did anyone else find it funny

[Aryn]

that lithuania beat the USA at mens basketball?

[Dilly_D]

they did?!?!?!?!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[Sunday8pm]

not as Funny as Puerto Rico beating them, oh and italy, oh.....

If you have been keeping up to date with the olympics it's pretty much been shock shock shock.

Iraq beat portugal in the soccer.

the number 1 and 4 seeds in the tennies went out to nobodies.

Greece the European champions played 3 matches, lost twice and drew once in a group with iraq, south korea and portugal.

Little surprises me in the olympics other than that it is, when it comes to regular team competition that is well funded outside of the olympics, that the big nations rarely get that fussed over it.

[Leshy]

What are the rules exactly regarding football teams participating in the Olympics?

Because I don't see any county sending their first squad in.

[Embroglio]

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yay puerto rico!

[Sunday8pm]

Originally Posted by Leshy

What are the rules exactly regarding football teams participating in the Olympics?

Because I don't see any county sending their first squad in.

The rules are the squad must consist of u-23's cept 3 players.

Now as much as you would consider that hey that should probably even the playing field, you still gotta reckon a lot of these countries especially in france and portugal where they have domestic laws that require them to use x amount of youth players in the competitive first team squad, that they would still retain the advantage.

In fact Argentina and Italy had they not already met in the semi's would of been the most likeliest finals.

[Stew]

Originally Posted by Aryn

that lithuania beat the USA at mens basketball?

Not that funy, seeing as Lt were unbeaten in the group and are European champions.
Was a good game from what I saw (the last 5 mins)

[Sandsnake]

Originally Posted by Aryn

that lithuania beat the USA at mens basketball?

not at all, the US team sucks shit. It's what happens when you get make a team out of a bunch of overpaid street thugs (read professional basketball players) who are too egotistical to actually play the fking game as a team. They're all too busy trying to be "The Man" to bother with things like "passing".

I was cheering for lithuania.

[Nodrog]

Originally Posted by Sunday8pm

The rules are the squad must consist of u-23's cept 3 players.

Now as much as you would consider that hey that should probably even the playing field, you still gotta reckon a lot of these countries especially in france and portugal where they have domestic laws that require them to use x amount of youth players in the competitive first team squad, that they would still retain the advantage.
.

It makes me think 'why bother'? If the object isnt to find out which country has the best team, then what exactly is it? Who can cope best with a pile of silly regulations aimed at 'evening the playing field'? If you win, what exactly have you proved - that you are better than 'amateurs' all around the world, but still not in the same league as the professionals?

[Tactitus]

Originally Posted by Aryn

that lithuania beat the USA at mens basketball?

The better team won--what's funny about that?

[Aryn]

well it was funny to me anyway. as i've never paid attention to the world rankings in basketball nor had i seen a ny other olympic b-ball game. and then i said 'wow there really are more than 3 of them' but my friends just looked at me strangely so i shut up (pa joke.. lol ldk etc)

anyway to nod and leshy. the rules are supposed to be that the olympics is for amature athletes. proffesionals aren't allowed to compete. though strangely that rule has slipped for sports like basketball and hockey :\ which i think is utter shit. pros don't belong in the olympics. if you wanted to compete then stay amature :\

[Sunday8pm]

Also may I point out it's not America's strongest basketball team, in fact most of these players were 5-8th choices in their position by the NBA board cause lots of NBA players simply refused to spend their holiday playing more basketball.

[Aryn]

they're still professionals.

[Dace]

Originally Posted by Sunday8pm

Also may I point out it's not America's strongest basketball team, in fact most of these players were 5-8th choices in their position by the NBA board cause lots of NBA players simply refused to spend their holiday playing more basketball.

I just don't understand this kind of mentality.

If you are offered the chance to play for your country you should.

These guys (the ones who said "no") should feel ashamed.

[*donkie*]

Especially for Americans. They generally see patriotism as a way of life.

Ofc, if someone asked me to do anything for my country I'd tell them to shove that offer right up their arses, but thats just because I hate England.

[Aryn]

i also believe there should be stricter rules on who can represent your country. i don't understand how people can be disloyal to their home country. if i moved to say england and i went to the olympics, i wouldn't represent england, i'd represent canada.

