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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Feb 5, 2014 23:29:58 GMT -5
Would like to start an Olympic thread focusing on the events, but Sochi is looking like another Montreal Summer Olympics. There's still a lot to do. Got this from Canoe.ca. I guess the Russians just might not be ready. Here's a few Twitter pics from people experiencing problems with accommodations. Problems leading up to Sochi OlympicsMontreal was never this bad. Cheers. |
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Post by blny on Feb 6, 2014 11:53:09 GMT -5
As I was born in 1976, I remember none of the Montreal games and the problems that went with it. There were a few issues in Vancouver, mostly around weather. Can't do much about that.
Sochi was always an odd choice to me. It's climate is such that the Jan-Feb average temperature is a fair bit above freezing. Russia's socio and political climate is dubious. Sochi's proximity to Chechnya concerns me as well. The Chechen mafia is notorious, and I wonder how much of an impact they had on infrastructure. I'm sure Russian oil money had a significant part to play in the IOC selecting Sochi to begin with, but I wonder about the affect the mob had on Sochi 2014.
They've had 8 years to prepare. Reports of no water, unfinished hotels for media and athletes, one reporter entering his 'secure' hotel room to find a construction worker sleeping in their bed, and on and on. No one going over there should expect luxury, but they should expect facilities that are completed.
I don't know if the IOC mandates completion of infrastructure by certain dates or not. If they don't they should. For example, "Athlete's Village" should be completed by such and such a date (well in advance of the Games). It's common place for an upcoming Olympic venue to host Olympic sporting events before the Games. Calgary used venues for competitions before 1988. I think there should be at least an expectation that a certain percentage of venues be completed to the point where they can host smaller events on a competition calendar a year before the Games as well.
It's impossible to get to this late a date and say, "Sorry Sochi, we're pulling the plug." and then move the games to an alternate venue. You can't cancel them because of the boat load of cash from broadcasters. To me, this is why you MUST have a certain standard of completion a year before. If the host city isn't up to that standard by then, you exercise a clause and move the event. With a year in advance, you can at least look to cities who've hosted the games in the recent past. The infrastructure would still be there and it would be up to code. If lodging for athletes and/or media was built to be used for something else after those games (like Montreal's athletes village turning into a seniors complex right?) then you would have time to coordinate with hotels. It would be a nightmare logistically, but not remotely as bad having to do it within the last 3 months.
It's an embarrassment to the citizens of Sochi and Russia.
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Post by CentreHice on Feb 7, 2014 18:51:22 GMT -5
Saw a site today posted on facebook that featured about 30 pics of bad/unfinished conditions at Sochi.
Didn't post the site because of salacious menu selections...even though the Sochi pics were more obscene, considering. Ha!
Pretty shameful. Almost as if someone pocketed money instead of spending it to get the job done....hmmmm....ya think?
Skimming from the construction of living quarters is one thing....sure hope it didn't extend to venues....
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Feb 7, 2014 19:32:29 GMT -5
Didn't see much of the opening ceremonies. Saw Canada enter the stadium and that was cool.
Watched a bit of feedback from Canadians on CBC earlier today. The guy asked the hotel staff how he should pay for the room. They didn't accept credit cards and he was told to the ATM. I guess his limit is $500/day for a max of $1500/weekly but the staff didn't understand the concept. Same guy had pre-purchased his tickets, but when he went to pick them up he was told he had to stand in line with folks who hadn't bought tickets as yet. Finally, after 8 hours, someone was able to sort it out and those who had previously purchased tickets were put into another line.
Looking forward to seeing how the Canadian contingent does. We had a very successful Olympics last time around; most gold medals I think. Will make time to watch the hockey and the long/short track speed skating. Can't forget the curling. I like what Brad Jacobs brings to the competition. He's highly competitive and pretty animated at times. And you can count on Jennifer Jones being in the hut.
Cheers.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Feb 9, 2014 10:20:29 GMT -5
The Dufour-Lapointe sisters with gold and silver for Canada in women' moguls. Mark McMorris with a bronze medal in the first ever Olympic slopestyle event.
Norway leading with 6 medals to date. The Netherlands 4 medals and the USA and Canada with three each.
Cheers.
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Post by CentreHice on Feb 9, 2014 10:24:51 GMT -5
U.S./Russia voting conspiracy in figure skating? Or Canadian persecution complex? Also....seven Canadian skaters tested....the latest BEFORE competing. Team Canada officials wonder what's going on.... Article |
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Post by franko on Feb 9, 2014 14:19:58 GMT -5
as someone else said, CH . . .
"What about the broken showers?"
Russian Olympics official... "There're fixed!"
"What about the broken toilets?"
Russian Olympics official... "They're fixed!"
"What about the figure skating competitions?"
Russian Olympics official... "They're fixed!"
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Feb 9, 2014 15:34:50 GMT -5
Canada gets silver in team figure skating.
Team figure skating?
