Tokyo Olympics

[Jack Fig]

Ugly two-car pile-up in the 800m. 

[AV's Coin]

23 hours ago, oldnews said:

I'm trying to watch the beach game - but I've never been drawn to it (aside from the beautiful women - and I was a player, so...I like volleyball girls)...

 

I'm interested in your thoughts on the beach game - which for me is just too indefensible.  

Simply too easy to find so much space - court is too large for two players, and footing is loose/slower = too few rallies - far too easy to kill - for me it's like watching tennis when you have a couple 6'8" servers who blast away (usually with one dimensional baseline games to go with that) - endless short rallies - incredibly boring.

 

I think the beach game needs to change - needs to be a three player game - that way you could actually defend the court - I think it would be a lot more interesting (you might also get a bit more variation in the type(s) of players that could be successful at the beach game).

100% agree - was just telling some other folks there is no comparison imo between indoor and beach volleyball. The games play totally different.

 

Beach is slower, less explosive, shorter rallies - but the visuals are nice.

 

I have not been inclined to watch any Beach volleyball for years - since the Sinjin Smith, Randy Stoklos days - well maybe Karch Kirally and whoever his partner was?

 

3x3 Beach would be interesting - what about 3x3 on grass? I'm guessing more recreation players play 3x3 on grass than pairs on sand so their would be some familiarity to that game.

 

whether on grass or sand, 3x3 would show some varying defensive strategies and attacking plays. Two person blocks - one back? Combination attacks?

 

Couple weeks ago I was watching the NCAA Indoor championships over the last few years on youtube and was receiving video recommendations with some of those players from Hawaii and UCLA for a 3x3 tourney. Good stuff for two setters and a libero Ma'a and Worsley brothers.

 

 

[Coda]

On 7/22/2021 at 7:16 AM, Ilunga said:

Let's get real here what's more important a sporting event or peoples lives ? 

 

Over 15,000 people have died in Japan since the pandemic began most of them this year.

 

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-22/tokyo-olympics-highest-coronavirus-cases-reported-in-six-months/100316434

 

Here in my state/ province we are in our 5th total shutdown since the pandemic began and it started on the back of 15- 20 cases of Covid.

It's unfortunate what is happening in Japan.  But from what I've read it seems the current spike of cases is completely unrelated to the olympics.  The Olympians are probably the most tested group of people in the most secure bubble, (however porous it might be) of any community in Japan.  

[Coda]

3 hours ago, Tortorella's Rant said:

Good thing Bolt is retired..

Andre doesn't even podium if he's around. 

I mean, Usain Bolt had a season best time of 9.95 the year he retired in 2017.  So I'm not really sure how you expect him to beat DeGrasse's 9.89 4 years later at age 34.  

[Ilunga]

5 hours ago, Coda said:

It's unfortunate what is happening in Japan.  But from what I've read it seems the current spike of cases is completely unrelated to the olympics.  The Olympians are probably the most tested group of people in the most secure bubble, (however porous it might be) of any community in Japan.  

 

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/29/world/asia/tokyo-olympics-covid.html

 

 

We have shutdown the east coast of Australia on a fraction of those numbers.

 

However the premier of Queensland shutdown the state then headed off to the Olympics after she was ordered to leave her room in Tokyo and attend the opening ceremony by John Coates 

 

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-22/qld-premier-ordered-to-attend-tokyo-2020-opening-ceremony/100313366

 

These IOC people don't gives a rat's arse about anyone but themselves.

 

I am sick of hearing about athletes that train just for this and might miss out.

 

What about the 89 year old guy that didn't get to ski for the first time in 80 years last year when not just out ski-fields but our mountains were locked out from us.

For me it was the first time in 40 years I couldn't do the thing I love the most.

I know hundreds of people who missed out just like me.

 

We sucked it up and did what was best for our society and the world,unlike these guys 

 

[Jaimito]

Canada beats US in soccer!!!!!!!

 

Guaranteed a silver!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 2, 2021 by Jaimito

[johngould21]

5 hours ago, Ilunga said:

 

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/29/world/asia/tokyo-olympics-covid.html

 

 

We have shutdown the east coast of Australia on a fraction of those numbers.

 

However the premier of Queensland shutdown the state then headed off to the Olympics after she was ordered to leave her room in Tokyo and attend the opening ceremony by John Coates 

 

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-22/qld-premier-ordered-to-attend-tokyo-2020-opening-ceremony/100313366

 

These IOC people don't gives a rat's arse about anyone but themselves.

 

I am sick of hearing about athletes that train just for this and might miss out.

