Watch the Olympics

[TheEgoist]

Seeing people in tremendous amounts of pain doesn't please me.

[agrippa1]

Seeing people in tremendous amounts of pain doesn't please me.

Depends on who who they are. But no, I didn't enjoy seeing that. Not the first time, nor the second, nor as the commentators were begging the editors to stop showing it from every angle imaginable. Almost tossed my cookies when they showed it from above.

How about those creepy screen-bearers with their blue uniforms and white gloves?

[Thales]

Alright, for all you I'm-bored-as-hell-with-they-Olympics types...how about this?

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=33a_1218642189&p=1

AHHHHH!!!

Elbow dislocation? That stuff happens all the time in football. Or, probably shoulder dislocations are more common.

Actually, one of the reasons I stopped watching ice hockey was because I got tired of seeing broken bones and blood.

[Moebius]

The only Olympic events watchable for me are gymnastics, track & fields, and Men's Basketball. Women's Beach Volleyball too, depending on how hot the players are =P

Too bad every time I turn on TV here (I live in Taiwan) all I see is stuff like Women's Handball or Badminton.

[D'kian]

Japan didn't begin engaging in open warfare until 1937 (the second Sino-Japanese war); at this time the IOC stripped Tokyo of its host city status and gave the games to Helsinki.

I dind't know that, either. And I must say I'm surprised. It's not at all common for a jellyfish to grow a backbone even once. Too abd it was just the one time.

BTW Besides having given Olympics to Moscow and Beijing, the worst thing the IOC has done in modern times happened around the 88 games. North Korea threatened to boycott the Seoul games unless it was allowed to co-host. Now, puting to one side the fact that North Korea had done nothing to obtain the games, the IOC awards cities rather than countries. Nevertheless they did negotiate seriously with North korea to move some events there. Luckily it all fell apart ad the games proceeded in Seoul. I've no idea whether the North boycotted or not (nor much care).

[volco]

No

I'm throwin in with Tenure, I don't really see what all the fuss is about. Granted the Olympics are a notch higher then the rest of the American sports events in my book... it's catergorized under boring and dull. Maybe border-line-boring at best. It makes me question the human spirit more then anything. While doing an activity, for the sake of doing it, and watching it for the sake of watching it is so common place for humans.

I second.

The only thing I like about the olympics is all the new monuments and China having to prepare to host an inmense international population. Nothing like the 1936 Olympics in Germany, but the ones of a country in the process of opening up to the real world. Yes, I'm being optimistic.

[Marc K.]

It makes me question the human spirit more then anything.

I'll just say that I disagree with you and leave it at that since, to me, this is a sense of life issue (at least the way I framed it) more than anything else.

One can find fault with almost everything these days. Unfortunately I can find many problems and inconsistencies in my own country and culture -- and yet I still believe that happiness is possible. Sometimes it is beneficial to focus on the positive aspects of a certain situation which is what I tried to do with my recommendation.

While doing an activity, for the sake of doing it, and watching it for the sake of watching it is so common place for humans.

These would be bad reasons for doing something which is why I suggested that the athletes are doing the activity for a good reason and that one should cheer for a good reason: for the sake of being the best and for the sake of watching the best.

I don't mind nationalistic ebullience either as long as it is well placed. However, I've witnessed an entire crowd of non-Tongans root for the Tongan kayaker to elevate his game simply because they wanted to see the best.

[Capitalism Forever]

I'm going to throw myself out there and say I don't care for the olympics at all. I'm dead bored, as at any sporting event and remain impassive.

Am I reading that right? Have I finally found a Briton who is not interested in futbol? I was beginning to think that the only such people on this island were foreigners!

[Capitalism Forever]

Perhaps the next olympics could be held in Iran or North Korea...

It will be held in Britain, which isn't quite as bad as North Korea yet, but it's quickly getting there...

[Tenure]

Am I reading that right? Have I finally found a Briton who is not interested in futbol? I was beginning to think that the only such people on this island were foreigners!

Don't belive Kant - your eyes do not decieve you!

I used to support Chelsea, but I really couldn't care less for the idea of collectively rooting behind someone else's ability, anymore.

[Capitalism Forever]

I really couldn't care less for the idea of collectively rooting behind someone else's ability, anymore.

This alone makes me wish more British people were like you!

[Tenure]

Well, everyone wants to be me, so technically, that wish is held by everyone.

Edited August 15, 2008 by Tenure

[Capitalism Forever]

Well, everyone wants to be me, so technically, that wish is held by everyone.

Actually, as far as I'm concerned, I wouldn't want to be anyone but myself, but I understand the sentiment.

[musenji]

It makes me question the human spirit more then anything. While doing an activity, for the sake of doing it, and watching it for the sake of watching it is so common place for humans.

I most EMPHATICALLY disagree with unstated implication that watching an activity for the sake of watching it is a BAD thing.

I consider the Olympics I watch to be an art form. Art is spiritual fuel. If you don't enjoy the sight of spectacular and artistic physical feats being performed excellently, okay. But just cause lots of other people DO, doesn't make it somehow inherently less valuable as an activity. Your implication is exactly what Rand meant by "fashionable non-conformity".

