# 2024 Summer Olympics Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** olympic-sports-track\ **Created:** [July 10, 2024, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019 "2024-07-10T20:21:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2024, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/21 "2024-07-21T16:07:05Z")
> [@LurkMeister](#): > > some or all of the Olympics will be available for streaming on Peacock+ after the Olympics are over. Pretty sure you could still watch the replays for a while after they ended last time, at least a month or so. You can also register a free account at [https://olympics.com/](https://olympics.com/) and watch highlights and full replays. ---
**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 21, 2024, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/22 "2024-07-21T17:22:07Z")
> [@LurkMeister](#): > > I heard somewhere, although I may have misunderstood, that some or all of the Olympics will be available for streaming on Peacock+ after the Olympics are over. I do have access to Peacock+ but when I try to do an online search to confirm this all I can find is info on the streaming schedule during the Olympics. Again, does anyone know anything about this? If I know I’ll be able to watch things after I get home, then I won’t worry about trying to record it. It disappears quickly once the Olympics is finished, at least it seemed to last time. But during the Olympics, everything stays up and is watchable later. I wish they’d give us a month or so to watch any key things we missed, but they delete it from their app quickly. ---
**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 24, 2024, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/23 "2024-07-24T17:15:10Z")
Olympics starts today with soccer and archery. I watched part of one match, Spain vs Uzbekistan, but even the USA plays today in soccer at 3PM. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2024, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/24 "2024-07-24T17:33:03Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Say I watch 3 hrs of primetime network coverage of the Olympics. How much of those 3 hrs do you believe shows actual “sport”? More than an hour? > > I’m willing to be somewhat generous, in terms of waiting for judging in gymnastics, and possibly even post interviews with the competitor. But what I dislike (and I acknowledge many others love) are the human interest background stories, commentator pontificating, etc.) It may depend on the sport(s) being covered. Also keep in mind that the Standard Operating Procedure for whatever network is showing the Olympics is: 1. Bid a lot of money for the TV rights; 2. Promise the advertisers incredibly high ratings in exchange for higher commercial rates; 3. Realize that there just aren’t that many people interested in just sports to come anywhere close to the promised ratings; 4. Add a lot of human interest stories to get more women - _ **er, uh** ,_ more people not particularly interested in sports to watch. This happens even outside of the Olympics - whenever ESPN and ABC air the NFL draft, ABC’s coverage concentrates on the players and their families, while ESPN concentrates on what effect the players will have on the teams iin terms of actually playing football. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2024, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/25 "2024-07-24T17:49:23Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > But what I dislike (and I acknowledge many others love) are the human interest background stories, commentator pontificating, etc.) I am in your camp here. The excessive and sappy human interest stories clog up the broadcast and are a distraction. I don’t mind “some” of it, but it seems it’s at least half the effing broadcast. And don’t get me started on the tight close-ups of athlete’s faces, and only focusing on events where Americans are favored to win a gold medal (as opposed to those events where an American may win any medal), as well as the keeping score with the medal counts. Yeah. Get off my lawn! ---
**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 25, 2024, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/26 "2024-07-25T00:28:04Z")
USA got blown out in soccer. It was pretty bad. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2024, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/27 "2024-07-25T05:28:37Z")
I doubt it. Unlike basketball, the Summer Olympics are played in the heart of the MLB season just as the pennant races are heating up. MLB will not shut down for 2 or 3 weeks so their best players can play for their respective national teams in the Olympics and risk getting hurt. ---
**Author:** ![FrenchDunadan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frenchdunadan/32/5449_2.png) [@FrenchDunadan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrenchDunadan)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2024, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/28 "2024-07-25T12:52:31Z")
et 1! et 2! et 3-0 ! 😀 🇨🇵 ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2024, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/29 "2024-07-25T13:43:15Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > USA Men’s Basketball has a great team and were 40 point favorites over South Sudan today in a warmup. > > They won 101-100 Not quite as bad as getting wedgied 92-73 by Team PUR(\*) in actual tournament play in Athens 2004, but occasionally one needs reminding that even in “friendlys” you want to look like you’re taking it seriously. (\* Who, BTW, are themselves also back in the tournament after 20 years) ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2024, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/30 "2024-07-25T14:31:35Z")
