Beijing Olympics 2008

[sterlingice]

NOOOO! We're onto synchronized swimming

Make it stop. Isn't there some equestrian event or something they can show instead? Or miles 10-12 of the marathon? Or something else suitably interresting?

SI

[MrBug708]

I see Volleyball?

[Oilers9911]

Originally Posted by larrymcg421

So we've had "Who cares?" about Phelps accomplishment and now we've gotten to Phelps not having a major impact on the ratings. I think we've left the realm of reality.

Why should anyone have to care about Michael Phelps or any other athlete? Some care, some don't.

[molson]

Originally Posted by Oilers9911

Why should anyone have to care about Michael Phelps or any other athlete? Some care, some don't.

A lot of people just find swimming really boring.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by molson

A lot of people just find swimming really boring.

a lot of people find running really boring too

[MJ4H]

I find them both really boring, and I don't care much for Bolt or Phelps, but I respect both of their accomplishments and find an argument about which was more impressive or groundbreaking kind of silly. I do, however, realize that we do need something to bicker about so get back to it please. I get bored enough to read it sometimes.

[sabotai]

Originally Posted by MJ4H

I find them both really boring, and I don't care much for Bolt or Phelps, but I respect both of their accomplishments and find an argument about which was more impressive or groundbreaking kind of silly.

I do, however, realize that we do need something to bicker about so get back to it please. I get bored enough to read it sometimes.

[mtolson]

Originally Posted by stevew

I'd think bolt would be good on the 110s due to his speed and height. But I can't really recall anyone doing both.

We'll see what happens for London. If he decides to add the 400 and wins that too along with the other sprints I'd think that would seal his legendary status.

In 1993 Gail Devers won the 100m and 100h at the World Championships. Not sure if she has competed in both during the same Olympic's but she has been a world champion in both events.

Most hurdlers are also extremely fast sprinters. However, I would imagine Bolt having difficulties with the hurdles due to his stride. I can't see him 3 stepping at all. He would most likely end up alternating legs at each hurdle. I can see him succeeding in the 400 or Long Jump.

[DaddyTorgo]

OMG

ESPN - Matos faces lifetime ban after kicking referee following match - Olympics

[sabotai]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

OMG

ESPN - Matos faces lifetime ban after kicking referee following match - Olympics

"He was too strict," Leudis Gonzalez said, referring to the decision to disqualify Matos.



Well, if the rules say a person gets 1 minute to recover, and is DQed if he can not continue after the minute is up, how is it too strict? It's the rules. There doesn't seem to be any subjectivity there.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

Or something else suitably interesting?

Olympic Paintdrying, next on MSNBC.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Matos & the coach ought to get a shot with the WWE. They already turned heel, they could play evil foreigners, and they already familiar with the ref bump spot. His gimmick could be getting DQ'ed in every match then destroying the ref afterwards.

[molson]

NBC is ALL over taking stuff down from youtube. But as of this second, you can see the Matos thing here:

YouTube - Cuban taekwondo Angel Matos kicks referee in face- olymics

[sabotai]

Originally Posted by molson

NBC is ALL over taking stuff down from youtube. But as of this second, you can see the Matos thing here:

YouTube - Cuban taekwondo Angel Matos kicks referee in face- olymics

Ok, after watching that, it does seem like the ref was being a dick. I mean, it's not like he was just sitting there, and time ran out. With 5 seconds left, the ref could have told him to get up and get ready. The buzzer went off and he started to get up, he wasn't still recovering. I can see why someone would think (as do I now) that it was too strict.

Regardless, he attacked a referee and should be banned for life. I would hope that would be the standard in any sport.

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by mtolson

I can see him (Bolt) succeeding in the 400 or Long Jump.

Ato Bolden was saying the other night that some people still thought the 400 was Bolt's best event. We'll see - I honestly put the odds of him even being making the next Olympics at 50/50.


