Athens Olympics 2004

The Olympic Games return to their ancestral home in Athens, Greece. We aren’t there but we’d like to be. Ongoing news and commentary on the gathering of the nations in the celebration of sport:

Athens Olympics 2004: The End
We watched the Athens Olympics every night for over two weeks, and It Was Good. I viewed the Games at a strange remove having been there in person for the previous five, and while TV can give a scope…
Posted in Blogcritics on August 30, 2004 03:40 PM

Sex should be an Olympic sport
The Summer Olympics come to a close on Sunday, and fears of explosions didn’t come true, unless you count our basketball team. Americans failed to yet again win a fencing medal — or care, for that matter. On the plus…
Posted in Blogcritics on August 28, 2004 12:31 AM

“Fahcking Gypsies”
When Europeans are caterwauling about American treatment of its minorities or Australian mistreatment of its indiginous, they conveniently leave out the fact that they commonly LOATHE AND DESPISE gypsies. “Oh, that’s different,” they say, “gypsies really do suck ass.”…
Posted in Blogcritics on August 27, 2004 04:14 PM

Olympics: “Real” U.S. Dominance
By any reasonable measure the American medal count is impressive as hell, leading its closest rival Russia by 23 medals as of Friday morning. The lead at the moment in golds is only 28 to 25 over China, but…
Posted in Blogcritics on August 27, 2004 11:11 AM

U.S Wins Gold in Women’s Soccer Final
This would be Mia Hamm’s last significant competition and what a way to go out.
Posted in Blogcritics on August 26, 2004 04:39 PM

AN OLYMPIC LAP “ROUTINE”?
I’ve avoided posting on the Olympics to this point because I don’t really give a shit, but after watching Monday night’s female floor exercises, I can’t decide who made the better career choice: female gymnasts or strippers. On the one…
Posted in Blogcritics on August 25, 2004 10:10 AM

These Are NOT Sports!
At this rate, it’s only a matter of time before we see the Gold Medal winner in Checkers, Chess, Monopoly, Booger-Flicking, Watermelon Seed-Spitting
Posted in Blogcritics on August 25, 2004 06:40 AM

Olympics: India, WTF?
As I have said before, I dig Indians, what with their charming computer help desk demeanor, sophisticated tradition of philosophy, art and music, kick ass work ethic, and some seriously hot babes (holy almond-eyed mother of Shiva!) – in fact…
Posted in Blogcritics on August 24, 2004 12:17 PM

Pushing the Envelope: More Thoughts On the Olympics
Watching a large block of the Olympics last night yielded a few semi-random thoughts: The men’s and women’s gymnastics apparatus finals: I can understand why these incredibly strong, flexible, tough, determined, fearless, crazed little freaks of nature (in the…
Posted in Blogcritics on August 23, 2004 03:52 PM

When Being Golden Isn’t Enough
In 1984, three men from the UCLA Men’s Gymnastic team were Olympic team members, winning a team gold medal and individual medals–all at their home, Pauley Pavilion. But the men’s gymnastics no longer exists at UCLA. Some blame Title XI. Some blame football’s monopoly on the UCLA men’s sports program.
Posted in Blogcritics on August 22, 2004 04:52 AM

The Solution for Olympic Basketball
I just finished watching the men’s Olympic basketball team stink it up against Lithuania. They lost by four points and honestly, I am not surprised anymore. In the international game you need to play a team passing game and you…
Posted in Blogcritics on August 21, 2004 04:12 PM

Russian Gymnast Tarnishes Gold
Last night, Khorkina’s long, distinguished Olympic career was tarnished by her final act as an athlete: a bitter, whining attack on the new Olympic champion.
Posted in Blogcritics on August 20, 2004 07:30 AM

Hamm: I’m Proud to Be of the Same Species
Because we drag our dead asses out of bed at 6am, it has become our custom to watch the last hour-and-a-half or so of the Olympics from bed, drifting off to dreamland between verbal ejaculations from various intemperate announcers…
Posted in Blogcritics on August 19, 2004 11:17 AM

Let the Power of Sport into your Life
I was in London, England this time four years ago, working for Mayor “Red” Ken Livingstone and coming home each night to watch seemingly endless hours of Britain’s strange Olympic coverage which consisted almost entirely of rowing prelims and Samsung…
Posted in Blogcritics on August 19, 2004 11:01 AM

Shark’s Daily Olympic Update
The Flying Munchkins With Hormone Problems (aka USA Little Girls’ Gymnastics Team) got a Silver Medal
Posted in Blogcritics on August 18, 2004 07:07 AM

