# 2012 Summer Olympics: What are you watching? \[spoilers likely\] **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 28, 2012, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-summer-olympics-what-are-you-watching-spoilers-likely/629678 "2012-07-28T14:42:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-summer-olympics-what-are-you-watching-spoilers-likely/629678/1 "2012-07-28T14:42:32Z")
We watched the [Opening Ceremony](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=660027) live, then watched the Parade of Nations again after we got back from dinner. Just got up a little bit ago, and NBC is showing Swimming and Cycling. CTV is showing Women’s Soccer (Canada vs. South Africa, 1-0 at the half). Another NBC channel is showing Women’s Soccer (New Zealand vs. Brazil). I’m only mildly interested in these events. I want to see more swimming, Beach Volleyball, and the Track events. The SO is looking forward to Gymnastics. As an occasional shooter, I should be more interested in Biathlon. Only, it’s been studiously ignored by broadcasters for most of my life, and I don’t know who’s who. So what are you watching/planning to watch? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-summer-olympics-what-are-you-watching-spoilers-likely/629678/2 "2012-07-28T15:04:19Z")
The Biathlon is in the Winter Olympics. Track & Field for me (no kidding, right?🙂 ). Cycling, weightlifting, anything that happens to catch my interest at the moment. I do wish there was more coverage outside the Big Few sports. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-summer-olympics-what-are-you-watching-spoilers-likely/629678/3 "2012-07-28T15:16:45Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > The Biathlon is in the Winter Olympics. Now, you see… If U.S. broadcasters were not afraid to show guns… :smack: But I could swear I’ve seen events that combine running and shooting. I guess not in the Summer Olympics. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-summer-olympics-what-are-you-watching-spoilers-likely/629678/4 "2012-07-28T15:19:03Z")
There is a summer version, just not in the Olympics. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-summer-olympics-what-are-you-watching-spoilers-likely/629678/5 "2012-07-28T15:25:04Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > There is a summer version, just not in the Olympics. I must have seen it elsewhere. The Canadian women are up 2-0 in the 85th minute. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-summer-olympics-what-are-you-watching-spoilers-likely/629678/6 "2012-07-28T15:27:12Z")
Woo-hoo! Go Canada! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-summer-olympics-what-are-you-watching-spoilers-likely/629678/7 "2012-07-28T15:30:19Z")
We like watching men’s and women’s gymnastic finals - as well as the men’s swimming. I also like to see some of the track and field races. The rest is fine if I just see short re-caps on the sports news at the end of the night. To think these athletes have been practicing, day and night, for years and years, all leading up to this one moment - it is thrilling to see them win, and truly heartbreaking to seem them fail at this point. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Sensitive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@Darth\_Sensitive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Sensitive)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-summer-olympics-what-are-you-watching-spoilers-likely/629678/8 "2012-07-28T15:31:37Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Now, you see… If U.S. broadcasters were not afraid to show guns… :smack: But I could swear I’ve seen events that combine running and shooting. I guess not in the Summer Olympics. I believe that this year the Modern Pentathlon is combining the shooting with the distance run. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-summer-olympics-what-are-you-watching-spoilers-likely/629678/9 "2012-07-28T15:39:53Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > To think these athletes have been practicing, day and night, for years and years, all leading up to this one moment - it is thrilling to see them win, and truly heartbreaking to seem them fail at this point. It is. I can remember being young, and I can _almost_ remember having knees. To be young and fit and competing in front of the world is an awesome thing. Though many of the ones who don’t medal will be heartbroken, they will always be Olympians. (Speaking of Olympians, we lost one Thursday. 1984 and 1988 U.S. Olympian Pat Porter died in a [plane crash](http://www.examiner.com/article/olympic-runner-pat-porter-and-2-others-die-beechcraft-crash-at-sedona-airport).) ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-summer-olympics-what-are-you-watching-spoilers-likely/629678/10 "2012-07-28T17:09:37Z")
Moved to The Game Room from Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-summer-olympics-what-are-you-watching-spoilers-likely/629678/11 "2012-07-28T17:11:40Z")
Field hockey, water polo, rowing, boxing, team handball, and soccer are at the top of my list. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-summer-olympics-what-are-you-watching-spoilers-likely/629678/12 "2012-07-28T17:13:47Z")
Watching the US take on Italy for the gold medal in team archery. ---
**Author:** ![MilTan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@MilTan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MilTan)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-summer-olympics-what-are-you-watching-spoilers-likely/629678/13 "2012-07-28T17:26:15Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Watching the US take on Italy for the gold medal in team archery. Close, tense match. Italy’s last archer with a clutch 10 barely on the line to win by one point. The first US archer has to be kicking himself – anything in the yellow and they would have won or gone to a shoot-off. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-summer-olympics-what-are-you-watching-spoilers-likely/629678/14 "2012-07-28T17:28:36Z")
And to answer the question, I’ve been watching tennis. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-summer-olympics-what-are-you-watching-spoilers-likely/629678/15 "2012-07-28T17:33:51Z")
Even before the opening ceremony there was an incredible story. Im Dong-Hyun of South Korea sets a world record in archery, even though he is legally blind. That said, I am going to be rooting for Clara Hughes in her attempt to become Canadas most decorated Olympian. And I also hoping that Alexandre Despatie completes the full comeback from cracking his melon on the diving board a few weeks ago, and wins the gold. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-summer-olympics-what-are-you-watching-spoilers-likely/629678/16 "2012-07-28T18:46:56Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Now, you see… If U.S. broadcasters were not afraid to show guns… :smack: But I could swear I’ve seen events that combine running and shooting. I guess not in the Summer Olympics. You might be thinking of [Pentathlon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentathalon), the modern version of which is Shooting, Running, Fencing, Riding & Swimming. The shooting & running events were combined into a Biathlon type thing a few years ago. Clearly, this is sport to follow if you’re a fedora-wearing archeologist. Here’s the TV listing for NBC in the US; you can sort by day or by sport: [http://www.nbcolympics.com/tv-listings/index.html](http://www.nbcolympics.com/tv-listings/index.html) Pentathlon is being shown on the 11th and 12th. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-summer-olympics-what-are-you-watching-spoilers-likely/629678/17 "2012-07-28T19:13:52Z")
I guess all the stories about Phelps screwing off and not training until the last minute are true. He barely qualified for the team. Ryan Lochte just beat him in the 400IM and Phelps got 4th. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-summer-olympics-what-are-you-watching-spoilers-likely/629678/18 "2012-07-28T20:18:17Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > The Biathlon is in the Winter Olympics. > > Track & Field for me (no kidding, right?🙂 ). Cycling, weightlifting, anything that happens to catch my interest at the moment. > > I do wish there was more coverage outside the Big Few sports. There is, outside the main NBC channel. Today I’ve seen fencing and badminton on MSNBC. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-summer-olympics-what-are-you-watching-spoilers-likely/629678/19 "2012-07-28T20:27:43Z")
Womens 10M Air Rifle and Mens 10M Air Pistol is scheduled today. I’ll watch the replay on the NBC live feed. ---
**Author:** ![MilTan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@MilTan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MilTan)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-summer-olympics-what-are-you-watching-spoilers-likely/629678/20 "2012-07-28T21:27:39Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I guess all the stories about Phelps screwing off and not training until the last minute are true. He barely qualified for the team. I’m not sure how you’re defining “barely qualified for the team,” but Phelps is scheduled to race 7 events at the Olympics, and beat Lochte a few times at the US Olympic trials. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-summer-olympics-what-are-you-watching-spoilers-likely/629678.md?page=2)