All posts tagged Olympics

I Love Curling

By | February 2, 2011 | Olympics | 11 Comments

I’ve now written 77 posts about the Super Bowl somewhere or another, and I just want them to play now. Right now. In the street, if necessary, like when Tommy Gunn and Rocky did it in Rocky 5, the third best Rocky movie. Fourth best maybe. It’s hard to rate art, but I can do it.

Anyway, I’m tired of talking about it. Short of analyzing the chemical composition of the plastic on their cleats, this game has been dissected in every possible way. That’s why I’m now going to talk about curling.

One thing I like about curling is that there is literally no difference between the men and women playing it. I also think it’s neat how they glide, one leg extended behind, sliding across the ice with what looks like a big, alien teapot.

And then those nuts with the brooms! Sweeping furiously as the thrower of the stone yells inaudible commands before the rock slides to a stop on the button. There’s no doubt about it, curling is fricking awesome.

When I think back to the great moments in curling, I really can’t remember any. But it’s so damn relaxing watching these people slide around and play shuffleboard. You might think I’m mocking this sport. I’m not. I love watching it and I wish it were on more.

I remember it like it was yesterday. Curling up next to the fire, watching two teams compete for the gold, one of them was probably the Canadian team because they excel at ice stuff… then I awoke from a peaceful slumber. On my television was now that sport where they ski and shoot stuff, which in my book is way more interesting than skiing and not shooting stuff. I happen to think all Winter Olympic sports could use the addition of a rifle, but that’s just me.

So there I lay, wrapped in a blanket watching Hans something shoot something, and I remembered I had missed the entire gold medal match. Oh no! Which team won? Which ones were playing? I’m sooo hungry. How long was I asleep? Did I DVR House? Was it even new this week? Then I went back to sleep.

Is a curling player called a “curler?” Is a German male player called “Herr Curler?” So many questions left unanswered from adoring fans who want to know the intricacies of the sport.

There’s really only one thing we can do to get curling in the mainstream where it needs to be, and quite simply, that is to promote it. It’s up to us, the media, to shine the spotlight brightly on this sport and spark the fire of interest that’s already been lit. And obviously, like everything else, I have to do it. I’m so tired of changing the world. It’s like, hello, little help over here? If I had some assistance, not only could we build an America where kids were wearing curling jerseys with the names of the greats like… Smith… and Jones… but one day we could have every Winter Olympian bearing arms. Give me bobsledders wielding AK 47′s and I’ll give you the greatest sport ever conceived by man.

We can do anything we set our minds to. That’s one of the great things about having a mind, you can set it to stuff and it happens sometimes. We make our fate. The world is our oyster, and we are its pearls. I don’t even know what that means or how it applies here, but metaphors inspire people, right? And they like it when the world is compared to mollusks. Or when they’re compared to pearls. I can’t remember, but it’s not important.  Stop being so difficult and just be inspired.

Photo

The Draft Day Suit Team is Grateful — for Sports

By | November 25, 2010 | Football, Hockey, Talking Trash, Why I Love... | 2 Comments

Underneath all of the snark and incisive, hard-hitting sports commentary, we here at Draft Day Suit are a grateful bunch. Sometimes.

So on this Thanksgiving holiday, a few of our writers shared the sports-related things they are most thankful for this year.

Sarah’s gratitude is almost always exclusively reserved for good things happening to and involving the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and her ability to watch them play or wear their team colors.

Sarah and Gidge 2005ish

I don’t know why they haven’t given her season tickets for life and a box seat yet, quite frankly. She’s kind of a big deal on the internet — it could mean good PR for you guys. Listening, Mark Dominik? It would be a very wise move.

“I am thankful that the Bucs are over .500 this year. I am also thankful that my father-in-law  got me box seats when the Bucs come play the Redskins.”

Clay, our relentless Bret Favre watchdog,  kicker analyst and, um, fashion consultant:

“Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I’m thankful the Falcons are 8-2 and for what the Williams sisters are doing to advance women’s tennis fashion. Amen.”

