OT - The All-Purpose All-Event Winter Olympics Thread

[BBOvenGuy]

With the moderators' permission, here's the thread for discussing all the fun and frolic of the 2002 Winter Olympics from Salt Lake City.

I'll start the discussion with a few questions:

#1 - Will the Gold Medal Game in Women's Hockey be yet another USA vs. Canada rematch?

#2 - Will the women bobsledders really stop for rabbits on the track, like in the Visa commercial?

#3 - Does anybody besides me think Sarah Hughes looks a little like Willow?

Okay, have fun!

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Remember the Kitten Board Mantra: "Joss is nuts about Tara, Willow/Tara and Amber!"
(...and Marti's rather fond of them, too...)

"I have this sudden urge to dedicate my productive cooperation."

[This message has been edited by BBOvenGuy (edited February 08, 2002).]

[Under Her Spell]

She does as well! She hasn't got the same smile, though.

Jeez, if anyone ever looks at my browser history, they're going to be flumoxed - "What? How do you get from Willow and Tara to figure staking?"

I'm just watching the opening ceremonies at the moment on TV - it's great with the slightly sarcastic British commentary. Hmm. It's going a bit OTT now, I like it at the start when it had a kinda school dance production feel to it.

Aaagh! The Dixies Chicks! Okay, I'm turning off now.

[This message has been edited by Under Her Spell (edited February 08, 2002).]

[maudmac]

Wow. Watching the ceremonies now. I've bawled like a baby a couple of times. And it was very cool to see the Auburn University mascot there. (The golden eagle that flew around for a minute.)

Please tell me I'm not the only one who thought during the parade of athletes, "Whoa, Olympics women are pretty!"

I can't answer any of those questions. I know it puts my lesbo street cred in jeopardy, but I don't know anything about sports. Or care, really. Doesn't mean I won't watch, though.

That whole thing with the Native American nations coming together and welcoming the athletes really got to me. I'm getting a headache from all the crying.

Happy Olympics, Kitties.

[BBOvenGuy]

Here are some pics. Judge for yourself.

[This message has been edited by BBOvenGuy (edited February 08, 2002).]

[the literary exterminator]

That was War Eagle that flew around? Wow ... and to think I used to make drunken faces at the Eagle that flew at the Olympics ...

[Pixie]

There was so much about the opening ceremony that was cool! The last sets of torch bearers (love Scott Hamilton! and I can't see Dorothy Hamill without thinking, "yes, I had her haircut"!), the olympic rings in flame on the ice, and the Dixie Chicks and Sting!

But I lmao when I saw President Bush in the U.S. athletes' section sitting next to figure skater Sasha Cohen. She was talking to her parents on her cell phone and got Bush to take her phone and say hi to her parents. Go Sasha!

[GODisTigger]

quote:

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Originally posted by maudmac:
Please tell me I'm not the only one who thought during the parade of athletes, "Whoa, Olympics women are pretty!"

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I thought the same. The Swedish women to me especially.

I thought the cell phone thing was cute too.

Peggy Fleming at 50 didn't look half bad.

D

[This message has been edited by GODisTigger (edited February 09, 2002).]quote:

[Shaniezak]

The Dixie Chicks?

And I missed 'em?

WAUGH!!! Oh well, gonna see 'em in concert end of this month anyway. And thank gods for VCRs.

[BBOvenGuy]

Shanie, I don't think the Dixie Chicks have appeared on LA TV yet. I'm watching the Native American tribes at the moment (10 until 10 PST).

[Shaniezak]

And you're right, I didn't miss 'em . . . except that we didn't really get to see them very much. *pout* Thanks, Bob.

[Anakin1218]

I hope the US womens hockey team kicks a$$$ !!!

Anways,yeah that girl looks like Willow and a red headed Tinker Bell(shes cute)

Kudos to the ppl that put together the Olympics for having the indians of utah there

Woo and hoo for Robbie Robertson and Whala singing the 'Unity Dance(my fav Robbie Robertson song

Those huge animal puppets where really cool too and it was nice that president Bush was sitting with the US team.

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"My heart doesn't stutter" -Tara

[Shaniezak]

I had to grin when I heard Sting singing "Fragile." The song is quoted in an old issue of Strangers in Paradise, which is written by Terry Moore, who of course did the art for WannaBlessedBe . . .

(Hey, it all comes back to W/T eventually, right?)

[grifter]

You have to watch the men´s downhill competition on sunday! Downhill racing is way cool, all fast and dangerous and stuff! And it´s about the only sport my country doesn´t suck in!

Olympic women? Hmm, I think Sonja Nef (Alpin Ski racer from Switzerland) is very pretty. She´s a cute little blond, with Willow-y face and stature.

Wanted to add that I just saw the downhill training, and the course is really cool. Reminds of Kitzbuehl and Wengen, only shorter. Definitely cool.
7 Austrians had to race for 2 places in the starter-field tomorrow, so they really gave it everything. But tomorrow will be even better I bet.

[This message has been edited by grifter (edited February 09, 2002).]

[juri-sempai]

quote:

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Originally posted by BBOvenGuy:
#1 - Will the Gold Medal Game in Women's Hockey be yet another USA vs. Canada rematch?

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I saw the USA vs. China exhibition match. Let me tell you, that country will be no trouble at all. 16-0 was the score at the game I saw.

From what I read and heard and conversed about with Women's Hockey team members... Canada was their only 'real' competition during exhibition. USA, though, managed to win every game against them.

This should be fun.

