Sochi 2014 Olympics

[Being]

Another Olympics and the same old question, what are sports. I see sport as something mostly objective in its nature; who finished first, who went the farthest, who made it through all the obstacles, which team racked up the most wins? I don't see sports as something needing judges providing subjective scores to determine a winner. Referees enforce objective rules and judges submit scores based on un-enforecable criteria. So my question is, what do you believe is the worst violation of the meaning of sport in this Olmypics? For example, while I enjoy freestyle skiing/snowboarding it has no compulsory requirements, as opposed to figure skating which does, so I'd rate freestyle skiing/snowboarding below figure skating as a sport even though I much prefer watching freestyle skiing/snowboarding. Here is a link to get you started, http://www.sochi2014.com/en

[Timbuk2]

[Ominous Gamer]

[Dreadnaught]

Over/under for some kind of awful terror attack?
Over/under for some kind of massive gay-rights demonstration?

[Loki]

We might see some arrests, but it would really undermine Putin's reputation if an attack succeeded. He'll do everything in his power to prevent it. Expect lots of arbitrary arrests in the northern Caucasus until the Olympic games are completed.

It will probably happen and the Russian media will completely ignore it.

[GGT]

<snip>

I don't see sports as something needing judges providing subjective scores to determine a winner.

Referees enforce objective rules and judges submit scores based on un-enforecable criteria.

I think you underestimate the "criteria" used by Judges, and the "objective" rules that are part of their scoring process. Figure skaters used to have more technical challenges, with Judges measuring ice-etching on figure 8's in millimeters, before they could proceed to the next category. But that changed when figure skating became more athletic, with amazing gymnastics on ice.

Judges still "score" minutia the average viewer isn't aware of....like landing on one foot or two, outer or inner blade, brushing a wall, height of jumps, not performing their submitted routine to a T, all sorts of things. And each sport has a team of Judges that make objective, enforceable, minimum criteria that begin at state and national levels, before they even get to Olympic Trials, or the Olympics.

So my question is, what do you believe is the worst violation of the meaning of sport in this Olmypics?

In this Olympics...I'd say the worst violation of the meaning of Sport, as defined by the IOCC itself....are the homophobic rules and laws made by Russia/Putin.

[Ominous Gamer]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...l-experiences/

[GGT]

That's not lol funny, but rather frightening.

[Loki]

If you only saw where the locals lived.

[Loki]

http://espn.go.com/olympics/winter/2...g-not-football Someone has an asshole for a coach.

[LittleFuzzy]

I'm amused he makes that comment about American football while hockey is being played at the Olympics.

On another note, I ADORED the Russian bronze routine in the Ice Dance. Beautiful. Exactly the sort of thing that makes me want to watch figure-skating. That's going to remain on my DVR for a while. The Ice Dance short program, OTOH, was not something I wanted to see, and I turned it off after three teams had been shown. I can enjoy Big Band music, but three+ hours of it is awful.

[Flixy]

http://espn.go.com/olympics/winter/2...g-not-football Someone has an asshole for a coach.

Meh, if you watch the whole interview (which I'm guessing you didn't), it's pretty amusing, the other guy and him are sorta sparring with words for fun (the interviewer belittled skating and our country, so making a jab at football is fair game ). If you ask me the interviewer was more of an asshole (way more, even), but I think they were both just having fun He's right about the skating though, I mean, the American articles considered several Americans among the favorites, and all the big announcements about the fastest suit ever.. But if you just expect everyone to perform well once in four years without enough support, competition, don't be surprised that while counting on medals your best result is 7th. And don't blame the suits And the point about football was that so much money and talent flows there, while no other country plays that game.