# 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:** 38
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2024, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/741 "2024-08-11T18:04:21Z")
Your flaw here is that the Olympics are not held for American TV, but for the whole world, and for many countries the basketball tournament in the Olympics is a major event. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2024, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/742 "2024-08-11T18:04:58Z")
I’m not talking about what events are in the Olympics but what is broadcast on the American channels for consumption here. My first post on the subject literally _started_ with, “In terms of what’s televised in the United States.” ---
**Author:** ![Hawkeyeop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/958977/32.png) [@Hawkeyeop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hawkeyeop)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2024, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/743 "2024-08-11T18:05:17Z")
The inverse of that is there are plenty of places in the world where you not going to be able to watch baseball much outside the Olympics. That isn’t why baseball was removed though. The issue with baseball is that the Olympics are in the middle of season and MLB doesn’t want to take a break to have its best players go participate, particularly its pitchers. So baseball in the Olympics was much more an amateur event then the best of the best. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2024, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/744 "2024-08-11T18:06:59Z")
> [@Hawkeyeop](#): > > So baseball in the Olympics was much more an amateur event That’s some high-quality irony right there. ---
**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:** [August 11, 2024, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/745 "2024-08-11T18:07:07Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Show me stuff that I’m not going to see any given week on the usual channels here. I think it’s obvious that NBC is going to show what they think is going to get the most eyeballs, like basketball as opposed to team handball. I was appreciative of the fact that I could go to Peacock TV and watch almost any sport that I wanted to. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2024, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/746 "2024-08-11T18:08:26Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I’m not talking about what events are in the Olympics but what is broadcast on the American channels for consumption here. > > My first post on the subject literally _started_ with, “In terms of what’s televised in the United States.” Ok, got you, sorry for my misunderstanding. ---
**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:** [August 11, 2024, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/747 "2024-08-11T18:49:17Z")
One of the guys in charge of the 2028 Olympics in LA just said that Track and Field would be held in the first week and swimming in the second. A flip-flop from this year. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2024, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/748 "2024-08-11T18:53:16Z")
The Wikipedia article on the 2028 Games says > In order to facilitate use of SoFi Stadium for both the opening ceremonies and swimming, the scheduling of swimming and athletics events will be reversed in comparison to their traditional Olympic scheduling. Track and field will take place during the first week of the Games instead, after which the stadium will be reconfigured to uncover the pool in preparation for swimming competition during the second week. ---
**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:** [August 11, 2024, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/749 "2024-08-11T19:04:54Z")
Closing beginning with bad sound. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2024, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/750 "2024-08-11T19:09:08Z")
Perhaps the smallest Olympic cauldron in the history of the games. ---
**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:** [August 11, 2024, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/751 "2024-08-11T19:09:53Z")
OK new change: they turn off the large cauldron at the _start_ and Marchand grabs the transport lantern of the flame (\*) to take it away. (\*as it turn out the balloon was not really **the** flame, that remained grounded in the transport lanterns) ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2024, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/752 "2024-08-11T19:11:33Z")
I’m gonna step out on a limb. Break “dancing” had no place in a sporting event. What-so-ever. It was pitiful to watch. The dancers were so limited and restricted they kept repeating which apparently was a fault. They looked like flopping fish outta water. The DJ stuff was lame. The music wasn’t good. This needs to be in a dance competition, which there are many. Many. Plus. There was one female competitor (the announcers called her “she” and “her”) whose name was 671. Now look, nobody’s name is N-U-M-E-R-A-L-S. No Mother named their kid 671. No birth certificate allows that. I imagine DL and Passports disallow it. I can’t believe the IOC allowed it on an application or whatever you have to fill out. That girl just made that shit up. Stupid If you’re on the street, breaking yeah call yourself anything you want. If you’re on stage in entertainment, any way you wanna go is fine with me. You’re on the Olympics, give your real name. Please. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2024, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/753 "2024-08-11T19:12:10Z")
The balloon carried “40 LED spotlights and 200 misting nozzles” so a sort of ersatz flame. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2024, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/754 "2024-08-11T19:13:52Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Plus. There was one female competitor (the announcers called her “she” and “her”) whose name was 671. > Now look, nobody’s name is N-U-M-E-R-A-L-S. > No Mother named their kid 671. No birth certificate allows that. I imagine DL and Passports disallow it. > I can’t believe the IOC allowed it on an application or whatever you have to fill out. > That girl just made that shit up. I didn’t watch the competitions, but I read that (almost) all competitors used stage names. And I don’t find a numeral as the stage name for a break dancer strange, rappers also sometimes have crazy names and it’s the same culture. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2024, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/755 "2024-08-11T19:17:28Z")
Yeah, Rappers don’t need to be in a sporting event either. Some things just don’t fit everywhere. “Stage” names belong, IDK? On the stage, perhaps? ETA…I actually watched the breaking competition. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2024, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/756 "2024-08-11T19:19:29Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > “Stage” names belong, IDK? On the stage, perhaps? Oh, stage names have long been common in other sports, especially in (South American) football (soccer). “Pelé” was not the name in the passport of the greatest footballer ever, for instance. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2024, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/757 "2024-08-11T19:23:48Z")
Ok. Then. Guess it’s good they didn’t ask for my input beforehand. ---
**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:** [August 11, 2024, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/758 "2024-08-11T19:30:24Z")
As there’s no show going on simultaneously with the re-entrance of the athletes, the NBC blabbering team can talk away without really interrupting anything. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2024, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/759 "2024-08-11T19:33:28Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > US indoor volleyball women playing vs Italy to defend their gold medal from Tokyo… and get absolutely dismantled. Looked like a JV team vs varsity, frankly. Italy dismantled everybody this tournament. Only dropped one set (to Dominican Republic) in six matches, none in the knockout rounds. In the quarters, they beat in straight sets a Serbia team that had come within a hair of beating the U.S. during pool play. They’ve had some good results recently in other competitions, so I guess it shouldn’t be considered a surprise. Plus, the US probably overperformed a bit by beating Brazil - the latter may have put up a better fight against Italy in the final. ---
**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:** [August 11, 2024, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/760 "2024-08-11T20:21:17Z")
Ah… some of the characters from the opening are reprising. Let some of the complainers get triggered. …aerial grand piano…because why not [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019.md?page=37) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019.md?page=39)