The Olympics make you fat.
In Germany, Tagesspiegel newspaper estimated that the 80-million nation will weigh 240 million kgs more after the Games.
Posted in Blogcritics on August 17, 2004 12:01 PM

Shark’s Daily Olympic Rant
Pride and Massive Overhyped Marketing Goeth Before a Fall
Posted in Blogcritics on August 17, 2004 09:21 AM

The Olympic opening ceremony
Someone really needs to muzzle both Katie Couric and Bob Costas. As each country entered the stadium, they gave some commentary. Sometimes, it was both insightful and on topic, like when they would mention some of the medals won in the past. Other times, it was downright embarassing.
Posted in Blogcritics on August 17, 2004 12:57 AM

The Echoingly Empty Seats of The XXVIII Olympiad!
Olympic organizers in Greece make excuses for poor attendence… and quietly begin the distribution of at least 500,000 free tickets.
Posted in Blogcritics on August 16, 2004 11:47 AM

The Olympics as a Sign of the Times
These skills will come in handy when China decides to literally dominate the globe, after which time the Chinese will be able to sit back and go swimming or out for a quick jog any damn place they want.
Posted in Blogcritics on August 16, 2004 10:51 AM

The “Dream Team” Is A Nightmare
Okay, that headline was easy to write…
Posted in Blogcritics on August 16, 2004 02:18 AM

Iraq is no fluke
Winning 2-0 over Costa Rica today, Iraq assured itself a place in the quarters. This team could make some noise….
Posted in Blogcritics on August 15, 2004 09:21 PM

Michael Phelps makes us proud
Michael Phelps begins his quest to break Mark Spitz’ record, and obtain 8 Olympic gold medals. So far, so good.
Posted in Blogcritics on August 14, 2004 11:49 PM

More on Iraq Olympic Football
Iraq is in group D, which contains Morocco, Costa Rica and Portugal. According to the FIFA World Rankings, these teams are ranked 33, 26 and 22 respectively. Iraq is ranked 45 in th world, but they are already in first…
Posted in Blogcritics on August 14, 2004 04:43 PM

Olympic Opening Ceremony
Jeesus, I’d rather have a molten gold, silver, and bronze enema than spend three hours listening to Katie (Satan Incarnate) Couric and “Mr. Insightful for Dummies”, Bob Costas.
Posted in Blogcritics on August 14, 2004 04:00 PM

The Olympic Games: A Better Brand than Coke?
A brand is a shortcut; a symbol that carries an understood message. What is the brand message the Olympic Games convey?
Posted in Blogcritics on August 14, 2004 12:31 AM

Olympic Opening: Joy, a Little Sorrow, Bjork
I am very excited but also sad about the Athens Olympics starting today. I am a total Olympic buff and will follow the Games as closely as I can on TV between work and the rest of my nonsensical…
Posted in Blogcritics on August 13, 2004 02:13 PM

CD REVIEW – Olympics UNITY
I’d say you really have to be half way into the whole Olympics ethos to completely appreciate this album. If I had the money, I’d be there. Any Star Trek fan, hopeful of a better world, also must appreciate those goals, and the strength and the effort it takes to achieve them.
Posted in Blogcritics on August 13, 2004 01:26 PM

Predicting Olympics Using Economics…and Other Silly Things to do with Social Sciences
Sports Illustrated predicts 111 medals for the United States in the upcoming Olympics in Athens. USA Today predicts 119. The Review of Economics and Statistics predicts 93. What is a head-in-the-clouds Economics journal doing predicting Olymic medal share? It turns…
Posted in Blogcritics on August 9, 2004 10:37 AM

USA Dream Team Loses Again
“…Or maybe they’re just a bunch of young, spoiled egotistical assholes,” joked Dallas Mavericks controversial owner Mark Cuban.
Posted in Blogcritics on August 7, 2004 07:20 AM

USA Basketball won’t win gold
Call me a pessimist. Call me a naysayer. Call me stupid for writing about sports in a clearly-nerd dominated community. Oh well, maybe someone will understand my angst. The United States men’s basketball team lost to the Italian national team…
Posted in Blogcritics on August 4, 2004 09:58 PM

Free Olympics Medal Tally for your Blog
With the Olympics just 16 days away everyone is getting ready for 17 days of pure sport (with a few drug scandals, security threats and other controversies thrown in I’m sure). If you’re going to cover the Olympics on your…
Posted in Blogcritics on July 27, 2004 09:37 PM

Athens Olympic Games Blog
With the 2004 Athens Olympics just 43 days away more and more people are searching for relevant Olympic Games Information. Athens Olympic Games Blog is a comprehensive site that is providing Olympic Games News classified by Country and Sport….
Posted in Blogcritics on July 1, 2004 07:24 AM