Other Olympic Observations

[malkin]

Such a big party, doesn't it deserve more than one thread?

I'll start:

There are cheerleaders at this volleyball match that Brewer is watching right now. I cant tell if they came to support Serbia or the USA or if they are non-partisan and supplied by the host city. They have pink striped sleeves.

What's up with that?

What do you like and what bugs you?
Random observations, bad politics, fun stuff, annoying stuff.
Let's hear it.

[lovelygamer]

I thought the whole Industrial Revolution part of the opening ceremony was dull. It was well done, of course but dull. How much more depressing can you get. And the rural stuff before that was a bit weird. I loved most everything else I saw....except I could not stay awake for the whole thing and that annoyed me. This is the first year I remember it being till Midnight and I couldn't stay awake. I fell asleep during the parade of nations "R". and I really wanted to see S, and U. ugh.

I also heard that the beach volleyball outfits are going to be tamer than usual, and show less skin.

I'm enjoying it all!

[malkin]

In the parade of nations I was nodding off at about Ghana and decided to go to bed at about Indonesia.

[Koronin]

Can we please dump all these back story look at athlete things. They take away time that would be better suited to showing actual competition.

[skhill]

Think I fell asleep somewhere around Lithuania, in the parade of nations. That's my favorite part of opening ceremonies, just wish it was available live so it would have been at a reasonable hour, at least for someone who's usually in bed by 10pm.

One odd observation: has anyone else noticed that all the play-by-play announcers for NBCetc. are men? They have women working as sideline reporters and expert/color analysts and studio anchors, but not doing play-by-play. Maybe there have been some I haven't caught, but it's odd...

[pll]

My favorite part of the opening ceremonies is the lighting of the Olympic flame... I think Barcelona 1992 cannot be topped in how spectacular it was, but this year's was nice.

In the ceremonies before the parade, I wish they had shown some men in kilts, some highlands games. :-)

The NBC athlete profiles and stories... could be left for online fodder...

[Trek420]

I thought the whole Industrial Revolution part of the opening ceremony was dull.

Pretty cool when seen from the inside http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsEG0Bh7VjQ

[Blueberry]

Bleh. I feel sorry for the gymnast who was just eliminated. Seems odd that only 2 from each country can enter the all around final. We don't limit in swimming or other disciplines. Bleh.

[Koronin]

I was happy to see actual release moves when the gymnasts were going from the low bar to the high bar. That had seemed to have gotten lost the last couple of Olympics. Growing up taking some gymnastics classes the only event I was ever any good at was the uneven bars. Then I got to college, took the gymnastics class for an easy A (which it was) and I got to learn how to do the Parallel bars and the Pommel Horse and absolutely love those two events.

[lovelygamer]

Bleh. I feel sorry for the gymnast who was just eliminated. Seems odd that only 2 from each country can enter the all around final. We don't limit in swimming or other disciplines. Bleh.

Me too. How does the reigning world champion not get into all around? Something is wrong with that process.

[Aggie_Ama]

Me too. How does the reigning world champion not get into all around? Something is wrong with that process.

The judges seemed incredibly tough scoring on all athletes, it was weird. Bela Karolyi (sp?) was pretty wound up about how it should be the top 24 athletes, he has a point in swimming it is the top qualifiers from the heats. But everyone is held to the same rules, broke my heart from Jordyn but she was outscored.

I have a question, I noticed what appear to be military from each nation presenting the flags. My curiousity is if you are a nation highly unlikely to medal do you still have those people on standby to present your flag?

[lovelygamer]

Pretty cool when seen from the inside http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsEG0Bh7VjQ

This is amazzzzzzzzzzzzzing. How deafening was that from the actor's perspective? I would be scared to death to be out there in that. By the way, do you know if there are any videos of the whole ceremony or chunks of it? i would love to catch what I missed. I wonder if it is on demand on my cable? I'm going to check.

[pll]

Going back to the opening, one of the moments that I *really* liked was when the flame went into the stadium and the construction workers that worked on that stadium were standing in guard. That was a great touch..

[pll]

Here is a parody of Olympic coverage: the Felympics

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5d-pl...eature=g-all-u

(the videos of that cat owner are great!)

[nuliajuk]

I found it irritating that the station I was watching interrupted the parade of nations for a commercial break and missed big groups of countries. I would like to have seen the Belize team, having enjoyed two great vacations there.