[blazerboy30]

Originally Posted by meru

I'll take your word for it.



In this case to illustrate that the only reason most people care about these events is because of the media boosting of Michael Phelps. If NBC hadn't run seven gazillion bits about him, and covered every nicely rounded turd he produced, the vast majority of people would not even have noticed that somebody had racked up 8 golds because the vast majority of people don't give a monkey's fart about the Butterfly, or indeed even the 50M IM (which is the first swimming event I'd pick to watch, but of course is not one of Phelps's strengths). No doubt there are great athletes doing amazing things in, say, tiddlywinks that we haven't even heard about because the US isn't good at them. I'm not in the UK right now, but I can guarantee you that there's a hell of a lot of Cycling being shown on TV, along with rowing and sailing. And just because the UK is currently good at those.

And why did NBC choose to focus on Phelps? Could it have ANYTHING to do with making money? Guess what, they make more money by showing more of what people will watch.

Are you actually just mad at capitalism? Perhaps China would be a good fit for you?

Originally Posted by meru

BUT, ever since I was a kid, the real, central event of the Olympics was the 100M. Even when (as in most years) the UK sucked at it. And this year has had perhaps the most remarkable run in that event in the last 50 years and because it wasn't by Tyson Gay, NBC doesn't give a ****. THAT was my point.

I have a small hunch that NBC did a LOT of research to determine what they should focus on to make the most money from them winning the bid to show the Olympics. Just maybe, they wanted to make the most out of their $700million investment. So, if the 100M wasn't going to make them the most money, why would you expect them to spend a lot of time on it?

I like capitalism, you apparently aren't much of a fan.

[blazerboy30]

Originally Posted by barfo

greater than

barfo

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOh. That makes sense now. Wait, no it doesn't.

[Ed O]

Originally Posted by MAS RipCity

Wow, Bolt needs to learn how to win with class...It was pretty tasteless to see how he taunted the rest of the field...he needs to take a class in humility.

I don't see how or why any of us here should be offended. Why is it our business if he's humble or not? He was the fastest man, and perhaps the fastest man ever.

The thing that I wish is that he had gone all out the whole distance.

Not because of lack of class. Not because I'm at all offended. But because he could have DESTROYED the world record. It was like Ben Johnson's 9.79 to the nth degree.

Bolt will probably break his world record, and probably will break it more than once. But he might not. He might tweak something or have some bad luck or... whatever. He might never get a chance to break his record, and he might never get another chance to set the bar as high as he could have.

Ed O.

[blazerboy30]

Originally Posted by Ed O

Bolt will probably break his world record, and probably will break it more than once. But he might not. He might tweak something or have some bad luck or... whatever. He might never get a chance to break his record, and he might never get another chance to set the bar as high as he could have.

Ed O.

Not to mention it probably won't be when the entire world is watching. I would love to see it when he does so, but chances are, I won't.

[meru]

Originally Posted by blazerboy30

Are you actually just mad at capitalism?

Livid.

Perhaps China would be a good fit for you?

Um, you haven't really been following what's happening in China, have you? I think you would've been safer saying "Cuba".

I have a small hunch

I admire your integrity in not getting the plastic surgery. "Be yourself," I always say.

that NBC did a LOT of research to determine what they should focus on to make the most money from them winning the bid to show the Olympics. Just maybe, they wanted to make the most out of their $700million investment. So, if the 100M wasn't going to make them the most money, why would you expect them to spend a lot of time on it?

Ooh, you cynic! You mean it's NOT all about the glory of competition and the coming together of nations? Of course, you're assuming that they hadn't long ago sold the advertising space.

I like capitalism, you apparently aren't much of a fan.

How MUCH of a fan of capitalism are you? Can you take the true, hardcore, unfettered nineteenth century child-labor kind, or are you a wishy-washy watered-down "some things should just be beyond the scope of the marketplace" capitalism fan?

[blazerboy30]

Originally Posted by meru

Livid.



Um, you haven't really been following what's happening in China, have you? I think you would've been safer saying "Cuba".



I admire your integrity in not getting the plastic surgery. "Be yourself," I always say.



Ooh, you cynic! You mean it's NOT all about the glory of competition and the coming together of nations? Of course, you're assuming that they hadn't long ago sold the advertising space.



How MUCH of a fan of capitalism are you? Can you take the true, hardcore, unfettered nineteenth century child-labor kind, or are you a wishy-washy watered-down "some things should just be beyond the scope of the marketplace" capitalism fan?

So, to summarize, you realize that I am correct.

I accept your apology.

[STOMP]

dude just set the WR in the 200M to go with his WR in the 100M.

STOMP

[Greg Ostertag!]

My thoughts from the Olympic board:

Bolt > Phelps

I'm off to bed and people can leave their arguments here, but I'll remember these Games for Usain. He has toyed with the competition. No doubt helped by the fact that we see him running vertically along a track as opposed to shrouded below/within water, but those are my thoughts. Phelps has the record(s), Bolt has the jawdrop.

[STOMP]

photo finish...

STOMP

[meru]

Originally Posted by STOMP

nothing

I agree, as does most of the world, apart from one old geezer. (That article's worth reading all the way through, particularly as Bolt discusses Phelps.)

[HB]

Dan Wetzel's response to that old geezer here

[meru]

Originally Posted by HB

Dan Wetzel's response to that old geezer here

Nice! Rogge better be careful sitting down on that new one for a while.