these athletes, and the way they've all looked at him while doing so. He's huddled with them, played a little with them, shown them that even though he may be the most powerful man in the world, he's their biggest fan). And the statements made by the French? I soon as I heard that, I knew we had it. There's no way that statement did not add even more fuel to the fire that was burning in these guys as the were preparing for this race.

You can say this was like something out of a movie, a sports team, counted out and publicly dismissed by their rivals and competition favorites, but there was no way you could script the outcome, the emotion, the sense of National Pride that came with simply a touch of a wall. And even if you could, no Academy Award, no big opening weekend draw could ever properly reward what took place. Only one thing, and nothing less, could justly show the importance of this accomplishment...

A Gold Medal.

[Epiphanic]

I've been into team archery. It's pretty exciting seeing to teams go tit-for-tat with the bow. I was pretty deflated after the United States lost to Taiwan though.

[LMU]

For the record, I have nothing against anything that people in other parts of the country. So, while Buffalo may have to deal with blizzards, we have earthquakes, landslides, wildfires, and the paparazzi. So, instead of getting on our case out here, saying that we deserve to be shafted by the Olympic coverage because of how great it is to live out here, realize that there are drawbacks everywhere, so don't single out anybody.

And, speaking of the relay, I didn't get to see it, as I had to get up for work at 5:00 AM.

Also, as it may not be a replacement for curling, can we have shuffleboard or bowling as Olympic sports? Would add to the niche sports that we crave during the Olympic season.

[slapshot]

For the record, I have nothing against anything that people in other parts of the country. So, while Buffalo may have to deal with blizzards, we have earthquakes, landslides, wildfires, and the paparazzi. So, instead of getting on our case out here, saying that we deserve to be shafted by the Olympic coverage because of how great it is to live out here, realize that there are drawbacks everywhere, so don't single out anybody.

And, speaking of the relay, I didn't get to see it, as I had to get up for work at 5:00 AM.

Also, as it may not be a replacement for curling, can we have shuffleboard or bowling as Olympic sports? Would add to the niche sports that we crave during the Olympic season.

Bowling was a demonstration sport back in '88....surprised it never caught on.

But we have synchronized diving!

[WJMorris3]

Y'know, when it comes to the 4 x 100 freestyle relay, I feel sorry for the Italians and the Swedes. Both countries broke the (at the time) world record, and didn't even get a medal for it.

[McCall]

Y'know, when it comes to the 4 x 100 freestyle relay, I feel sorry for the Italians and the Swedes. Both countries broke the (at the time) world record, and didn't even get a medal for it.

True that. But it just goes to show how tough the competition is this year, with all the Olympic and World Records being set. Also, just how tough and just how special the U.S. victory was yesterday. While I'm sure it must be disappointing to not medal, those teams should be extremely proud for their accomplishment and have a great outlook for the future. They're staying on track with everyone else, topping records. So who knows, any of these races, at anytime, one of their guys could be the one who just barely touches the wall before the others.

[gingerbreadmann]

For the record, I have nothing against anything that people in other parts of the country. So, while Buffalo may have to deal with blizzards, we have earthquakes, landslides, wildfires, and the paparazzi. So, instead of getting on our case out here, saying that we deserve to be shafted by the Olympic coverage because of how great it is to live out here, realize that there are drawbacks everywhere, so don't single out anybody.

And, speaking of the relay, I didn't get to see it, as I had to get up for work at 5:00 AM.

Also, as it may not be a replacement for curling, can we have shuffleboard or bowling as Olympic sports? Would add to the niche sports that we crave during the Olympic season.

Well we pretty much all have some sort of natural disaster to worry about, be it tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, blizzards, etc., and I'm not going to say one of those is worse or better than another because I haven't experienced all of them. However, the great weather out there is just unbelievable, basically 80 degrees and sunny every day (here it's been constantly raining cats and dogs, hailing, flash flooding, huge storms basically all summer and it's really starting to piss me off). Even then, though, that's not why I don't feel sorry for you, because this isn't an overall quality of life argument.

You always get the benefit of TV times out west, NFL at 10 in the morning(how awesome is that!), getting home baseball/basketball/hockey(I think) games no later than 7 PM and as early as 4 PM (for "night" games) while out East it's as late as a 10 PM start, meaning the games end at 1 AM, meaning I can't even watch half of them usually. You get MNF at 6 PM, the NBA finals were particularly infuriating because they had to start at 9 PM out here just so the poor West could see them at 6. So, yes, in terms of overall TV scheduling in general, I won't really sympathize with those of you who get the tape delay for 1% of the events in a 2-weeks-every-4-years Olympic Games. We still have to get the tape delay all day long and only can watch live events very early in the morning and very late at night, so it's not like this happens for every single thing. And guess what, in Vancouver 2010, people out here will be staying up 3 hours late watching things that start whenever you need them to so you can have your schedule. That's the whole basis of my opinion.

FYI everyone... there are live events on NBCOlympics.com and the whole coverage of last night's relay is available on the site in its entirety as it happened on live TV.

[Cola]

Beating the French? Check.

Setting world record in the process? Check.

Embarrass the Frenchman who made the trash talk on the last leg? Check.

Did the French learn a lesson? Check.