The Official Torino 2006 Winter Olympics Discussion Thread

[Meg 368]

There seems to be amazingly little hype for the winter olympics that are starting soon.   I'm an olympics junkie so I enjoy these things.  and, I found out that my dad's podiatrist's college roommate's daughter made the US skating team. 

Okay, so that's a really lame connection but she's also a fellow Marylander so I'd cheer for her anyway. 

 

At any rate, I look forward to the Games beginning.

[Voar Tok 4]

Well, I'm interested in the Olympics.

Hey Ski, why don't you try out for the slaloms?

[Meg 368]

Date: 1/20/2006 12:19:46 AM Author: Voar Tok

Well, I'm interested in the Olympics.

Hey Ski, why don't you try out for the slaloms?

quote>

Well, thanks, VT, but I'm a few decades past peak form. 

[beebs 129]

I'm looking forward to the Hockey, to see how Team Canada fares this year.

[Voar Tok 4]

Date: 1/20/2006 12:20:59 AM Author: SkiGeek

Date: 1/20/2006 12:19:46 AM Author: Voar Tok

Well, I'm interested in the Olympics.

Hey Ski, why don't you try out for the slaloms?

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Well, thanks, VT, but I'm a few decades past peak form. 

quote>

Hehe.  If I tried to go skiing, I'd get winded going downhill.  That doesn't speak to well of me.  Guess that puts me out of it too.  I so wanted a gold!

[your_adress_here 11]

Date: 1/20/2006 12:26:34 AM
Author: beebs
I'm looking forward to the Hockey, to see how Team Canada fares this year.

quote>

Same here. Go Canada! We are expecting to get alot of medals this year cause were sending alot of good athletes!

[ginchael 1]

Wow...I completely forgot we were in an Olympic year.  SkiGeek, you're completely right--The coverage (in the US at least) has been neglectful at best.

When does it start again?

[vidioman 21]

Canada can't even decide a flag bearer for the opening ceremony!

Hopefully we'll do better than 37th place though!! Go Team Canada!!

Oh, the mint unveiled a new Lucky Loonie for this years games. go us!

According to sources, the Olympic Torch passed through Nova Gorica Slovenia today. Getting close to the games now, only a couple weeks.

[beebs 129]

Date: 1/20/2006 7:44:13 AM
Author: your_adress_here

Date: 1/20/2006 12:26:34 AM

Author: beebs

I'm looking forward to the Hockey, to see how Team Canada fares this year.

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Same here. Go Canada! We are expecting to get alot of medals this year cause were sending alot of good athletes!

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Finally! Now if only we'd do the same for the sumer games.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

@vid: It doesn't matter that there is a flap over the flag bearer. If I was there and had an event in the first week, i wouldn't want to take a full day off training to carry the flag. We have lots of people whose events are in the second week, so we should simply choose one of them.

Canada at the 2006 Olympics may get some interesting medals, but as far as I am concerned, this is the dress rehearsal for 2010 Vancouver.

I am only interested in Figure Skating and Hockey, so I can only say that we have good chances in:

Hockey - Silver or Gold
Men's Singles FS - One or two on the podium. Depends on Pleshenko's health
Ladies Singles FS - Maybe we'll see Joannie Rochette on the podium
Pairs FS - Nothing special
Dance FS - Gold. It's ours to lose.

[villarule 2]

im not really expecting much from team GB, hope we can do well in the curling again (at least it's something)

[timotheus4 39]

Turin (Torino for the snobs) I agree has been highly ignored not only in US but across the globe. Something about their marketing. As of a week ago you could still get tickets to premier events.

[Micah 16]

   Well, even though I don't know the name of basically any athlete at the Olympics, I'm still very much into it. I've been following the Olympics since 1999. A lot of people that are in the American team are from a city called the Woodlands (great skyline) which is 30 miles north of Houston. Can't wait for the games. May the best team win!!

[beebs 129]

Someone just down my street is on Team Canada hockey, on the Oilers as well, naturally. That's about the closest connection I have to anyone going to the Olympics.

[cifa 7]

turin is ready for olympics game.There's much snow on the mountains

[Easy Bakes 253]

Team USA Hockey should be good this time too.

 

 

 

[Fischbob 9]

Hopefully Canada will do better than they did in Athens. At any rate, I'll still be watching.

[Abc987 3]

What's up with the Apollo guy? He seems to be everywhere!!

[Superstar 69]

I know that Israel is participating in this olympics but not sure what exactly are they going to do there, whatever the acse I'll cheer for them

[hello_SC4 1]

Date: 1/21/2006 12:14:20 AM Author: Micah

  Well, even though I don't know the name of basically any athlete at the Olympics, I'm still very much into it. I've been following the Olympics since 1999. A lot of people that are in the American team are from a city called the Woodlands (great skyline) which is 30 miles north of Houston. Can't wait for the games. May the best team win!!

quote>

There weren't any Olympics in 1999, but whatever. Anyway, the Olympic torch passed through my town a few days ago, I was chosen as part of the school's delegation to the event..

