Olympics

[O Really]

The ability to train year round must be part of the reason. Never too cold, usually not too hot.

Twenty-five athletes from San Diego County on the USA team, plus 8 more playing for other countries....

So, 1/4 of the San Diegans are traitors

Naa, mostly Wave players who were imports to start with.

Also, Tony Hawk's friend 50 (fifty!) year old skateboarder Andy McDonald will be on the Great Britain team.

[GoCubsGo]

My goodness Paris,

Well done!

[GoCubsGo]

This is like no other.

[Vrede too]

This is like no other.

Celine, comeback person of the 2024 Games!

[GoCubsGo]

This is like no other.

Celine, comeback person of the 2024 Games!

The Eiffel Tower light show was bonkers.

[Vrede too]

The Eiffel Tower light show was bonkers.

Viewers Spot an Error During the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony. Did You Notice It?

... When the Olympic flag—holding the iconic image of five multicolored rings overlapping one another—was raised, it was revealed to be hung upside down.

In its correct configuration, the Olympic flag should show three rings—blue, black, and red— on the top and two rings—yellow and green—on the bottom. As members of the French military hoisted the Olympic flag to conclude the opening ceremony, it dramatically unfurled from their arms to show the two rings on top instead....

#Paris2024
Olympic flag raised upside down during Opening Ceremony

Members of the French military raised the flag during the ceremony, but appear to have raised it upside down

More tweets at the link.

I can't resist To be fair, the French military doesn't have to worry about tops and bottoms with white flags

[Vrede too]

O Canada, oh!

Canada axes women's soccer coach from Olympics over drone use


I'm surprised we don't hear more about this cheating. Oh wait:

Canada’s men’s and women’s soccer teams have reportedly been using spying drones for years

This was fast:

FIFA strips Canada of 6 points in Paris Olympics soccer tournament, bans coach Bev Priestman for 1 year
The penalty is equivalent to two wins in Olympic competition

FIFA has added to the penalties against the Canada women's soccer team for using drones to record opponents' practices.

I think that 6 deducted points will keep the team from advancing to the Knockout Round.

... Priestman had already been suspended by Canada Soccer and sent home from the Paris Games. Additionally, staffer Joseph Lombardi and assistant coach Jasmine Mander were barred from the Olympic women's soccer tournament.

Canada Soccer decided not to withdraw from the Olympics because the players weren't involved in the drone use and hoped to avoid a penalty from FIFA with swift action.

Good luck with that.

Lombardi was caught flying a drone over New Zealand's practice earlier in the week ahead of their Olympics opener on Thursday. His hotel room was later searched and drone footage was found, after which he admitted that watched two New Zealand training sessions to learn the team's tactics.

Under interim coach Andy Spence, Canada won the match, 2–1.

Tainted.

... In light of the revelations against the Canadian women's team, allegations of the men's national team attempting to use drones during the Copa América tournament have surfaced.

Both the men's and women's national teams have "relied on drones and spying for years, according to TSN. That includes during the women's team run to a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics under Priestman as coach....

Bastards, long term and widespread conspiracy to cheat This must be embarrassing for all Canadians.

[GoCubsGo]

I keep wondering if a thirty minute or so drone shot would really be a game changer and worth the consequences. Granted, it may show alignments being practiced but you still have to have the horses to beat them.

Then again, you don't plan on being caught.

[Vrede too]

I keep wondering if a thirty minute or so drone shot would really be a game changer and worth the consequences. Granted, it may show alignments being practiced but you still have to have the horses to beat them.

Then again, you don't plan on being caught.

I have the same questions. It's not like trick plays are possible. Soccer does have set plays with corner kicks and free kicks, so . . . Also, I suppose injury info could be gleaned. If the possible intel is limited it just makes it that much more stupid that Canada tried.

[GoCubsGo]

Has anyone ever sat down and watched a rugby match?

Was it interesting or entertaining?

[O Really]

Has anyone ever sat down and watched a rugby match?

Was it interesting or entertaining?

Yes, and yes, and fun to play.

"Rugby players have leather balls"

[Vrede too]

Has anyone ever sat down and watched a rugby match?

Was it interesting or entertaining?

No, I've only seen highlights and movie depictions.

I got invited to join a local team once, the Missoula Maggots. They liked my aggressive style of goalie play. I declined, I was playing soccer 2 or more times a week, practicing some and coaching soccer 2 or more times a week. Also, 30+ is kinda late in life to learn a brand new sport where one can get hurt. I also had outgrown the hard partying rugby culture by then. Maybe in my 20s . . . I regret it a little, but would have regretted limiting my soccer involvement My female ER coworkers loved Maggotfest because of the hardbodies seeking treatment

[GoCubsGo]

Has anyone ever sat down and watched a rugby match?

Was it interesting or entertaining?

No, I've only seen highlights and movie depictions.

