The 2004 Olympics.

[ecche]

There are only a little more than 100 days left until the beginning of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. A couple of questions:

Are you looking forward to the games and would you expect them to be as successful as the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia?

Your favorite Olympic discipline (summer games only)?

Your favorite Olympic athlete of all time?

Will you watch it on TV?

[miloblithe]

400m and the 4x400 are my favorite events, probably beacuse that's what I ran in highshool.

[wdlove]

My favorite is the Winter Olympics, much prefer those sports. Escpically like the skating. I do plan to watch the Summer Olympics on TV. Do enjoy rooting for my team USA. It always gives me chills os pride when the play our national antnhem.

They have a picture in the Boston Globe today. "The Torch is lit" showing the century old olympic flame being lit from the sun in a cauldron and passed it to a Greek javelin thrower. He is the first of 3,600 runners that will carry the flame through 267 countries. It will arrive in Athens, Greece for its final leg to begin the games on August 13th.

I pray that the construction will meet deadlines and be ready to begin on time.

[kgarner]

Looking forward to the Olympics. I have always enjoyed them, but i can't say i really have a favorite for the summer games. Winter is hockey for sure, though.

[Doctor Q]

I like watching the Olympics because you get to see the best in the world at each sport. For me, the team sports aren't as interesting as the individual competitions.

They started the torch relay yesterday. There will be 11,000 runners on the way to Athens. I saw a torch runner go by once and that was fun. Hearing about the variety of people they choose for the torch run is interesting too.

The city of Athens is behind schedule in preparations, but that's probably par for the course. It'll be hard to beat Sydney's "performance". It's too bad that security is going to be such an issue this year. It will no doubt add more hassles for the spectators but I hope it doesn't affect the athletes much.

My favorite event? Can't I pick more than one? I'll pick a category instead: track and field.

Favorite Olympic athlete of all time? Again, no fair to pick just one. I like the historical greats, such as Wilma Rudolph (overcame polio), Tommie Smith and John Carlos (gave up careers for civil rights), Greg Louganis (practically flawless diving), Nadia Comaneci (first gymnast to score a perfect 10), ... . I could go on and on. There are so many inspiring stories every 4 years.

[Awimoway]

I am looking forward to the Olympics. It's a fun, scrappy event with pageantry, national pride, international cooperation, fierce competition, upsets, surprises, tumult, controversy, excitement... I love it all. Except for the grim spectre of performace-enhancing substances. The Olympics are becoming increasingly less legitimate because of them.

I even spent more money than I should have to attend the opening ceremonies in Salt Lake (since I was living in the area) and a couple events. It was a terrific, unforgettable experience.

Anyway, to answer the questions...

As successful? I don't know. I know Greece has caught a lot of flak for not getting ready quickly enough. And Sydney's was the most successful in years. Maybe ever. So that's kind of hard to top. But Greece is the source of the Olympics, and it will surely be a good centennial celebration, so I'm sure it will have its own charm. On the other hand, considering that Greece is a US ally and is right on the border between Christiandom and Islam (and Greece has had its own skirmishes with Muslims over some of the islands in the area), I am very concerned about terrorism. We haven't seen Islamic terrorism at an Olympics since Munich, but that doesn't mean it will stay that way. On the other hand, even Al Qaeda typicallly hasn't been successful when international security is already heightened with respect to a particular event. Witness the failure of Millenium plots. So maybe nothing terrible will happen.

Favorite Discipline? Tough one. I like Winter events more, but for summer I would have to say baseball, or swimming or diving. The triathalon is interesting. Some of the more obscure events--like equestrian, are fun to watch. Cycling is great, boxing is good, track events are exciting. I guess I don't have one favorite. :D

Favorite Athlete? Rulon Gardner

Will I watch it? What do you think? :D

[Daveman Deluxe]

I'm not as enthralled with the summer games as with the winter games, but my favorite summer event is definitely gymnastics.