In other news, the IOC and most these governing bodies are hopelessly corrupt and arrogant. First, wrestling

Originally Posted by http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/wrestling/news?slug=ap-wre-abrahamian&prov=ap&type=lgns

Court: Wrestler who dropped medal was right

By (AP) 39 minutes ago

BEIJING (AP)—It turns out that the Greco-Roman wrestler who was stripped of his bronze medal for dropping it in disgust on the mat had reason for being angry, according to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Ara Abrahamian of Sweden complained to CAS that a penalty in the second round of his 84-kilogram bout on Aug. 14 against Italian Andrea Minguzzi wasn’t assessed until after the round ended. Once factored in, Abrahamian automatically lost the match. Minguzzi went on to win the gold medal.
Abrahamian’s coach was then denied a request for a video review, then the wrestling federation—the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles, or FILA—refused to consider a protest.
The 28-year-old Abrahamian had to be restrained from going after matside officials following his loss to Minguzzi. He stormed away from the area where interviews are conducted and slammed a door to the dressing rooms.

After he was given his bronze during the medals ceremony, Abrahamian walked off the podium, went over to mat and dropped it in disgust and walked away. On Aug. 15, the International Olympic Committee disqualified Abrahamian and stripped his medal for violating the spirit of fair play during the medal ceremony.
The Armenian-born Abrahamian—who also lost a 2004 Olympic semifinal match on a disputed call—initially wanted judges in the bout tossed out and his medal restored. But in the end, he only wanted CAS to verify that the lack of an immediate appeals process is a loophole that needs to be fixed. It also was referred to as a violation of “the Olympic Charter and FILA’s own rules about fair play.”
Judges said Abrahamian was right.
“We limit ourselves to ruling that FILA must, consistently with the (Olympic) Charter and general principles of fairness, establish for the future a jury of appeal to determine the validity or otherwise of complaints of the kind ventilated by (Abrahamian),” the judges wrote.
Elsewhere in the 20-page ruling, judges noted several times that FILA did not appear at a hearing.

And then there's boxing.

Originally Posted by http://www.bangkokpost.com/230808_Sports/23Aug2008_sport99.php

Beijing boxing marred by series of allegations

Wanchai Rujawongsanti

The Beijing boxing tournament was hit by controversy inside and outside the ring yesterday.

Amid several disputable decisions in the semi-finals, a senior International Amateur Boxing Association (Aiba) official claimed the selection of the match officials for most bouts was manipulated.

But Aiba said it was the official, Rudel Obreja of Romania, who might have been involved in possible attempts of manipulation and he was suspended yesterday.

Obreja, a techinical delegate for the Beijing Games, told a press conference that South Korea's Kim Ho, Aiba technical director, had changed the judges in about 60-70% of the matches in Beijing.

Under the rules, the five judges for each bout are selected randonly by computer with one each from the boxers' continent and the three others from other continents. But Obeja claimed Kim had often changed the line-ups picked by computer.

The Romanian said Aiba president Ching-Kuo Wu, who appointed Kim to the position, approved the changes of the line-ups.

Asked why he revealed the matter, he said: "I want to show the public what is happening in this tournament."

As the press conference was arranged personally by Obreja, organising officials then told him to stop it and switched off his microphone. "I won't stop," he said.

The press conference became chaotic when Kim entered the room and traded words with Obreja.
In a statement, Aiba said two months prior to the start of the Games, it had obtained information regarding possible attempts to manipulate the competition.

During the boxing last night, the director of AIBA was telling Teddy Atlas that they had "still gotten the right winner in 90-95% of the matches." Ironically, the most egregious act I saw - giving the match away on a penalty to the French kid for holding when his opponent had him in headlocks and was throwing uppercuts the entire match - AIBA still claimed the referee was right. Way to make your increasingly irrelevant sport even more so.

[BishopMVP]

The Chinese joke about Phelps/swimming having more medals, with added intra-asian rivalries!

Everyone’s upset about Michael Phelps winning gold medals in the 100m, 200m, 400m and 1500m breaststroke, backstroke butterfly and freestyle. Each country has demanded that more medals be awarded for their strongest sports.
Brazil wants football to be divided into 3-a-side, 5-a-side, 7-a-side and 11-a-side matches played on the beach, indoors and on grass.
China wants table tennis to be divided into pen-hold grip, shake-hand grip, pen-hold doubles, shake-hand doubles and pen-hold/shake-hand mixed doubles. It also wants diving to be divided into 1m, 2m, 3m, 4m… all the way up to 10m.
Britain wants equestrian events to be divided into black horse equestrian, white horse equestrian, chestnut and zebra.
Kenya wants long-distance running to include the 10,000m, 11,000m, 12,000m, 13,000m….
As well as men’s and women’s events, Thailand wants ladyboy events as well.
Only South Korea has had no objections. They just shouted “Michael Phelps is Korean!”

