# Random Olympic pittings **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 27, 2021, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-olympic-pittings/947428 "2021-07-27T14:47:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-olympic-pittings/947428/161 "2021-07-30T01:35:32Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > You think it’s really because they care so much what could happen to the medal twenty years later? I think the main reason was cost, but the last set of solid gold medals were back in 1912, and they had been getting smaller since they were introduced in 1904. But the excess cost of the medals would also make them targets for theft, sale, and melting. I suspect they wanted the most important part of medals to be what they represent, not their resale value. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-olympic-pittings/947428/162 "2021-07-30T01:55:02Z")
How long before great athletes are awarded the Coca Cola Gold Medal Taste Award Brought To You By Your Neighbourhood Chevrolet Dealer? ---
**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 30, 2021, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-olympic-pittings/947428/163 "2021-07-30T02:09:57Z")
I believe that will happen in the Year of the Depend Adult Undergarment. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-olympic-pittings/947428/164 "2021-07-30T02:54:55Z")
And on and on @Oredigger77 and @AK84 blather, showing off their ignorance, stupidity, and utter lack of empathy. Simone Biles won nationals when she had toes broken in _both_ of her feet. She won worlds with a _kidney stone_. She survived _years_ of sexual abuse and two weeks ago learned that the United States Gymnastic Association, which is supposed to _protect_ the athletes, was instead still doing all it could to cover up any culpability it might have in keeping Nassar on even though they’d been told he was a rapist. Do you malevolent little pissants think you could have competed in so much as a friendly game of frisbee with broken toes in both feet at the same time? How about while having a kidney stone? Do you think you could have competed at a level good enough to beat the best in the country or in the world? She did. Don’t talk to me about tough, you ineffective farts. You have no concept of just how tough and determined and strong-minded this woman is. She’s competing at the highest levels in the world in a sport were the slightest error could result in permanent, crippling injury or even death. You have to be _all there_ to not kill yourself. Anyone else performing the vault that caused her to pull out would have destroyed a knee, at the very least, and it’s a testament to her incredible talent, skill, training, and yes, tough mindedness that she landed it well enough to walk away from. And she was tough minded enough to realize both that she wasn’t safe to compete and that she could cost her teammates any chance of earning a medal if she _did_ compete. In short, your ignorance of what it takes to be a gymnast at the level she performs at is vast enough to drop several major planets in, and your empathy is as miniscule as a frog’s egg. Shut up and fuck off, both of you. You’re absolutely miserable excuses for human beings. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-olympic-pittings/947428/165 "2021-07-30T02:56:19Z")
Have we discussed the ‘ROC’ thing? So stupid. ---
**Author:** ![TheGunIsMightierThanThePen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thegunismightierthanthepen/32/2981_2.png) [@TheGunIsMightierThanThePen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheGunIsMightierThanThePen)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-olympic-pittings/947428/166 "2021-07-30T03:34:55Z")
Don’t give the IOC any ideas. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-olympic-pittings/947428/167 "2021-07-30T03:41:54Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > Do you malevolent little pissants think you could have competed in so much as a friendly game of frisbee with broken toes in both feet at the same time? How about while having a kidney stone? Do you think you could have competed at a level good enough to beat the best in the country or in the world? She did. Don’t talk to me about tough, you ineffective farts. You have no concept of just how tough and determined and strong-minded this woman is. Go fuck yourself. I played multiple college football games with shoulders that were permanently dislocated. We won our conference and were ranked in the top 10 in the country. I’ve played through concussions and broken bones too. Guess what everyone is hurt that’s just life in sports. She is only strong minded enough to know when to quit. Which is a wonderful thing for her mental health. If you were capable of reading which you’re obviously not. My argument isn’t that she’s a bad person or a terrible role model of whatever stupid racist crap douchebags like @madmonk28 think, only that she is going to have to explain her lack of performance if she wants to have a post Olympic career like Phelps or she’s going to have to make a run at another Olympics. There is a huge stigma in the US against people with mental health problems and since they are not visible many people write them off as not real. If she had broken her leg the story would be totally different but since this is a mental failure she will be castigated unless she can explain it in a way that makes sense to people who want to buy a Wheaties box with her picture on it. If she just wants to run a gymnastics gym back home she doesn’t owe anyone anything but that won’t work if she wants to stay in the spotlight. It’s like my dad used to tell me one aww shit wipes out a thousand ataboys. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-olympic-pittings/947428/168 "2021-07-30T04:06:58Z")
> [@Oredigger77](#): > > only that **she is going to have to explain her lack of performance** if she wants to have a post Olympic career …she already has. What part of her explanation don’t you understand? And when did you become an expert on the post-Olympic careers of Olympic gymnasts? ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-olympic-pittings/947428/169 "2021-07-30T04:20:34Z")
Simone does not need to worry about a post Olympic career; I’m sure she gets tons of offers to coach. She can probably make a good career as a commentator. Maybe she doesn’t want a career; maybe her ultimate goal is crazy cat lady with a vegetable garden or living in a mansion with a maid and catching up on all seasons of _Cake Boss_ and _Big Brother_. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-olympic-pittings/947428/170 "2021-07-30T04:53:23Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > …she already has. > > What part of her explanation don’t you understand? You took my words before I had a chance to say them. Yeah, she’s being pretty open about this which is a huge reason why she’s getting so much respect for it. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-olympic-pittings/947428/171 "2021-07-30T09:47:22Z")