Shannon swore that if Sidney Crosby helped Canada win the Olympic men’s ice hockey gold medal that she’d never talk trash about him again. We all know how that went down.

“I am thankful that the act of selling my soul to win a gold medal was not in vain, ;) ” she Tweeted.

And don’t let her fool you. She is also grateful that I’m her friend so she can soak up the trash talk coming out of my mouth that she can only now think in her head.

Kristin writes fabulous weekly college football wrap-ups for us, and I know for a fact that she is grateful for this sport, particularly as played by Arizona State University. She’s worked for professional football teams, though, so her reason for gratitude today makes a lot of sense.

Lavelle, Julie, Joe & Me

(That’s Kristabella on the right.)

“Sitting on my couch in my PJs on Thanksgiving makes me thankful I don’t work in the NFL anymore.”

As for me? I am always grateful for Maryland’s mens and womens’ basketball — especially a young men’s team that’s reorganizing and looking pretty good for the most part. And although they break my heart on a regular basis? I’m thankful for the Washington Capitals, who, playoff chokes and zero goal ass-kickings against allegedly inferior teams notwithstanding, are an important and fun part of my city and my life. This year I got to learn how to shoot a puck from Caps veteran Peter Bondra, which was outstanding.

Peter Bondra Teaching Laurie How to Score

Sarah took this.

And thanks to Kim, I’ll be in Pittsburgh for the Winter Classic on New Year’s Day. Not too shabby.

Draft Day Suit Body Guards

Sarah, Kim and me at the Yankees-Sox game, Yankee Stadium, August, 2010.

It’s been a good sports year for me, and for all of us here — win or lose. Thanks for reading along with us, and if your team is playing today, may they win, unless of course they’re playing one of mine.

Hey Bettman: Leave the Olympics alone.

By | August 25, 2010 | Hockey, Olympics, Uncategorized, WTF? | 1 Comment

Hey, remember February?

Long time ago. Snow and things.

But the part you might remember is Vancouver’s Olympics. Hockey. Ryan Miller vs. Roberto Luongo. Overtime.  Sidney Crosby dumping it in the net. And an entire nation going completely insane.

Now, I’m not trying to rub that whole Canada-USA thing in. (Although I totally could.)

But here’s a question: Would you have cared as much if the game was being held at 4 a.m. in Russia instead of prime time in Vancouver?

The NHL is pretending you wouldn’t have. The NHL says it’s too disruptive to shut down for two weeks. The NHL says it’s too hard on their players. The NHL doesn’t want to let their players play anymore.

If you read between the lines, what the millionaires running the NHL are really saying is that they don’t feel like there’s anything in it for them. The pinnacle of sportsmanship, sure, whatever. The real point is, they didn’t get paid enough.  Nobody gave them one red cent to shut down for two weeks with four years’ notice. Nobody gave them a cut on the ticket prices or the merchandise prices or the overpriced concessions. Nobody let them control anything. The nerve.

So the NHL’s stance really is, if you want professional hockey players in the Olympics, if you want the guys we own in the Olympics, then we need to run the show – and you have to pay us for it. Never mind what the players want. You need to line *our* pockets first.  But we don’t want to come right out and say that because that would just be rude.

Instead, the NHL has a brilliant idea:  resurrect the World Cup. Which would take their players out of the NHL for weeks, would be played on the other side of the world, would be hard on the players, and – and this is the crucial part – would allow the NHL to call the shots and reap the profits.   Sure, nobody around the world really cares about the World Cup and viewership for a tournament like this would be lukewarm at best without an entire Olympic juggernaut behind it. This does not matter. We all know Gary Bettman and his penchant for expanding in to areas that have lukewarm support for hockey but great big deep city pockets to build arenas and pay franchise fees. (See: Phoenix). He’d love to charge obscure European cities obscene fees to host World Cup events that will then be played in the middle of the night watched by nearly nobody.

