2014 Winter Olympics Thread

[RobDeer 45]

I feel like I'm having a hard time figuring out what I can watch on TV or Online and not ruin the primtime stuff. I work from home so I like to have stuff on, but really can't pay attention for very long. I've started to think I need to just have my TV off and wait for prime time. I guess I can do a better job reviewing what's going to be on for prime time, but I have a hard time knowing the difference from the uphill biathlon men's 1600 and the down hill crossbow biathlon 1400, and so on..... or something like that.

[stoutdude04]

The referee and linesmen who worked the USA/Canada women's game today should not be allowed to work for another game. They were horrendous.

 

I missed it, what happened? I saw there were a lot of penalties.

[stoutdude04]

Speaking of women's hockey, I was reading an article that talked about how the IOC was talking about taking it out of the winter games because it is dominated by USA/Canada. Maybe we should get rid of all of the other sports that are dominated by other nations. Pretty sure I saw the Netherlands(or something) win all 3 medals in a speed skating event.

[Jimbo]

The referee and linesmen who worked the USA/Canada women's game today should not be allowed to work for another game. They were horrendous.

 

I missed it, what happened? I saw there were a lot of penalties.

 

Twice missed CAN with too many women. Also, CAN's second goal was controversial. Blew the whistle as the puck was sliding under Vetter across the goal line. The whistle shouldn't have been blown, and it was blown before the puck crossed the line. Finally, inconsistency on what was whistled for checking and what was let go.

[Jimbo]

I see in today's paper the USA women's curling gave up a seven-spot, a dubious Olympic record. What the heck? I don't usually go scouring the internet for curling videos, but I'm curious.

[Funketown]

...and that was certainly offsides.

[bjkrautk]

I see in today's paper the USA women's curling gave up a seven-spot, a dubious Olympic record. What the heck? I don't usually go scouring the internet for curling videos, but I'm curious.

 

Missed shots and bad strategy. For anyone reading this who doesn't know, you only get 8 stones in a curling end. To score 7 points, you need to have 7 of those 8 stones closer to the 'button' (the center of the painted rings on the end of the ice you're throwing to) than the other team.

 

By the time the other team has 6 stones in the house, and you're sitting with all of your stones out in front of the house....most teams would look to hit some of the other team's shots and start to cut down on the potential damage. Instead, they kept trying to draw in (throwing weight to land in the house, without hitting the other team's stones). It's inexplicable to me what they were thinking in that moment.

 

Not sure if there's a youtube clip yet; I know there wasn't one when I went looking on Tuesday night.

[trwi7]

...and that was certainly offsides.

 

Absolutely. It wasn't particularly close either.

 

[Jimbo]

I see in today's paper the USA women's curling gave up a seven-spot, a dubious Olympic record. What the heck? I don't usually go scouring the internet for curling videos, but I'm curious.

 

Missed shots and bad strategy. For anyone reading this who doesn't know, you only get 8 stones in a curling end. To score 7 points, you need to have 7 of those 8 stones closer to the 'button' (the center of the painted rings on the end of the ice you're throwing to) than the other team.

 

By the time the other team has 6 stones in the house, and you're sitting with all of your stones out in front of the house....most teams would look to hit some of the other team's shots and start to cut down on the potential damage. Instead, they kept trying to draw in (throwing weight to land in the house, without hitting the other team's stones). It's inexplicable to me what they were thinking in that moment.

 

Not sure if there's a youtube clip yet; I know there wasn't one when I went looking on Tuesday night.

 

http://www.nbcolympics.com/news/still-winless-us-falls-hard-great-britain

 

Still looking for the clip so I can see how the whole end developed.

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

Enjoying the whole thing so far. Really looking forward to USA-Russia bright and early tomorrow morning.

 

The curling teams have disappointed, but there's nothing really like Olympic Hockey.

[RobDeer 45]

USA v Russia, Hockey...enough said!

[paul253]

What an awesome game. I wanted to wake up and watch it live but I just couldn't do it so I taped it instead. TJ Oshie taking 6 of the 8 shootout shots and scoring 4 times, including two do or die goals. Can't get much better than that.

 

I've read that some NHL owners want this to be the last Olympics with NHL players. What a shame that would be. You have a major sport where the stars are begging to play for their country, unlike baseball and basketball (where Wade suggested once that players should be paid) and now the owners want to abandon the idea because they don't see a benefit for them? How about a little national pride and seeing your guys winning a gold medal, something very, very few people have the chance to do? The greed of everyone tied to professional sports (players, owners, agents, etc) really gets to me sometimes

[Jimbo]

John Morgan (my favorite TV sports analyst of all-time): "Jamaica missed a practice run due to a delay in their equipment arriving. Didn't matter, Winston Watts was too busy signing autographs to practice anyways."

--

I see a video tribute to the Jamaican bobsled is out ("It's Bobsled Time!"), with viral potential.

--

Japan's women's hockey team had an Aoki, but no Brewers mojo as Japan finished last.

[FVBrewerFan]

Love the downhill skiing and hockey. A dash of ski jumping, bobsled, luge, speed skating. But have no interest in figure skating, cross country skiing, or some of the other events. Not that I don't have tremendous respect for how talented these people are in other sports, I jsut don't want to watch it.

