113 replies to this topic

[LateRally]

So a bunch of stuff has already started, including finals in a couple of events. I haven't heard the explanation for why NBC is tape-delaying this. Anyone know? Will they be tape-delaying throughout the Olympics or just until other major events like swimming and gymnastics start to wind down? Either way it's f'n annoying, and I won't even get into the automatic 3-hour delay for everything for us on the west coast.

Regardless do people need stuff spoilered, or just wait to report results as they get broadcast on the east coast, or what?

[trekfan55]

I think that some/most Track & Field events are schedules for 7-10 p.m. ish in China s that means they take place live at the early morning hours. That being the case, NBC has no choice but tape delaying them if they want to show them at Prime Time without already announcing the results. In Athens it was very similar beacuse of the 6 hour difference, so that the Gymanstics events, for example, were being broadcast at Prime Time when the athletes had already received their medals.

We are all getting up very early tomorrow in Panama to watch Irving Saladino in the long jump. He is the favorite to win the gold for this event.

[Rdsxmbnt]

Just caught the 100m quarter finals and it looks like Bolt is going to be very tough to beat. He was looking around the track at 40m and basically glided in and got a 9.92.

[kenneycb]

Looks like US has 3 of the top guys in the 400m hurdles. I just saw 2 of the qualifying heats but the US guys won pretty easily, more or less gliding into the finish.

Has the 100m always been this deep in years past? It seems like it had always been a forgone conclusion that one guy was going to win the last couple of Olympics but this year there's three legitimate contenders.

[BleacherFan]

That was one of the deepest 10k fields I can remember - I give Galen a lot of credit for hanging in there as long as he could - he just didn't have that last gear a lot of the Africans have. Unfortunately when the real players started banging out 62-64 quarter splits 5 miles into a 10k he was done. A great experience though and you could see a big improvement just over last years Worlds when he was lapped down the stretch.

I think I saw Bekele bang out a 52 sec final lap - that is insane.....

Other thoughts on the track so far:

* Too bad about Deena - all that prep to break a foot within 20 minutes - well she might be ready for London next year.

* What a ballsy performance by Tomescu - for a few miles I thought she was toast but she hung together and the chase pack conceded

* Shalene has to be up there in the top 5 highlights on the track this Olympics - another great performance less that 72 hours away from possible food poisoning

The 5ks should be interesting next weekend

[shawnrbu]

Liu Xiang is out of the 110m hurdles. That's quite a blow to China. Their national hero doesn't get to race at home in the Olympics.

Edited by shawnrbu, 17 August 2008 - 10:59 PM.

[Ahriman]

So does this mean genocide in his home province?

That's really gotta suck. Not being able to run for all your fans, I mean.

Edited by Ahriman, 17 August 2008 - 11:02 PM.

[trekfan55]

And Panama wins it first Gold Medal!!

Irving Saladino in the Long Jump.

[DannyHeep]

I love me some hurdles.

[kartvelo]

I love me some hurdles.

And fast women.

[The Napkin]

That swedish hurdler that fell had an outstanding ass. yum.

[DannyHeep]

So is there anything being fought for a medal tonight or what?

Qualifying my ass.

[Ahriman]

That swedish hurdler that fell had an outstanding ass. yum.

Mmhmm. Most impressive part of the broadcast tonight.

[DannyHeep]

Discus gold. That will work.

[Greg29fan]

nice 1-2-3 finish in the 400 hurdles by the USA.

[Hendu's Gait]

Wow, this coach (US Pole Vault) is piece of work.

[Ahriman]

Someone should throw a beer at that douchebag coach who just took a dump all over that pole vaulter's moment.

[shawnrbu]

Gotta give it up for the Princess of Pole Vault. She was impressive. And she allows us to get a Sergei Bubka reference from Bob Costas!

Did Allison Stokke qualify for the U.S. team?

[njingles3]

Gotta give it up for the Princess of Pole Vault. She was impressive. And she allows us to get a Sergei Bubka reference from Bob Costas!

Did Allison Stokke qualify for the U.S. team?

I tried thinking of a clever answer but I just ended up google imaging her for awhile.

[Tony the Pony]

Someone should throw a beer at that douchebag coach who just took a dump all over that pole vaulter's moment.

