META: How are we going to handle the Summer Olympics?
After watching some news coverage on the Olympics, it got me to thinking (not a good thing) - how should we handle the Olympics here on MGoBlog?
I ask because fall camp is arriving, we've got NIKE/Jumpman mania, OT season is almost over.
Ignore the Olympics altogether? Agree to 1 thread per day? Only discuss when Michigan athletes are participating?
Any non-MGoSnark suggestions?
FYI - the Summer Olympics run from August 3rd to August 21st. The Opening Ceremonies are Friday, the 5th (due to recovery time there is some soccer starting early).
#GoBlueInRio
I say one open thread a day for the Olympics, plus threads are allowed when Michigan athletes get medals.
I would rather see football related news here.
August 2nd, 2016 at 11:12 AM ^
I started one thread per day and listed the bigger events of the day. Due to big time difference between live event & TV coverage placed against MGoUsers wanting to watch the events that evening, we let readers know that there were spoilers posted. So, if you don't want to know the results during the day, don't open the thread.
they are just going ahead with these water events when they know the water is basically poison. Why these athletes aren't boycotting is beyond me.
I can't even fathom what it's like training your whole life for something, and then having to make the choice between competing in sewage and human waste and missing your shot and having to wait another 4 years.
August 2nd, 2016 at 12:46 PM ^
Yeah it's one thing for soccer/basketball/tennis/golf guys to skip it but for a shot-putter or a triathlete, this is the only big stage of their lives.
Plus the life-span of elite athletes isn't that long. Anyone over thirty (or like 12 if they're a gymnast) might never have another shot.
August 2nd, 2016 at 12:34 PM ^
It is crazy. The Brazilian officials warned the athletes to "keep their mouths closed" during the events.
I was going to recommend penicillin and the Jackhawk 9000 to ward off any would-be kidnappers.
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Tell me what you guys think of this (julesh stole a bit of my thunder here):
- Daily threads, perhaps with a "Danger: Spoilers" note for those not following live
- Individual highlight threads for records, unusual moments, Michigan athletes, etc...
- We can talk about inidividual events, but it should be some "must see" stuff. Definitely should be an exception, not a rule in this case.
- Opening and closing ceremony threads, if desired
As I remember, I can bump the Olympics threads too so multiples aren't created, but it is ultimately on the user to check the first page or two.
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I know this is a Michigan sports blog, but with the community we have and all the diverse interests, I'd really like to see at least one thread dedicated to "lesser followed" sports. I'm not a huge sailing fan, but i know there's going to be interesting things happening while I'm punching the clock working.
Haven't heard if NBC succeeded in getting the IOC to reorder the nations so the US goes at end rather than in the middle as they would with the order read in Portugese (Estados Unidos). NBC is afraid their ratings will crash after the US goes.
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The IOC rejected NBC's request from what I heard.
August 2nd, 2016 at 12:48 PM ^
As they should have, to be honest, that's a remarkably arrogant request.
August 2nd, 2016 at 10:10 AM ^
NBC should've done what most of the countries do to win favorable results from the IOC, bribe.
August 2nd, 2016 at 12:30 PM ^
If I recall correctly, NBC pays the most money to the IOC by a considerable margin in rights fees. This also gives it a lot of influence in the games, since the US is a huge customer. Apparently doesn't give it carte blanche, though.
The opening and closing ceremonies have never been that interesting to me anyway. Give me the sports.
NBC's decision to live stream events that would be shown later on tape delay was a great move, by the way. Basically started in Beijing and has held true for every Olympics since. Serves the hardcore sports fans well while also producing slick stuff in primetime; I've become a much more attentive Olympics watcher since they did that.
August 2nd, 2016 at 12:08 PM ^
Best bet is to try and catch the Opening Ceremonies on BBC One or the CBC, where you won't have to suffer through hours of vapid commentary by the resident NBC airheads, Matt Lauer and Meredith Viera.
August 2nd, 2016 at 12:26 PM ^
The summer Olympics have quite a bit more going on than the Winter Olympics; it might become necessary to have a thread during the daytime and another in primetime on some days.
The "Big Event" thread seems like a good idea. A big Phelps final or the 100m final will probably be enough to merit threads on their own.
Look to see if Olympics are happening, say "oh he/she runs/swims real fast", then watch the end of the gold medal basketball game to see us win. Then pay no more attention.
Summer Olympics are trash, and this year they're trash with an extra chance of virus!
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You mean "old money sword fighting with no chance of injury"? Hard pass.
If I'm gonna watch a non-team sport without a ball (or puck I guess) it better have a high chance of injury or death. Ain't nobody got time to watch some dude run slightly faster than some other dudes just for the sake of running.
August 2nd, 2016 at 12:38 PM ^
I agree. Fencing to me was like curling during the winter olympics. Turned it on and said wtf is this and ended up watching it for multiple days.
August 2nd, 2016 at 12:21 PM ^
I largely feel the same way. Respect the skill, talent, and dedication of these guys, but generally do not find compelling to watch. If I'm somewhere with a lot of people watching a medal event there can be good crowd energy (back in college there were group-watches that I would pop into sometimes), but I largely have no interest in watching the third qualifier heat of the 200m run or suchlike.
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August 2nd, 2016 at 10:17 AM ^
August 2nd, 2016 at 12:40 PM ^
How about cornhole?
August 2nd, 2016 at 11:13 AM ^
I probably won't click on Olympic threads unless it's some event that's beyond monumental. Not sure what that would be. That's how I'm going to handle the threads.
we'll probably handle the summer olympics better than Brazil will
Or citizens who live where the government wants to build Olympic stadiums.
Or citizens who live on top of each other in flavilla mountains.
Or massive government corruption.
Or roaming, violent gangs of monkeys.
Brazil should not have been allowed to host these olympics until they got their shit together.
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Monkeys might hold more power in that country than the actual government, place is a fuckin circus.
Yes. I've learned everything I've needed to know from the Simpsons.
August 2nd, 2016 at 10:03 AM ^
Crazy
Might tune in to a couple of the gold medal final events, but I don't care enough to even watch the basketball finals and see us beat Angola or Bulgaria by 80 points. Maybe this makes me a terrible world citizen, but for Americans, that's about par for the course these days.
That being said, it's better than nothing. Helps pass the time until football comes back, and gives us something else to talk about besides Nike.
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