Official 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games thread!

[JanaDee]

They look fine in the photos, and the brass for the Canadian Olympic team seem fine with them, you gotta remember, most of these athletes come from very modest means, so this is probably what they expected to be living in.


Some athlete White is.... he withdrew because the course was too hard??


I like what the Canadians had to say about him!

"Nineteen-year-old Max Parrot of Montreal, a 2014 X Games slopestyle champion, wrote on Twitter: “Shaun knows he won’t be able to win the slopes, that’s why he pulled out. He’s scared!” His 21-year-old Canadian teammate Sebastien Toutant, who won X Games slopestyle gold in 2011 and 2013, wrote: “Mr. White… It’s easy to find excuses to pull out of a contest when you think you can’t win…”"

I'm sure they'll get the course fixed up to make it more suitable for safe competition

That's an awesome display of sportsmanship right there.

Yay Canada. Y'all must be so proud of your athletes.

 

[Bay Hill]

Nordic Skier Todd Lodwick will carry the flag for Team USA in Sochi Opening Ceremony...http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/olympics-fourth-place-medal/todd-lodwick-will-carry-the-flag-for-team-usa-in-sochi-opening-ceremony-165809880.html

 

[JanaDee]

Shaun White withdrew because he felt the course was unsafe, and the injuries the last couple days show it is.

 

[jrmasm]

They look fine in the photos, and the brass for the Canadian Olympic team seem fine with them, you gotta remember, most of these athletes come from very modest means, so this is probably what they expected to be living in. Some athlete White is.... he withdrew because the course was too hard?? I like what the Canadians had to say about him! "Nineteen-year-old Max Parrot of Montreal, a 2014 X Games slopestyle champion, wrote on Twitter: “Shaun knows he won’t be able to win the slopes, that’s why he pulled out. He’s scared!” His 21-year-old Canadian teammate Sebastien Toutant, who won X Games slopestyle gold in 2011 and 2013, wrote: “Mr. White… It’s easy to find excuses to pull out of a contest when you think you can’t win…”" I'm sure they'll get the course fixed up to make it more suitable for safe competition

I bet Max Parrot's mom is really proud.

 

[declansdad]

What a display of poor sportsmanship by young Mr. Parrot. Smack talk totally opposite of what the Olympic Games are about.

That's an awesome display of sportsmanship right there.

Yay Canada. Y'all must be so proud of your athletes.

I love it when another country talks smack and it's called poor sportsmanship.

 

[Jennasis]

I love it when another country talks smack it's called poor sportsmanship.

In this instance it absolutely is. If you would care to share a recent instance of smack talking-poor sportsmanship from an American athlete I love to have a chance to point out their poor sportsmanship as well.

Certainly Mr. Parrot is FAR from representative of the wonderful Canadians I know, and fondly remember from Vancouver.

 

[jrmasm]

I love it when another country talks smack it's called poor sportsmanship.

I don't care what country the snotty little punk is from. His tweet spoke volumes about his lack of character.

 

[SkaGoat]

Smack talk is part of the sport, you should hear what hockey players say to each other while on the ice, there is nothing that's off limits.

The only thing that allows them to talk crap, and between the two of them they have 3 x-games championships from the last 4 years. They don't seem to think it's a problem, isn't danger part of the sport? One of them is just coming off broken ribs, not sure an ouchy on their wrist would stop them like it did White.

 

[declansdad]

In this instance it absolutely is. If you would care to share a recent instance of smack talking-poor sportsmanship from an American athlete I love to have a chance to point out their poor sportsmanship as well.

Certainly Mr. Parrot is FAR from representative of the wonderful Canadians I know, and fondly remember from Vancouver.

I don't care what country the snotty little punk is from. His tweet spoke volumes about his lack of character.

These are X-Games athletes, they are all about being cocky and talking smack.

 

[Jennasis]

This are X-Games athletes, they are all about being cocky and talking smack.

And THIS is the Olympics, not the X-Games.

 

[declansdad]

And THIS is the Olympics, not the X-Games.

There is no difference. Why do you think these sports are in the Olympics? You don't think most of these athletes have there own ways of talking smack to the competitors?

 

[Jennasis]

Smack talk is part of the sport, you should hear what hockey players say to each other while on the ice, there is nothing that's off limits.

The only thing that allows them to talk crap, and between the two of them they have 3 x-games championships from the last 4 years. They don't seem to think it's a problem, isn't danger part of the sport? One of them is just coming off broken ribs, not sure an ouchy on their wrist would stop them like it did White.

Another athlete fractured his collarbone on the course during practice. If anyone feels the conditions are unsafe or may impede their other goals (such as handing everyone's butt to them in halfpipe ) then they should bow out GRACEFULLY...as Shaun White did.

 

[jrmasm]

This are X-Games athletes, they are all about being cocky and talking smack.

Oh, my mistake. That makes it ok.

 

[Jennasis]

There is no difference. Why do you think these sports are in the Olympics? You don't think most of these athletes have there own ways of talking smack to the competitors?

How absolutely sad that you make no distinction between the X-Games and the Olympics. Evs....you are entitled to that opinion.

I'm sure athletes talk smack amongst themselves...but PUBLICLY? It's completely without class, disrespectful and a show of poor sportsmanship IN MY OPINION.

YMMV.

 

[jrmasm]

There is no difference. Why do you think these sports are in the Olympics? You don't think most of these athletes have there own ways of talking smack to the competitors?

Of course there is a difference. X games are about individuals. At the Olympics they are on a team, representing their country.

 

[declansdad]

Oh, my mistake. That makes it ok.

Of course there is a difference. X games are about individuals. At the Olympics they are on a team, representing their country.

How absolutely sad that you make no distinction between the X-Games and the Olympics. Evs....you are entitled to that opinion.

I'm sure athletes talk smack amongst themselves...but PUBLICLY? It's completely without class, disrespectful and a show of poor sportsmanship IN MY OPINION.

YMMV.

These sports are in the Olympics because of the popularity of the X-Games, the viewership and money they bring to the table. Just because they are representing their country doesn't make them any different.

Jennasis, I know what your opinion is, putting it in caps doesn't make it any stronger.

 

[JanaDee]

Another athlete fractured his collarbone on the course during practice. If anyone feels the conditions are unsafe or may impede their other goals (such as handing everyone's butt to them in halfpipe ) then they should bow out GRACEFULLY...as Shaun White did.

There was also another athlete that was hauled off the course today on a stretcher with a head injury, I think.

 

[SkaGoat]

There was also another athlete that was hauled off the course today on a stretcher with a head injury, I think.

These are extreme sports, people are going to get hurt.... should all the downhill skiers quit because someone falls down and breaks their leg?

 

[Jennasis]

These are extreme sports, people are going to get hurt.... should all the downhill skiers quit because someone falls down and breaks their leg?

Not if it's a one-off injury. But when several people have injured themselves due to the design of the course itself an intelligent person would take a moment to evaluate whether it's worth risking themselves when they have other goals to consider. It clearly wasn't worth risking his attempt at a record third gold medal in halfpipe, for Shaun White.

I hope nobody else is injured on the slopes (or anywhere else) and that the event is an exciting addition to the games.

And I still think Parrot is a poor sport.

 

[Jennasis]

On a lighter (and much more bizarre) note:

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2014/02/05/chobani-yogurt-blocked-from-winter-olympics-by-russians/