Open Thread – Sochi Olympic Spoilers – 2/17
S-O-S!! Spoiler results are posted here
Do not continue past the picture below if you don’t want to know early results.
Some of today’s events:
- Women’s Hockey Semi’s– USA vs. SWE 7:30 am EST; CAN vs. SUI
- Ice Dance FreeDance – Meryl Davis & Charlie White 10:00 am EST
- Men’s Snowboard Cross – 4 wide down the hill!
-
Malik McDowell updates– cancelled
Your moment of Zen: Hilary Knight of the USA women’s hockey team
February 17th, 2014 at 7:31 AM ^
There's also the 3rd and 4th runs for the two-man bobsled, and the US team of Holcomb and Langton currently sit in 3rd, 0.04 seconds out of the silver medal.
February 17th, 2014 at 3:09 PM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 7:55 AM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 7:58 AM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 7:59 AM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 8:04 AM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 8:07 AM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 12:13 PM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 8:09 AM ^
A nomination for the runner-up moment of Zen would be the Jamaican bobsled team's song....
February 17th, 2014 at 8:12 AM ^
High dew point led to heavy fog and the men's biathlon and snowcross events planned for today ended up being postponed until tomorrow.
February 17th, 2014 at 3:22 PM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 8:18 AM ^
USA up 3-0 on those Swedes lol
Well this game is over
(29-1 shots in favor of USA)
February 17th, 2014 at 8:45 AM ^
The USA vs. Sweden hockey game looks like pros vs. amateurs.
February 17th, 2014 at 8:46 AM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 8:56 AM ^
Is there any team out there that can compete with the United States, and Canada in women's hockey? It seems like Sweden would have a decent team, and they're getting spanked (lol).
February 17th, 2014 at 9:06 AM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 9:21 AM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 10:33 AM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 12:11 PM ^
The IOC is ridiculous. Sure, let's get rid of women's hockey due to competitive issues, but still insist on having table tennis in the summer games when China has won 24 of the 28 gold medals ever awarded, and 47 of 88 total medals.
You can't grow a sport if you give up on it before the competitive balance ever gets a chance to be seen.
February 17th, 2014 at 2:10 PM ^
Curling is a good example of this in the winter olympics context:
Competitive balance has (somewhat at least) come in curling which is admittedly far cheaper to grow than hockey. You basically need a rink, some expert coaches imported from Canada and some decent athletes (who will play mechanically for about 4 Olympics until you organically raise up some young players who have 'instinct' for the game).
Canada will play China in the men's semi finals this week and that's basically the model that China put in place. They are still a generation of young players away from really having 'instinct' for the game but are technically very very sound.
If you give a sport time to grow you can achieve results. Unfortunately, the IOC is run by complete idiots.
February 17th, 2014 at 4:52 PM ^
It is an odd thing that there are so many variations of cross country skiing and there is only one large winter team sport for women (ice hockey) so what is threatened? Of course, ice hockey. There are now two different forms of basically going down the bobsled course on a flexible flyer - one is head first (skeleton) and the other is feet first (luge and the incredibly awkward looking pairs luge) with hardly any courses except in a few places in central Europe. Dare someone suggest making it one event and let people choose their style? Probably the International Federation of Luge and the International Federation of Skeleton are like rival gangs.
The only thing on women's hockey plus side is that it might draw good TV in North America and the rating game clearly has helped some sports get established and stay that way. Look at the various snow board events and freestyle skiing events. Ratings do matter to the point that briefly wrestling (the oldest arguably of the olympic games) was threatened.
Finally remember that the IOC still supports race walking - hardly fits the Citius, Altius, Fortius motto (faster, higher, stronger in Latin). Walking is great exercise, but is supplanted by running - why not have the three legged race or wheelbarrow race?
February 17th, 2014 at 10:18 AM ^
Apparently, the IOC has raised concerns about the non-competitiveness of the field to the USA and Canada. My guess is it will come along over time, but I think that a very large percentage of the non-US./Canada players are US collegiate players.
February 17th, 2014 at 10:36 AM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 9:42 AM ^
Great passing on that last goal by the all-blonde line for USA.
February 17th, 2014 at 10:54 AM ^
cancelled due to the overall ""fogginess" of the drama?
I got a good chuckle at how you snuck that in, MGoGrendel!
February 17th, 2014 at 12:29 PM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 12:45 PM ^
Give me an OR Davis/White!!
February 17th, 2014 at 1:19 PM ^
Davis and White with the Gold! Go Blue!
February 17th, 2014 at 1:37 PM ^
February 17th, 2014 at 1:24 PM ^
ALL OF THE WORLD RECORDS!
February 17th, 2014 at 1:41 PM ^
I was never into watching this sport until so much attention was paid to Davis and White, but these kids are really good athletes. Further, the women are generally really good looking and the UM connection is incredible.
Since the preeminent coaching venue in the world is in Canton, UM is the logical place for skaters to attend for college. What were there? Six or eight ice dancing competitors who attend UM?
That works for me. Go Blue!
February 17th, 2014 at 1:44 PM ^
to anyone willing to go jump on the large hill. No cheating and using "medical insurance" after the fact though, part of the deal is covering expenses out of pocket.
February 17th, 2014 at 4:45 PM ^
includes a "safety valve" allowing additional points to be automatically added any time Brian catches up, you might find a taker.
Just not me, though. Even though, as a kid, I used to dream of being a ski jumper.
Do I get some extra points for having climbed to the top of the ski jump at Iron Mountain (Pine Mountain Jump? Did that a couple of decades ago in the summer, also had been there previously to watch ski jumping competition.