*shrugs*

[Sunday8pm]

Lithuina's team has played together infinitely more than the current american 'dream' team however.

In other words not only are they professionals, European champions (there are 57 europeans plying their trade in the NBA atm) but they play a lot of the time, however the teams america is reduce to sending these days have the professionalism of your all star teams, except they aren't all stars they are your 5th to 8th stars and haven't gelled together...

I was not surprised at all.

[Stew]

Originally Posted by Aryn

the rules are supposed to be that the olympics is for amature athletes.

The only amateur sport in the Olympics is boxing.

[Sunday8pm]

Yah they abolished the amatuer thing AGES ago cause some people were using the amatuer qualification as a method of getting clowns and fruit loops in who were humiliating the good name of various events/sports.

[Embroglio]

the whole concept of amateur athletes is stupid anyway

[Sunday8pm]

Well a lot of athlete's are still techinically amatuer, as in their sport is not their current occupation.

Most of them work a dayjob unfortunately and can't engage in the sport full-time, where as other countries will fund their athlete's to the extent they can excel in the area as they are not bogged down with having to find money from rl day-jobs.

[Nadval]

Well I do find it funny because America have dominated it for so long and NBA Basketball players are the best payed sportsmen in the world (yes, better paid than footballers afaik). The reason professional footballers don't usually play is because their club team managers don't let them, they want them fit, not to mention they'd have to miss the beginning of the season .

But the sad and, what i believe to be, real reason many sports such as Tennis, Basketball, Football etc aren't taken as seriously in the olympics is because there's no prize money for winning. Those damn lame professionals only strive to gain more money. The reason I value the olympics above all other competitions is for that reason, no prize money = the incentive to win is completely for athlete's pride in their own achievements, and national achievements.

[Sunday8pm]

A lot of other problems lie with regards to the soccer in the fact that Great Britain cannot submit a team, they cannot submit seperate national teams, to submit a Great British team they'd have to restructure the whole of the UK into a Great British League... Otherwise Scotland would take olympic gold. Honest.

With regards to those criticizing that there is no money to be won, usually the marketing rights of being a gold medalist in itself if you are a top ranked sportsman is incentive itself, in fact the Tennis had a very good turn out, it just happens that this years olympics are being held in 35+ celsius temperatures in a naturally dry climate right in the middle of people's very busy seasons or before some sports have gotten underway with pre-season training. If the respective head associations of each sport actually enforced a break in competition of thier sports for the week before and after the duration of the tournament in the olympics we would see much more positive results imo.

As it is said sports already have overwhelming fixture lists that exhaust the professionals as it is and I sympathize with them. They Olympics is every 4 years for 2 weeks etc.. I'm sure you can see where you want to focus your career in that case when you are a professional of those disciplines(they all have pretty well established world competitions anyway).

[lokken]

Originally Posted by Aryn

that lithuania beat the USA at mens basketball?

they used bots to win, lol

[Nadval]

lol lokken

Originally Posted by Sunday8pm

With regards to those criticizing that there is no money to be won, usually the marketing rights of being a gold medalist in itself if you are a top ranked sportsman is incentive itself, in fact the Tennis had a very good turn out, it just happens that this years olympics are being held in 35+ celsius temperatures in a naturally dry climate right in the middle of people's very busy seasons or before some sports have gotten underway with pre-season training.

I watched the tennis and got the impression that most of the players didn't really care when they lost, unlike in wimbledon or the big grand slam tournements. IMO the olympics should be the pinnacle of all sports.


edit - and btw I wasn't criticizing that there is no money to be won, i was condoning it.

[LHC]

Yeah, from what I've seen and heard about the tennis, the players aren't bothered about whether they win or lose, although I'm not sure why the Olympic tennis should be the main tennis tournament. There are factors beyond how much players care that affect a tournament. This is especially important in tennis, where the different surfaces significantly affect results.