 

What about the 89 year old guy that didn't get to ski for the first time in 80 years last year when not just out ski-fields but our mountains were locked out from us.

For me it was the first time in 40 years I couldn't do the thing I love the most.

I know hundreds of people who missed out just like me.

 

We sucked it up and did what was best for our society and the world,unlike these guys 

 

A friend of ours that lives in Yokohama, said she's very disappointed that they went ahead with the Olympics. She isn't getting her first vaccination until sometime this month, and she's close to 50 years old. A first world country being that far behind the rest of the Group of 7. Not the Canadian painters, you folks know who I mean, it's early.

[johngould21]

3 hours ago, Jaimito said:

Canada beats US in soccer!!!!!!!

 

Guaranteed a silver!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Where would this Country be without the Canadian women competing in these games?

[Ilunga]

6 minutes ago, johngould21 said:

A friend of ours that lives in Yokohama, said she's very disappointed that they went ahead with the Olympics. She isn't getting her first vaccination until sometime this month, and she's close to 50 years old. A first world country being that far behind the rest of the Group of 7. Not the Canadian painters, you folks know who I mean, it's early.

 

Our country has managed to contain the virus through strict lockdowns at a state level however at a federal level they have bungled both the vaccine rollout, quarantine and put pressure on the states to open up.

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-24/australia-covid-vaccine-rollout-what-went-wrong/100151396

 

 

[JM_]

3 hours ago, Jaimito said:

Canada beats US in soccer!!!!!!!

 

Guaranteed a silver!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

awesome, they got their slay the dragon moment. 

 

Now it would be nice if Japan scheduled the final so we could actually watch it. No one is in the stands so I don't see why not. 

 

[Jaimito]

56 minutes ago, Jimmy McGill said:

 

awesome, they got their slay the dragon moment. 

 

Now it would be nice if Japan scheduled the final so we could actually watch it. No one is in the stands so I don't see why not. 

 

You got your wish.  The final is Thurs 7 pm PST vs Sweden.  

[JM_]

2 minutes ago, Jaimito said:

You got your wish.  The final is Thurs 7 pm PST vs Sweden.  

thats great! I'm happy for them, they deserve their moment. 

[Brad Marchand]

I don't want to come off as salty, but I haven't forgotten the travesty that was the 2012 Olympic semifinal, so it felt like poetic justice to see the Americans done in by a VAR penalty decision.

[DS4quality]

Congrats to the Canadian women's  soccer team. Guaranteed medal of silver at least. 

Very proud of them finally beating the Americans.  

[Elias Pettersson]

Congratulations to the Canadian women's soccer team for winning the silver medal in the 2021 Summer Olympics!!!

 

Congratulations to Sweden for winning the gold medal!!!  

[oldnews]

17 hours ago, AV's Coin said:

100% agree - was just telling some other folks there is no comparison imo between indoor and beach volleyball. The games play totally different.

 

Beach is slower, less explosive, shorter rallies - but the visuals are nice.

 

I have not been inclined to watch any Beach volleyball for years - since the Sinjin Smith, Randy Stoklos days - well maybe Karch Kirally and whoever his partner was?

 

3x3 Beach would be interesting - what about 3x3 on grass? I'm guessing more recreation players play 3x3 on grass than pairs on sand so their would be some familiarity to that game.

 

whether on grass or sand, 3x3 would show some varying defensive strategies and attacking plays. Two person blocks - one back? Combination attacks?

 

Couple weeks ago I was watching the NCAA Indoor championships over the last few years on youtube and was receiving video recommendations with some of those players from Hawaii and UCLA for a 3x3 tourney. Good stuff for two setters and a libero Ma'a and Worsley brothers.

 

 

Thanks for that - much more interesting to watch than the beach game.

I think Karaly's beach partner was Kent Steffes (not the biggest name, but they won a lot) - although I admittedly stopped paying attention around the time he stopped playing indoors.  He was largely what drove US success at the international level - well a few players (Steve Timmons as well) which made the strength of US programs appear better than they were overall imo.   Those two schools - UCLA and Hawaii were a pair of teams we played - (one of my friends/competitors in high school wound up going to Hawaii) - we beat both those teams handily - but the UCLA matchup was unforgettable.  They were defending US champions and had the most arrogant, aloof attitudes of any athletes in any sport I ever competed in.  Hated having to come up to this backwater - declined a team invitation to host them at the best restaurant in the city  - probably part of why I grew such a distaste for the Beach Boy thing (I've always found volleyball players in general to be oddly impressed with ourselves - somewhat ironic considering generally nobody watches or gives a crap about volleyball lol).  Anyway, we destroyed them in straight sets.  And then let them know that we were a good team, but not great by Canadian standards - that they were going on to face the real powerhouses (the prairie teams like Manitoba, Sask)...so, have fun with that.  They went 0-6 on that tour (actually may have been 0-7 or 0-8, can't recall exactly, but they lost every match), a rude awakening that they weren't really 'all that'. 

