2024 Paris Olympics megathread

[celedhring]

My pet peeve are all the "you need to be wealthy to actually play this" sports, like most of the boat stuff.

[Valmy]

Just found out breakdancing is an Olympics sport now 

That actually makes more sense than something like pistol shooting.

I find your anti-Americanism disturbing.

Ironically we aren't that great at shooting events.

[Norgy]

My pet peeve are all the "you need to be wealthy to actually play this" sports, like most of the boat stuff.

We scored medals with our king in the sailing competitions in 1968.   
Sailing was pretty much an obligatory thing to learn in Norway. Even I from the inland had to endure sailing school.
"So we don't have motor boats anymore?". Right.

I think the Olympics are boring. Pure and simple.

[Jacob]

My pet peeve are all the "you need to be wealthy to actually play this" sports, like most of the boat stuff.

You do not need to be wealthy to be a windsurfer or race any of the dinghies or skiffs in the olympics (49ers, 470s, Nacras etc).

It'll cost me around CDN$600/year to race several of those by joining a local club, plus maybe spend CDN$300-$400 on gear as a one time cost.

I mean, yeah if you're going to regattas all the time across the continent and training intensely then it's a commitment that requires time (and therefore money), but sailing those types of boats is actually pretty accessible if you're interested (at least in the places I'm familiar with). You don't have to own the boats to race them, and most people don't.

[HVC]

My pet peeve are all the "you need to be wealthy to actually play this" sports, like most of the boat stuff.

That disqualifies like half the events ain't cheap having a kid with Olympic ambitions.

[Valmy]

My pet peeve are all the "you need to be wealthy to actually play this" sports, like most of the boat stuff.

We scored medals with our king in the sailing competitions in 1968.   
Sailing was pretty much an obligatory thing to learn in Norway. Even I from the inland had to endure sailing school.
"So we don't have motor boats anymore?". Right.

I think the Olympics are boring. Pure and simple.

I love the Olympics, but then I love all sports.

[Syt]

Was watching a bit of the women's basketball Germany v Belgium game yesterday on the German channel. The female commentator was, I think, a former athlete and did good play by play with some background info. Her male counterpart was explaining the basics of basketball like you would to a child. I mean, I guess it makes sense to go a bit more basic for the Olympics where you'll have people not familiar with some sports tune in. But when he explains how the sport was invented in Canada with peach crates, or what a three-pointer is, or how free throws work and hyping up, "Oh, it's so far from the basket, imagine being [insert random distance example] away and having to hit this small target!" I mean ... come on.

[Josquius]

You'd think basketball in Germany would be known enough not to need this. I wonder if they do it for football. Or the 100 metres.
"When you hear the gun the men all have to run very very fast for about the length of 55 VW beatles."

[Syt]

You'd think basketball in Germany would be known enough not to need this. I wonder if they do it for football. Or the 100 metres.
"When you hear the gun the men all have to run very very fast for about the length of 55 VW beatles."

That's what surprised me. Basketball is not exactly an exotic sport in Germany. It's different if you were to explain, say, the scoring system in Judo or something.

[garbon]

Was watching a bit of the women's basketball Germany v Belgium game yesterday on the German channel. The female commentator was, I think, a former athlete and did good play by play with some background info. Her male counterpart was explaining the basics of basketball like you would to a child. I mean, I guess it makes sense to go a bit more basic for the Olympics where you'll have people not familiar with some sports tune in. But when he explains how the sport was invented in Canada with peach crates, or what a three-pointer is, or how free throws work and hyping up, "Oh, it's so far from the basket, imagine being [insert random distance example] away and having to hit this small target!" I mean ... come on.

By invented in Canada do you mean in Massachusetts by a Canadian?

[Syt]

Well, the guy said "in Canada."

[garbon]

Well, the guy said "in Canada."

I've been to the basketball hall of fame in Springfield, Mass more times than I can care to count.

[Josquius]

You cannot see attachments on this board.

It turns out his first name....

Julius.

Those parents didn't cower from the unfortunate surname. They had ambition.

[Duque de Bragança]

You'd think basketball in Germany would be known enough not to need this. I wonder if they do it for football. Or the 100 metres.
"When you hear the gun the men all have to run very very fast for about the length of 55 VW beatles."

That's what surprised me. Basketball is not exactly an exotic sport in Germany. It's different if you were to explain, say, the scoring system in Judo or something.

Then don't go to the stadia for the Olympic football tournament.
Before the game starts, they explain the basics in very simple words as if somebody had never played or seen football. 

[crazy canuck]

Biles- Wow