The problem is that the Olympics aren't really an athletic competition; its a reality TV show that exists to enrich and aggrandize the sponsors and the host country by attaching their names to the "pure" pursuit of sport. When the athletes fail to live-up to the story they want to tell it hurts the value of the Olympics brand and thus it is bad, even if they were going for the gold (even especially since it highlights a mistake made by the IOC). It's ok for rich countries to spend millions of dollars training "amateur" athletes and developing technology to blow the loser countries out of the water every 2 years so long as the 10 min of TV it produces looks kosher.
When the Olympics came to Vancouver it was 100% pitched as "this will inject money into our economy and make this a world class city". Never once was it about celebrating sport.
The modern Olympics in their early days were more about the pure pursuit of sport and good natured competition, but it didn't take long for it to get politicized. The 1936 Berlin Olympics, which Hitler wanted to use to trump up Nazi superiority (and failed miserably since a black man by the name of Jesse Owens kicked some serious Nazi ass in track and field) is the earliest example I can think of. During the Cold War, both sides tried to use the Olympics as a way to trump up the superiority of their respective philosophies. Nowadays, I don't even think politics matter -- it's all about ratings and sponsorships.
I was young, but I really felt as though the Russia/USA rivalry in the Olympics was pretty good natured and had very little tie to the tangentially related politics.
I would love to play board games with Scott. People who don't play to win get really mad when they lose. I have a feeling that Scott understands that playing to win means that if you lose, you deserved it.
I was young, but I really felt as though the Russia/USA rivalry in the Olympics was pretty good natured and had very little tie to the tangentially related politics.
Between the athletes for the most part, no. Between the governments, you better believe it did.
By the way, how come no one has stepped in after I demonstrated that throwing matches is explicitly illegal in badminton?
I was young, but I really felt as though the Russia/USA rivalry in the Olympics was pretty good natured and had very little tie to the tangentially related politics.
Between the athletes for the most part, no. Between the governments, you better believe it did.
By the way, how come no one has stepped in after I demonstrated that throwing matches is explicitly illegal in badminton?
It is specifically illegal, we knew that. It's just a bullshit rule like the rule in Shadows over Camelot about saying what cards you have. To make it not bullshit, they need to remove incentive to lose from the tournament structure.
I would love to play board games with Scott. People who don't play to win get really mad when they lose. I have a feeling that Scott understands that playing to win means that if you lose, you deserved it.
There's playing to win and then there's lawyering the rules and playing so aggressively that only other rules lawyers have any fun.
It is specifically illegal, we knew that. It's just a bullshit rule like the rule in Shadows over Camelot about saying what cards you have. To make it not bullshit, they need to remove incentive to lose from the tournament structure.
And how is it less a bullshit rule than taunting and other unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in the NFL? If taunting gives you an advantage by messing up the emotional state of your opponent, then why not allow it?
It is specifically illegal, we knew that. It's just a bullshit rule like the rule in Shadows over Camelot about saying what cards you have. To make it not bullshit, they need to remove incentive to lose from the tournament structure.
And how is it less a bullshit rule than taunting and other unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in the NFL? If taunting gives you an advantage by messing up the emotional state of your opponent, then why not allow it?
I actually agree that unsportsmanlike conduct is a bullshit rule. I only pointed out that it IS a rule, not that it is a good one. If I was in charge of the No Fun League, I would bring back the awesomeness.
It is specifically illegal, we knew that. It's just a bullshit rule like the rule in Shadows over Camelot about saying what cards you have. To make it not bullshit, they need to remove incentive to lose from the tournament structure.
And how is it less a bullshit rule than taunting and other unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in the NFL? If taunting gives you an advantage by messing up the emotional state of your opponent, then why not allow it?
I actually agree that unsportsmanlike conduct is a bullshit rule. I only pointed out that it IS a rule, not that it is a good one. If I was in charge of the No Fun League, I would bring back the awesomeness.
At least you're consistent. And I do agree that touchdown celebrations should be legalized. I mean, I enjoyed when Joe Horn got out the cell phone from the goal post pad and called someone after he caught a touchdown. Of course, there are similar potentially bullshit rules that have nothing to do with "fun" and more to do with fucking with your opponent, such as the rule against defensive players using their own play calling to try to draw the offense offside... or the rule against players racking up penalties when near the goal line because the half the distance rule means that the yardage lost is negligible.
Taking this on a slightly different tangent, let's suppose that the rules did allow for the team to throw a match to win the tournament. That's incredibly lame, but similar things exist all over sports and gaming at different points. You can be encouraged to play poorly in one game to win the other "broader" game and that's not that uncommon. Resting your best players when you've locked your place in the "big game" is pretty common. Supposing this game had enough of a roster to rotate your best players out for a couple games, this likely would go completely under the radar. Hell, they could have just acted to negate the rule. I actually think that they wanted to skip such antics and just throw the game is slightly more honorable than faking it through.
Even with rules specifically against it, I really don't feel like I can blame the players/team for this. The optimal strategy just shifts from blatantly breaking a silly rule to skirting as close to that rule as you reasonably can. At that point, I'd just as soon they allow someone to forfeit a match.
Can't forget this $10,000 fine I love how the announcers basically said that the rule is dumb and no fun. "He did trip, he stubbed his toe. He's down in agony!"
I know the USA and China wins Gold medals every day, but it's not the same for the rest of us. Except for today, when Team GB won 6 golds, including 3 in under an hour in the athletics stadium. A crazy, crazy evening in London.
What a night! This has to be one of the greatest nights in British Olympic History. The nation as one is buzzing at the moment, Ennis and Mo were sort of expected but for Rutherford to win the long jump was incrediable, talk about feeding off the energy. Cannot wait to get down there tomorrow. Once in a life time event.
Last week I interviewed the parents of Tianna Madison, the Olympian who placed fourth for the US earlier today in the women's 100m sprint. Here's her dad, Bobby, holding just her first-place medals (they include the long jump as well, since Tianna is the 2005 world long jump champion).
There was a good article about this I found on Reddit I think. Lemme pull it up. Basically, the guy explains exactly why this is the fault of the Olympics and no-one else. Basically saying the things we've been saying, but with a bit more explanation for those of us a tad slow.
There is a real question here about why we accept the objectification of beach volleyball players in contrast to the objectification of players of other Olympic sports. I'll be among the first to schwing over a hot girl, and I'll also stipulate that Kerri Walsh looks pretty good in her court garb, but there is a double standard.
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When the Olympics came to Vancouver it was 100% pitched as "this will inject money into our economy and make this a world class city". Never once was it about celebrating sport.
By the way, how come no one has stepped in after I demonstrated that throwing matches is explicitly illegal in badminton?
Even with rules specifically against it, I really don't feel like I can blame the players/team for this. The optimal strategy just shifts from blatantly breaking a silly rule to skirting as close to that rule as you reasonably can. At that point, I'd just as soon they allow someone to forfeit a match.
I love how the announcers basically said that the rule is dumb and no fun.
"He did trip, he stubbed his toe. He's down in agony!"
http://www.sirlin.net/blog/2012/8/1/playing-to-win-in-badminton.html
EDIT: Although, from what I've heard, at the Olympic Village, every Olympics is the XXX Olympics.
If you want to complain, you should go after figure skating where fashion is a significant factor.
http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/article/1148979--what-if-every-olympic-sport-was-photographed-like-beach-volleyball