[LHC]

Originally Posted by Nadval

But the sad and, what i believe to be, real reason many sports such as Tennis, Basketball, Football etc aren't taken as seriously in the olympics is because there's no prize money for winning. Those damn lame professionals only strive to gain more money. The reason I value the olympics above all other competitions is for that reason, no prize money = the incentive to win is completely for athlete's pride in their own achievements, and national achievements.

As far as I know there is no up front prize money for victory in the football world cup, but that is an excellent tournament because the best teams are there competing with their best players, and not just a youth team. The prize for winning the Olympics is equally small on a financial level, but it loses out because they have banned countries from playing their best teams.

[Nadval]

perhaps have a champion for each surface? Considering all the different competitions in other sports such as sailing etc.

[Nadval]

Originally Posted by LHC

As far as I know there is no up front prize money for victory in the football world cup, but that is an excellent tournament because the best teams are there competing with their best players, and not just a youth team. The prize for winning the Olympics is equally small on a financial level, but it loses out because they have banned countries from playing their best teams.

I wasn't aware it was banned, I thought it was effected by things from inside the individual sports such as premiership clubs not wanting to let players go. Infact I remember there was something in the media about Fergusson not wanting Ronaldo to compete for Portugal in the olympics and him wanting to go nevertheless. Anyone know anything about this?

[LHC]

Each countrie is allowed 3 or 4 (I think 3) players over 23, the rest of the players have to be below 23.

Ferguson didn't want Ronaldo (or Heinz) going, but they were both taken to the Olymics by their countries, and some Australian Rangers player was stripped of his captaincy for saying that he wished to play for his country. Basically managers aren't happy but it doesn't seem they can do much about it.

Fortunately for them, it is reasonably likely that their players won't be taken, as it is mainly shitty countries that take part.

[Nodrog]

Originally Posted by Dace

If you are offered the chance to play for your country you should.

Why? Obviously the players don't view the Olympics as being that important.

[Sunday8pm]

It's upto the countries respective Football Associations to make the call on wether or not they will send a team to the olympics or not, given that there is no one football association for Great Britain there is no Great Britain team. That's a few countries there that can participate henceforth. The Olympics also take place right in the middle of the MLS season and hence no players from there, same with Russia and some other countries.

Irrespective of this all I think considerable note should be levelled at the facts that a) they were only recently introduced to the olympiads b) the often play in countries that well have poor climates for these sort of sports c) no-one is going to cry their nation didn't get gold in the olympics or didn't do well, in fact sometimes it's better not to play rather than play and do badly.

[Nodrog]

Originally Posted by Nadval

But the sad and, what i believe to be, real reason many sports such as Tennis, Basketball, Football etc aren't taken as seriously in the olympics is because there's no prize money for winning. Those damn lame professionals only strive to gain more money. The reason I value the olympics above all other competitions is for that reason, no prize money = the incentive to win is completely for athlete's pride in their own achievements, and national achievements.

What do they have to prove? They achieve things in the many other tournaments they compete in regularly, what is so special about the Olympics that makes it worth bothering about? I suspect most tennis players would laugh if you asked them whether they would prefer to be an Olympic gold medalist, or a winner at Wimbledon. If I were to hold a tennis championship in my back garden and offer $10 to the winner, I wouldn't really have the right to complain when Venus Willians decided she didn't want to compete in it. It's up to the tournament organisers to 'sell' their tournament to the players, and if they fail to offer enough in terms of money/prestige/whatever, the players certainly have no obligation to turn up.

[KoeN]

my top3 olympic comedy so far is:


- the USA basketball performance.
- USA not even participating in the baseball tournament (while Holland is there lol)
- Alain Villafuerte failing to stay on the trampoline again.

[Sunday8pm]

my top 3 olympic comedy

- that dutch guy not getting gold in so many swimming events.
- the fact that the dutch aren't very good at baseball so why come?
- nor are they good at basketball.

[KoeN]

Originally Posted by Sunday8pm

- the fact that the dutch aren't very good at baseball so why come?

in sydney holland was the first country to beat cuba at the olympics.
it's not a very popular sport here and considering the size of holland, compared to the USA -where it is one of the most popular sports- it made me lol.

[Sunday8pm]

Can I point out America tanked your asses in the Swimming, regardless of america doing poor they are winning more medals than you and stopping you would of won medals at as well had america not competed.