I watched the first team handball match of the Olympics, in women’s pool play, Denmark vs. Slovenia. Both Slovenia’s men’s and women’s handball teams are making their Olympic debuts this year. Slovenia hung in there in the first half, but ultimately all the 2-minute penalties killed them and they lost by like 6 or 8. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2024, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/31 "2024-07-25T15:00:11Z")
> [@ekedolphin](#): > > handball That sport is an interesting game to watch. Well, every four years, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![borschevsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2024, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/32 "2024-07-25T19:03:32Z")
The soccer also starts prior to the opening ceremonies, and we’ve already had fireworks thrown at players, a ninety-minute VAR decision, and a Canadian staffer arrested for flying a drone to record the New Zealand training session. Who knows what else is to come? 😄 ---
**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 25, 2024, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/33 "2024-07-25T19:05:49Z")
USA women playing soccer now as well, versus Zambia. Easier to tell who is who in this game since France and USA had identical, but inverted colors. ---
**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 25, 2024, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/34 "2024-07-25T19:31:41Z")
Ooh, Zamiba looks atrocious in the women’s soccer. USA up 3-0 in 25 minutes and USA had about 2 other shots that went off crossbar or were very close. Could be 5-0 here and Zambia has had almost no shots on goal. ---
**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 25, 2024, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/35 "2024-07-25T19:57:44Z")
I like to look up North Korea for Olympics and I think the past couple, they sat out. They have some going to France, but zero weight-lifters. I’m surprised. I thought N. Korea usually was good in weight-lifting. ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/36 "2024-07-26T01:37:40Z")
> [@borschevsky](#): > > a Canadian staffer arrested for flying a drone to record the New Zealand training session In addition to being unethical and disgusting, it’s also incredibly stupid. And according to one source, our men’s and women’s teams have been doing this for some time. > **[Canada's men's and women's soccer teams have relied on drones and spying for...](https://www.tsn.ca/soccer/canada-s-men-s-and-women-s-soccer-teams-have-relied-on-drones-and-spying-for-years-sources-say-1.2153674)** > > Coaching staff and contractors working with Canada’s men’s and women’s national soccer teams have been engaged for years in efforts to film the closed-door training sessions of their opponents, including during the women’s gold-medal winning Olympic... Though I am generally not a fan of collective punishment, part of me thinks that our women’s team should have been sent home immediately. How much of an asterisk needs to be beside our win over NZ? How credible is that win? ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/37 "2024-07-26T05:37:14Z")
> [@borschevsky](#): > > …a ninety-minute VAR decision,… Was that the Argentina-Morocco game? I got the impression that most of the time was taken to clear the stadium, not really for the video review. I did see the video review once, but then it wasn’t decided the way I expected. I thought a player was offside if they were fully beyond the last defender (except for the keeper); any overlap between the two and the attacker is onside. Is that totally wrong? The freeze-frame I saw from this game showed the Argentinian only a forearm ahead of the Moroccan defender. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/38 "2024-07-26T06:44:55Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Water sports where they do the synchronized stuff. This is as much a sport as gymnastics. Yes there is an artistic component but I challenge you to get your upper body down to the hips out of the water without leverage except the water. Then do that upside down using just your hands to keep your legs completely out of the water while holding your breath for over a minute.Not to mention being able to get enough traction to throw a teammate completely out of the water. Remember that they can’t touch the bottom of the pool. It is all done with strength and coordination. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/hSEy7ee0MiQ/maxresdefault.jpg "Difficult routine vaults Team USA to a bronze in team technical event at World Championships") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSEy7ee0MiQ) Meanwhile, I will reserve judgement on the breakdancing until I see how it is scored. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/39 "2024-07-26T12:01:15Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I thought a player was offside if they were fully beyond the last defender Nope, if any part of the player’s body, except for the hands and arms, is beyond the last defender, it’s offside. In this case, the foot of the Argentinian player was offside. From the [FA rules](https://www.thefa.com/football-rules-governance/lawsandrules/laws/football-11-11/law-11---offside): > A player is in an offside position if: > > - any part of the head, body or feet is in the opponents’ half (excluding the halfway line) and > - any part of the head, body or feet is nearer to the opponents’ goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/40 "2024-07-26T12:07:26Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > Nope, if any part of the player’s body, except for the hands and arms,… Okay, that makes sense. I didn’t realize the rules made a distinction between different body parts. Thank you. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019.md?page=3)