I find the indoor game to be an unreal spectator sport (as well as such a rush to play) = I'm always surprised it doesn't gain more traction.

 

Edited August 2, 2021 by oldnews

[RUPERTKBD]

2 hours ago, Brad Marchand said:

I don't want to come off as salty, but I haven't forgotten the travesty that was the 2012 Olympic semifinal, so it felt like poetic justice to see the Americans done in by a VAR penalty decision.

I don't think anyone has forgotten it....Arash Madani mentioned Abby Wambach and the Norwegian referee when talking about last night's win on SNET.

 

Judging by a couple of memes I've seen floating around, no-one has forgotten the shameful display of the Americans after running up the score on Thailand in the last World Cup, either....

[RUPERTKBD]

I played volleyball in Jr High, but I'm far too vertically challenged to have continued any further. However, the high school I attended (PGSS) did win a provincial championship on the backs of a couple of my football teammates, brothers Randy and Richard Wagner.

 

Randy was part of the 1984 Olympic team that competed in L.A.

[RUPERTKBD]

BTW, last night I watched a pretty impressive performance in the women's 1500 meter heats....

 

A runner from the Netherlands named Sifan Hassan was one of the pre-Olympic favorites and known for cruising near the back of the pack and then finishing with a strong kick in the last lap...

 

This was the tactic she was employing in her first round race, until disaster struck. Just after the final lap began, she got caught up with a few other runners and fell, along with another runner near the back of the pack.

 

All she did after that was get up and reel in the entire field to finish first in the heat....

[RUPERTKBD]

I thought defections at major sporting events were a thing of the past, but with the situation in Belarus, it appears as though they may not be:

 

https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/02/sport/belarus-kristina-timanovskaya-olympics-asylum-intl-hnk/index.html

 

Quote

 

Belarusian sprinter Kristina Timanovskaya received a humanitarian visa from Poland on Monday, hours after she refused to board a flight out of Japan saying she was being forced to return to her native country against her will and that she feared arrest.

Poland’s Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Marcin Przydacz, announced on Twitter that Timanovskaya had been granted the visa. “Poland will do whatever is necessary to help her to continue her sporting career. (Poland) always stands for solidarity,” he posted.

He later told Reuters that the 24-year-old Olympic athlete was planning on traveling to Poland in the following days. “According to her decision, that’s what our consul heard in Tokyo, she’s planning to come to Poland in days to come to be here in Warsaw. And if she would like… she is free to pursue her sporting career in Poland,” Przydacz said.

Earlier Monday, Reuters reported that Timanovskaya had been seen entering the Polish embassy.

Timanovskaya was set to compete in the women’s 200 meters at the Tokyo Olympics on Monday but said representatives of the Belarus national team tried to forcibly send her back to her home country after she criticized national sporting authorities for entering her into the 4x400 meter relay without her consent.

Team officials came to the Olympic Village on Sunday afternoon and asked her to “pack her belongings as a decision had been made for her to return to Minsk,” said Anatol Kotau, of the Belarus Sports Solidarity Foundation, which represents athletes repressed by Belarusian authorities, and who is in direct contact with Timanovskaya.

The Belarus Embassy in Tokyo said in a statement on Monday that Belarusian diplomats arrived at the airport on Sunday to “clarify the circumstances” and provide “possible consular and legal assistance if necessary,” but were unable to obtain any information about Timanovskaya from Japanese representatives. The statement added that the athlete has not been in contact with the embassy.

Timanovskaya was scheduled to leave on a 10:50 p.m. flight to Istanbul on Sunday but upon arriving at the airport, Timanovskaya approached a Japanese police officer and asked to apply for political asylum, Kotau said

“I am afraid that I might be jailed in Belarus,” Timanovskaya said in an interview with the Belarusian sports news site Tribuna on Sunday. “I am not afraid of being fired or kicked out of the national team. I’m concerned about my safety. And I think that at the moment it is not safe for me in Belarus. I didn’t do anything, but they deprived me of the right to participate in the 200 meter race and wanted to send me home.”

Timanovskaya’s husband, Arseni Zdanevich, has left Belarus and entered Ukraine, Ukranian Interior Ministry spokesman Artem Shevchenko told CNN on Monday.

 

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