Tuesday, August 19, 2008

My Random Thoughts About The Olympics

First. . .
My Thoughts About Gymnastics
- (And yes, it is my favorite!)

1. I was SO happy when the USA won both gold and silver in the women's all-around gymnastics competition. We finally took an Olympic gold away from China! It was about time! I thought both Nastia and Shawn did an amazing job!

2. Why did Nastia wear a hot pink leotard for the all-around competition? It would have looked much better if she had worn red like Shawn did or navy blue. I just don't see why the USA should be represented in ANY way by hot pink!
3. Nastia is so graceful, I would say she has more of a dancer's body than a gymnast's. Like if I saw them across a room I could pick Shawn out as a gymnast in half a second, but I would probably think Nastia was a dancer.

4. I felt SO bad for Alicia Sacramone several times, but mostly when she came in fourth place behind the Chinese girl who FELL on her vault landing! And Alicia didn't fall! The guy with the strong accent who always gives his opinion on gymnastics was outraged that Alicia didn't win the bronze medal. Poor girl!

5. I think it's really sad that most of the female Chinese gymnasts are chosen from schools and daycares and taken away from their families at the age of THREE. After that, they only see their families once a year! I could NEVER imagine saying goodbye to Kirsten when she's three and just saying, "See you once a year!" It would be like she wasn't even my child anymore! They are very talented gymnasts, but I don't think it's worth as much of a sacrifice as they have to give.

6. Why don't the men use music on their floor routines? Are they too "manly" for it? The men's figure skaters use music! I just think it's kind of awkward to see them going around the floor and doing all their moves without music to help tie it all together.
7. I am going to be sad when gymnastics is over soon! And I'll be sad when the whole Olympics is over, this Sunday.


My Thoughts About Everything Else-


1. How cool is that Water Cube building?!!! I think it looks SO awesome! I love the name for it too. . . the Water Cube.

2. Michael Phelps is seriously a MACHINE! He wins everything! If he were Chinese, I'd probably think he really WAS a machine, because they most likely have the advanced technology to make a machine look and sound so convincingly real. :)

3. I love to watch the diving! Their bodies just look so beautiful, all synchronized together and in such gorgeous shapes. I can't imagine being a platform diver. I am SCARED to even jump off the platform!
4. I want to go to China!!!

5. This is the first Olympics that I've actually owned a DVR and been able to record all the Olympics and watch it whenever I want. Let me tell you, that DVR has been worth its weight in GOLD! I love fast-forwarding through all the commercials and some of the boring stuff and working it around MY schedule instead of the other way around. DVR, I love you!!!

6. I hope it doesn't sound bad to say this, but I like to watch the falls, mess-ups, and big disappointments as well as all the triumphant moments. I don't wish failure on anyone, but those moments like watching the male gymnast take a hard fall off the rings are just such HUMAN moments. It's nice to know that even athletes who are crazy talented and amazing still make mistakes, have bad days, and sometimes fail. I think it makes all of us normal people feel better about our mistakes and failures too.

What do you all think? Agree with me, disagree? I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts who reads this!

20 comments:

  1. I DEFINITELY AGREE!!!

    I think taking the kids away from thier families {in China} and putting all of the pressure on them is CRAZY! What kind of life is that for a kid!?!?! ...it's sad....

    and yes...PHELPS IS A MACHINE!!! He is awesome & inspiring!!!!

    I love that WATER CUBE, too! What an awesome picture you have on there of it all glowing like that!!! Pretty!!!!

    I like to watch the Bloopers, too! It DOES bring them back down to earth for a minute....

    the Syncronized diving is one of my FAVORITES to watch! Isn't it JUST AMAZING?!?!!? Seriously!!!!

    Guess what? I FINALLY figured out that MOSAIC thing on FLICKR! Gosh....so I will FINALLY be able to post it since you tagged me such a long time ago with it!!!