People watch the Olympics. People take time off work for the Olympics. People have Olympic-watching parties with couches and wings and beer. People talk about the Olympics and tune in to games surreptitiously at work. The Olympics is where people watch sports they only watch every four years – hockey included. Yet another tournament isn’t going to give the NHL more exposure.  As much as Bettman would like it to be, hockey isn’t football.  People love the Olympics. And you can guarantee that even if the next Luongo-Miller grudge match is being played at 4 a.m. EST on a frosty Siberian plain, we’ll be tuning in. Because for any athlete anywhere, the Olympics is the pinnacle. The best. If you win there, you win it all. Why steal that from both the fans and the players, just for the sake of profit?

Seriously, Bettman. Go charge another $3 for a bottled water, if you’re that hard up for cash. Leave the Olympics alone.

The Last Straw

By | February 28, 2010 | Olympics, Uncategorized | 5 Comments

I recently wrote about my dissatisfaction with NBC’s coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. I really and truly thought that I had gotten it out of my system.

Oh, how wrong I was.

So here I sit on the last morning of the games wondering if we’ll get ANY COVERAGE AT ALL. You see, according to the KNBC website and the listings guide on cable, Olympic coverage came on at 9 am. Really? Because all I’ve seen is Access Hollywood (rerun) and Monk (also a rerun.) The hockey game-GOLD MEDAL GAME AGAINST CANADA is supposed to be on, as well as a few other events that are having their final rounds today.

This is absolutely unacceptable, NBC. You say that your ratings are high? Honestly, it can only be because we have NO other options for viewing. Have you polled anyone lately? And, quite honestly, I think I’m done with you as a network, local and national. This has been the final straw.

Here’s how I think national Olympic coverage should look from you, NBC (and CBS, ABC, and FOX should take notice, should there be a change in networks for the next games. Please?!)

Morning show- Fine. Cute stories about athletes, whatever. Depending on the time zone of the actual games, I get this. (The morning crew has actually done a great job of interviewing the athletes.)

Just after the morning show: LIVE COVERAGE

Noon: 30 minutes of local news.

Afternoon: LIVE COVERAGE

5 or 6 pm: 30 minutes of local news, 30 minutes of national news.

Evening: LIVE COVERAGE

10 pm: 30 minutes of local news

THE END.

Seriously, it’s only two weeks out of every two years. There is nothing that can’t be put on hiatus for those two weeks. With everyone having digital television now, if a network or local affiliate feels the need to air their regular programming they can now create a digital 2.0 channel for those programs and leave the regular channel for people to find the coverage of the Olympics easily. If you really need your dose of pop culture and celebrity news there are plenty of other networks and online outlets for that.

Here on the west coast we have had to wait until 11-12 pm to watch the medal rounds and races. Why is this if we’re watching it taped? If we tape it to watch later, the morning shows ruin the results. Watching is just not the same if you already know the outcome.

As for the actual coverage? It, too, has been horrendous. Someone actually made a chart of the time that was dedicated to each category: advertising, special stories, Bob Costas, medal ceremonies, etc. Costas is getting more coverage than replays and medal ceremonies COMBINED. The Olympics are not about you, Bob, they’re about the athletes, their competition, their competitors, and their medals. Last night he actually said “If you’re in the central or mountain time zone you can figure it out for yourself,” which I found pretty lame. I tweeted “Bob Costas is a douche,” and I received the following reply from Glennia: @HeadlessMom Amen to that. A botoxed, toupee-wearing douche at that. #shutupcostas.

Really Bob? As the announcer it’s your JOB to be able to tell the viewers when their national coverage begins and we only have four time zones. I guess we’d really be in trouble if we had something like 11 like Russia does.

Thank goodness today is the last day. I honestly don’t think I could take much more. Here’s to a new network getting the rights for the next Olympic games. One that will commit to getting it right.

(Cross posted at The Adventures of the Headless Family and Inland Empire Family)

Olympic Parenting: Please Stick the Landing

By | February 28, 2010 | Olympics | 2 Comments

A guest post from Alison at Chatty Cricket.

