WARNING: NOT CATTLE RELATED: Olympics

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Show Heifer

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Maybe I should at least inform some that yes, the Olympics are going on in china.
I love hearing the stories of different atheletes, where they are from, their life, struggles, etc.
My favorite memories from past Olympics are: Summer 2004 when an athlete from somewhere (sorry can't remember his country) was his countries SWIMMING entry, yet, he didn't know how to swim. But that is the only way he could make it to the Olympics, so he literally dog paddled (and appeared to be drowning) just so he could go. He did finish his "race" to a standing ovation, even from the other atheletes. It was truely awe inspirering.
My other memory of which I will never forget is in Winter 1988 Olympics, when Dan Jansen, a speed skater, fell in all of his events even though he was favored. He had lost his sisiter from cancer just days before the opening ceremonies. I can remember just sitting in my college room and crying. His face was just so heartbroken, so, well, so finished.

So, what is everyone elses most memorable olympics?
 

BIGTEX

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Mary Lou in '84 ? Michael Johnson and Carl Lewis. Flo Jo. And who was the Steroid user, oh yea Ben Johnson?
 

Show Dad

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My memories are of a time when America only sent amateur athletes to the games. When it was how we played the game and not about the medal count. Our amateurs gave us truly inspiring upsets and performances. Our professionals only carry more drugs than Walgreens. How disappointing. Now we train other country athletes, give them a place to earn big bucks just to have them play for their homelands who repress their own people. Go figure.

I will be watching the Closer, Monk, Psych and reruns of the X-files instead.
<alien>
 

kanshow

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SD must've been watching the NBA er a Olympic basketball...     LOL!!!   

I enjoy watching some sports.   Others, I'm not sure why they bother... 

My favorite Olympics - I hear ya Big Tex!    Carl Lewis, Flo Jo & her sister in law - what is her name? , I also remember Mary Lou.   
 

Show Heifer

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I understand where you are coming from SD...so I will be sad that you will not be attending any more junior cattle shows.
Why? Because they are no longer an "amateur" (one who does something for pleasure, not pay. Unskilled person." Webster Dictionary)
In fact, I can remember when you went to a show with a farm truck, farm trailer (that MAYBE had lights), a home raised and home trained calf, and about $15 worth of show "stuff" and that was including a new rope halter to show in!!! You then actually clipped and groomed the calf yourself, brushed yourself off and lead it to the show ring. Nothing was locked up, just in case someone needed to borrow something they forgot at home. When the show was done, you shared a pop, soda, Pepsi or Coke, with everyone in the barn (from a cooler you brought from home). You then washed your own calf and loaded up and went home. Yep pretty "amateur-ish".....
Now, junior shows are "professional" (Being paid to play a game". Webster Dictionary)  Its all about the money. You go somewhere (preferably far from home) and BUY a calf (that you may or may not be able to afford), it is already broke and clipped. Then you MIGHT take it home, where you put it in a cooler (which cost close to $1000 a month to run). Come show time, along with hundreds if not THOUSANDS of dollars worth of equipment, the "jock, calf raiser, club calf specialist (whatever you want to call them) show up and clip the calf that your folks MIGHT have washed. And remember to feed that "special juice' in the syringe! You arrived at the show with a fancy truck, and trailer that has air conditioning (of course) and you stayed in a hotel that had a hot tub. Everything has a padlock, as your neighbor might steal something. After showing the calf that the jock lead to the ring because he knows the judge, you go back to the barn and have a "refreshing drink" along with the parents who are either mad has heck because they didn't win, or bragging to everyone that they did. You might actually pay the jock for his/her services or maybe you just add that on to the purchase price of the next calf. Yep, pretty "professional" to me....

The Olympics are no different, yes, there are drugs, abuse, pay-offs, professionals and amatuers. You have a 41 year old female swimmer that is beating 21 year olds (not a professional but a Mom), you have a gymnist from Iowa that is 16 and an amatuer. What about the sharpshooter that practices by shooting pop cans?? What about Phelps who can become the most medaled Olympian in HISTORY and isn't a professional. You don't have to cheer the BB team of professionals, but you can enjoy the amateurs that have arguably worked harder to get to the olypmics than any kid going to a cattle show.  


Enjoy your reruns....and remember, it is indeed a big world. Your either part of it, or your playing in sand.
 

kanshow

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Did anyone see the USA Woman weightlifter?  She is a 30 something mother of 3 or 4.    I don't know how that ended up but she was doing great while I was watching. 

Does anyone remember Mark Spitz & all of his golds? 

I think there was steroid use way back then but the ways to detect were not as refined so they probably got away with somethings that they couldn't now. 
 

Show Dad

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Show Heifer said:
Enjoy your reruns....and remember, it is indeed a big world. Your either part of it, or your playing in sand.

;D
I like building sand castles just as much as the next guy! 8)

But I stick out with my neon white legs (now there's a pretty picture)!
<alien>
 

AAOK

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I could care less about the Winter Olympics, but am a real fan of the Summer games.  Unquestionably the most memorable Olympics for me was in Mexico City, 1968.

