Olympic Excitement

[crazy canuck]

I was going to start a thread about olympic excitement but Jacob beat me to it so I will join the fun.

Leading up to the games I have been a bit of a games scrooge.  Too expensive, too much dispruption, bah humbug!

But I have to admit the city is really starting to buzz.  Lots of tourists are starting to flood in, lots of games related activities are sprouting up all over the city.  It looks to be a great party.  Over the last two days I have been able to walk anywhere without friendly tourist types stoping me and asking for recommendations of restaurants, where they should go next etc.  Its a lot of fun.

I only wish we had snow on the local mountains.  This is the worst snow year I can remember for the local hills.  Whistler is ok but the local hills are really hurting.  The Today show will be broadcasting from Grouse Mountain - 5 minutes from my house.  Hopefully it gets a dump of snow in the next couple of weeks so I can show off my skiing skills for the camera....

[Syt]

I used to love winter sports (over here, it's ideal weekend tv background noise) and winter games in particular. However, these past two or three years I've been pretty "meh" about it all.

[Delirium]

The temperature is rising for the biggest hockey event in four years. My greatest problem is the time difference, with nine hours between the games will be at three or four in the morning. What are the odds I can make it a full day at work without someone spilling the result?

[Neil]

Apparently Kevin Martin was a real nice guy to curl against.  So while I used to not like the guy (in Alberta I was more of a Randy Furbey guy), now I'm rooting for Martin.

Back when you were living in Alberta, Furbey/Nedohin was in the middle of the most dominant streak in the history of the sport.  They weren't just beating other rinks, they were beating every rink that came out, and usually pretty badly.  But you have to respect Martin.  He's been in and around the championships for almost 30 years now, and has won his fair share.

You know, I just don't feel that the Briar is the same when it isn't sponsored by Labatt's.

[Neil]

But I have to admit the city is really starting to buzz.  Lots of tourists are starting to flood in, lots of games related activities are sprouting up all over the city.

And then there's the professional protesters coming to town, looking to turn the Olympics into a WTO meeting or something.

Why you guys don't simply have your left wing executed I'll never know.

[Agelastus]

BB- how do you score points in curling?

It's easy to show, but hard to describe.

You throw your rocks at the 12' wide rings at the other end of the ice.  Rocks need to be in the rings to be able to score.

After each time has thrown their 8 rocks, you look at the rings (called the house).  Find the rock closest to the center (called the button).  That rock is the "shot rock", and is worth one point.

Then look for the next closest rock.  If it's the same colour (which means thrown by the same team) as the shot rock, it's worth another point.

You then keep determining which is the next closest rock.  As long as they're all the same colour, each rock is worth 1 point.

But as soon as the next closest rock is a different colour, you stop counting.

I'll see if I can find a picture...

In other words, think indoor or outdoor bowls on ice, using what amounts to a fixed jack.

[Josquius]

You know, if it wasn't for foreigners on web forums I would have no idea there is a winter olympics coming up.   Excitement seems to be nil in the real world.

[Syt]

You can do curling on asphalt in the Prater amusement park.

[crazy canuck]

And then there's the professional protesters coming to town, looking to turn the Olympics into a WTO meeting or something.

Why you guys don't simply have your left wing executed I'll never know.

You know, if it wasnt for the CBC I wouldnt have any idea anyone was protesting the games.  Except for some stunts they pulled about a year ago when they tried to vandalize the count down clock.

I am afraid of is that they will do something really stupid during the opening ceremonies. 

[Josephus]

I can say without any exaggeration at all that Soviet television, as awful as it was in almost every way, did a much better job covering the sport.

I would hope so, given how much resources they had invested in it.

and LOL did they: complain about the West German judges?

No. But they felt the West German female athletes were too feminine looking.

[Barrister]

Apparently Kevin Martin was a real nice guy to curl against.  So while I used to not like the guy (in Alberta I was more of a Randy Furbey guy), now I'm rooting for Martin.

Back when you were living in Alberta, Furbey/Nedohin was in the middle of the most dominant streak in the history of the sport.  They weren't just beating other rinks, they were beating every rink that came out, and usually pretty badly.  But you have to respect Martin.  He's been in and around the championships for almost 30 years now, and has won his fair share.

You know, I just don't feel that the Briar is the same when it isn't sponsored by Labatt's.

I'm sure I mentioned that I used to curl in the same junior curling league as Nedohin at the Charleswood Curling Club in Winnipeg back in the day.  Plus of course their lead, Marcel Rocque (what a great curling name) was from St. Paul, Alberta, so my allegiance was sealed.

But absolutely you have to respect how Martin regrouped, and came back to the pinnacle of the sport.

[Eddie Teach]

You know, if it wasn't for foreigners on web forums I would have no idea there is a winter olympics coming up.   Excitement seems to be nil in the real world.

One can forgive those little* wintry countries this foible, just as one forgives British people for thinking riding a bicycle along a short indoor track is an important sporting event.

*populationwise

p.s. The only winter olympic sport that matters is speed skating. :usa: 

[Grey Fox]

Like being beaten by Canucks & Chinaman, eh?

[Eddie Teach]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Heiden

[Neil]

I'm sure I mentioned that I used to curl in the same junior curling league as Nedohin at the Charleswood Curling Club in Winnipeg back in the day.  Plus of course their lead, Marcel Rocque (what a great curling name) was from St. Paul, Alberta, so my allegiance was sealed.

But absolutely you have to respect how Martin regrouped, and came back to the pinnacle of the sport.

Also, his wife was super cute back when we were both in high school.