Favorite athlete? Definitely Dave Johnson. He teaches high school and coaches track in the next town over and won the bronze in the decathlon in 1992 despite having his cuboid (I think) broken in three places.

[macka]

There are only a little more than 100 days left until the beginning of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. A couple of questions:

Are you looking forward to the games and would you expect them to be as successful as the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia?

Your favorite Olympic discipline (summer games only)?

Your favorite Olympic athlete of all time?

Will you watch it on TV?

There are a little more than 100 days left until the beginning of the 2004 Olympic Games....and they are totally buggered because they have not finished and are taking shortcuts with the job.

And I am expecting NOTHING to be as successful as the 2000 Olympics... :p :D

Favourite would probably be gymnastics too, watching them do the splits...the costumes...the girls... ;)

Athelete: The Thorpedo.

[scem0]

Favorite Olympic Event - Diving
Favorite Athlete of all time - Matt Scoggins

(because he was my coach :p)

scem0

[JesseJames]

I've always wondered what it'd be like to have sex with one of those hot female gymnasts. Bet she'd kick my ass. :D :D :D :D

[Macmaniac]

I'm looking forward to the Olympics, but I'm worried the Greeks are not ready, they don't have half the venues ready, and those that are built are having some serious problems, like the lack of a roof. The rowing venue is sinking more boats then those who finish. They better pray for a miracle to finish in time.

[vollspacken]

Your favorite Olympic discipline (summer games only)?
- Cycling street single time trials


Your favorite Olympic athlete of all time?
- Emil Zatopek


Will you watch it on TV?
- You bet!!! (even though I think it will be one of the worst Olympics yet, not even close to Barcelona..!)


vSpacken

[Doctor Q]

I'm looking forward to the Olympics, but I'm worried the Greeks are not ready, they don't have half the venues ready, and those that are built are having some serious problems, like the lack of a roof.I read that the swim stadium roof wouldn't be finished in time, so they aren't going to give it a roof after all. I hope it doesn't rain - the water would get wet!

[Frohickey]

My interest in the Olympic games has seriously waned. Wasn't the Olympic sports supposed to be to highlight the skills that are used in warfare? Hammer throw, running, discus throw, etc?

I think that the Olympic games needs a serious refresh. How about Capture the Flag and Assault, and Deathmatch games, ala Unreal. :p

[ecche]

My favorite is the Winter Olympics, much prefer those sports.

It's interesting that so many of you should find the winter games more interesting than the summer games. Is this because you are active in these sports yourself?

[Daveman Deluxe]

I see the winter games as more interesting because they're mostly things I don't do. I don't take a bobsled down a course at eighty miles per hour, I don't speed skate, and I don't do crazy stunts on a pair of skis.

However, I run, I play basketball, I play a little tennis--all things that happen at the summer games. The winter games seem more exotic to me--that's why I like them better.

[kiwi_the_iwik]

Oooh - the "Thorpedo", Ian Thorpe, got disqualified from the 400m event at the Olympic trials...

He lost his balance, and fell in before the starter's pistol went off (probably tripped over his GIGANTIC feet...). Looks like he won't be defending his Olympic title in that particular event. His coach says he's devastated - he's STILL in like a HUNDRED other swimming events though...

[Awimoway]

Oooh - the "Thorpedo", Ian Thorpe, got disqualified from the 400m event at the Olympic trials...

He lost his balance, and fell in before the starter's pistol went off (probably tripped over his GIGANTIC feet...). Looks like he won't be defending his Olympic title in that particular event. His coach says he's devastated - he's STILL in like a HUNDRED other swimming events though...

I gather that he's not your fav? Not mine either...

[Awimoway]

It's interesting that so many of you should find the winter games more interesting than the summer games. Is this because you are active in these sports yourself?