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Reincarnation: the futile attempt to get the milk back into the can

"I'm a blood-sucking fiend! Look at my outfit!"quote:

[MAJIK]

I love the winter olympics! Just means that living in the UK I'll have to stay up all night! Not that it's a problem I have too for the Baseball as well, roll on April!!!

[Dave V]

Juri-sempai, the Canadian Women's hockey team is REALLY hungry for the gold. It'll be a good series!

On the other hand, there is the whole thing about the competition itself. Canadian Catriona LeMay Doan is considered a lock for the long track 500m speedskating gold. A fellow Canuck, Susan Auch, has 2 Oly silver medals under her belt. However, this year Susan is 35 years old and ranked 14th in the world. Though a great skate could put her on the podium, this is very probably her last time out. She's been mostly ignored by the Canadian press (everyone loves a winner, eh?), but she did state in an interview that she feels happy to just compete and represent Canada. Gracious exit, much?

[fell]

Poor Sasha! Stuck sitting next to the commander in thief. I would love to see her medal. She's one of the most graceful of the top women skaters and the first to land a quadruple jump (a Salchow) in competition.

I'm not much of a sports fan; I didn't even watch the Super Bowl. Aside from womens' soccer most team sports fail to light my fire and track and field events leave me cold. I only mention this because I'm totally and absolutely fascinated by figure skating and I've often wondered why.

I think the reason it appeals to non-sportsy people like myself is because it's one of the few sports wherein art is fully integrated with athleticism. At times the solo events have threatened to turn into a jumping contest (like Ino/Harding in '92) but then the balance tips the other way. In the pairs and ice dancing competitions the artistic element is really the most important.

People often find sporting events exciting or heartbreaking or suspenseful, but is there any other sport that can bring tears to your eyes simply from being overwhelmed by its beauty?

[kitten scout]

Love the Olympics. Really looking foreward to watching the women's hockey team kick some (!).

[Epicurus]

Ooh yeah, women's hockey. Went and watched the U.S vs. Canada game when they came to Hamilton for the TSN challenge. Have to say, I was really disappointed they lost, yet again, to the States. I'm all for Canada kickin' some ass in this olympics. Enough of the silver! Bring on the gold!

[Wiccagrrl]

#3 - Does anybody besides me think Sarah Hughes looks a little like Willow?

Well, I hadn't seen her before, and I have to say that from the still pictures above I didn't really see it. But I saw a little segment about her on CNN, and there's something about the voice and her mannerisms that does seem very Willowish (or possibly more Aly-like, to be honest)

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Tracy

Hear that Baby? You're my always.

[grifter]

WOOHOOO!!!!!!!!!!
My country won it´s first medals of the games! Go team Austria!

Christian Hoffmann and Mikhail Botvinov won silver and bronze in the men´s 30km skating cross ski race (with mass start)!

It was an absoultely exciting race. Spain´s Johann Muehlegg raced ahead of everyone else to win gold, but the fight for silver was a real thriller. In the end, Hoffmann and Botvinov had the most power left and finished 2nd and 3rd!

Oh man, I´m really getting all excited about cross ski racing, is that weird or what?

[Kalita]

Okay, Figure Skating - Pairs Short.

IMO, Canada's Sale & Pelletier skated far better, with much more energy and presence, than Russia's Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze, yet the Russians ended up ranked first.

Well, that was the technical program, so hopefully things will go well in the long Free Skate.

[BBOvenGuy]

Sasha Cohen is from Laguna Niguel (in Orange County, south of LA). She's back home until the ladies' figure skating competition starts, and so the local LA news was interviewing her and her mom. Apparently her mom didn't fully believe Sasha was sitting next to the President until she put him on the phone.

------------------
Remember the Kitten Board Mantra: "Joss is nuts about Tara, Willow/Tara and Amber!"
(...and Marti's rather fond of them, too...)

"I have this sudden urge to dedicate my productive cooperation."

[ScoobySnack]

This is kind of random, but does anyone know how many Americans are competing in the Olympics right now? I watched the opening ceremonies last night, but they didn't show it at the bottom of the screen like they did for the other countires.

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Tara: I am, you know.
Willow: What?
Tara: Yours.

[Under Her Spell]

I guess 'a helluva lot of them'! They probably ran out of space to list them all.

I like your username, BTW, ScoobySnack - I suppose Willow is Tara's scooby snack!

[grifter]

WOOHOO!

Austria´s Fritz "The Cat" Strobl wins the Gold Medal in the men´s downhill ski race! That was a hell of race, hard curves, dangerous jumps, tempo, tempo, tempo, too cool!

Again, go team Austria!!!!

[This message has been edited by grifter (edited February 10, 2002).]

[Kalita]

Yeah, I saw Strobl's run live. Quite a show, my Mom was sure he'd kill himself at that speed...

[Dr.G]

Okay as long as we are keeping score , as has been mentioned in the weekend thread, my countryman Jochem Uytdehaage (all you non Dutch speaking kitties, try pronouncing his name three times in a row without breaking your tongue, heh heh, just be happy I call myself Garfield. ) has won the 5000m speed skating contest in a new world record time.

[This message has been edited by Dr.G (edited February 10, 2002).]

[grifter]

Kalita, did you see Deneriaz of France? He lost one ski at about 140 km/h and still managed to finish the race!

Dr.G: We´re keeping score now? Ok, Austria is currently at 1 Gold, 1 Silver and 3 Bronze medals! Beat that!

[Kalita]

No, I missed Deneriaz. Shoot, that would've been interesting.

And yes, Garfield, I can pronounce Uytdehaage.