Spiritualized

Anyone watching?

12 hour time difference for me so I am having to watch NBC's crap coverage in the evenings. Weekend coverage will probably be extended, however. Getting a bit tired of NBC's political commentary. We know the Russian stance on gay rights....it is well documented. But, I really do not need NBC going on about it, Putin, speculating about terrorism and a Russian response or Snowden's asylum and amnesty. This really annoys the shit out of me. The clincher is Bob Costas and his puffy red eye going on about Russian propaganda yet, the irony is NBC's political comments are 100% American propaganda. YAWN! Just fuck off NBC and just get on with showing us human beings competing at the highest level in their sport! Isn't the spirit of the games supposed to be above and beyond politics? I REALLY wish we had the BBC!

Regarding the games so far, with all due respect to the Russians despite a few beautiful visual moments (the projections on the floor of the sea were wonderful) I thought the Opening Ceremony was actually pretty dull.

Looking forward to the ice hockey, ice skating and even some curling!

I haven't seen any yet but am hoping to.

The BBC is good as it allows you to avoid tedious adverts, but I no longer trust it as an independent news source. I think they lost their nerve since standing up to Blair on Iraq and the David Kelly claims. since then they just toe the government line in the same way as the US media. The way they and most of the press did their best to ignore the Snowden story for months and months made it abundantly clear.

You're right though red cloud, apparently it's only propaganda if the other side is saying it!

I don't even want to but the BBC are making me hate curling. Hours and hours and hours of coverage. Press the red button, and one of the two channels will be curling too. Biathlon is being utterly ignored (ok no chance of medals for the Brits but that's not stopping the BBC from showing other disciplines) and alpine skiing coverage seems to be all about the Americans. I like watching winter olympics but I'm really not enjoying the BBC's coverage. And they don't put up streams on the website so you can catch up with the day's events - you can only catch up with the day's tv coverage - which I can record anyway.

I've enjoyed the Olympics, tho mainly I've been watching the Hockey. Semi finals tomorrow and two mouthwatering ties in prospect. I'm hoping Canada and Sweden make it to the final. I've nothing against the Russian team but, I'm not sorry they're out as it will really piss Putin off! They weren't good enough tho. No passion.

This video from last night highlights why I hate watching Olympics coverage in the US. We all know and we all have our own opinions of politics in Russia. But, personally I do not think this is the time nor place for a SPORTS BROADCASTER to be making political commentary or jabs towards another country. Save that for the nightly news. It is also the exact same propaganda that NBC is accusing the Russians of. This is not isolated either....during the summer Olympics Costas and NBC made MANY political jabs directed towards either China or Iran.

http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/ukrain ... ocid=yahoo

flokie wrote:I don't even want to but the BBC are making me hate curling. Hours and hours and hours of coverage.

Somewhat understandable. The British team did well and the Russian women's team were all very nice to look at.

In the US they show Curling but they often do so in a puzzled, almost joking, manner. As I have learned more and more about the rules and strategy I have grown to really enjoy watching the sport (I do like watching the women more than the men though). It's like chess on ice.

Luminescence wrote:I've enjoyed the Olympics, tho mainly I've been watching the Hockey. Semi finals tomorrow and two mouthwatering ties in prospect. I'm hoping Canada and Sweden make it to the final.

You got your wish!

Man, the Finns gave team USA a serious spanking today. We were out played and out coached!

redcloud wrote:

Luminescence wrote:I've enjoyed the Olympics, tho mainly I've been watching the Hockey. Semi finals tomorrow and two mouthwatering ties in prospect. I'm hoping Canada and Sweden make it to the final.

You got your wish!

Man, the Finns gave team USA a serious spanking today. We were out played and out coached!

I can imagine it's a bitter pill to swallow having to watch your neighbours collect the gold medal! For me, they were the best team, awesome in defence and if they go in front then, they win.

As regards the US, losing the big semi to Canada must have hurt, so trying to pick yourself up for the bronze match against a very handy Finnish team was always going to be hard.

Canada deserved the gold medal. Shutouts the last two games. If the US couldn't win I would rather see Canada win. Hockey is like religion to Canadians. Enjoy!

spzretent wrote:Canada deserved the gold medal. Shutouts the last two games. If the US couldn't win I would rather see Canada win. Hockey is like religion to Canadians. Enjoy!

Yep. They definitely deserved it and proved they were the best team there. I found the women's US team pouting, sulking and crying on the stand with their silver medals poor sportsmanship.

Canada...sweeps in both ice hockey and curling!

In all fairness the US Women's team has spent the last 4 years gearing up for that rematch. The US-Canada rivalry is very intense with the women. They were up 2-0 with 3 1/2 minutes left. Simple as that. They just had an epic collapse. I think they just couldn't hide their emotions.
They were all on the Today show the next morning. Not pouting. Just wishing there was a different outcome.

I get this and I understand the disappointment they must have felt. But, what the world sees in those photos are the "entitled" Americans acting stroppy when they don't get what they feel they "deserve". Their reaction on the podium was similar to the US gymnasts in London.

I am not sure I understand this. How are they supposed to hide their emotions? They just blew a 2-0 lead and lost the gold medal.
Those who think they are ungrateful i'm sure dont understand the emotions that go into this 4 year long journey. If they did they wouldn't feel that way.

Maybe it's me. Maybe it's the shitty coverage from NBC I grew tired of but, it just came across as lacking class. Disappointment, I get it! But, maybe at that time, that place and at that particular moment it would have been classier and more professional to accept the silver and allow the Canadians to enjoy their moment. Perhaps the pouting would have been better confined in the privacy of their locker room?

But, I know...it's easy for me to say.