Are you watching the Olympics?

Doing great for its population, that is, and the paltry amount of money that our government spends on athletics :-) Congrats to all athletes, you should really be proud of what you've accomplished. Special kudos to the *female* athletes from Pakistan and Afghanistan this year!!!

'watched a few events' - saw part of the women's and men's gymnastics, some of the swimming, so far...

I watch a bit, usually just when DH is watching; Canada won a gold today in gymnastics, so that was exciting and very emotional to watch. I also watched quite a bit of the marathon today - those ladies are in such amazing physical shape! That's what its all about though - survival of the fittest - at its most ultimate levels.

Haven't been into the olympics as much this time around. Just got my first digital cam. New toys consume me sometimes! :-|

I prefer watching the Winter Olympics, would not miss them for anything, to me they are far more exciting than the summer ones.

I voted that I watch a few events. DH is the one that's consumed with watching the Olympics. I've watched some basketball, some swimming and some tennis, but I really can't tell you how any one country is standing.

I also prefer the winter Olympics. More exciting for sure, and there's not so much work to do outside at the time they are televised.

We've watched everything .....wonder why the housework isn't getting done? LOL

I am watching the Equestrian events. The DH is taping them for me in the middle of the night while I am at work.

I'm so happy!!!!! For the very first time in history Chile won Olympic Gold and not just one, but two medals: single and double in tennis. We are so proud of our two kids and the whole country is celebrating.

Viva Nicolás Massu!!!!!!

Viva Fernando González!!!!!!

Viva Chile!!!!!!

Of course I am watching, as they are in my home country. But it is useless, tiresome and boring to watch the lot : for how long can you watch sailboats going in the blue sea, or basketball teams unheard of playing against each other???? Unless you are particularly interested in some sport you may not even know what is happening. On the other hand, track, swimming pool, cycling, (particularly the women's Marathon yesterday) were very nice and seemed interesting to the outsiders like me - and they are still going on.

Go to the herbs forum, see my question : what is marathon ?? have a go and speak your knowledge or make a guess - I will tell in end.

Dimitri

Congratulations, Ursula and to all of Chile! We're very happy for you!

Thanks spklatt.

Thats great. Ursula!

Yes it is. We are a small country and our teams are almost on their own, with very little support from the government or other institutions. I sincerely hope that changes now in the light of the Olympic results.

I would think it will! Nothing like success to bring the money boys around.

GO USA!!!!!

"eyes"

Gotta watch Gymnastics during the Summer Olympics and Figure Skating during the winter Olympics.
My DH is a softball player himself, so he enjoys watching those games, no matter who's playing!

All the athletes amaze me!!

I think I have watched two nights when I happened to flip to it. I've watched a little of the swimming, the diving, and the gymnastics. Those are the ones that I remember, at least, because I like them the best. I do remember that I flipped channels when water volleyball came on the other night. Just not my cup of tea.

I love them all and have watched many of the events, but I particularly love watching the swimming and diving!

Only one medal so far - Silver. But we'll beat back in Winter Olympics! :D
Our team is nothing compared to the big ones and that ain't quite fair :(

Have watched some everyday since it has been on. Really enjoyed the volleyball trials (Cuba and USA). The US had to beat Cuba 3 out of 5 times to go on to the next stage. It was a great 3 games and the US came out on top to advance. I believe Cuba is still in cause that was their first loss so we will meet them again.

I get slightly depressed about what has happened to the Olympics. To me, the Olympic ideal is about internationalism and individualism - sportsmen and women coming together to compete on equal terms. Mostly in the media, we get ugly nationalism. We also get teams and individuals trying to gain advantage and compete on terms that favour them.
Now, in the UK at least, it is an opportunity for media tub-thumping and jingoism for success and carping about failure. I suppose we have the Bad Mad Adolf to blame for the distortion of the purity of the Olympic ideal (ironic really that he who was for purity in one way should have destroyed it in another).
It would be really nice, though, if a few media commentators when bemoaning and sympathising with local competitors who fail, cannot just be pleased for those from whichever country who succeed. These two positions are not mutually exclusive.
Finally, I think that spklatt had it right about population size. When I see medals tables, I just think to myself - 'divide by population and re-order'....

I couldn't vote as there is no "other"
At the moment I have no TV connected, so am unable to watch, though I'd like to watch some of it - particularly the equestrian and some of the track and field - oh and swimming and diving and....
lol

Thanks, cinemike. Yeah, population size and the other issues that a country may be facing (e.g. Bangladesh doesn't have amateur athletics as a top priority right now), are key factors. Also, the general culture of the country...some places just don't have a large athletics tradition, in the sense that we're accustomed to seeing it. I'm not sure why India with its billion people doesn't have a larger presence in the Olympics...Anju Bobby George is the only athlete that comes to mind for me. Any ideas on this from anyone?