[eriatarka]

The problem I have with the Olympics is that very few of the events are inherently interesting. Theres nothing at all interesting about watching someone run fast or pick up heavy weights - I mean yeah, it takes a lot of dedication and skill, but it also seems like a fairly pointless thing to devote your life to. Lots of things take skill, but that doesnt make them worthwhile.

With real sports (football, rugby, tennis, etc) the games are actually interesting at a level beyond watching someone competing purely for the sake of competing. Most of the events in the olympic games arent actually games - theyre just isolated activities which have been ripped out of any context which would make them worthwhile. Being able to run fast is valuable if youre (eg) a Greek messenger being trusted with delivering messages to Sparta, or a football player who needs athletic ability to excel, but it has no inherent value in itself. In a sense, the Olympics is the epitome of context dropping - most of the events have been abstracted away from the situations in which theyre useful, and reified into ends-in-themselves.

That being said, there are some Olympic events I enjoy watching. But I'll never understand how people can get so excited about running or swimming.

Edited August 15, 2008 by eriatarka

[Marc K.]

[...], but it has no inherent value in itself.

Does anything?

[eriatarka]

Does anything?

I mean that it isnt interesting to watch, other than to see the competitors strive to do their best. Theres a difference between games like football or chess or starcraft which are interesting when considered purely as games, and something like running which is just competition for the sake of competition. Even something like gymnastics has spectator value in a sense which swimming doesnt.

Edited August 15, 2008 by eriatarka

[musenji]

I mean that it isnt interesting to watch, other than to see the competitors strive to do their best. Theres a difference between games like football or chess or starcraft which are interesting when considered purely as games, and something like running which is just competition for the sake of competition. Even something like gymnastics has spectator value in a sense which swimming doesnt.

"This draws me to things like gymnastics, more than, say, swimming, because with the former, the spectacle is visibly evident, whereas with swimming, a person who is acheiving a world record looks much the same as a person who is swimming the same stroke at 2/3 the speed."

[adrock3215]

There are a few fringe cases in here trying to overanalyze the Olympic games. The majority of these athletes have tremendous skill. My suspicion is that the people here who don't enjoy watching the Olympics were, coincidentally, the worst players on their childhood sport teams (you know, the loner who had no hand-eye coordination and couldn't get the bat to connect with the ball in baseball, or who would try to kick a soccer ball and miss it entirely).

[eriatarka]

There are a few fringe cases in here trying to overanalyze the Olympic games. The majority of these athletes have tremendous skill. My suspicion is that the people here who don't enjoy watching the Olympics were, coincidentally, the worst players on their childhood sport teams (you know, the loner who had no hand-eye coordination and couldn't get the bat to connect with the ball in baseball, or who would try to kick a soccer ball and miss it entirely).

But many of the people who dislike the olympics enjoy sports like soccer. Edited August 16, 2008 by eriatarka

[JASKN]

[...]or who would try to kick a soccer ball and miss it entirely).

Ahh hahaha. I'm pretty sure I did that.

[dadmonson]

But many of the people who dislike the olympics enjoy sports like soccer.

I don't like soccer. This stuff is clearly subjective opinion.

[Thales]

There are a few fringe cases in here trying to overanalyze the Olympic games. The majority of these athletes have tremendous skill. My suspicion is that the people here who don't enjoy watching the Olympics were, coincidentally, the worst players on their childhood sport teams (you know, the loner who had no hand-eye coordination and couldn't get the bat to connect with the ball in baseball, or who would try to kick a soccer ball and miss it entirely).

That may be true for some, but for others of us it’s the reverse. We're so good that we get bored watching these amateurs struggle.

lol

Seriously, for me the reason is because I value my time so much. I'd much rather spend my time pursuing excellence in my own fields of interest, rather than living vicariously through the achievements of others. To be sure, I see value in watching those who are excellent in their own profession and I used to love watching sports, but I've just come to the point where I'd much rather spend my time on other things.

There is also a sense in which I think I've seen it all and I just don't get inspired by it any longer.

Btw, did anyone check out how much that Phelps guy eats? Sheesh, and lots of what he eats is flat out unhealthy, e.g. chocolate chip pancakes.

Edited August 16, 2008 by Thales

[TheEgoist]

There are a few fringe cases in here trying to overanalyze the Olympic games. The majority of these athletes have tremendous skill. My suspicion is that the people here who don't enjoy watching the Olympics were, coincidentally, the worst players on their childhood sport teams (you know, the loner who had no hand-eye coordination and couldn't get the bat to connect with the ball in baseball, or who would try to kick a soccer ball and miss it entirely).

Someone did a background check on me!

Nerd as charged.

[JASKN]

Btw, did anyone check out how much that Phelps guy eats? Sheesh, and lots of what he eats is flat out unhealthy, e.g. chocolate chip pancakes.

This has got to be taken in context, and with Phelps' context, it is not unhealthy. Even with myself, who does not swim five miles every single day and is not an Olympic machine which requires an incredible amount of additional calories, I eat anywhere from 3000 to 4000 calories a day, just to maintain my current weight.

Also, in the context of a balanced diet (not even one catering to an athlete), chocolate chip pancakes can be perfectly healthy.

Phelps is the man! I don't care all that much about swimming, but he had a hefty set of goals, and he's achieving them really well!

Edited August 16, 2008 by JASKN