Vancouver 2010

[billygomberg]

I watched some of the guys figure skating last night. Man, that Johnny Weir is pretty hilarious. The long shot of him & his coach waiting for his scores ruled--he was non-stop talking, a million I love yous & manic hand-waving. That's good TV.

Yeah, and he got royally screwed on both the short and free programs. His scores were far lower than he deserved, and the crowd let the judges hear about it both times. He's proof that if you don't walk the straight and narrow and suck IOC dick you're going to be duly punished come game time. What a bunch of shit.

I got about an hour of the skating last night - saw the gold medal performance and yeah that was some great skating, precise and fast and totally controlled. I agree that there is a bunch of really subjective nonsense on the part of the judges and that the broadcast makes no attempt to at least show how these performances should be judged while they are happening. Obviously, when you fall, that is a deduction, but there seems to be a bunch of nitpicky crap that goes completely undefined for the casual viewer. but hey USA USA USA

[surfer]

Sorry Mo Noyz, & Surfer, no harm no foul.

That's cool, no problem Joe.

I was pretty impressed with Anja Paerson in t he combined last night, after that spectacular fall int he DH, she got up and raced the same course yesterday and got a bronze. Pretty gutsy. Reminds me of Mavericks surfer Evan Slater who had a 2 wave holddown on Saturday, came up coughing blood, and immediately paddled back out to the lineup. That sort of mental strength is almost beyond the realm of my conception.

And Hiller stiffing the Canadians for two periods + some, brought back bad memories of last year's NHL playoffs (playoofs?), where Hiller playing for the #8 seed Ducks shut down the exact same line Thorton/Marleau/Heatly that plays for then #1 seed Sharks. ugh.

[Noj]

Snowboarding was born out of urban skateboarding culture, the preference for baggy pants should come as no surprise. It's the style of the gear every snowboarder wears on the hill outside of competition, loose and functional and without limit to what the pattern might be. Nobody's out there in skin tight pants. And, from a person who actually skateboards and snowboards, I'd say it actually enhances the style of the tricks done in the air to have relatively baggy snow pants on. Not crazy huge, just baggy. It just looks better.

[free math]

no, yeah, and i'd totally laugh at them if they were wearing spandex...

http://www.metafilter.com/89362/Olympic-Pants-Wars

[Borat Pri Hagafen]

"]jon, is Brotherman still on FB at all? I want to ask him if he's working any of the games this year.

I'm at Canada Hockey Place (formerly GM Place) for the duration. Situated in the owner's box at center ice. Not a bad gig, really. Sweet doubleheader last night; Slovakia over Russia was quite good too.

Weak slate today and tomorrow, but Sunday's schedule is sick: "rematches" of the last 3 gold medal games: Russia-Czech Republic, USA-Canada, Sweden-Finland.

[MRS]

[Mo Noyz]

"]jon, is Brotherman still on FB at all? I want to ask him if he's working any of the games this year.

I'm at Canada Hockey Place (formerly GM Place) for the duration. Situated in the owner's box at center ice. Not a bad gig, really. Sweet doubleheader last night; Slovakia over Russia was quite good too.

Weak slate today and tomorrow, but Sunday's schedule is sick: "rematches" of the last 3 gold medal games: Russia-Czech Republic, USA-Canada, Sweden-Finland.

Well now.

Look what the cat dragged in, ate, and puked back up!

So give us a quick summation of Vanc, BC. It's one of the few cities in Canada I've always wanted to visit.

Either way, I hope you're enjoying yourself. I've still yet to see a single hockey game so far...

I'd DVR it, but my remote shit the bed the other night and we're awaiting a new one from Dish Net. Still hard to bitch about it having grown up with rabbit ears and three channels...

[Borat Pri Hagafen]

I haven't had any free time since the hockey started, but it's a great city from what i've seen. Feels very much like an American city. Very pretty as well, and i haven't even gotten up to Whistler. Definitely having fun, although the hours are brutal and the work is very busy.

[Mo Noyz]

Yeah, kinda seems like a far cooler, and larger, version of Denver from what I know of it. Great city with lots of beautiful mountains surrounding it.

I bet the smoked salmon kicks some serious ass up there!

Don't work too hard and please give us a nice wrap up once you get back home.

[jesus marion joseph]

I flew in and out of Vancouver a few years ago for a ski trip to Whistler/Blackcomb. Beautiful, lush green oceanside city with an urban green park that would be considered a forest in some places. The drive into the mountains is pretty spectacular as well.

[cheerios]

I'd like to go there someday, but right now I can only watch the Olympics from home.

[Mo Noyz]

Hockey in HD rocks the fucking house!

[billygomberg]

Caught a bit of bobsled and men's 1500m skate. It was an early round of bobsled but one of the announcers was incredibly into it...calling out details and getting excited over minor events that I could barely perceive.

US came up short of gold (barely) in the 1500m but there were some great runs by the top finishers. I'm not really into this just to see Americans dominate the proceedings (it ain't bad tho) - I do really get into seeing top athletes compete at their best. One of the main reasons I can't follow most American televised sports until playoffs etc.

[jon abbey]

this is maybe the funniest thing I've ever seen in the Onion, Spy-level genius. make sure you also click on the 'rules', 'history' and 'top athletes to watch'.

http://www.theonion.com/content/news_in ... mpic_event

[billygomberg]

this is maybe the funniest thing I've ever seen in the Onion, Spy-level genius. make sure you also click on the 'rules', 'history' and 'top athletes to watch'.

http://www.theonion.com/content/news_in ... mpic_event

"Bob Costas sitting by fireplace"

[Enforcer]

The highlight of the Olympics so far will be USA-Canada tonight. It really can't get here soon enough.

[Mo Noyz]

this is maybe the funniest thing I've ever seen in the Onion, Spy-level genius. make sure you also click on the 'rules', 'history' and 'top athletes to watch'.

http://www.theonion.com/content/news_in ... mpic_event

Uphill moguls!!!

[jon abbey]

The highlight of the Olympics so far will be USA-Canada tonight. It really can't get here soon enough.

it's just a seeding game, though. if Canada loses, they're still the faves to win it all and beat anyone they see, aren't they?

my interest coming into the Games: hockey>>>>>>>>everything else
now: curling>>>hockey>>>>>>>>>everything else

[billygomberg]

i'm getting the vibe that I rly had better catch curling tonight as it is the king of winter olympics.

this morning caught just the quals for Ski Cross. which looks to be a lot more fun once there are 4 skiers on the course at a time. also the men's biathlon 15k mass start, which infuriated me with commercial breaks but a great finish.

[Enforcer]

if Canada loses, they're still the faves to win it all and beat anyone they see, aren't they?

Absolutely. But they always are, yet they've only won gold in Olympic men's hockey once in the past 50 years. With one-and-done, stuff happens.