Zika, drugs, and medals: The Rio Olympics thread

[celedhring]

Yep.  if there is a larger/more important competition in your sport than the Olympics, you shouldn't be in the Olympics. 

Sorry baseball, basketball, golf, soccer.  Maybe cycling but who really cares about that?

It's funny how that only happens with footie, even NBA players have been going to the Olympics for 20+ years and there hasn't been any movement to go back to the pre-90s time when only college players would go, i'd say that Olympic basketball is roughly on par with the World Championship or even slightly ahead. Yet olympic footie is terribly terribly watered down, and it's not going to improve (with an European championship and a Copa América in the same summer there's simply no way that teams will send even their best U-23 teams).

But that's because FIFA wants it this way. They will never allow the Olympic tournament to rival their World Cup, in the same way the Olympic basketball tournament is probably above the FIBA WC.

[The Larch]

Yep.  if there is a larger/more important competition in your sport than the Olympics, you shouldn't be in the Olympics. 

Sorry baseball, basketball, golf, soccer.  Maybe cycling but who really cares about that?

It's funny how that only happens with footie, even NBA players have been going to the Olympics for 20+ years and there hasn't been any movement to go back to the pre-90s time when only college players would go, i'd say that Olympic basketball is roughly on par with the World Championship or even slightly ahead. Yet olympic footie is terribly terribly watered down, and it's not going to improve (with an European championship and a Copa América in the same summer there's simply no way that teams will send even their best U-23 teams).

But that's because FIFA wants it this way. They will never allow the Olympic tournament to rival their World Cup, in the same way the Olympic basketball tournament is probably above the FIBA WC.

Yeah, it's definitely by design, never doubted that. Just the fact that the teams are U-23 (with a couple of wildcard exemptions) is already the biggest telling sign.

Man is Neymar going to be pissed if Brazil doesn't win this...to think tha he skipped the Copa América for this and they already lost the first game being the home squad...

[Valmy]

Sorry baseball, basketball, golf, soccer.  Maybe cycling but who really cares about that?

The British, or at least the Olympics taking place in the UK, killed Olympic Baseball. Which is just as well. I was tired of seeing the US constantly lose to Cuba and Japan. Better to see us lose to them in the World Baseball Classic.

[Agelastus]

Sorry baseball, basketball, golf, soccer.  Maybe cycling but who really cares about that?

The British, or at least the Olympics taking place in the UK, killed Olympic Baseball. Which is just as well. I was tired of seeing the US constantly lose to Cuba and Japan. Better to see us lose to them in the World Baseball Classic.

I believe Baseball is back on the schedule for the next Games, in Tokyo in 2020.

[Valmy]

I believe Baseball is back on the schedule for the next Games, in Tokyo in 2020.

Bastards are bringing it back just so they can humiliate us again

[grumbler]

Team sports don't really belong in the Olympics.  The games would be better off without them.

[DGuller]

One weird thing about the team sports is how the medals are counted.  Win a tournament with a team of 22 people?  One gold medal.  Be a good individual swimmer?  You can win up to 39 gold medals in one Olympics.

[Eddie Teach]

Don't hate on swimming events, Dimitri.

[Josquius]

Team events... hmm...
Stuff like relay and the ilk definitely belongs in the Olympics.
But football, baseball and other sports with their own world cups (or which should have them, does basketball? Not heard of it); no.

[alfred russel]

Olympic hockey is one of the greatest Olympic events. Granted it is a winter event.

[Valmy]

But football, baseball and other sports with their own world cups (or which should have them, does basketball? Not heard of it); no.

Yeah this is the real Baseball championship: http://www.worldbaseballclassic.com/ since the very best players in the world actually get to play unlike the old Olympic tournament.

There is a Basketball "World Cup" but it is always just called the "World Championship" in the US: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIBA_Basketball_World_Cup

But generally the Olympic tournament is considered far more important for Basketball, unlike soccer.

[Liep]

Team events... hmm...
Stuff like relay and the ilk definitely belongs in the Olympics.
But football, baseball and other sports with their own world cups (or which should have them, does basketball? Not heard of it); no.

I'd be sad if they took Volleyball off the Olympics because it's basically the only time they televise it. But maybe Tyr hasn't heard of the Volleyball World Cup.

[Liep]

First two athletes have been sent home because they tested positive for doping...

A Cypriot and a Greek.

[MadBurgerMaker]

Be a good individual swimmer?  You can win up to 39 gold medals in one Olympics.

We can worry about that when Poseidon rolls out of the locker room wearing Team Greece gear. 

[Liep]

A nice ceremony from Brazil and no new doping scandals.