# Your idle Olympics ponderings/musings... **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [February 17, 2010, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-idle-olympics-ponderings-musings/529400 "2010-02-17T22:25:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-idle-olympics-ponderings-musings/529400/1 "2010-02-17T22:25:02Z")
What would Nobunaga Oda think if he could see his X-great-grandson with his family name figure skating? That’s my big one. What are yours? ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-idle-olympics-ponderings-musings/529400/2 "2010-02-17T22:54:00Z")
The guy doing the commentary for the biathlon sounds exactly like Keith Olbermann. And the guy doing the commentary for the women’s hockey sounds like Brian Williams (the NBC anchor, not the CTV guy). ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-idle-olympics-ponderings-musings/529400/3 "2010-02-17T23:38:52Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > What would Nobunaga Oda think if he could see his X-great-grandson with his family name figure skating? > > That’s my big one. What are yours? Huh, I had to look up who you were talking about - it’s pretty cool really. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-idle-olympics-ponderings-musings/529400/4 "2010-02-17T23:41:34Z")
Interesting story at the Wall street Journal about the descisions made in designing this year’s [Luge course](http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704804204575069753617335586.html?mod=rss_Today's_Most_Popular) and the [IOC response](http://blogs.wsj.com/dailyfix/2010/02/17/ioc-comments-on-wsj-investigation-into-luge-track/). ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-idle-olympics-ponderings-musings/529400/5 "2010-02-18T00:17:02Z")
Where exactly is the skill in luge? What constitutes the difference between a great luger and a mediocre one? ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-idle-olympics-ponderings-musings/529400/6 "2010-02-18T00:50:46Z")
I wonder what all those figure skaters look like naked. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-idle-olympics-ponderings-musings/529400/7 "2010-02-18T02:02:25Z")
I wonder if Lindsey Vonn is sick of people asking her if she’s sick of people asking her about the last Olympics. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-idle-olympics-ponderings-musings/529400/8 "2010-02-18T02:08:11Z")
\*Lindsey Jacobellis Although I’m sure Vonn feels the same way. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-idle-olympics-ponderings-musings/529400/9 "2010-02-18T02:24:02Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > I wonder what all those figure skaters look like naked. Google “Katarina Witt” and “Playboy” and you will get an idea about one of them. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-idle-olympics-ponderings-musings/529400/10 "2010-02-18T02:39:47Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Where exactly is the skill in luge? What constitutes the difference between a great luger and a mediocre one? If there were no skill in luge, then the winner would be random. But it’s far from random: The best lugers win time and again. Georg Hackl of Germany won the gold medal three Olympics in a row, then Armin Zoeggeler of Italy won twice in a row. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-idle-olympics-ponderings-musings/529400/11 "2010-02-18T02:43:58Z")
is Al Michaels doing hockey? ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-idle-olympics-ponderings-musings/529400/12 "2010-02-18T03:56:31Z")
I get goose bumps when I see a gold medal winning Canadian get a medal and hear the crowd sing _O Canada_. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-idle-olympics-ponderings-musings/529400/13 "2010-02-18T04:09:58Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Where exactly is the skill in luge? What constitutes the difference between a great luger and a mediocre one? Controlling the sled over bumps. Remember, they hit over 90mph on those things and even a tiny bump can throw it off line. Choosing the correct line through a corner and not bumping the sides. The winner is sometimes determined by a few 1000ths of a second so even bumping a wall can be the difference between a gold and off the podium. ---
**Author:** ![Disheavel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@Disheavel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disheavel)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-idle-olympics-ponderings-musings/529400/14 "2010-02-18T06:06:16Z")
I was thinking today- why are there so many incredibly attractive athletes? And so very few unattractive ones? Theories: 1. Excellent diet and far more endurance training than bulk or strength training 2. Younger athletes 3. I just like cold weather country types ---
**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:** [February 18, 2010, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-idle-olympics-ponderings-musings/529400/15 "2010-02-18T06:53:22Z")
Do the U.S. curling teams always lose, or only when I watch? ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-idle-olympics-ponderings-musings/529400/16 "2010-02-18T11:46:59Z")
Should Shani Davis’ nickname be [Frozone](http://media2.newsobserver.com/smedia/2010/02/17/21/93-SPORTSOLY-SPD-LONGTRACK1MCT.embedded.prod_affiliate.156.jpg)? ---
**Author:** ![Daedelus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@Daedelus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daedelus)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-idle-olympics-ponderings-musings/529400/17 "2010-02-18T11:54:00Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > What would Nobunaga Oda think if he could see his X-great-grandson with his family name figure skating? > > That’s my big one. What are yours? I had this exact same thought when I saw him skate. I’ve also wondered how much it hurts to go flying into slush and ice at 70+ mph after watching the woman’s downhill, and when/who/why the tradition for wearing Bedazzled spandex as your figure skating costume came to be. Seriously. I don’t get that last one. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-idle-olympics-ponderings-musings/529400/18 "2010-02-18T12:50:43Z")
Would the US mens curling skipper choke on a teaspoon of oatmeal? Jeez, three easy shots to win in 24 hours and he blows every single one. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-idle-olympics-ponderings-musings/529400/19 "2010-02-18T13:31:11Z")
I just now realized that Shani Davis doesn’t spell his first name Shawnee. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-idle-olympics-ponderings-musings/529400/20 "2010-02-18T14:45:53Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Controlling the sled over bumps. Remember, they hit over 90mph on those things and even a tiny bump can throw it off line. Choosing the correct line through a corner and not bumping the sides. The winner is sometimes determined by a few 1000ths of a second so even bumping a wall can be the difference between a gold and off the podium. How can they tell where they’re going? do they memorize the course? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-idle-olympics-ponderings-musings/529400.md?page=2)