I Do NOT Enjoy Watching Gymnastics

[Misunderestimator]

Maybe it's because women's gymnastics competitors are children who all weigh less than 100 lbs and men's (which, surprisingly interests me more than women's) are adults. Or maybe it's because of the incredibly subjective scoring. It just IRRITATES me. I have to change channels whenever it comes on.

Same thing with ice skating in the Winter Olympics.

Me... I prefer races and competitive games where the scoring is absolute... if you win, you win, period (except of course in matters of questionable disqualifications and non-disqualifications).

Who's with me on this?

[IronLionZion]

1. I like womens beach volleyball

:evilgrin:

[LDS Jock]

3. for the sport?

or for the T and A?

[IronLionZion]

22. um...

both!

[Misunderestimator]

4. So do I

:evilgrin:

[Misunderestimator]

21. Walsh is ROCKING... and she's 6'2".... man!

[JohnKleeb]

52. as do I

I agree about gymanstics, them girls are too small.

[maveric]

2. I dont care too much for discretionary scoring.

It leaves the door open for corrupt judges to decide the winners.

[Misunderestimator]

6. Exactly... plus it's just boring most of the time...

and those poor children under such pressure to perform... just wrenches me... I can't watch it. (Women's gymnastics anyway.)

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

5. I agree that the subjective nature is frustrating

but I do like watching the ice skating routines.....(sorry, Baby, this isn't divorce material is it? :scared: )

[Misunderestimator]

9. No... BUT, I did have a girlfriend who made me sit through EVERY

ice skating competition that ever aired on television... and even dragged me to the Ice Capades in NY once... When I saw the smurfs coming out.... I KNEW it was over! :D

[Misinformed01]

25. (OK< hint to NSMA from an unbiased and fair observer)

NO ICE CAPADES.

GOT IT?

NO F U C K I N G ICE CAPADES.

Look, let me just be blunt here: I picked up the World's Cutest Socialist so you could be friends with him forever....you OWE me.

OK, back to studying.

Steph

[Misunderestimator]

27. LOL... good advice!

:thumbsup:

[Misinformed01]

29. It's all about me!!!

:)

I am dying to meet you guys!

Steph

[Misunderestimator]

31. Definitely....

As soon as we possibly can.

Any chance of you visiting your friend here in FL (Sarasota right?) at the end of September? NSMA will be here.

Otherwise, we will make a point to make a trip to see you guys.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

43. We are too!

oh and no ice capades.....

[slappypan]

7. All sports have rules

which are open to interpretation by referees and officials. There are no controversy-free sports.

[Misunderestimator]

10. True... but a 100 meter race is a little less controversial.

[slappypan]

15. you know who I hate watching?

Gail fucking Devers.

[Misunderestimator]

16. Oh... That was sad... she really should have given up her spot...

And I love her. She KNEW she couldn't do those hurdles... What was she thinking?

[MikeG]

8. All the commies are gone. It was more fun watching commies.

[Misunderestimator]

13. Ba dum bum

:spank:

[medeak]

11. equestrian events

has anyone seen any if not up in middle of night?

[Misunderestimator]

12. I happened across some today on MSNBC but was on my way to something

else... :shrug:

[slappypan]

14. they've been showing it on Bravo in the mornings

the whitest sport there is exept maybe rowing

[medeak]

17. white and gay

have gay friends who were olympic competitors.

[ronnykmarshall]

18. and FINE!

Woof!

I loves me some gym boys.

[Misunderestimator]

19. LMAO

[ronnykmarshall]

20. MMMMMM HMMM!

Dats what I'm saying, baby!

[medeak]

35. sit tall in the saddle?

nt

[PVnRT]

46. Team jumping finals were on this afternoon

And there was some high drama - excellent competition. I love the show jumping and eventing, could do without the dressage, though.

[Misunderestimator]

23. Dang... they're on again...

Though the floor exercise is just a bit more interesting.

Ok... now it switched to men's pummel horse... Who invented that?

On edit... I guess they're mixing it up... FOR ME!!

[eyesroll]

24. I was actually talking about this with my husband the other day...

I much prefer the subjective games. The Decathalon, swimming, so on...

And the gymnastics girls, while they're talented, are creepy -- even the ones in their early 20s look pre-pubescent; it's very uncomfortable hearing them talk about marrying their coaches in those squeaky voices.


Oh well. At least it's not rhythmic gymnastics.

[Misunderestimator]

28. It's so funny to me that the male announcer says "The Olympic Women"

when they are really only girls... yet men are always calling me a girl when I'm 42 years old! Amazing.

[eyesroll]

50. Agreed.

Hell, I had a hard time thinking of my peers as "men" and "women" until the last few years (and I'll be 29 next month); they were "guys" and "girls" before that.

[peekaloo]

26. It's the damn music during the floor exercise portion that makes

me switch the channel. And the pony prancing. Makes me think of Robin Williams in 'The Bird Cage'.

I heard the announcers state you had to be at least 16 years old to compete in the Olympics which stunned me considering these tiny little female gymnasts look awfully pre-pube to me.

I do like this version of the 'Star Spangled Banner' though.

[Misunderestimator]

30. And here they are again on the balance beam...

It would be so much more interesting to see a full-grown woman doing this. How did this happen? Why are women's gymnastics all girls and men's are all men? I REALLY don't understand.