[Patrick425]

Love the downhill skiing and hockey. A dash of ski jumping, bobsled, luge, speed skating. But have no interest in figure skating, cross country skiing, or some of the other events. Not that I don't have tremendous respect for how talented these people are in other sports, I jsut don't want to watch it.

 

I'm with you FVBrewerFan. Although I also really enjoy the snow board cross racing, ski cross racing, and short track speed skating. I have a hard time watching sports that are judged. I watched a little of the women's figure skating last night, saw some of the competitors fall, and then read stories this morning about how some of those skaters that fell won and questions about biased judging.

 

Also, anyone see the comments from the Netherlands speed skating coach? He basically bashed the U.S. and it's sports...stating things like "Americans always think they are correct" and talking about how American football is a joke where guys just try to injure each other and that it's a sport that doesn't matter because there is no international competition.

[TooLiveBrew]

I actually have the day off today... so excited for this US-Canada match!

[brwrsfan]

Fun game to watch, kinda sucks that we lost though. I'm not that big of a hockey fan so I could be wrong here, but we seemed pretty overmatched. Had a few scoring chances, but really not very many. Disappointing to say the least.

[Mike2k33]

Never looked like scoring today. Being down by one felt like being down by three. Really frustrating since we were pretty dominant for much of the tournament.

 

It would be nice to win the thing one of these Olympics(mostly so we can move on from the '80 team) but if we couldn't do it with this team, I just don't know when or how it will happen. Now it just feels like a long four years til everyone hypes the next Silver/Bronze-medal-hopeful American hockey team.

 

That, plus the women's epic choke yesterday, really fails to leave any good feeling from these games from a USA hockey fan point of view. One waste of an opportunity after another.

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

Canada is loaded everywhere, but their defensemen are especially good. It's a depth thing at this point, Kessel's line, as well as the Parise-Kane combo held their own, I thought, and Suter can play with anyone in the world. The issue is that Canada has that at every position, Jamie Benn scoring the winner today being the exhibit A (almost didn't make the roster).

 

Honestly, I think USA men's hockey has come a LONG way in the last 20 years. Don't forget that Canada has this and nothing else. It's a little like soccer in Brazil. Every generation is a golden generation. As much as it sucks to lose today (and look outclassed), I think the US being in medal contention is a big step forward, and the increasing number of American NHL stars can only bode well for the future of American hockey.

 

Hope they bounce back and take a medal tomorrow. When they do get another shot at the gold, I hope Parise's still around. I feel like he deserves it.

[bjkrautk]

Don't forget that Canada has this and nothing else. It's a little like soccer in Brazil.

 

The Canadian men & women won gold in curling.

[Mike2k33]

Don't forget that Canada has this and nothing else. It's a little like soccer in Brazil.

 

The Canadian men & women won gold in curling.

 

 

Current medal count:

 

USA: 9 G, 7 S, 11 B

Canada: 9 G, 10 S, 5 B

[trwi7]

Kane is terrible. Stop stick handling and actually do something with the puck. Get rid of his ass in the next Olympics (if NHL players are still allowed to go) for Bobby Ryan. At least we know he'll shoot the puck. Every key faceoff, whether it be in our defensive zone to clear pressure or in the offensive zone to maybe generate a cycle and a scoring chance or two we seemed to lose. Those were the most infuriating parts of the game to me. I can handle this loss better than the one yesterday where the women were screwed over by the refs.

[Mike2k33]

I'm not a big fan of Patrick Kane and I agree with Kane having a pretty bad game. However, no way would they or should they not have him on the team. I think it was more of a case of him trying to do too much himself. I don't see it as selfish, I see it more as a guy trying too hard on the big stage. Playing with guys you're not familiar with doesn't help. He's too talented to leave at home.

 

I can handle this loss better than the one yesterday where the women were screwed over by the refs.

 

Nonsense. I agree that the slashing call was garbage but they have no excuse for how they played in the final 5 minutes of regulation. Not one defender anywhere near the scorer of the tying goal when she got the puck. They looked totally panicked after the first goal. It was a total choke job, period.

 

The refs(one of the linesmen actually) almost WON the game for the American women on the empty net post shot by getting in the way of the Canadian d-man and allowing the US player to get to the puck first.

[RobDeer 45]

I don't get too bummed after an athletic event too often these days but both of the hockey losses sucked to watch.

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

Don't forget that Canada has this and nothing else. It's a little like soccer in Brazil.

 

The Canadian men & women won gold in curling.

 

 

Current medal count:

 

USA: 9 G, 7 S, 11 B

Canada: 9 G, 10 S, 5 B

 

Understanding that Canada wins a lot of medals at the winter games, I think hockey is and will always be the top priority, both emotionally and financially. Yes, they have other talented athletes, but most of the conversation from their camp (outside the official Olympic committee) is that the hockey gold matters more than any of the other sports. I'd be willing to bet they'd trade every other medal every Olympiad if it meant they'd win hockey golds.

 

It may not be all they have, but losing to the US yesterday would have caused more consternation than winning anything else would have created joy.

 

Beat Finland!