    Once I figured it out it was FUN! :) I will post that TODAY :)

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  2. I thought the exact same about the pink leotard. I didn't see it that night, I saw some footage later on and I thought "Oh this must be from a previous competiton like state side or something"
    I thought it was dumb for her to be in hot pink.

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  3. Ohh lady, I have a whole buncha thoughts!!
    I should preface this by saying that I am a former gymnast and former NCAA athlete who had Olympic dreams (but, oddly enough, not for gymnastics) and also that Nastia Luikin lives very near me and goes to school at my alma mater. Because she's that awesome.

    Nastia is 5'3" which is way tall for a gymnast, and you're right, she has more of a dancers body becuase she isn't very compact because of her height. Little Shaun Johnson is 4'9". She's much more traditional in her body style, but, in Beijing, the judges actually didn't like her "look" if you will.
    No idea why NL was in hot pink, but, she can't do any wrong by me, so, I'll let it slide.

    Michael Phelps is awesome. I'm so happy for him on so many levels--mainly because he's done, he did it, he proved it and can now go and be a normal 22 year old guy.

    I haven't gotten to watch a lot of the Olympics because I've been at work, but, the few events that I've gotten to see have been spectacular. I even get a little teary. Scratch that, I cried my eyes out the other night. It was wonderful :)

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  4. I was going to do a post on this too... I am SO ticked off!!! 1st of all like you said... Alicia Sacramone was TOTALLY ripped off!!! The freaking girl that got bronze fell on her knees!!!! AND, then last night when Nastia TIED and they gave her the SILVER??? What in the heck??!!! I felt SOOOOO bad for her!!! AND, I TOO hate that they take the little Chinese girls away from their families... do you really believe that they are all old enough to be competing???!!! okay. I am through. sorry.

    I should leave on a good note... I TOO love the water cube! And, yes, Phelps is incredible!!!

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  5. I didn't get the 'hot pink' leotard either. I guess she wanted to stand out?

    I felt the same way when I heard the Chinese girls only get to see their family once a year. How sad! I do admire how disciplined they are - but doesn't it prove that if the Americans are nearly/ if not just as good as the Chinese that the girls CAN live with their family still and still be REALLY amazing?!

    I think Phelps is absolutely a machine as well. I kind of feel bad for the other swimmers - that Phelps has taken over the spot-light. But I suppose that if one of them beats Phelps that that really says something! :)

    I *LOVE* my DVR as well! This is the first Olympic's that we've had a DVR and it really is worth it's weight in GOLD! :)

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  6. I too felt sad for the chinese gymnasts when I heard that they are taken away from their family at age three. They would have had to kill me first before they would have gotten one of my daughters.

    My daughter has a HUGE crush on Michael Phelps.

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  7. I AGREE on everything! ..you stole the words from my thoughts. :) nastia is so graceful, and the pink was a bit much.. however i do understand that it was an individual competition and she does have her right to be herself in that.. but it was a tad extreme.

    and horray for DVR's! we have one that is included in our rent from our landlord. :) i don't know how we'll ever live without one!

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  8. Ditto, ditto, ditto. 'Cept for the CVR. That'd be nice. And I love pink, and that Nastia wore it for the Olympics. I think it shows personality and spunk. :>)

    I couldn't believe that Alicia S. didn't medal. That other chick didn't even LAND!! She just ended up on her knees!! And I don't think she even got up and posed for the judges! Didn't she just walk off and cry?!

    The first time I saw Nastia was doing her first floor routine and I was like, "Holy cow! Look at those LEGS!!" Definately has a long, lean dancer's body.

    I felt bad for anyone racing against Phelps. He blew almost everyone out of the water. Wasn't even a competition. Except the one where he wone by 0.01 second. That still BLOWS MY MIND!! I love that he's so down to earth and more worried about doing his personal best than medals. His body is *incredible.* His face..... not so much. :>) But he's still one heck of a swimmer.