It is just amazing to me that Michael Phelps is used as the “standard” to which Simone must live up to if she wants to be a on a Wheaties box. I found this on Wiki: "At age 19 in November 2004, Phelps was arrested for [driving under the influence of alcohol](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driving_under_the_influence_of_alcohol) in [Salisbury, Maryland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salisbury,_Maryland).[[280]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Phelps#cite_note-280) He pleaded guilty to [driving while impaired](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driving_while_impaired) and was sentenced to serve 18 months of [probation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probation), fined $250, ordered to speak to high school students about drinking and driving, and to attend a [Mothers Against Drunk Driving](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mothers_Against_Drunk_Driving) (MADD) meeting.[[281]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Phelps#cite_note-281) When Phelps was later asked about the incident by [Matt Lauer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Lauer) on the [_Today Show_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Today_(NBC_program)), he said that he had “let a lot of people in the country down”.[[18]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Phelps#cite_note-voyage-18) In February 2009, a photograph of Phelps using a [bong](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bong) went viral; this resulted in the loss of the [Kellogg Company](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kellogg_Company) as a sponsor, as well as a three-month suspension by [USA Swimming](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_Swimming). Phelps admitted that the photo, which was taken at a party at the [University of South Carolina](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_South_Carolina), was authentic. He publicly apologized, saying his behavior was “inappropriate”.[[282]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Phelps#cite_note-282) In September 2014, Phelps was arrested again, this time on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and speeding in [Baltimore](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltimore).[[283]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Phelps#cite_note-283) As a result, USA Swimming suspended him from all competitions for six months, and stated he would not be chosen to represent the United States at the [2015 World Aquatics Championships](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_World_Aquatics_Championships) in August.[[284]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Phelps#cite_note-284) With Phelps off the team, the United States failed to qualify for the finals of the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay." And ironically, other than the olympics, the only time I see Phelps is when I see his commercials about getting mental health help when you need it. I think Simone is going to be just fine. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-olympic-pittings/947428/172 "2021-07-30T10:26:26Z")
How did I miss this thread? As I’ve alluded elsewhere, the BBC (UK) coverage is an abomination; unwatchable. I’m only being slightly hyperbolic, certainly I’ve given up watching it myself. **30%** people in a studio talking about how the athletes are _feeling_. No actual analysis of the sports. **30%** interviews with athletes or prerecorded interviews with their families **30%** coverage of the boring as old arse events that Britain has a chance of a medal in e.g. rowing, cycling. Bear this in mind those of you fed up of US-centric coverage. **10%** everything else. And even here, we usually don’t get to see all the main performances, just a select couple that are deemed noteworthy for whatever reason. BBC News will even say “Britain got a silver in yadda-yadda” without even mentioning who got gold. At least show it on the screen FFS. I know the BBC themselves will say that it’s because they lost the full TV rights to Discovery+, but the deal is actually regarding how many events the BBC could broadcast live at the same time. It’s not an excuse for the terrible editing choices, unnecessary filler and dumbing down. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-olympic-pittings/947428/173 "2021-07-30T13:34:32Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > only 85% of the US team was said to be vaccinated which may further limit social mingling This may be a bigger bummer than most people realize. I remember reading that, for all but the top medal contenders, the Olympics are like a big international orgy. Maybe that’s an exaggeration but I’m sure there’s usually plenty of potential for hookups with fit, attractive people from all over the world. > [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I believe that will happen in the Year of the Depend Adult Undergarment. Man I miss DFW. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-olympic-pittings/947428/174 "2021-07-30T13:45:31Z")
> [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > I think Simone is going to be just fine. It’s hard to say, she’s not a white guy. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-olympic-pittings/947428/175 "2021-07-30T13:59:07Z")
First, cheers to Simone Biles for doing what she thought was necessary. She doesn’t owe the rest of us one fucking thing. I share the common complaints about the tv coverage - too much yapping, too many features, too personality driven, too US centric, etc - and I’ll add that it’s not easy getting a definitive schedule of events so I can watch the events I like. I’m probably just ignorant and the info is out there but I just want to easily know when the fucking track events are on. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-olympic-pittings/947428/176 "2021-07-30T14:23:30Z")
> [@Red\_Wiggler](#): > > I share the common complaints about the tv coverage - too much yapping, too many features, too personality driven, too US centric, etc - and I’ll add that it’s not easy getting a definitive schedule of events so I can watch the events I like. I’m probably just ignorant and the info is out there but I just want to easily know when the fucking track events are on. Same with me. The prime time NBC coverage is abysmal…so much fucking gymnastics. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-olympic-pittings/947428/177 "2021-07-30T15:11:07Z")
One doesn’t have to dislike gymnastics - I admire the athleticism - to not want to sit through two hours of it because you’re hoping to get to some 200 meter heats on the track. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-olympic-pittings/947428/178 "2021-07-30T15:13:31Z")
I believe gymnastics, track & field, and swimming are the most popular Olympic sports, so the network is going to lead with them. ---
**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 30, 2021, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-olympic-pittings/947428/179 "2021-07-30T16:06:23Z")
Track and Field just started yesterday, so you can’t have missed much of it. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2021, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-olympic-pittings/947428/180 "2021-07-30T19:10:01Z")
Michael Che really shit the bed. He made some bad jokes about Simone and got raked over the coals, so then he claimed he was hacked before deleting his instagram account. What on earth was he thinking? > **[Michael Che Wipes Instagram Account After Backlash to Simone Biles Jokes](https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/michael-che-simone-biles-instagram-1235031377/)** > > UPDATE: Michael Che returned to Instagram Friday after receiving backlash for posting jokes about Olympic gymnast Simone Biles on Thursday. The “Saturday Night Live” head writer and com… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-olympic-pittings/947428.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/random-olympic-pittings/947428.md?page=10)