I got invited to join a local team once, the Missoula Maggots. They liked my aggressive style of goalie play. I declined, I was playing soccer 2 or more times a week, practicing some and coaching soccer 2 or more times a week. Also, 30+ is kinda late in life to learn a brand new sport where one can get hurt. I also had outgrown the hard partying rugby culture by then. Maybe in my 20s . . . I regret it a little, but would have regretted limiting my soccer involvement My female ER coworkers loved Maggotfest because of the hardbodies seeking treatment

This you?

[GoCubsGo]

Has anyone ever sat down and watched a rugby match?

Was it interesting or entertaining?

No, I've only seen highlights and movie depictions.

I got invited to join a local team once, the Missoula Maggots. They liked my aggressive style of goalie play. I declined, I was playing soccer 2 or more times a week, practicing some and coaching soccer 2 or more times a week. Also, 30+ is kinda late in life to learn a brand new sport where one can get hurt. I also had outgrown the hard partying rugby culture by then. Maybe in my 20s . . . I regret it a little, but would have regretted limiting my soccer involvement My female ER coworkers loved Maggotfest because of the hardbodies seeking treatment

This you?

[Vrede too]

This you?

https://media.tenor.co/images/dec793b6b ... f177e3/raw

I never went for it. I don't remember ever even holding a rugby ball. That guy looks like he's on a break.

[Vrede too]

I keep wondering if a thirty minute or so drone shot would really be a game changer and worth the consequences. Granted, it may show alignments being practiced but you still have to have the horses to beat them.

Then again, you don't plan on being caught.

How could they not get caught?

Canada women defiant after beating France: We aren't cheaters

As the Canada women's soccer team improbably kept its Olympic hopes alive on Sunday, players said they wanted to let the world know one thing: The defending gold medalists are not cheaters.

Vanessa Gilles scored 12 minutes into a 13-minute stoppage time to finish off an unlikely 2-1 comeback win against host France.

That was a day after the team found out it was being docked six points by FIFA in the group stage as a result of a drone spying scandal that unfolded as the Olympics began, which severely limited the Canadians chances of advancing....

"It's been 72 hours where we have no control over anything," Gilles said. "We're not part of any of this, and we're getting sanctioned as if we just got caught doping. We did nothing. We're just so tired of defending ourselves over something we have no control over.

"We got no advantage. We go out there, we play our hearts out, we work for this all year round, day in and day out. So it's just the uncontrollables that are the biggest anger and biggest frustration."

It's not like the coach can say, "This is what they're planning."

... Now, with wins against New Zealand and France to neutralize their group stage total to zero points, the Canadians, whose federation is planning to appeal the six-point deduction, can advance with a win over Colombia on Wednesday....

Any team that wins all 3 games should advance. GoCanadaGo.

[Vrede too]

'Bob the Cap Catcher' dives to the rescue in swimming pool | Paris Olympics | NBC Sports

‘Bob the cap catcher’ dives into the Olympic pool – in his colourful budgie smugglers
Team USA’s Emma Webber had lost her cap which needed to be retrieved for the next heat to start

... Like many heroes, the volunteer stripped down into the right attire. A loud pair of budgie smugglers and stunned the crowd by performing a dive any Olympic swimmer would have been proud of.

The 15,000 crowd in the La Defense Arena continued to cheer as the man, who is thought to be an Olympic official, swam down to rescue the cap before exiting the pool. Upon leaving, the man waved the cap in the air as the majority of the arena gave an standing ovation....

[Vrede too]

Judo Olympian refuses to shake Israeli athlete’s hand and shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’
Nurali Emomali of Tajikistan later dislocated his arm against a Japanese judoka

A (victorious) judo competitor representing Tajikistan refused to shake his Israeli opponent’s hand at the Paris Olympics and instead said “Allahu Akbar”....

In a later fight Emomali faced Japanese Olympian Hifumi Abe, which resulted in a painful injury for the Tajikistan representative.

Footage of the match shows Abe slamming Emomali to the ground.

The force of the body slam caused Emomali’s arm to bend and dislocate as it hit the mat.

Michael Dickinson, the executive director of the pro-Israel group StandWithUs said:

Opps.

The Israeli athlete is still in the competition and moving forward to the next round on Monday after an Algerian opponent, Messaoud Redouane Dris, dropped out of the competition.

The Algerian judoka was reportedly disqualified for exceeding the weight limit the day before his Olympic 73 kg bout against Butbul, organisers said.

Maybe they are the Chosen People

[O Really]

Has anyone ever sat down and watched a rugby match?

Was it interesting or entertaining?

Turns out the womens rugby team trained down in Chula Vista. If I'd known sooner it would have been worth the trip down to see the Olympians.

[Vrede too]

Turns out the womens rugby team trained down in Chula Vista. If I'd known sooner it would have been worth the trip down to see the Olympians.

They beat Great Britain 17-7 to reach semis for first time ever. They play reigning gold medal New Zealand today at 9:30 AM EDT. The other semi is Canada vs Australia at 10:00 EDT.

U.S. Women's Rugby Team Advances to Semifinals for First Time in Olympic History
It's the first time either the men's or women's American rugby team has advanced to the semifinals.



https://www.si.com/olympics/us-womens-b ... clark-sign

USA won 102-76.



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