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  9. Hot pink leotard - when they are in individuals, they get to choose - Just like ice skaters wear their own costumes, rather than a team uniform.

    2 favorite moments - relay race where the US came back at the last 100th of a second and stole the win!

    And I was so happy for Park from Korea, who last Olympics at age 14 or 15 FELL into the pool from the starting block, was disqualified and hid in the bathroom with shame - he won a gold medal (and silver) this year and I was so happy for him!

    And one more comment: Badminton as an Olympic sport, Seriously!

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  10. Awesome post on the Olympics. I just wish that I didn't have to stay up SO late to watch them. A rebroadcast would be nice, yes?

    Thanks for checking out my blog!

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  11. I have been using the DVR to record the Olympics too. I love Basketball, Volleyball, and Swimming. That guy with the accent is the one and only Bela Karoyli! But I am way pissed that the Olympics are in China. They brainwash these kids to perform, and then dump them into poverty after they win.

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  12. I totally was ticked off last night when USA and China tied and they gave the tie to China. I think the whole thing is crooked. Plus with the scam on these Chinese girls not really being 16, the minimum age...grr!!! But I agree, it's amazing and I love watching it all! I know, I remember living in the Chinese schools and most of the kids only saw their parents twice a year. That's the case with most Chinese kids there of middle and high class afluency. Nearly all get shipped off to boarding schools.

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  13. hey! i randomly found your blog through my friend alyssa's and just wanted to say that i TOTALLY agree with your olympic's blog! especially the water cube building, i LOVE it! coolest architecture EVER!

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  14. Well, I guess my main comment to make here is that I just love you, your commentary, and the work you put into your blog. It's great. You're great. Love it.

    And yes, the olympic stuff is cool too. I haven't been following it very closely, but I've caught a bit here and there. It still cracks me up that someone named their daughter something that sounds very much like "nastier looking"... but hey. Maybe its just me. And at least she's not. Wasn't it you with the friend named Crystal Chandra Liere? That was pretty good, too...

    Sorry, I'm in a rambling mood. The baby went to sleep @ 7 tonight, then woke up at 11... Great. 5 hour "nap"... No wonder I'm a little off the wall right now...

    :D

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  15. Oh, and the hot pink leotard is as American as Barbie. Duh. ;)
    lol!!!!!

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  16. OMG I know the pink leotard was a lil strange. And when I heard the Chinese only get to see their parents once a year I was outraged. Jon and I looked at each other in horror!

    Oooo and Michael Phelp...mmmm baby he is good!

    And I thought the same thing about the floor routine with the men! LOL!

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  17. dont like the hot pink for the olympics. what about red white and blue???

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  18. Looks like I'm going to be the deviant in your comments here... while I support the athletes and am totally in awe of what their bodies are able to do, I've had mixed feelings about the Olympics this year and haven't watched them so much. It's hard for me to get into the Olympic spirit when the judging in several sports seems skewed toward the Chinese. Add that to the politics of the Chinese state and I just can't get into it this year.

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  19. Yeah, I had the same thoughts about the pink leotard...
    And the fact that the Chinese girl fell and still got a medal? So not cool! I still can't believe that! Alicia was robbed! Robbed, I tell you!
    The Soviets used to do the same thing with their athletes. They would be taken from home at a very young age and they rarely saw their families. They don't have family values. It is all about glory for their country.
    On Michael Phelps...Okay, I'll give you that he is totally awesome and all that but he is a Wolverine and well, this Buckeye fan just can't look past the fact that he is a Wolverine... :-)
    Only during the Olympics to we wish just a little that we have cable and a DVR. It would be nice to be able to watch more than just what they show during prime time on the network. Oh well. We are getting to see enough and we can usually find other stuff online.
    Great post Ashley!

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  20. I like to see them mess up, as long as they don't get hurt. It's human nature. Back in the day, people used to watch gladiators fight to the death. At least now we just want to see the fighting and tumbling, not the hurting and killing.

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