# Post the stupidest things you hear Olympic announcers say **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 14, 2006, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-the-stupidest-things-you-hear-olympic-announcers-say/344429 "2006-02-14T08:42:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-the-stupidest-things-you-hear-olympic-announcers-say/344429/21 "2006-02-14T19:27:38Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Not sure who it was, but the CBC guy doing the 500m speed skating was driving me bananas. Apparently in this two turn race, the guy with the inside of the last turn had the advantage. In fact, he said “XXX is on the inside, that’s an advantage” EVERY SINGLE RACE! Dude, after the first four races we got the drift! Yeah, my partner and I were ruffled by it too. I wanted to stab ice-picks into my ears every time he said it. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-the-stupidest-things-you-hear-olympic-announcers-say/344429/22 "2006-02-14T19:33:34Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > But the ding-dong(s) calling the snowboarding crawl all over me with their jargon. They may have explained some of the terminology when I wasn’t watching, but I have yet to hear any other sport (and that includes oldies like Rugby, Cricket, and other European favorites that haven’t become big hits in the USA) where the geek talk is so prominent. The BBC’s snowboarding coverage is even weirder, because it’s done in the same sedate tones as the curling. They use all the specialist jargon, but in sensible RP tones. Very strange and incongruous with what’s actually on the screen. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-the-stupidest-things-you-hear-olympic-announcers-say/344429/23 "2006-02-14T19:46:50Z")
> [@gaucho](#): > > The cornball who’s not Bob Costas talking about Michelle Kwan’s “kwicksotic” quest for a gold medal. Sometimes cue cards are not enough. Even though the word comes from Don Quixote, it is actually pronounced “kwiksotik.” ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-the-stupidest-things-you-hear-olympic-announcers-say/344429/24 "2006-02-14T19:52:18Z")
During the pairs skating, there was a long period of silence, broken by a completely random sentence fragment. So it sounded like… . . . . “… and the continuity is…” . . . . . A definite WTF? moment. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-the-stupidest-things-you-hear-olympic-announcers-say/344429/25 "2006-02-14T20:24:59Z")
> [@Neurotik](#): > > Even though the word comes from Don Quixote, it is actually pronounced “kwiksotik.” I’m confused. Both your phonetics “sound” the same to my mind. Are you saying they mispronounced quixotic on the coverage? Kwik - sot - ic is correct. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-the-stupidest-things-you-hear-olympic-announcers-say/344429/26 "2006-02-14T20:27:01Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > But the ding-dong(s) calling the snowboarding crawl all over me with their jargon. I know. I keep waiting to hear calles of “indy nosebone” and “[late 360’ shove it to boneless’d](http://www.homestarrunner.com/tgs5.html)”. ---
**Author:** ![Hodge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Hodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hodge)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-the-stupidest-things-you-hear-olympic-announcers-say/344429/27 "2006-02-14T20:36:59Z")
> [@Dolores Reborn](#): > > I’m confused. Both your phonetics “sound” the same to my mind. Are you saying they mispronounced quixotic on the coverage? > > Kwik - sot - ic is correct. Kwik - sot - ic is, indeed, correct. However, Quixote is pronounced kee-HO-tay. Damned if I know why there’s such a discrepancy. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-the-stupidest-things-you-hear-olympic-announcers-say/344429/28 "2006-02-14T20:40:37Z")
So far, two of the dumbest phrases that I’ve hear are: “I’m Katie Couric…” “…And I’m Matt Lauer…” Why those two airheads need to be over there at the Olympics is beyond me. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-the-stupidest-things-you-hear-olympic-announcers-say/344429/29 "2006-02-14T20:46:56Z")
> [@Dolores Reborn](#): > > I’m confused. Both your phonetics “sound” the same to my mind. Are you saying they mispronounced quixotic on the coverage? Me? No, but I think that’s what **gaucho** was saying. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-the-stupidest-things-you-hear-olympic-announcers-say/344429/30 "2006-02-14T20:55:50Z")
> [@Dumbass luge announcer](#): > > You have to be good to get into the Olympics. Really? I thought they let anyone in. I was thinking of giving the Skeleton a shot in 2010. Bummer. ---
**Author:** ![Trillionaire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@Trillionaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trillionaire)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-the-stupidest-things-you-hear-olympic-announcers-say/344429/31 "2006-02-14T21:30:01Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Really? I thought they let anyone in. I was thinking of giving the Skeleton a shot in 2010. Bummer. just on a tangent, did you see Equatorial Guinea’s Eric Moussambani swimming the 100m freestyle in the Sydney Olympics in 2000? He managed a time of more than double that of most of his rivals - that year, at least, it certainly seemed they let anyone in. ---
**Author:** ![LiveOnAPlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-the-stupidest-things-you-hear-olympic-announcers-say/344429/32 "2006-02-14T22:51:46Z")
> [@Neurotik](#): > > Even though the word comes from Don Quixote, it is actually pronounced “kwiksotik.” Way back when, my Spanish teacher made a point that (as best I can remember) in some period, Quixote would have actually BEEN properly pronounced “kiwiksot.” I can’t remember if he was speaking of classical, or current, proper Spanish. I’ve been corn-fused ever since. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-the-stupidest-things-you-hear-olympic-announcers-say/344429/33 "2006-02-14T23:04:57Z")