Bob Beamon jumped 8.90 m in the long jump, a 55 cm improvement of the world record that is still the Olympic record.
U.S. discus thrower Al Oerter, won his fourth consecutive gold medal in the event.
In the triple jump, the previous world record was improved five times by three different athletes.
Dick Fosbury won the gold medal in the high jump using the radical Fosbury flop technique.
In the 200 m medal award ceremony, two African-American athletes Tommie Smith (gold) and John Carlos (bronze) raised their black-gloved fists as a symbol of Black Power. As punishment, the International Olympic Committee banned them from the Olympic Games for life.
After winning the gold medal for heavyweight boxing, George Foreman walked around the ring with a tiny American flag, bowing several times to the audience.
United States swimmer Charles Hickcox won 3 gold medals (200m IM, 400m IM, 4x100m medley relay) and 1 silver medal (100m backstroke).
Debbie Meyer became the first swimmer to win three individual gold medals, in the 200, 400 and 800 m freestyle events.

An unknown Mark Spitz took home the Bronze in the 100m Freestyle.

On October 2, 1968, ten days before the start of the 1968 Summer Olympics the Plaza de las Tres Culturas was the scene of the Tlatelolco massacre, in which more than 300 student protesters were killed by army and police. After the event, the International Olympic Committee held an urgent meeting to consider cancelling the games.
 

chambero

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I love the Olympics and always have for someone reason.  I remember being home sick with the flu and watching the winter olympics in 1984 for a whole week.

I was always a huge Carl Lewis fan.

John McKay used to do great "side stories" that I loved watching.

It's hard to beat story from the last olympics I believe when the track guy blew out his hamstring and fell and his father someone jumped down on the track and helped him finish.  I know you see it on tv a lot, but if you can just imagine how that father felt watching his son fall and then what that son must have felt when the next thing he knows daddy is by his side picking him up. 

It was pretty cool last night when the US relay team "ran" down the french in the swimming relay.  Just what were those french dudes thinking talking smack about US boys?  They ought to know better.  The world might have been better off if we let the Germans keep France.  At least they might not be so annoying.
 

Show Dad

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chambero said:
It was pretty cool last night when the US relay team "ran" down the french in the swimming relay.  Just what were those french dudes thinking talking smack about US boys?  They ought to know better.  The world might have been better off if we let the Germans keep France.  At least they might not be so annoying.

Not to get off on a tangent but I always thought that D-Day and the liberation of France in WWII was repayment for their helping us some 170 years earlier. If so that debt has been repaid in full and then some. JMHO  <alien>
 

chambero

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Hey -we don't have anyone to root against in the Olympics anymore.  What's wrong with grasping at straws for a rivalry!  I just wish they would have cut to a shot of the President watching that race.  I bet he didn't look too "Presidential" he was probably enjoying it so much!
 

kanshow

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I thought the look of shock on the French team was priceless after that race.   
 

Telos

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I thought the opening ceremonies in Beijing were beyond words. We will probably never see anything quite like that again in our lifetime. This will probably end up being my most memorable Olympics.

This year I'm just satisfied watching all the great athletes no matter what country they are from.
 

Show Heifer

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A lesson to be learned from the french: Never smack talk unless you are SURE you can pay the bill!!!

THAT was truly priceless!!!
 

ZNT

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The Olympics is the greatest humanitarian thing that in this world.  Where else can countries all around the world, even those in war with each other, come together on neutral ground, compete fiercely, and when all done hug, take pictures, or just talk.  The Olympics are as close to world peace as there is.

The opening ceremonies were just amazing.  I doubt I will ever see anything like it again.  People, thousands of people working in precise movement.  Unbelievable.

The swimming has been my favorite so far.  The men and women are all turning in performances unheard of 10 years ago.  Michael Phelps is a role model that every young athlete should look up to.

Got to go, but you can better I will be watching more great performances!
 

knabe

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i'm probably the only one who wasn't that impressed by the opening ceremonies, especially the chinese commentator.  to me, everything evoked communism and irony and very little liberty, no suprise, it was in china.

the best part was the whale's swimming on the top of the stadium (while the fresh water porpoise's screamed in agony).

i still like the arrow lighting the torch the best in barcelona, spain.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vyLmkOesOE
 

Show Heifer

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Amen to that Knabe!! I have watched the open ceremonies several times thinking I missed something....my exact first thought was "this is the best the chinese can do? The "techno experts" and THIS is IT?" Talk about screaming "Communist Country".  It was like they were saying "With an iron fist and no libery and freedom, you can get thousands of people do do exactly as you say.... Yep, agree with ya Knabe!!

Barcelona was definately better. But, I also enjoyed see Ali light the torch (yes, I think his brain disorder might have been self inflicted from years of getting the crap punched out of him) but still touching.

If Chicago gets the Olympics I sure hope the USA can come up with something better than the "I will do as you say master" of the chinese.

By the way, did you see that small country in Africa that recieved their first medal EVER in kayaking in less!! THAT is what is about!! Oh, and don't forget the "injury, defeated" USA mens gymnastic team!! Got the bronze!!! YPPEEEE!
 

knabe

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here's some reviews by chinese bloggers.

http://www.nysun.com/foreign/some-chinese-bloggers-pan-opening-ceremony/83702

"Regrettably, these big scenes were empty and spiritless. This is like a mouth with a tongue cut off - it does not matter how wide the mouth is opened because you can only hear some unclear moaning sounds."

others, liked it.

also interesting.

At the news conference Saturday, an organizer of the ceremony suggested divine intervention helped to ward off rain, which would have complicated the ceremony. "The heaven is cooperating and did not rain," the official, Zhang Heping, said. "I think heaven was also moved by us."

However, Chinese meteorological officials confirmed over the weekend that more than 1,100 silver iodide shells were fired into the clouds to drain them of moisture before they approached the stadium where the ceremony was under way.

I guess heaven was moved by them!!!!!!!!!!!!  more irony.
 
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