Also Holland didn't send a soccer team lolz Iraq are better than them now!!!

Dare I go on about how much you suck shit when you post sometimes?

[KoeN]

Originally Posted by Sunday8pm

Also Holland didn't send a soccer team lolz Iraq are better than them now!!!

do you think iraq would beat scotland 6-0?

[Sunday8pm]

Originally Posted by KoeN

do you think iraq would beat scotland 6-0?

Can people be banned for being unable to argue?

Or at least being from the Twente area, I don't think they teach em sense in those parts, in fact considering every country has some sort of hickish area, I'd assume that'd be it, you know the family tree's with no branches, good ole ****ing the sisters.

Cause you REALLY are a twat, I've just pissed on holland with the fact that you were gloating over the fact america didn't bring a team, yet the ones america did bring handed your dutchies their asses.....

[KoeN]

answer the question, witchshagger.

[Sunday8pm]

no, cause Great Britain are not allowed to submit an olympic soccer team.

Then again if you are doing this whole, well if they beat us, and we beat you argument so they must be able to beat you twice as bad, I am going to find where you live, I'm going to drug you, I'm going to strap both your hands flat out to a sturdy metal workbench, grab a nice iron claw hammer AND START HITTING THE WORKBENCH HARD WITH IT, possibly laughing maniacally every time I hear the sickening crunch of one of your fingers, I shall continue until I can't tell where your fingers start and the workbench ends.

HOPEFULLY YOU WILL LEARN THAT WHILE YOU CAN TYPE IT DOESN'T PAY TO TYPE UTTER TRIPE ARGUMENTS.

[JC]

Since when was Sunday American?

[Sunday8pm]

I'm not american, I'm saving the world from shit dutch egotism though.

[IncubusGod]

Originally Posted by Aryn

that lithuania beat the USA at mens basketball?

Basketball is the national sport of Lithuanina. Clearly they have nothing else to do. Still hilarious though.


How come no-one's listed Ms. Radcliff's mental breakdown in the marathon as funny?

I mean, all fking week, I've heard the British commentary, newspapers, TV News stations etc going on about how much she is going to beat the competition by. How much of a dead cert she is. She's this...she's that...she's superwoman.

Then she started to struggle. They held onto the belief that it was all part of the plan. Then bang. She was overtaken by the Ethopian and dropped to 4th and just stopped.

What I thought was funny wasn't the poor womans hopes and dreams being shattered in front of several million people, it was the british commentator saying "Paula doesn't quit races. She'll compose herself and run some more", even when she went and sat down and cried he was still saying "Paula doesnt quit races" as if he was shouting at her to get up and not make him look like a tit.

I was waiting for them to start blaming everyone else but Paula for the problems as they usually do.

[Embroglio]

Originally Posted by IncubusGod

How come no-one's listed Ms. Radcliff's mental breakdown in the marathon as funny?

because it really wasn't funny?

[Sunday8pm]

Incubus God, thanks for degrading my little respect of your intelligence further.

Before the Marathon started today, Canada, totally unbiased to anyone involved in the marathon today, pointed out that teh conditions were horrific, the marathon runners instead of being allowed to set out on their marathon in the morning, which is the normal way marathons are done, were in fact forced to wait till late in the day for TV reasons....

This meant all runners involved copped an obscene amount of heat all day, when they set off the tv reported the air temperature as 37 celsius and the temperature that must of been coming off the tarmac must of been even higher, these conditions were ridiculous for any marathon to be held in, they would of only suited very very few people and the conditions would of exhausted more people than the actual length of the course would have.

You could literally see the fair skinned runners, radcliffe included, burning up under that sun and heat there, it was staged ridiculously late in the day.

While the national bias of the UK's commentary may of put her in an unfavourable light with you, that doesn't mean you can be a thick racist idiot just because you dislike the patriotism displayed by a nations broadcaster.

But yah as you can see the conditions favoured runners who are used to 35+ Celsius climates during the summer (and trust me North America and Japan get's there :/) at the time it was raced, the fact everyone finished well over 11 minutes after the olympic record perhaps indicates that the course was ridiculously tough and not suited to a marathon, especially considering that paula radcliffe has proven herself to be on average 2 minutes quicker than anyone in that field over the last 2 years in marathons.