[Buccaneer]

As well as men’s and women’s events, Thailand wants ladyboy events as well.

Lol.

[Thomkal]

wow that was quite the shocker of an ending in men's diving

[sabotai]

Originally Posted by Thomkal

wow that was quite the shocker of an ending in men's diving

Yeah, that was pretty insane. The Aussie needed a near perfect dive and nailed it.

[MrBug708]

American men capture the Olympic Gold giving some closure in their tragedy.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

American men capture the Olympic Gold giving some closure in their tragedy.

And the sport is...men's volleyball? If I guess right, do I win anything?

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

And the sport is...men's volleyball? If I guess right, do I win anything?

I think you win a date with Reid Pretty. Or Clay Stanley. Your choice.

[Jas_lov]

U.S. up 8 on Spain at the half!

[Jas_lov]

Usually the U.S. depth wears teams down, but Spain isn't going away. It's a 4 point game with 4:00 left in the 3rd!

[Eaglesfan27]

Is this game being replayed tomorrow? I've made it through 3 quarters, but am having trouble staying awake even sitting at the computer.

[Jas_lov]

It's down to a 3 point lead with 8:00 in the 4th quarter!

[Radii]

A couple of these alley-oops that Spain has succeeded with on the US have been really, really impressive. The US is not playing the same defense they were in the first half and half their possessions since Spain went zone have involved 5 guys standing around and one of them deciding to put up a shot from wherever they happen to be. Yuck.

[Radii]

Every time Spain gets it down to 5 or less though the US has found a little burst to push the lead back out. Spain isn't winning this, but they're giving it a hell of an effort.

[Vegas Vic]

This game is starting to remind me of the UNLV/Duke game from 1991.

[Vegas Vic]

USA guts it out for the win. I give a lot of credit to Spain. After getting blown out in the prior game against the US, they hung tough the whole game.

[Icy]

This is the basketball game i wanted to see from my country after playing lazy and being embarrassed by USA in the group stage game. We are the last world champions and we needed to prove why.

Too bad Calderon, NBA player and our best PG could not play today after an injury. He could have been great help today, but our 18 years old PG Ricky Rubio stepped up and had a good game as starting PG today. Watch out for him in the next draft, he is predicted to be in the top 10.

The end of game was great, with Spain 4 points under USA in the last 2 minutes. Then that last minute was just garbage, specially after the two consecutive technical faults called to the Spanish bench and PG for arguing with the referees about the lack of traveling faults called to USA players during the whole game (and in fact during the whole Olympic games).

That is the only issue that non American basketball fans will have about the USA team. USA players committed traveling fault (under FIBA rules) on 75% of their possessions, and it was called like 2 times per game only.

Unlike in the NBA, under FIBA rules, you need to put the ball on the floor before your first step step, in the NBA you can step twice and then put the ball on the floor, giving a good advantage to the ball carrier to get the initial acceleration maxed. The referees were told to ignore that fault in USA players as they are not used to it but... if we play under FIBA rules, those rules should apply to both teams. Every team facing USA this Olympic games has gone nuts with the referees for not calling traveling.

Anyway that is not an excuse, the USA team is the best in the world, no discussion allowed, but i'm glad we Spanish showed today that the gap is closing really fast, in fact we are exporting more and more players to the NBA. Watch out also for Rudy Fernandez in Portland this season, you saw today what he can do.

[kingfc22]

Rudy Fernandez has game!

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by Icy

Then that last minute was just garbage, specially after the two consecutive technical faults called to the Spanish bench and PG for arguing with the referees about the lack of traveling faults called to USA players during the whole game (and in fact during the whole Olympic games).

That is the only issue that non American basketball fans will have about the USA team. USA players committed traveling fault (under FIBA rules) on 75% of their possessions, and it was called like 2 times per game only.

Unlike in the NBA, under FIBA rules, you need to put the ball on the floor before your first step, in the NBA you can step twice and then put the ball on the floor, giving a good advantage to the ball carrier to get the initial acceleration maxed. The referees were told to ignore that fault in USA players as they are not used to it but... if we play under FIBA rules, those rules should apply to both teams. Every team facing USA this Olympic games has gone nuts with the referees for not calling traveling.