I’ve had Olympic coverage on for about five minutes so far today, and I just heard the following during luge coverage: > [@](#): > > The steel is the part of the sled that touches the ice. REALLY??! ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-the-stupidest-things-you-hear-olympic-announcers-say/344429/34 "2006-02-14T23:10:03Z")
> [@Trillionaire](#): > > just on a tangent, did you see Equatorial Guinea’s Eric Moussambani swimming the 100m freestyle in the Sydney Olympics in 2000? He managed a time of more than double that of most of his rivals - that year, at least, it certainly seemed they let anyone in. They don’t let just anyone in, but countries like Equatorial Guinea are allowed to send up one male and one female swimmer and one male and one female runner to the Olympics with much more relaxed standards than places like the US( which get to send several competitors in most events). The rules are complicated, but they do permit people like the swimmer you referenced, or the FOAF I know about. Technically, the FOAF was the son of a friend, and he just coached the athlete. The athlete competed for some African nation, but had lived almost all of his life in the US and was competing in NCAA track events for his college. He’s an American citizen, but nowhere near good enough to make the trials in the US. But his mother is from mystery African nation, so they offered him a position, and he jumped on it. He performed about as well as could be expected, which means he didn’t get a medal but still got the Olympic experience. So in other words, if you want to compete in the Olympics, but aren’t REALLY, REALLY, GOOD-- better have ties to some nation which doesn’t have a lot of athletes of its own. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Lovely\_Margo\_Lane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/34f0e0/32.png) [@The\_Lovely\_Margo\_Lane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Lovely_Margo_Lane)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-the-stupidest-things-you-hear-olympic-announcers-say/344429/35 "2006-02-14T23:25:06Z")
> [@Beware of Doug](#): > > I heard Brian Williams, not normally big on stupid, refer to “Dartmouth University” during the opening exercises. (Dartmouth is a college.) To be fair, Dartmouth is actually a university, they just call themselves ‘Dartmouth College’ for historical reasons. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2006, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-the-stupidest-things-you-hear-olympic-announcers-say/344429/36 "2006-02-14T23:36:25Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > I’ve had Olympic coverage on for about five minutes so far today, and I just heard the following during luge coverage: To be fair, the luge guys refer to those parts as the “steels” rather than something sensible like “blades” or “skates.” ---
**Author:** ![FisherQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@FisherQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FisherQueen)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2006, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-the-stupidest-things-you-hear-olympic-announcers-say/344429/37 "2006-02-15T01:52:48Z")
I was listening to NPR. They were talking with someone (Sylvia Pajoli [don’t know spelling on that name]). She was live from Italy. She was talking about the opening ceremonies. There was an odd noise, Sylvia said, “Oh, shit–” and was gone. Yeah, I heard an NPR person cuss. I laughed so hard I nearly drove into a building. I just needed to share. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2006, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-the-stupidest-things-you-hear-olympic-announcers-say/344429/38 "2006-02-15T02:19:28Z")
> [@Casey1505](#): > > The snowboard announcer on NBC. Talking about some jump a guy will be doing: “And next he’ll try the difficult 1260. That’s four complete turns in the air!” But a 1260 is only 3.5 rotations (or was that your point?) Has anyone ever doen a 1440? ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2006, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-the-stupidest-things-you-hear-olympic-announcers-say/344429/39 "2006-02-15T02:29:27Z")
During the Opening Ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, there was this story about a young boy and the Spirit of the Games or something like that. Anyway, at one point of the story, the young boy is being chased by giant icicles (which looked like metallic Klansmen). I believe it was Katie Couric who made the comment that was used as a SDMB thread title about the ceremonies: “Being chased by giant icicles is never a good thing.” But then again, Opening Ceremonies often have bizarre imagery. How often is Bob Costas going to say “Here come the treemen” in his career? ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2006, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-the-stupidest-things-you-hear-olympic-announcers-say/344429/40 "2006-02-15T02:29:56Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > To be fair, the luge guys refer to those parts as the “steels” rather than something sensible like “blades” or “skates.” It amuses me that some think it is stupid when jargon is used without explination and others think that explanation is stupid :D. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-the-stupidest-things-you-hear-olympic-announcers-say/344429.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-the-stupidest-things-you-hear-olympic-announcers-say/344429.md?page=3)