No, I don't really participate in these anymore than I do in summer-type events , sedentary fat American that I am. I think the reason I like winter events better--speedskating, luge, ski jump, etc. is that they are all performed on low-friction frozen surfaces and are therefore much more fast-paced and generally exciting than summer events.

Also, the family as a whole typically gets more excited about the Winter Games because the sports my mother and my wife like most--gymnastics in the summer, figure skating in the winter--are more romantic and have more pageantry in the winter variety.

[Zaty]

I'm looking forward to the Olympics. It's always fun watching the world's biggest sports event. I don't think the 2004 games will be as successful as the 2000 edition. There are just too many problems the organisers have to face. Some of the venues are not even completed. It might get a bit chaotic in the capital of Greece. In fact, without intending to offend the Greeks, it was probably a mistake to reward the Olympics to them, even though they’re the birthplace of the Olympic games both ancient and modern. But Olympic games are such a big even that, unfortunately, only a big country is able to organise them. Secondly, and that’s not Greeks’ fault, the Sydney Olympics were so incredibly well organised that it will be difficult for any future host to top what our Aussie friends did four years ago. As for my favourite Olympic event, I don’t have a favourite sport really. But as a Swiss, among other things, I’m looking forward to the Olympic tennis tournament. Go for Gold Roger!!!!

[Doctor Q]

It would have been great symbolism to have had the Greek Olympics in the year 2000, but no way would they have been able to get ready for it. Let's just hope the paint dries on all these facilities (including the new sections of the transit system) before the athletes show up.

[crenz]

I might be watching parts with friends (I don't have a TV myself), especially as I'm in the same timezone :).

[wdlove]

It's interesting that so many of you should find the winter games more interesting than the summer games. Is this because you are active in these sports yourself?

I'm not active in any sports. The biggest attraction is that I love the snow. The female figure skating is my favorite. The summer games just seem to be a liitle more boring. There will be the world figure skating contest on ABC TV tonight.

http://www.usfsa.org/

[pseudobrit]

In this sport, players have to use unnatural extensions of their feet -- skates -- and of their hands -- a stick -- to get to where the action takes place. These skills must come first. It does little good to know how to run fast.

-Mike Emrick on hockey

The biggest difference I see between summer and winter games is the different balances of raw talent, conditioning and skill that are involved in each. Winter games in general seem to be more dependent on skill and technique than conditioning. There are exceptions of course.

[MrMacMan]

I'm looking forward to the Olympics, but I'm worried the Greeks are not ready, they don't have half the venues ready, and those that are built are having some serious problems, like the lack of a roof. The rowing venue is sinking more boats then those who finish. They better pray for a miracle to finish in time.

Yeah they are looking for a boatload of miracles... what idiots they are. :o

I read that the swim stadium roof wouldn't be finished in time, so they aren't going to give it a roof after all. I hope it doesn't rain - the water would get wet!

Forget that!

The main stadium isn't built yet!

They have a massive support beam...

AND THATS IT!

Its incredible they were ever given this task!

Idiots!

[kiwi_the_iwik]

I gather that he's not your fav? Not mine either...

Actually - the odd thing is that he IS my favourite swimmer...

The guy's a freak. Size 17 feet, and clumsy out of the water (hence the fall). But get him in the drink, and he's a goddamned porpoise!


A sheer joy to watch in action.

:cool:

He'll be sorely missed in the event... Even John Howard (Australia's Prime Minister) has led the country's gush of grief. Full marks to the Aussie Swimming Association though for not demanding a re-swim for him - he'd have been GUARANTEED the Gold there, as he holds the World Record by a VAST margin.

:(

[Ambrose Chapel]

i usually could care less about them, but this year a very good friend of the family's daughter is on pace to make the gymnastic team. if that happens, i'll definitely watch.

[job]

400m and the 4x400 are my favorite events, probably beacuse that's what I ran in highshool.

Ditto.

Although I must admit that the women's beach volleyball is fun to watch as well. :D ;)