Winter Olympics

[Adamm]

Despite getting inundated with Winter Olympic advertising, I still find that I simply do not give a sh*t. At all. I'm of the belief that skiing, skating, lugezoring, are all terribly boring to watch. And I'm not about to try and disprove this likely truth by watching it.

Just wondering if anyone actually cares?

[crack]

No.

[kingetje]

BRING ON THE WORLD CUP OF BALL OF FOOT



thats what matters

[kompis]

i didn't really give a sh1t about the winter olympics when it was coming on and ting, However i have enjoyed watching the curling
those guys with the sweeps, v entertaining. Also the snowboarding and skiing where they do jumps and tricks in the air are quite good fun too.

[HalfSugar]

I quite like most of it actually. Ice hockey is great (we don't get to see it on TV in the UK), all skiing events are great as are snowboard racing and ski jumping. The only things I can't really be bothered with is cross country skiing or biathlon although I appreciate the insane stamina of the competitors.

While watching some downhill skiing live on the BBC website just now, they panned across the crowd and I managed to screen grab this awesome banner

[golddog]

So, I'm curious how other nations view the Olympics.

In America, the media is always on about "Team USA", and the "medal count".

While I've never been, and am not likely to be, involved with the Olympics, my intuition tells me that the athletes don't see themselves as part of a national team.

Does anywhere else track the medal count like here?

[jimmer]

Does anywhere else track the medal count like here?

Only the counties that are crap at every other sport (Canada, Switzeralnd & Austria).

[HalfSugar]

GB don't track it heavily unless we are doing well! Every country wants to be top, it's not just you American pigdogs.

[golddog]

Thanks for the info, I thought it was just an American thing.

I wonder if the athletes themselves think of themselves as being part of "Team USA" or whatever. It strikes me that the skiers really don't follow the figure skaters, or worry about whether the curling people are in medal contention (etc, etc).

Seems like you have to be so dedicated to the one sport you're participating in to be at that level, that you can't think about anything other than your performance.

[Ensano]

i don't think it's a matter of caring about the other sports.

I'd imagine it'd be just like high school sports. the football team is their own click and is proud of that the soccer team does but it doesn't mean they go to the same parties.

also you have to think these athletes aren't all together. it's not like once you qualify for the Olympic team they move you to the national Olympic training ground where every athlete in the country plays.

just look at Canada's hockey team for example. all the players are from all over the county (NHL players might even me in the us) for the juniors there is a tryout and then only a short while before the games do they even know who's on the team.

same goes for all the other athletes they're all training in different places some naturally see each other more (snowboarding circuit) but for the most part all their efforts and training are individual.

[abby]

watching winter sports really bores me to death. the only sport i like to watch is tennis but all others are just unbelievably boring ... i like to do them by myself but not watching others doing it.

[UrAteUp]

GO USA....lol...I know I am a bit late. I actually watched some of the olympics this year. I still do not see the excitement about sending a large rock with a handle on it down a sheet of ice. That has to be a British born game...it's great to sleep to but I wouldn't want to play it.