Boy, do the Olympics bring out hate or what!!??!!

[Shell Beau]

I guess we get so riled up that we get hateful. But damn LEAVE Sasha alone!!!!!!! :P

Seriously, why is it that we get so mean or critical when it comes to the Olympics?

[billyskank]

1. 'Cause it's not the taking part, it's the whingeing

:P

[Shell Beau]

9. Yep!!!

:P :7

[swag]

2. We're that way about everything.

[LynneSin]

3. We just get critical to snarky repukes.

She loves Bush and she's been critical to other skaters.

As far as we're concern she's open game!

[Shell Beau]

6. Yeah, but it is the Olympics not a political

run off and she is only 18. She probably has no idea exactly WHAT she stands for. I didn't at that age. Not everything has to be political.

[flamingyouth]

12. Actually, she's 21.

And this is a political message board, so yeah, a lot of discussion here will tend to be political. :hi:

[Shell Beau]

16. Okay, I got her age wrong. I know this is a political message

board, but this is also the lounge. Can't some things just be what they are?

[flamingyouth]

18. And take all the fighting fun out of it?

:rofl:

[Shell Beau]

20. It can be fun, but sometimes it just gets plain silly!

[imperialismispasse]

13. Sasha Cohen is 21 - DOB 10/26/1984

[LynneSin]

24. She's 21

not 18.

What she stands for is this class of figure skaters who thinks it's all about them. Sasha was suppose to be the #2 girl in Salt Lake and was outperformed by #3 Sarah Hughes. Everytime you see her she looks pissed off at something and when she speaks she comes off as ungrateful because we don't love her since it's her turn to be the "it" girl in figure skating.

Michelle Kwan got passed over TWICE with 2nd place finish in Nagano and 3rd place finish Salt Lake and yet she still came across with class & dignity.

Plus I've read about how she's plays it dirty with the practice runs on the ice interrupting others trying to practice jump sequences.

She's a spoiled rotten snit who will probably fade out real quickly to the ice capades. People will still pay money to see Michelle Kwan perform, hell Disney just signed her to be their spokesperson and she had dropped out of these Olympics. But Sasha was nothing more than a 3rd rate skater with a chip on her shoulders and the inability to perform when it counted the most!

[Shell Beau]

36. Okay, I guess I don't get THAT into it.

I still think she is an elegant skater and she was the American with the best chance to win. I rooted for her based on that. I couldn't care less about her politics. I was watching a skating competition. I don't know what any of the competitors stand for.

[LynneSin]

42. Well, I don't feel it needs to be the 'best chance to win'

Because too many times that 'best chance to win' was a choice forced on me instead of letting me watch and decide for myself. Kimmie Messner did a great job in the Olympics and I really thought she had a chance of getting a medal after her fabulous performance in the short program.

I also liked the Russian Irina Slutskaya because she has come back from so much with her illness and yet there she was skating again and at the skating senior citizen age of 27.

I guess I just like to cheer on the people who have endeared themselves to me and deserve a medal. Cohen's unsportswoman like attitude (which is nothing political) and her ability to choke says she deserved nothing.

[Shell Beau]

45. I also rooted for Slutskaya. When she skated, I was hoping she

would pull it off. I felt for her and her mother. A lot of skaters choke. Slutskaya did as well.

[LostinVA]

50. Me too -- I so didn't want Kerrigan to win at Lillehammer

I want the best skater and the best sport to win -- and they should be the same person: Kwan, Hamill, Fleming, etc.

[KamaAina]

65. Come to think of it, where is Jeff Gillooly when we need him?

:spank:

[GalleryGod]

54. I rooted for Sasha, just like I rooted for Sarah in '02...

All though it takes a lot to astound or dumbfound me these days, Shell...the collective DU Olympic threads the past fortnight have not been our finest our.:patriot:

[LostinVA]

49. What Lynne said!

[JVS]

55. THE OLYMPICS IS ALWAYS POLITICAL!

Es lebe Katrina Witt, die Stolz der DDR

[LostinVA]

48. And a bad sport!

[Arugula Latte]

62. In that case ...

I'm more than glad she fell on her ass!!! :evilgrin:

[RandomKoolzip]

4. We get mean and critical when air manages to slip into our lungs.

Well, I do at least.

[Shell Beau]

7. That happens to me too!

:P

[BikeWriter]

5. It's sportsmanship?

:shrug:

[Texasgal]

8. Oh yeah... the Olympics...

I'm surprised that today is one of the only days I have seen such fire about it! I figured we'd be seeing alot more of it sooner! Oh well...:shrug:

[Shell Beau]

11. Yep! Figure skating brings out the worst in all of us!

:silly:

[rene moon]

10. Because I would bet more than half of us here....

can't do what these Olympians can and most likely, won't ever do. Jealously on some level, I suspect. Me included!

[Shell Beau]

14. What do you mean? I was asked to go to the Olympics and

to compete in ALL of the events, but I had to turn them down!! :rofl: :silly:

[giant_robot]

15. I don't get it either....

...a skinny little girl falls on her ass and she gets more hate than Terrell Owens. Go figure.

[LostinVA]

51. And because she's as annoying and arrogant as hell

[LSK]

17. cuz its fun

try it

[Shell Beau]

19. Well

FINE THEN!!!!! :P

[Blue-Jay]

21. The Sashars ate moy bayby

[LostinVA]

52. bwaaaahhh!

[ghostsofgiants]

22. It brings out my hatred of wasting millions of dollars...

On shit that's basically meaningless.

Feed some goddamn kids in Africa or build some houses for the homeless. I don't give a shit who the best figure skater or curling team is.