That pole vaulter should have kept her big mouth shut to begin with.

If I were her coach I would be furious with her antagonizing the best vaulter in history. What a dummy.

[Ed Hillel]

That pole vaulter should have kept her big mouth shut to begin with.

If I were her coach I would be furious with her antagonizing the best vaulter in history. What a dummy.

If you were her coach you'd be begging for people to throw beer at you.

[Ahriman]

That pole vaulter should have kept her big mouth shut to begin with.

If I were her coach I would be furious with her antagonizing the best vaulter in history. What a dummy.

What are you talking about?

[Tony the Pony]

What are you talking about?

That US pole vaulter calling out the Russian chick before the event even started. "We're gonna kick some Russian ass". Smart move. One of the first things the Russian chick said after winning the event, was that she was angry as hell and wanted to show who is boss.

Dummy should have kept her mouth closed.

[Marriedtoit]

I think you're overdramatizing her comments a bit. After she qualified for the Olympics her words were "I hope we do some damage, and, you know, kick some Russian butt." The words hope and butt sort of alleviate her comment a bit, don't they? Besides that, the Russian has credited Jen with giving her the motivation to compete the past few years as she said she had become complacent with so little real competition.

I am thrilled for her and her silver. She's the first medal winner from my hometown and everyone is pretty excited for her. Considering our HS didn't even have a track it's pretty monumental for a little town.

[Tony the Pony]

I think you're overdramatizing her comments a bit.

Nah, not me.

"I am not deaf,"
(...)
"It made me really angry."

I couldn't give a toss, but it sure is dumb

[Shelterdog]

Someone should throw a beer at that douchebag coach who just took a dump all over that pole vaulter's moment.

Someone should throw a beer at the douchebag NBC guy who decided to air that. It was on tape delay; they didn't have to make the moment shitter for the athlete by rebroadcasting it.

[fletcherpost]

Just watched the womens 400M and I'm wondering if you guys in th USA got it live on TV or have to wait until a more convenient time so people can sell you stuff.

It was some race.

[shawnrbu]

The track events are on tape delay in primetime. Most of the big swimming finals and the gymnastics from last week were shown live in the Eastern and Central timezones.

[fletcherpost]

The track events are on tape delay in primetime. Most of the big swimming finals and the gymnastics from last week were shown live in the Eastern and Central timezones.

Yea the swimming finals were in the morning sessions in order to suit US TV, which is cool cos they had the big man going for his 8 golds...and they should show that live. Just wondered if the track stuff was live cos I was going to give the result.

The womens 100M hurdles was some race as well. But that's all I'll say.

[LateRally]

That US pole vaulter calling out the Russian chick before the event even started. "We're gonna kick some Russian ass". Smart move. One of the first things the Russian chick said after winning the event, was that she was angry as hell and wanted to show who is boss.

Dummy should have kept her mouth closed.

That Russian chick was ridiculously hot, so she had that going for her as well.

[Fred not Lynn]

Someone should throw a beer at the douchebag NBC guy who decided to air that. It was on tape delay; they didn't have to make the moment shitter for the athlete by rebroadcasting it.

If I were an athlete or a coach at the Olympic Games, there's NO WAY I'd allow myself or my coach to wear a mic like that. You need to be able to speak freely on the occasion - not let a worry about what might get on TV make you filter your message.

[LateRally]

The womens 100M hurdles was some race as well. But that's all I'll say.

Is it too harsh to say Lolo Jones choked? She ran slower in the final than she did in any of the heats. If she matches her semi time she's got the gold. She's still hot though.

[njingles3]

That's heartbreaking. Because Lolo is smoking hot.

[Ahriman]

That's heartbreaking. Because Lolo is smoking hot.

Yep. That about sums it up. How old is she?

Harper sure seemed stunned.

[ngruz25]

Wow, gotta feel bad for her. It's like that Simpsons episode where Bart keeps rewinding and playing the shot of the exact moment that Ralph Wiggum's heart breaks. Am I a horrible person if I found her mom and sister's reaction shot hilarious? "Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! .......... "

[ngruz25]

Jesus it's hard to get away from the cameras at the Olympics. It looked like Lolo snuck away to a place where she could be alone to cry, but of course NBC finds her and puts her on display.

