# Why should I care about the Olympics **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 17, 2012, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-care-about-the-olympics/628560 "2012-07-17T21:25:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2012, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-care-about-the-olympics/628560/21 "2012-07-17T23:56:29Z")
> [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](#): > > I do, but only in the winter, when they have curling. I also only watch curling. I like how they yell at the stone. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-care-about-the-olympics/628560/22 "2012-07-18T00:04:03Z")
A DVR gets you past all the human interest bits, I’m presuming NBC will be showing the major events on tape delay so its not as if you are missing the “live-ness” of seeing who wins between Lochte and Phelps or Bolt and Blake if you watch it that way. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-care-about-the-olympics/628560/23 "2012-07-18T00:41:28Z")
I hereby give you permission not to care about the Olympics. And while I’m at it, permission not to care about sports in general. Sound good? ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-care-about-the-olympics/628560/24 "2012-07-18T00:56:06Z")
I maintain that splitting the summer and winter Olympics and holding one or the other every two years was a huge mistake. Back when, the Olympics were a rare and significant Event. Now it is just a thing that happens all too often. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-care-about-the-olympics/628560/25 "2012-07-18T01:03:03Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > I also only watch curling. I like how they yell at the stone. I love curling. It was the only part of the last winter Olympics that I watched. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-care-about-the-olympics/628560/26 "2012-07-18T01:03:53Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > :rolleyes: I don’t like sports, why are sports shown on TV, waaaahhh… Seriously. Threads like this hit the line between trolling and masturbation. It’s either: “Let’s see if I can piss off the jocks over at the SDMB.” or “Look at me! I’m so fucking cool! I don’t even like sports! I’m so _not_ mainstream! Isn’t that interesting?!?!” ---
**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 18, 2012, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-care-about-the-olympics/628560/27 "2012-07-18T01:47:56Z")
I don’t watch every event, but I do enjoy a lot of the Olympics. These people train all their lives and they can do amazing things. I’ll record a lot of them so I can skip the commercials. ---
**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 18, 2012, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-care-about-the-olympics/628560/28 "2012-07-18T02:29:40Z")
Besides the fact that I often have friends competing or coaching at the Games, I really enjoy seeing people compete for the thrill of competing. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-care-about-the-olympics/628560/29 "2012-07-18T04:49:19Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > Seriously. Threads like this hit the line between trolling and masturbation. It’s either: > > “Let’s see if I can piss off the jocks over at the SDMB.” > or > “Look at me! I’m so fucking cool! I don’t even like sports! I’m so _not_ mainstream! Isn’t that interesting?!?!” If you have a problem with another poster, use the Pit. Don’t accuse anyone of trolling in this forum again. ---
**Author:** ![polar\_bear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@polar\_bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/polar_bear)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-care-about-the-olympics/628560/30 "2012-07-18T10:37:43Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > That wasn’t at the Olympics. That was from the 1970 Ski Flying (120 meter jumping) Championships, an event that isn’t in the Olympics. They only do 70 and 90 meter hills. Ehh no, the two hills covered are 90 and 120 (or sometimes 130) meters; skiflying is 200 or more meters and is indeed not part of the olympics. Would expect someone with your username to know that;). ---
**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 18, 2012, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-care-about-the-olympics/628560/31 "2012-07-18T12:01:59Z")
> [@polar\_bear](#): > > Ehh no, the two hills covered are 90 and 120 (or sometimes 130) meters; skiflying is 200 or more meters and is indeed not part of the olympics. Would expect someone with your username to know that;). It’s more complicated than that. It depends on you refer to the length from the nominal designation or the K point. From [Ski jumping at the Winter Olympics - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ski_jumping_at_the_Winter_Olympics) > [@](#): > > In 1964, a second ski jump, the normal hill at 70 meters (K90) was added along with the 80 meters (K120) large hill. The length of the large hill run in 1968 increased from 80 meters to 90 meters (K120). The team large hill event was added in 1988. By 1992, the ski jumping competitions were referred by their K-point distances rather than their run length prior to launching from the ski jump (90 meters for the normal hill and 120 meters for the large hill, respectively) and have been that way ever since. For the 2006 Winter Olympics, the normal hill was designated as HS106 (K95) while the large hill was designated as HS140 (K125). My friends on the US Ski jumping team stopped competing by 1990 so I haven’t been following as closely since then. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-care-about-the-olympics/628560/32 "2012-07-18T12:19:49Z")