[Shell Beau]

25. And speaking of curling, WTF?

I hear ya though!

[ghostsofgiants]

27. My province canceled school this afternoon because the Canadian team...

Is from this province. Seriously. What the fuck?

[Shell Beau]

28. Really?

No school?

[ghostsofgiants]

31. The only schools that were opened were my university...

And the Marine Institute, which is an extension of my university anyway.

All the high schools and grade schools were closed.

[giant_robot]

29. I like the curling matches, but is it a sport?

Anything you can do without spilling your gin & tonic shouldn't be considered a sport.

[Shell Beau]

30. I hate to knock it, but I just don't see the point!

I am sure, though, that curling lovers will tell me the point and that it IS a sport! It just seems silly to me!!!!

[ghostsofgiants]

34. No sports have a point.

[ghostsofgiants]

33. I've curled, it requires quite a bit of skill actually.

[Shell Beau]

37. I figure it does or else it wouldn't be an Olympic sport.

I guess being from a place that never EVER sees snow or ice, it looks odd to me. But more power to Curlers.

[giant_robot]

38. Yes, but did you spill your cocktail?

:evilgrin:

[ghostsofgiants]

41. I don't drink cocktails.

However there was a large puddle of chocolate milk on the ice when I was finished.

[underpants]

23. Hate is the prime mission of the Olympic games

at least that is what I thought Yoko was talking about.

[Shell Beau]

26. Yoko schmoko!!!!!

:P

[LSK]

32. and another reason, its not as fun to root against the USSR anymore

:P

[Shell Beau]

39. But they still kick our ass in a lor of stuff!! Well Russia does.

[JVS]

57. In my house we rooted for the USSR and East Germany.

We respected their dedication to the sports and lack of cushy life-styles.

[MadHound]

35. Frankly, I didn't know Sasha's politics, and don't really care

I just think it is damn shame that she got a silver medal for a crappy performance when there were others, from countries that aren't skating powerhouses, who did a much better job yet didn't get close to a medal.

And this isn't the first time I've observed this phenomenon either, it seems to be an ongoing problem in ice skating in particular, and the Olympics in general.

[Shell Beau]

40. I just disagree. She look wonderful on the ice

besides those falls. Plus, the Japanese have never won a gold medal in figure skating.

[MadHound]

44. Difference in opinion then, difference in aesthetics

:shrug:

I thought that she looked heavy and earthboud, struggling to get up, and coming down much too abruptly. My personal opinion is that Fumie Suguri should have medaled in there somewhere, lovely program, light as a butterfly, both going up and coming down.

Besides, one fall I can excuse, no problem, but I find it distincly odd that Sasha medaled with two falls, no matter how well the rest of her program was.

[LynneSin]

46. How did that girl from Georgia (the country) do?

She was in 6th after the short program and she just had this amazing performance filled with solid jumps and elegant moves. And she just put so much heart into her performance. I hope that girl continues to skate!

[MadHound]

61. Elene Gedevanishvili?

She came in tenth. She did well in the long program, but I guess the judges didn't like it:shrug: I've given up on trying to understand skating judges anymore. I just tune in to watch some great skating, and then the idiot commentators have to yammer all the way through, spoiling it.

[Shell Beau]

47. Which skater was Fumie Suguri?

I am trying to remember.

[MadHound]

59. The Japanese woman, came in fourth overall

Absolutely wonderful skate and program, despite Hamilton and Button getting on her case about out of place laces:eyes:

[imperialismispasse]

60. She was wobbling on her ankles on all the landings

I thought the Canadian was better than her and better than Sasha too.

[GalleryGod]

67. Can't agree at all. Except with your choice of ball club!

Headin' for Clearwater next Thursday !

[Common Sense Party]

43. I thought that Canadian girl was better than Sasha. nt

[LostinVA]

56. Me too.

[imperialismispasse]

58. I completely agree with this

[Darth_Kitten]

66. Joannie? I missed her skate....

I heard she was great, good for her. :)

[LostinVA]

53. It's the new scoring system -- seriously

[Lucy - Claire]

63. Not being American, I don't know much about Sasha Cohen.....

But for her beautiful skating, she comes across as though she is entitled to get great marks. I much prefered Emily Hughes who was happy, though she is young and not expecting to be there. If she is a Bush supporter, then I am not impressed by that maybe she will grow out of that. 21 is still young, if you haven't given politics much thought.
One of the benefits of coming from a country that in these games has won only one silver medal, is that the coverage of the events is unbiased. The problem that comes across with Americans is that the seem to expect gold and nothing else is good enough. In the UK what counts is effort, is doing their best. If say England lose a World Cup football match because they played a better team, they are still heros but it they lose because David Beckham gets sent off for being petulant, then the press will get vicious. Winning gold is great but silver, bronze or 5th place is not considered failure. Our press does cut people down, if they are arrogant, behave badly or do not reach their potential. Tim Henman gets the biggest amount of press at Wimbledon but if he gets beaten by a better player it is fine, if he throws the match away with bad errors he gets slated.
When Sasha was placed first with a background of USA chants, she was expected to be the golden girl, the one that would win and get floods of endorsments. After the warm up British commentator, Robin Cousins said that he believe she had lost it already because she fell twice during the warm up,which would make her likely to fall. So Sasha Cohenwent into the final with a mental disadvantage but that doesn't make her weak.
But she still got a silver medal, which is nothing to slate her for. Slutyskia did not win either and she was the favourite. In the end it was the best skater that won.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

64. Pit vipers on ice

It's their attitudes. And the critics' snarky comments don't help any either.