 

I took some piccies

 

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Oh yeah, the Olympics are definitely in Italy this year..

 

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The crowd with some Italian police officers (the square on the picture is half in Italy, half in Slovenia).

 

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The torch, carried by Jure Franko, he won Slovenia's first winter Olympic medal in Sarajevo in 1984, he got a silver medal in giant slalom.

 

Well, that's it! Oh, and just to show how commercial the Olympics are today, there was a whole stand full of Olympic torches in the back of some van..

[Meg 368]

Date: 1/30/2006 10:52:44 AM Author: hello_SC4

 

 

Well, that's it! Oh, and just to show how commercial the Olympics are today, there was a whole stand full of Olympic torches in the back of some van..

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I believe that is because each torchbearer only goes for a short distance and they get to keep their torch.  They use the flame to light the next torch for the next guy.

 

The torch relay passed next to my office building one year.  Must have been for the Atlanta Olypmics.  I didn't get any pictures, though.  Thanks for sharing yours.

[Voar Tok 4]

I didn't know that everyone got to keep their torches -- I always thought that they actually passed the same one on to each other.

[The boy formerly known as Evil Muzz 27]

Well, I'm not expecting anything from GB except from Curling. We did great last time, hopefully the girls can pull it off again this time!

[hello_SC4 1]

Actually, the bearers must buy the torch if they want it, otherwise they return it. And yeah, they only run through main towns and cities, otherwise they sit in a van and enjoy the ride.. So much for the Olympic spirit..

[Easy Bakes 253]

Date: 1/31/2006 10:27:22 AM Author: hello_SC4 Actually, the bearers must buy the torch if they want it, otherwise they return it. And yeah, they only run through main towns and cities, otherwise they sit in a van and enjoy the ride.. So much for the Olympic spirit..

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That Blows they make them pay for them if they want to keep them.

 

With all the money this generates you think they would let them keep it.

 

 

 

[Duke87 1,070]

I think the probem is that few people really care about the winter olympics. It's the summer olympics that get more publicity. The greeks never held winter olympics, after all.

Even more, in recent years, due to terrorism concerns and just plain lack of interest, fewer and fewer people are attending the olympic games, many opting to just watch on TV instead (it's more modern that way). In 2000, one of my uncles was working for the TV station that was covering the olympics. Since the tickets were selling poorly, the TV network bought a bunch of them and paid for a bunch of their employees to go attend. My uncle ended up with a free trip to Sydney and free tickets. Just because it looks bad on TV when the stands are empty.

 

And financially, the city that hosts the olympics is lucky to break even financialy. They almost always lose money on it, and almost never turn a profit. So I'm kinda glad New York was turned down for the 2012 bid.

 

So it makes perfect sense that the olympic officials make the torch bearers pay if they want to keep their torch. Unlike you might think with how professional sports in the US are these days, the Olympic association does not have money to burn.

[beebs 129]

Any Canadians know if the Olympics are going to be on CTV or CBC? Does CTV get it starting this olympics or the Beijing ones 2008?

[hello_SC4 1]

Date: 1/31/2006 10:03:35 PM Author: Duke87

I think the probem is that few people really care about the winter olympics. It's the summer olympics that get more publicity. The greeks never held winter olympics, after all.

 

The Winter Olympics were never as big as the Summer Olympics, but let me assure you, they are still very popular.

 

Date: 1/31/2006 9:03:15 PM Author: Easy Bakes 

That Blows they make them pay for them if they want to keep them.

 

With all the money this generates you think they would let them keep it.

 

Well, actually, it doesn't generate that much hype and besides, a torch costs 100 dollars. Do you have any idea how much only the torches would cost if they gave them free to the bearers? Definitely into the millions..

[vidioman 21]

beebs | Any Canadians know if the Olympics are going to be on CTV or CBC? Does CTV get it starting this olympics or the Beijing ones 2008?

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These olympics are on CBC [ LINK ] as are the 2008 Beijing olympics. BCE/Rogers have rights to the 2010 and I believe the 2012 olympics.

Duke87 | I think the probem is that few people really care about the winter olympics. It's the summer olympics that get more publicity. The greeks never held winter olympics, after all.

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Now that the election is over, for the next 4 weeks, all we're going to be hearing about in Canada is the Olympics. Unless Harper tries something tricky, or the media ban on the Pickton Trial is lifted. Doubt neither'll happen, tho.

Anyway, GO TEAM CANADA!

[beebs 129]

Date: 2/1/2006 10:40:10 AM
Author: vidioman

beebs | Any Canadians know if the Olympics are going to be on CTV or CBC? Does CTV get it starting this olympics or the Beijing ones 2008?

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These olympics are on CBC [ LINK ] as are the 2008 Beijing olympics. BCE/Rogers have rights to the 2010 and I believe the 2012 olympics.

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Ugh... hopefully they at least try to show the sports, rather than the people just talking at their desks.