[skygazer]

44. I like this version too

Nice quiet strings in the middle - not nearly so martial and belligerent sounding as it sometimes is.

[johnnie]

32. I enjoy watching the gymnasts

I think they are pretty talented and like the routines. For the most part though, I think the whole Olympic thing is a little goofy, I have never been impressed too much with athletes, but that's just me. It's strange to think that so much is riding on the fact that some people are born with athletic ability and some people are lucky to be able to walk up steps without falling (that's me sometimes..lol).
Athletics are overrated, too highly praised and paid in my opinion. But I guess it can be fun to watch.

[Misunderestimator]

33. I used to enjoy it... I guess I've just grown tired.

As for the people born with athletic ability, I agree, although I think there are a lot more of us who could aspire to such heights if we put our minds to it (is it worth it?). Same thing with music performance... same thing with art... same thing with composition, writing, teaching, medicine, comedy and hundreds of other pursuits... They all comprise a certain amount of inate talent, but the drive to succeed and surpass most others in the world is exciting to watch.

[AngryAmish]

34. There is a reason why gymnastics are so small

It is all about power/rate ratio and angular momentum. Lighter you are the higher you fly. The shorter your limbs the faster you can spin.

Edited to say: I have no interest in seeing prepubescent girls in revealing unis. Makes me feel like a pervert. However that one Russian woman...

[Misunderestimator]

36. I agree... HOWEVER... why then are there not teenage boys

competing in the "MEN'S" olympics.

[AngryAmish]

38. Power/weight ratio

Mens gymnastics relies a lot on upper body strength. Men have more power without adding that much more weight. Ratio, not absolute strength.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

39. Before 1972

most gymnasts were in their late teens or early twenties. Than along came Olga Korbut doing unheard-of routines at 17, and four years later, Nadio Comaneci doing even more unheard-of routines at 14 (before the age limits were changed).

In 1972, the all-around women's gold medal winner was a 23-year-old Russian. The audience much preferred her daredevil team mate Olga Korbut, though.

If you see film footage of women's gymnastics before 1972, you'll find it very low-key and slow moving. Olga and Nadia each took it to new dimensions. When I told my roommates in 1976 that I'd seen Nadia Comaneci do a double layout somersault in floor exercise, they didn't believe me. Now such things are commonplace, but you have to be tiny and compact to pull them off.

Being a gymnast is very hard on the body, and the coaches sometimes get way out of line with the psychological pressure and restrictions. For example, the guy who coached Shannon Miller and some of the other 1992 gymnasts wouldn't let them out of their quarters to sightsee in Barcelona. He was afraid that they would EAT. He had them on such short rations that the male gymnasts felt sorry for them and sneaked food to them.

Young gymnasts are also very injury plagued. With the dangerous routines done nowadays, it's a wonder that we don't have more incidents like the Chinese gymnast who broke her neck during podium practice on the vault a few years ago.

Still, I enjoy watching both men's and women's gymnastics, becauase it's something I absolutely cannot do, being both large and tight-muscled.

[cally]

37. I can't watch anymore

I just predict the damage to their bodies and the pain they will endure. It's crazy.

[Spiffarino]

40. I used to feel the same way.

Citius, Altius, Fortius and all that. I always hated scored events...until my daughter got into gymnastics. Now I have a new appreciation for their skill and daring.

I still don't put any stock in who wins and who doesn't, but I feel that I understand it better than before. Plus, it's an excuse to connect with our 9-year-old in a whole new way.

Color me a gym fan!

[trogdor]

41. I dig the "beaver shot" Newsweek led with.

[Kenneth ken]

42. me, mostly

I'm mostly with you on that. I have to admit I like the ability of gymnasts, and skaters, but in terms of competetive events, anything that is based on human judgements to determine winners/losers is inherently flawed.

Swimming and track are the best. Compete against time, then you can say who wins.

[tigereye]

45. I just want to throttle that Al Trautwig

with his bathos-laden comments.

[AngryAmish]

47. Folks, watch boxing

The 2 best boxing announcers in the US are calling the Olympics. The scoring has got a lot more objective. Plus, the judges are scoring on telling blows as opposed to taps.

5 pm eastern on msnbc tomorrow are the boxing quarterfinals. If they are anything the the prelims, it will rock.

[PVnRT]

48. I'll second this

Like I did in the other thread.

The scoring isn't perfect, and that Greek guy getting taken out I thought was just stupid, myself, but otherwise, it's been great. Especially these later rounds.

[Gryffindor_Bookworm]

49. "Women's" gymnastics borders on kiddie porn.

Little girls with no curves of any kind -- no hips, no breasts, and most of them don't even get their periods until they retire from training -- parading around half-naked with makeup and glitter, contorting their bodies in unnatural ways.

Like I said, kiddie porn.

:puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke:

[Gryffindor_Bookworm]

51. Damnit, I am NOT a threadkiller!

:cry:

[Misunderestimator]

53. LOL... No you're not.

Allow me to kill my own thread. :D

[Tracer]

54. The Russian, Svetlana Khorkova (who is 23) ...

looked absolutely anorexic.

Both myself and my daughter commented on her scrawniness.