August 12, 2008

Michael Phelps' victory dance is innate, scientists say. "Such a display of human pride and exuberance closely resembles the dominance displays of chimps and monkeys, which also feature outstretched arms and exaggerated postures, researchers say."
posted by homunculus 15 years ago
  • I wish I could watch the Olympics on a non-US tv channel. I'm sick of only hearing about US athletes, as well as seeing how truly obnoxious they are.
  • Even more obnoxious when one considers that his drunk-driving ass should be sitting in jail.
  • I agree on the DUI charge, but the guy's hardly the arrogant douchebag he's frankly entitled to be, given his talent. Barry Bonds he ain't.
  • I'd like to see the Olympics on a non-NZ channel -- I admit to enjoying the gymnastics (don't get me started on the way young girls are treated, though) but since there's no NZ athletes competing, it's skipped completely. We do see plenty of your Great American Athletes here, though. Go that swimming guy with the nipples!
  • I haven't watched any Olympics yet. I'm on vacation. I did just get back from catching a bucket full of fish, however. And I have nipples.
  • Monkeyfilter: Go that swimming guy with the nipples! (As long as you don't have a bucket full of fish nipples, everything's OK.)
  • I caught a little of the men's gymnastics last night. The stupid jingoistic US coverage seemed slightly better than in previous years. Of course it was all about the "drama" of "team usa" but since they were getting their asses handed to them on a pommel horse, every once in a while the camera sort-of focused on a chinese guy and the announcer would say something like, "oh look those chinese sure have learned a thing or two from us." It's not much, but at least its a tiny step in the right direction. I'm really looking forward to next week and the modern pentathlon. Is there a cooler sport than modern pentathlon? I don't think so.
  • I loved it when I lived in Ohio and got the CBC for the Olympics. I guess some people's cable systems here get the BBC feed, too, and are enjoying it. *sigh* Can I just say "Shut up, Bob Costas?" Because really.
  • I don't get the Costas hate. I hear it every two years, and I just don't understand it.
  • The coverage on SBS in Australia is quite good and it is a good way to avoid the jingoism present on the other Channel showing the Olympics here.
  • The ceeb is not bad at all. French-language ceeb is even better. They let the sports do the talking. SRC shows a lot of the lesser-known sports like judo or fencing -- the stuff I'm actually curious to see. Never any trap-shooting, though. I want more sports with guns.
  • What about the commentary for sidehacking?
  • I sat down to watch my first bit of the Olympics last night. And do you know what it was? Fucking show jumping. The Olympics are dead to me now.
  • I'm just watching to see how long Canada can remain tied for last place with a medal count of "NIL". It's fascinating, seeing all the ways we can find to lose... If we're going to send people over who are only going to lose anyway, maybe my Olympic dream isn't over yet... Make it like a vacation lottery. "Here's your ticket, your venue pass, and your javelin. You should put that in checked luggage."
  • My olympic dream is never over as long as curling is in the winter games. Not that I've ever played, but I figure I can take it up at around 50 and make world-class status by 60.
  • As sortof noted above, show jumping could be vastly improved with the addition of guns. One thing I like about modern pentathlon is that it includes both shooting and swordfighting. Unfortunately, it doesn't include both shooting and swordfighting simultaneously, which would be awesome. And the victory dance would be pretty cool too.
  • "show jumping could be vastly improved with the addition of guns"... made me laugh when I wondered if you were thinking of shooting while riding, or shooting at the horses. But now you have started the Combolympics theme: - Archery while horse riding (Mongol style), - Javelin throw during ski jump, - Water polo using the shot from the shot put, - 400m run through a hail of javelins, arrows and pistol fire, - Sword fencing on bicycles.
  • It's hard to beat fencing on bicycles, but how about women's beach volleyball + wrestling? I'd stay up late to watch that. [Also, I have a theory: any sport that uses a ball can be improved by adding a second ball.]
  • "any sport that uses a ball can be improved by adding a second ball" ...brilliant, but try not to mention that in front of kitfisto. sorry - that was below the belt - sorry.
  • Dressage + synchronized swimming
  • Some of these sports could be made vastly more interesting with the addition of blindfolds and/or lots and lots of jello.