[Ahriman]

Am I a horrible person if I found her mom and sister's reaction shot hilarious? "Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! .......... "

No, no. Family reactions are always fair game.

Actually, everything is fair game.

Edited by Ahriman, 19 August 2008 - 09:57 PM.

[Hendu's Gait]

That's heartbreaking. Because Lolo is smoking hot.

If only she was even an A. What's smaller than an A?

[15'sCementShoes]

If only she was even an A. What's smaller than an A?

Pat Benatar?

[Hendu's Gait]

Anyone now why the Field events (which the US didn't medal in) are never shown in prime time (or even afternoon)? Heat after heat of track events are shown during "normal" time, but never a field event (other than the Women's shot put, and pole vault thus far)

[shawnrbu]

Do Merritt and Wariner not like each other? Neither seemed very supportive of each other by their words (Merritt) and actions (Wariner) during the semis of the 400m.

[BigMike]

Anyone now why the Field events (which the US didn't medal in) are never shown in prime time (or even afternoon)? Heat after heat of track events are shown during "normal" time, but never a field event (other than the Women's shot put, and pole vault thus far)

That has pretty much always been the case. American audiences just have never really warmed up to field events. At least now you can actually watch these events online

[kenneycb]

Do Merritt and Wariner not like each other? Neither seemed very supportive of each other by their words (Merritt) and actions (Wariner) during the semis of the 400m.

There does seem to be some animosity between the two as this article alludes to. I found these lines particularly interesting:

"He's an American but, at the end of the day, I'm my own man," Merritt said. "So I am going to go out there and try to win."

It is not quite fair to say they do not like each other. But this is not likely to be one of those races where they hug at the end. They both are dying to beat the other.

Merritt to establish himself as No. 1. Wariner to shut Merritt up.

[BleacherFan]

There does seem to be some animosity between the two as this article alludes to. I found these lines particularly interesting:

Yes, they have been verbally sparring a lot more recently in the Golden League stuff leading up to the Olympics. Merritt recently beat him when I'm sure Wariner was keeping some stuff in the tank for these games.

[johnmd20]

Wow, gotta feel bad for her. It's like that Simpsons episode where Bart keeps rewinding and playing the shot of the exact moment that Ralph Wiggum's heart breaks. Am I a horrible person if I found her mom and sister's reaction shot hilarious? "Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! .......... "

I feel bad for her, too, because, hey, you don't want to see someone stumble on the 2nd to last hurdle when they are way in front. But I also laughed at the family reaction shot(a true LOL moment) and I can't write it any better than gruz did above. Nicely done.

[cheekydave]

The 200 Meters is about to start, is there anywhere to catch an online stream LIVE of this??

(spoiler results)

watch live on sopcast channel 48857 historic stuff is happening

Edited by cheekydave, 20 August 2008 - 09:35 AM.

[Fred not Lynn]

I feel bad for her, too, because, hey, you don't want to see someone stumble on the 2nd to last hurdle when they are way in front. But I also laughed at the family reaction shot(a true LOL moment) and I can't write it any better than gruz did above. Nicely done.

My favorite shot was right after the race, while the camera was showing Lolo dejected on the track, you could see the Canadian and the Swede in the background looking up and the board waiting for the results - and exploding when they saw they they were 2nd & 3rd...

I was also amused by the fact that NBC pretty much went the "Big Brother" route with Lolo, yet pretty much completely ignored the AMERICAN who actually won. NBC Really showed their real stripes on this one.

Edited by Fred not Lynn, 20 August 2008 - 11:44 AM.

[njingles3]

Women's 20k racewalk on CNBC.

That is all.

Edited by njingles3, 20 August 2008 - 11:15 PM.

[ngruz25]

Women's 20k racewalk on CNBC.

That is all.

And it's pouring rain. This is really great TV. Their legs look so funny when they're swinging back and forth.

[Warning Track Speed]

And it's pouring rain. This is really great TV. Their legs look so funny when they're swinging back and forth.

Is the rule as simple as you just have a foot on the ground at all times? Looks like it'd be difficult to judge--they're so close to a jog.