Anyway seems bigotry is a way of life in the UK, so go ahead and gloat incu.

[Sunday8pm]

Usually someone who intends to drug you and cause grievous bodily harm doesn't come announced.

[IncubusGod]

Originally Posted by Sunday8pm

Incubus God, thanks for degrading my little respect of your intelligence further.

Before the Marathon started today, Canada, totally unbiased to anyone involved in the marathon today, pointed out that teh conditions were horrific, the marathon runners instead of being allowed to set out on their marathon in the morning, which is the normal way marathons are done, were in fact forced to wait till late in the day for TV reasons....

This meant all runners involved copped an obscene amount of heat all day, when they set off the tv reported the air temperature as 37 celsius and the temperature that must of been coming off the tarmac must of been even higher, these conditions were ridiculous for any marathon to be held in, they would of only suited very very few people and the conditions would of exhausted more people than the actual length of the course would have.

You could literally see the fair skinned runners, radcliffe included, burning up under that sun and heat there, it was staged ridiculously late in the day.

While the national bias of the UK's commentary may of put her in an unfavourable light with you, that doesn't mean you can be a thick racist idiot just because you dislike the patriotism displayed by a nations broadcaster.

But yah as you can see the conditions favoured runners who are used to 35+ Celsius climates during the summer (and trust me North America and Japan get's there :/) at the time it was raced, the fact everyone finished well over 11 minutes after the olympic record perhaps indicates that the course was ridiculously tough and not suited to a marathon, especially considering that paula radcliffe has proven herself to be on average 2 minutes quicker than anyone in that field over the last 2 years in marathons.

Anyway seems bigotry is a way of life in the UK, so go ahead and gloat incu.

You didn't read my post very carefully did you?
I simply pointed out that no-one had mentioned this little event. Normally when a British athelete screws up, people jump all over it.

Nobody had, If you re-read my post you'll also find I didn't jump all over her failure.

Originally Posted by IncubusGod

What I thought was funny wasn't the poor womans hopes and dreams being shattered in front of several million people, it was the british commentator saying "Paula doesn't quit races. She'll compose herself and run some more", even when she went and sat down and cried he was still saying "Paula doesnt quit races" as if he was shouting at her to get up and not make him look like a tit.

It was harrowing to see the woman struggle. The conditions were horrendous. When she sat down her back was badly sunburned.

I wasn't gloating about this. What I was on about, the main reason people jump all over British failures, was the arrogance and self importance of various British people (commentators and fans alike).

The woman had had enough, she couldn't give anymore. This is probably her last olympics and her dream of a medal was gone. All the commentator could do was deny she was giving up and seem to be completely unsypaththic to her plight.


Thanks for degrading my opinon of you even further Sunday. You complain people can't hold a coherent argument and that they jump with both feet into a post without thinking. Then you go and do exactly what you complain about. Again.

*clap*
*clap*
*clap*

[Sunday8pm]

You shouldn't find another persons tragedy funny just because you can revel in seeing some unfortuantely biased examples of society get their come-uppance, it makes you as bad as them.

Congratulations bigot.

[IncubusGod]

Again...as I have pointed out. I didn't find Paula Radcliffs failure funny.

How many times must I point this out to you before your simian brain can absorb this fact. The point is you screwed up. You saw an oppertunity to jump all over me and took it without thinking.
Your posting quality has once again degenerated into personal spats with various posters and attempts to draw people into personal arguments.

You critise people constantly for not contruibuting to the board, when you yourself bring nothing to the table apart from lambasting negativity.

I pointed out your mistaken assumptions about my previous post, in what I thought was a pointed but hardly confrontational manner.
You then proceed to ignore the points I raised, dismiss all arguments and then jump into childish name-calling.

If you applied your rigourous critera about effective posting to yourself, you'd end up realising you are everything you've ever hated.

Maybe thats the reason behind all this crap?! You hate yourself and you try to sniff out your own characteristics in others so you can rake them over the coals in a pseudo-masochistic way.