I love the Olympics. So much.

I really was hell bent on writing about the drama that becomes the stuff of Legends at the Winter Olympics (Italian Ice Dancing Death stares in Torino! Jonny Moseley and his amazing Never Ending Dinner Roll! ALBERTO TOMBA). Like, remember last time when Lindsey Jacobellis decided to show off during her winning snowboard cross and then LOST her gold medal spot and OH MY GOD CHILD, what was WITH the HOT DOGGING?!  But as I’ve been watching the 2010 Winter Olympics lo these last two weeks, I’ve been stuck on exactly how to capture the drama. To do it justice. The legendary bitch face (Barbara Fusar-Poli, I’m looking at you. But now I’m looking away because YOU SCARE ME), the gold medal promise that never was (ahem, Bode Miller. Way to rebound there in Vancouver, dude), The Jamaican Bobsled team (you guys, Jamaican Me CRAZY. In a good way)…..and yet, despite all of this amazing material, the post wouldn’t come.

I think it’s because this year, with my three children and my fourth on the way, I cannot get past the Parent Factor. These Olympics in particular have been tugging at my heartstrings left and right. I find myself completely unable to stop watching these games AS A MOTHER. Perhaps it’s because of Proctor & Gamble and their salutations to all of the mothers (and fathers) out there who sacrificed, and encouraged, and supported on the way to helping their children reach their ultimate goals, or even just on the way to letting their kids have a whole bunch of fun playing the sports they love. At five o’clock in the morning. An hour away from the house. Uphill both ways. Maybe it’s because every time the Olympics are on, no matter what sport, my three year old grabs the nearest pirate sword/ruler/drumstick and ball/lego/magnet and starts a pickup game of hockey complete with an imaginary team of players that he encourages to “Skate faster buddy! you can do it” It could be that these Olympians keep getting younger and younger, while I stay exactly the same and do not age at all.

I’m not sure.

As the skiers wipe out, I think OH MY GOD, it is a good thing you are WEARING YOUR HELMET.

As the skaters twirl around backwards and do their loopty spins, I think, YOUNG LADY we need to get you more coverage if you are going to be skating ass first like that. And then I get teary and clappy when they finish their hard fought routines.

I hop up and down out of my seat cheering for Apolo Anton Ohno who may not be crossing the finish for gold, but is setting an Olympic record for medals won in a sport so volatile that even a skater at his level may not medal at all if it’s not his night. And then I think of his Dad who encouraged him to find a sport he loved, and who as a single parent raised a son so mature and determined and focused and GRACIOUS that it makes me hope that I can somehow raise children as grounded. His father must be so proud.

And then that makes me think about Shaun White who isn’t only a kick ass snowboard trickster, but an innovator. Did you know he built his own mad science lab of a half pipe in a secluded location so that he can get away from everyone and cook up all sorts of insane new tricks? I didn’t know that until the other night. And DAMN, but that’s impressive. He is 24 years old. At 24 years old I was someone’s lowly assistant flattered for the chance to share an idea in a client meeting. Shaun White is working on ways to revolutionize his sport. I’m impressed.

It takes a special parent to recognize a talent and a passion in a child and to help foster that interest into something that can be a life fulfilling experience. We get to see a lot of the best of that on display during the Olympics. It ALSO takes a pretty special parent to be able to help their children recognize their own particular strengths without blowing smoke, so to the parents of these elite athletes, I say kudos.

Also, could like a bunch of you get together and write a step by step guide to raising an incredibly confident and well grounded Olympian? Someone needs to balance the Lynne Spears book movement is what I’m saying.

Alison obsesses over parenting and sometimes what to cook and/or to do with the house at ChattyCricket. She has three kids aged 4 and under and is expecting her fourth in June, so you should cut her some slack because she is very tired and only sort of paying attention to what you are saying, you understand. Frankly, she can barely hear you over the yelling. Actually, can she talk to you when they go down for naps?

Blog Widget by LinkWithin
← Older Entries