> [@tellthetruth](#): > > Why should I care about the Olympics Beach Volleyball? ---
**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 18, 2012, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-care-about-the-olympics/628560/33 "2012-07-18T13:02:47Z")
> [@tellthetruth](#): > > When is the last time anyone scoured the channels looking for broadcasts on track and field and swimming? Actually, one of the things I like best about the Olympics is the chance to see some sports that I usually never get to see. Olympic basketball annoys me; anybody can watch these guys play the whole rest of the year. This is my one chance every four years to see fencing, sailing, archery, judo, etc. > [@elfkin477](#): > > I also only watch curling. I like how they yell at the stone. They’re not yelling at the stone, they’re yelling at their teammates. The skip is trying to judge the perfect line and distance. By sweeping early or late, as the stone curls, you can influence where it ends up. With all those stones sliding over rough ice, and four matches going on at once, you really need a set of pipes to make yourself heard. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-care-about-the-olympics/628560/34 "2012-07-18T13:29:07Z")
I like watching people run very, very fast. Or jump very high. Or swim very fast. I like watching people lift very big weights or try to hit another person with a fake sword. I even sometimes like watching small women balance on a beam or attempt to vault on a broken ankle. I like watching people do these things against the very best in the world. If you don’t like any of these things, then you probably shouldn’t care about the Olympics. ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-care-about-the-olympics/628560/35 "2012-07-18T14:19:03Z")
> [@tellthetruth](#): > > When is the last time anyone scoured the channels looking for broadcasts on track and field and swimming? Why just a couple of weeks ago. Fortunately the Olympic trials were on so I got to see some good swimming and track. Before that, NBCsports was showing some track and swimming events as well, thank you NBC sports. BTW, NBC sports is my go to channel these days. Swimming, track, the Tour de France and other cycling events, even some rugby. Now the olympics. Awesome. Hard to believe but some people at interested in sports other than football, basketball, baseball and golf which completely dominate the airwaves. Once every four years we get to see some handball or water polo or some other sport that might be interesting if we gave it chance. Is it too much to ask that golf or baseball take a backseat once in a while? ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-care-about-the-olympics/628560/36 "2012-07-18T14:29:27Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > Beach Volleyball? I have to admit that my interest in the Summer Olympics went from “none” to “some” when they added women’s beach volleyball. Go figure. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-care-about-the-olympics/628560/37 "2012-07-18T14:30:46Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > If only it were about sports I would watch it. I personally have no interest in watching 500 hours of bathetic stories of dead grandmas, Autistic brothers, car accidents, and being cut from the JV squad of a popular sport. +1. I also agree that the shifting of the Winter Olympic Games was incredibly stupid. That, and allowing professionals. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-care-about-the-olympics/628560/38 "2012-07-18T15:00:17Z")
It’s very difficult to enforce amateur status, though. In the so-called amateur era, many competitors were de facto pros, which was unfair to the true amateurs, people who actually had day jobs. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-care-about-the-olympics/628560/39 "2012-07-18T15:16:25Z")
> [@Ximenean](#): > > It’s very difficult to enforce amateur status, though. In the so-called amateur era, many competitors were de facto pros, which was unfair to the true amateurs, people who actually had day jobs. Maybe that’s the litmus test; you have to have a day job that is your primary source of income and it cannot be a no-show position. Training hours cannot exceed work hours. (I’m presuming 8 hours sleep). If you’re a minor, school hours must be greater than training hours; school cannot be sports based. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2012, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-care-about-the-olympics/628560/40 "2012-07-18T15:31:28Z")
I love the Olympics. The OP is wrong, as usual. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-care-about-the-olympics/628560.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-care-about-the-olympics/628560.md?page=3)