At any rate, admittedly my 'remote control thumb' has gotten a good workout during these Olympics, but seeing these athletes has definitely inspired me to be more active. I hope they all know that we're proud of them, medals or no.

Shannon

I'm with you Evert, we are stronger in the winter Olympics as well. I noticed a Finnish athlete in the decathlon yesterday, but he's the first one I've caught on TV. Looking forward to Torino in '06!

i love watching the olympics. i'm not much of a sports fan any other time but i love watching the countries come together and compete. i was so thrilled to see the afghanistan and pakistan women. you go ladies i feel so much pride in them and i know one day they or there daughters will be winning a medal for there country. i do for all of them actually. i hate to see anyone fall or slip or hop on a landing etc..... i love to hear all the different national anthems and see the joy in there faces for all there hard work and the accomplishment they have achieved for themselves and there country.
i have to agree about the media. a quick look at the athletes emotions if they loose is enough for me. showing them falling to the ground in tears as the camera rolls behind them in a private moment is outrageous an obscene.
did you hear the predominantly greek audience at the mens gymnastics highbar yesterday? they booed the judges until they changed the russians score. it didn't change anything in the results and the russian was a total gentleman about it. wow now that was about the olympics. i know i'm not knowledgable to know if a score is right or wrong, but he sure was dynamic. :-) the poor u.s.a. guy who came up after him, at first i think thought they were booing him. nothing like this had happened before. he realized soon it was about the russian and then he had to wait while they continued to boo even after the new score was posted, and the russian athlete had to go up. he thanked them and asked them to quiet. they did a bit and the u.s.a. guy had to do his routine under those conditions. he got a silver metal. now that is composure under pressure!
sorry for my rattling but i love the olympics and wanted to share that moment with you.
debi z

Watching a few events, but they just don't show the really interesting sports. Instead of showing us 1000 heats of each event, why don't they show something different. Instead of these "profiles" show us the other things that are going on. Instead of just showing the events that the Americans are involved in, they should recognize that all athletes had to accomplish a lot just to get there and are doing great. I congratulate them all, not just "ours" and wish that NBC shared the same attitude when deciding what's on. I also wish some of the commentators would learn when to just "shut up" -- often when I'm watching I just turn volume off and turn music on -- I miss a few important statements here and there but am not inundated with mindless babble. I love the olympics, but I hate the television coverage

deborahgrand, my sentiments exactly!

I watch as much as possible. I really don't know how the country is doing medal-wise. That doesn't matter. I just want to see the athletes competing in the events. We don't have cable tv, so only get to watch the few popular events they broadcast, with alot of talking and way too many commercials in between!
Deb

I watch a few events. I enjoy watching diving and water polo. Some gymnastics. To be THAT strong, WOW!

I watched some of the swimming, gymnastics and beach volley ball. Enjoyed everyone that I watched!! Go USA !!!

Women`s gymnastics - our girls were the best.

Watch every minute I can I love sports & I love the olympic spirit, It doesn't matter so much to me where they are from but I love a competitor who is excited and a winner who is * thrilled *
Sandy

I just watched a few minutes of the Olympics - they come from 4 channels, Romania came second in some kind of running - and Greece won. It was great to watch their flag rising and everybody (the Greeks) singing their national anthem.

I also watched some of it from the national Finnish channel TV2 - the Swedish channel was showing the very same thing at the same time, it was zap between the to channels and hear the same in other languages.

I also, wish our TV people could realize this is about the world family, and the thing that brings us all together.Not some political mud slinging event.

It's really hard to watch the Olympics when DH is watching "Wings" or the "History Channel." Last time I saw the summer games was when Mark Spitz was swimming. ;-)

~julie~

Oh-oh!

This is the first time that I haven't obsessed about watching the Olympics non-stop LOL. Living in Israel you really see what spklatt was saying abut population size. When you live in a country whose total population doesn't even equal that of New York City, well, the chances that your little country is going to have the bes tin the world for XYorZ sport is pretty slim. And I think that like cinemike said too, there's just way too much focus on who "wins". I mean, sheesh, the guys and gals got to THE OLYMPICS for crying out loud. That in and of itself should be reason for plenty of celebrating...even if they do finish "last" at the Olympics, they sure are a heck of a lot better than the rest of us! So kudos to every single athlete who made it to the Olympics - they should all be proud :-)

Having said that though, a little extra celebration was in order for us in Israel yesterday because it was the very first time someone from Israel won an Olympic gold medal. Gal Fridman won gold in windsurfing! Yeah Gal! (By the way, appropriately, the English translation of his first name is "wave"....pretty good name for some who rides them so well! :-).

-Julie

I'm more of a winter Olympics watcher. I love watching the skating competition, skiing and luge, though I know little about individual athletes.