Haha... I mean, you've seen LeBron or Dwyane Wade play before, right? 90% of fans watching NBA games complain about this too (btw... it's traveling in the NBA too, just like palming is supposed to be.) At least in FIBA they still abstain from giving ridiculous continuation calls as of now.

[Groundhog]

[stevew]

Icy-I think Rubio is too young to get drafted in 2009 to the NBA. He will, however, most likely be a top 3 pick in 2010. And if he continues to play this well, I wouldn't be suprised if he was the first pick.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

traveling?

[GoldenEagle]

Originally Posted by Icy

This is the basketball game i wanted to see from my country after playing lazy and being embarrassed by USA in the group stage game. We are the last world champions and we needed to prove why.

Too bad Calderon, NBA player and our best PG could not play today after an injury. He could have been great help today, but our 18 years old PG Ricky Rubio stepped up and had a good game as starting PG today. Watch out for him in the next draft, he is predicted to be in the top 10.

The end of game was great, with Spain 4 points under USA in the last 2 minutes. Then that last minute was just garbage, specially after the two consecutive technical faults called to the Spanish bench and PG for arguing with the referees about the lack of traveling faults called to USA players during the whole game (and in fact during the whole Olympic games).

That is the only issue that non American basketball fans will have about the USA team. USA players committed traveling fault (under FIBA rules) on 75% of their possessions, and it was called like 2 times per game only.

Unlike in the NBA, under FIBA rules, you need to put the ball on the floor before your first step step, in the NBA you can step twice and then put the ball on the floor, giving a good advantage to the ball carrier to get the initial acceleration maxed. The referees were told to ignore that fault in USA players as they are not used to it but... if we play under FIBA rules, those rules should apply to both teams. Every team facing USA this Olympic games has gone nuts with the referees for not calling traveling.

Anyway that is not an excuse, the USA team is the best in the world, no discussion allowed, but i'm glad we Spanish showed today that the gap is closing really fast, in fact we are exporting more and more players to the NBA. Watch out also for Rudy Fernandez in Portland this season, you saw today what he can do.

I knew Icy would come on here with sort of complaining. I was going to post the crybaby image, but decided against it.

Do you have a link from FIBA documenting that they would not call traveling against the USA?

I will tell you one thing, the Spain players are the biggest bunch of cry babies I have ever seen. They whined about every call that did not go there way. The US players carried themselves with class and respected the referee. I don't think it was a well officiated match but at least we did not whine over every single call.

[sterlingice]

To be fair, no one whines too much about the refs when they're winning

SI

[Icy]

Originally Posted by GoldenEagle

I knew Icy would come on here with sort of complaining. I was going to post the crybaby image, but decided against it.

Uhh? did i ever complain about anything in the past to make you KNEW i was going to do it now?? Have i ever been a crybaby about anything in the past in this forum?? I think this is the first time i talk about referees in any sport in my whole "history" in FOFC, so i guess you confused me with somebody else.

Why did you come such defensive to this thread? maybe because you KNEW that I could be right as you watched the game too?

Originally Posted by GoldenEagle

Do you have a link from FIBA documenting that they would not call traveling against the USA?

No, i just saw they never called it when they did it in ever counterattack or every time they attacked the basket in every game in the Olympic games, and that is why every team that faced them also talked about it, and that is why the whole arena was "boo-ing" today at the officials. I have no doubt that the USA team can humiliate any world team playing with NBA rules, but it doesn't matter if you like it or not, Olympic games play under FIBA rules, and what the USA players do again and again, is traveling and should be called.

Originally Posted by GoldenEagle

I will tell you one thing, the Spain players are the biggest bunch of cry babies I have ever seen. They whined about every call that did not go there way. The US players carried themselves with class and respected the referee. I don't think it was a well officiated match but at least we did not whine over every single call.

Why would you whine a referee that is favoring you? You admitted it was a bad officiated match, and you are right, but most of the mistakes went to the same side.

Anyway USA was the best team in the Olympics as i said, and they didn't win because the officiating, i never said that, but it was sad to see them receiving that kind of help from the referees when they don't need it to win anyway.

[Icy]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

Great play by Rudy showing that he can play in the NBA he also scored 22 points today. I'm really looking forward to see what he can do in Portland.

