Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics

[DGuller]

NBC Olympics streaming has got to be the clusterfuckiest clusterfuck I've ever come across on the web.  Finding the stream to something that isn't the 2010 men's hockey final game is damn near impossible, especially if you don't want to accidentally run across the spoilers.

I've had no problems watching things. Is it NBC or your cable company that is suckiest of the suck?

I can watch it just fine once I find the link to all the replays.  Finding the link to all the replays is what's nearly impossible (now that I found it again, through a link from some blog, I bookmarked it for good, but that was fucking ridiculous).  Going to the main streaming page just gives you a hockey game from four years ago, and with no obvious link to the more current stuff.

[katmai]

Hmmm, i'm going through yahoo.com to nbc stream and giving me live plays of Curling and the Skiing slopestyle qualifications for women.

[Liep]

That slopestyle run by the Canadian girl was insane, most of the course was done backwards.

[Grey Fox]

If Canadian athletes keep this up, they are going to shatter thru our Vancouver record.

[Liep]

The half pipe event is excellent, Shaun White is just 2-3 meters above the rest on height. Also the commentators are very good, funny and knowledgeable if a little homoerotic. The leopard patterned sweatshirt one of them is wearing might be a giveaway.

[Grey Fox]

Who's feed you watching Liep?

White so much better than everyone else, 4 more years nothing has changed.

[Syt]

The IOC has reprimanded the Norwegian delegation because their cross country skiers were wearing a mourning band to honor a just deceased brother of one of the athletes. It appears the IOC sees it as an expression of religious feelings which is not allowed under the Olympic Charter.

[Berkut]

How do you follow those slalom events?  All I can make out is that you're supposed to hit the poles, but how do you tell a good pole hit from the one that automatically disqualifies you?

You are actually supposed to go BETWEEN the poles. The poles are in pairs alternating black and white, so you are expected to go between each pair.

The ideal line though is almost always to go as close as possible to one of the poles, and the poles are often aligned vertically - so what it ends up looking like is that they are skiing into poles. And they are - but just because the "best path" is almost always to only go to one side or the other as far as possible to get to that next "gate".

A good pole hit is one where both skis get inside the pole, and a bad one is where one or both miss and hence the skier does not go through the gate, since "through" is defined by their skis.

[Liep]

Who's feed you watching Liep?

White so much better than everyone else, 4 more years nothing has changed.

That one was from the Danish, even if the quality isn't as high as the Canadian stream the commentator makes up for it. His radioshow is also a favourite of mine.

[Ed Anger]

For some reason, I want to play Epyx's Winter Games.


I'm old. 

[Syt]

For some reason, I want to play Epyx's Winter Games.


I'm old. 

I think during the 2010 Games a news site offered it online. Though it's not the same without a Competition Pro.



(I have a USB knock off - not as good as the original, though.)

EPYX Games' series was awesome (Summer Games 1&2, World Games, California Games, Winter Games).

[DGuller]

How do you follow those slalom events?  All I can make out is that you're supposed to hit the poles, but how do you tell a good pole hit from the one that automatically disqualifies you?

You are actually supposed to go BETWEEN the poles. The poles are in pairs alternating black and white, so you are expected to go between each pair.

The ideal line though is almost always to go as close as possible to one of the poles, and the poles are often aligned vertically - so what it ends up looking like is that they are skiing into poles. And they are - but just because the "best path" is almost always to only go to one side or the other as far as possible to get to that next "gate".

A good pole hit is one where both skis get inside the pole, and a bad one is where one or both miss and hence the skier does not go through the gate, since "through" is defined by their skis.

With that explanation at hand, I watched a short replay again, and I think it's really tough to see where the pairs of poles are, at least from the angle of the TV camera.  You see the pole they go around, but you don't see the matching pole that at least theoretically defines the other bound, which makes it hard to know which sides of the pole the skier is supposed to be on.

[Tonitrus]

Russkies have some hotties in woman's curling.

There are quite a few hotties in women's hockey(all countries) too, but the uniforms hide it all. 

[crazy canuck]

The IOC has reprimanded the Norwegian delegation because their cross country skiers were wearing a mourning band to honor a just deceased brother of one of the athletes. It appears the IOC sees it as an expression of religious feelings which is not allowed under the Olympic Charter.

The IOC has also banned any references to Sarah Burke by althetes from a number of nations.

Who is Sarah Burke and why is the IOC trying to ban her memory? http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/sports-video/video-who-is-sarah-burke-and-why-is-the-ioc-trying-to-ban-her-memory/article16777727/

[Barrister]

Hmm.  Winnipeg Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec is part of the olympics for the Czech hockey team.

There are now reports that he won't even be dressed for their first game, the Czechs instead putting their faith in two goalies playing in the KHL.  Pavelec's numbers have been bad for the Jets this year no doubt about it, but to be passed over for two players who can't even make it in the NHL?  That's gotta hurt.