Give me someone to root for in the Olympics

In My Humble Opinion (IMHO)
#1

I like to root for the underdog, which means as a Merkin I only feel comfortable rooting for my country in things like fencing and taekwondo if at all.

Thanks to power outages from Charley, I missed my favorite part of the olympics … the opening ceremonies and seeing all the little countries that send two or three people. And as I’m not finding the official website very easy to navigate, I’d like to ask for help in finding who I want to follow in these games.

I’m looking for entrants from minor sporting nations (on the level of having won less than a half-dozen medals ever, preference given to exotic African or Asian nations) who nonetheless have decent shot at doing well. The ultimate, of course is a nation that has a chance of winning its first-ever medal.

Any suggestions?

#2

New Zealand please! It wouldn’t be our first medal but we could do with a cheer on. We haven’t won anything yet and we live in hope. Root Kiwi rowers please.
hijack/ “root for” makes me giggle. Here a root is a shag. hijack/

#3

Root for any country that sends 2 or 3 athletes. That’s dedication. Just root for the silver or bronze if the USA is in the medal hunt.

Personally I’m pulling for the Iraqi soccer team. Gotta throw them a bone. And they don’t have to worry about their family members tortured if they don’t win.
Aside: Why is there soccer in the Olympics? Isn’t that what the World Cup is supposed to be?

#4

Oh, and cheer on NZ when you can. Great country though nobody hears about them. They tend to keep to themselves, and have really hot women.

And most important, they tend to be Garage Logicians.

http://www.asciimation.co.nz/beer/

#5

I swear I’m not following you but didn’t you just ask why American football isn’t in the Olympics?

Soccer shouldn’t be there (IMHO) but then neither should basketball, hockey…well any team sports really. But American football vs soccer? It isn’t a hard question.

#6

Ok now you can have American football :smiley: (preview, preview always preview!)

#7

:confused: Who what when where? Noone mentioned pigskins that I can see…

Although while we’re on it, why isn’t rugby an olympic sport? It’s more popular than 3/4 of the ones they have in there.
And, since you guys say so, I guess NZ can qualify as a unknown backwater. I’ll keep an eye out for them. Although I did (really) once get turned down for a date by a Maori girl, so don’t expect too much.

Rooting should be mutual, ya know.

#8

Oooops sorry. The American football thing was from another thread.

I think 7 rugby would be a better Olympic sport then rugby league. Look at the Hong Kong sevens! If that is not popular I don’t know what is.

Mutual rooting is always a good thing.

Other NZers may be arrive shortly to slap me for calling us an underdog but damn it I want us to win a medal.

Root away :wink:

#9

Two small corrections. Rugby 7’s and (AHHHHHHHH) Rugby union not league. I swear my fingers just type what ever they feel like it, no matter what my brain tells them.

#10

Canadians need all the rooting they can get.

#11

Nope, they are STILL making the most of beating the US in that little hockey tournament a few years back. If they never win another thing, they’ll always hold onto that.

Friggin Canadians. :mad:

#12

Hey, I said “unknown backwater,” not “utterly irrelevant pissant parasite failed confederation.”

Besides they have the winter games.

This is the kind of guy I love cheering for.

#13

We all need rooting! Rooting is good for your blood pressure :smiley:

#14

So sorry, furt, didn’t read your post closely enough. Seeing that you’re a lunchbox kinda gal, how about the pole vaulter from the Central African Republic?

#15

FIFA agrees (at least for the present time). That’s why they don’t allow the Olympics to feature players over 23 years of age, except in the last 16 round (which still restricts teams to a maximum of three 23-year olds): FIFA restrictions mean Olympics takes back seat

Note that these restrictions do not apply to the women’s tournament.

#16

Skopo, thanks for the link

#17

Well, I’m sure glad you weren’t trying to root with me, as you’d be in for quite a surprise.

Tell me of this pole vaulter of whom you speak.
And BTW, Mongolia has won a bronze. Love that kinda stuff.

#18

You some kinda she-male, furt?

As for that vaulter, he should be struttin’ his stuff in the next few days. 'less they disqualify him, like last time.

#19

Wooooooo Hoooo if you rooted for us. Thank you we finally got one. I am content :slight_smile:

#20

US runner Hazel Clark. Not exactly an underdog, but not a favorite.

I graduated HS with her. She is one of the nicest people, down to earth and really smart. Her father is Joe Clark, the principal that the movie* Lean on Me* was about.

She won in the qualifying round of one of the events and I nearly cried.