[Icy]

Double dola, a sad end of this is that Pau Gasol has said good bye to the national team after this game (unofficially) , as he wants to focus on winning a ring with LA in the 2 or 3 years remaining in his career.

[JPhillips]

He's 28 and he only has two or three years left in his career?

[Sublime 2]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

He's 28 and he only has two or three years left in his career?

I'm glad I wasn't the only one who thought that was funky.

[GoldenEagle]

Originally Posted by Icy

Uhh? did i ever complain about anything in the past to make you KNEW i was going to do it now?? Have i ever been a crybaby about anything in the past in this forum?? I think this is the first time i talk about referees in any sport in my whole "history" in FOFC, so i guess you confused me with somebody else.

You are the only Spaniard on the board that i know of. I am not getting you confused with anyone else.

Originally Posted by Icy

No, i just saw they never called it when they did it in ever counterattack or every time they attacked the basket in every game in the Olympic games, and that is why every team that faced them also talked about it, and that is why the whole arena was "boo-ing" today at the officials. I have no doubt that the USA team can humiliate any world team playing with NBA rules, but it doesn't matter if you like it or not, Olympic games play under FIBA rules, and what the USA players do again and again, is traveling and should be called.

You stated that the referees were told to ignore the "75%" of the time the US traveled. Yet you have no proof of this. Did I have any issue with the game being played under FIBA rules?

Originally Posted by Icy

Why would you whine a referee that is favoring you? You admitted it was a bad officiated match, and you are right, but most of the mistakes went to the same side.

I thought the bad calls were about even. Every single touch was called on both teams in the first half, and that probably kept Spain in the game because Kobe and Lebron had to sit down. They also could not play aggressive D when they were in the game. How about when Marc Gasol threw his defender to the ground which allowed Pau to make an easy shot?

The game changed when Coach K but Derron Williams into guard Rubio in the 4th quarter. Jason Kidd and Chris Paul were getting beat by him constantly. Williams was able to keep with him and deny the easy pass. Rubio will be a future NBA All-Star if he keeps developing at his current pace.

[JonInMiddleGA]

A tiny bit of order is restored to the universe.

[MrBug708]

Anyone else find it funny that GE is complaining about the refs?

[Noop]

Spain's team is a bunch of crybabies. I am surprised a fight did not break out from all the dirty plays they were doing especially when Marc Gasol punch Bosh in the mouth for the no call by the refs. That being said Spain played the best game of their lives as shot after shot went in for them. The US once it gained the lead were pretty much in control the rest of the way and I never felt that they would lose. Great game by both teams.

So why couldn't Gasol play like that in the finals where he played soft?

[Chief Rum]

Generally, I have no gripe with Icy and hear what he's saying. But he made a comment about Spain needing the FIBA rules to compete. IMO, if you need the rules to make you competitive, maybe yoiu're not quite as good as you think. The traveling thing was a travesty, but it is a travesty in the NBA as well. And no one's going to tell me that drive by Rudy shown above isn't travelling, too. I would guess opponents of the USA received the same leeway. And Spanish players certainly don't come over to the NBA playing as if they are respecting the travel rule when others aren't. They look just like any other NBA player to me.

Spain is a heck of a team, though. They deserve a lot of respect for staying with Team USA. USA, though, deserves every bit of its own respect coming, because outside of the travel thing, it seems to me they did play completely by FIBA rules, and they didn't just win, they dominated.

[GoldenEagle]

Originally Posted by Noop

So why couldn't Gasol play like that in the finals where he played soft?

That is Gasol's rep. He plays hard for Spain but soft in the NBA. Maybe he is retiring from Spain so that he can concentrate and play hard in the NBA without running the risk of getting injured. I hope Marc Gasol plays harder than Pau in Memphis. Marc seems to be tougher, play with a chip on his shoulder type player. The Grizz will sure need the inside presence.

[molson]

950th post in an Olympics thread. What happened here? In '04, there were 8 scattered Olympics threads, none had more than 20 posts or so (unless I missed something).

Doesn't it seem like they were a way huger deal than normal this year? I don't think it's just Phelps. I actually think DVR played a big part. I was watching all time, fast forwarding to the stuff I wanted to see, pretty much whenever I had down time.