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Post by CentreHice on Feb 9, 2014 16:02:07 GMT -5
Canada gets silver in team figure skating. Team figure skating? And Russia takes the gold. |
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Post by franko on Feb 9, 2014 16:46:54 GMT -5
well, you know, NWT, you can never have enough judged "sports". let's push those competitions where there is an actual winner [or loser] aside so that someone can *cough*impartially*cough* decide who does best. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Feb 9, 2014 18:03:50 GMT -5
And international figure skating officiating has such a pristine reputation.
That snow slope that we won bronze on is a new addition also, but boy is that an adrenaline rush sport. You see the size of those jumps. Very entertaining. Snow cross is a blast too. Roller derby on skiis.
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Post by Skilly on Feb 9, 2014 22:46:35 GMT -5
And international figure skating officiating has such a pristine reputation. That snow slope that we won bronze on is a new addition also, but boy is that an adrenaline rush sport. You see the size of those jumps. Very entertaining. Snow cross is a blast too. Roller derby on skiis. Something like slope style they could easily take the judging out of .... Time it. And if you don't do an element add time to your score. I'll never understand why ski jumping is judged either ... The person who jumps the furthest , no matter how he did it, should win. Next they will want to judge the triple jump or the high jump in the Summer Olympics. Judged events is the number one reason I don't watch much of the Olympics ....it's all political. |
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Post by seventeen on Feb 9, 2014 23:22:17 GMT -5
I'm waiting for the synchronized, pentathlon, relay, team figure skating event. That should be a doozie.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Feb 10, 2014 8:47:53 GMT -5
Charles Hamelin with a gold in 1,500 m, short track. That gives Canada five medals in total, 2G, 2S, 1B and first place overall according to the Sochi Olympic website. Norway with 7 medals, USA and Russia with five each. Cheers. |
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Post by blny on Feb 10, 2014 9:12:46 GMT -5
Hamelin moves into a tie for second with most Olympic medals for Canadian athletes at 5. Klassen and Hughes have 6 a piece. Is there a better athlete ever than Hughes? Medals in Summer and Winter games - only one of FOUR ever to do that - in disciplines that couldn't be more different. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_at_the_OlympicsA great chance at two more medals today in mens Aerials. *Knocks on wood* |
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Feb 10, 2014 10:28:34 GMT -5
And the women take the ice against Finland in hockey. Finns just went on the PP.
Cheers.
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Post by blny on Feb 10, 2014 11:21:16 GMT -5
Looks like the female Finns are just as plucky as the men. Giving our ladies all they can handle.
Our women's team is OLD. Ouelette, Wickenheiser, Heford - all born in the 70s. My age. In sporting terms, that's long in the tooth. They're all integral pieces too, which is a concern.
I was surprised to see Tessa Bonhomme left off this year's team.
We look slow, and gassed.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Feb 10, 2014 13:20:12 GMT -5
Finns played us tough, and their goalie was great. We lacked some real pop to our game. Still a good 3-0 win.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Feb 10, 2014 13:22:42 GMT -5
Hamelin moves into a tie for second with most Olympic medals for Canadian athletes at 5. Klassen and Hughes have 6 a piece. Is there a better athlete ever than Hughes? Medals in Summer and Winter games - only one of FOUR ever to do that - in disciplines that couldn't be more different. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_at_the_OlympicsA great chance at two more medals today in mens Aerials. *Knocks on wood* Hughes being able to medal at both winter and summer makes it very special. Charles Hamelin is a serious threat for more hardware!! Who knows what Klassen could have done if not for that knee. |
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Feb 10, 2014 14:21:00 GMT -5
Finns played us tough, and their goalie was great. We lacked some real pop to our game. Still a good 3-0 win. Right on. I had some running around to do so I missed the game from the second period, on. Came right here for the update. Never thought to check out TSN, CBC, etc. Right on says I. The Finns have to feel pretty good with that kind of effort against Canada. Cheers. |
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Post by blny on Feb 10, 2014 14:26:26 GMT -5
2 more medals. Gold and silver in mens moguls. Bilodeau first Canadian to defend Olympic title since Catriona Lemay-Doan. Kingsbury with Silver. Gagnon just off podium in 4th.
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Post by Skilly on Feb 10, 2014 14:50:22 GMT -5
From TSN
Here are the practice lines with extra players in parenthesis:
FORWARDS
Chris Kunitz - Sidney Crosby - Jeff Carter
Patrick Sharp - Jonathan Toews - Rick Nash
Patrick Marleau - Ryan Getzlaf - Corey Perry
Jamie Benn - John Tavares - Patrice Bergeron
(Martin St. Louis, Matt Duchene)
DEFENCE
Duncan Keith - Shea Weber
Jay Bouwmeester - Alex Pietrangelo
Marc-Edouard Vlasic - Drew Doughty
(P.K. Subban, Dan Hamhuis)
************************************
I dont know why Yzerman and company decided to select 6 centers (7 if you count Marleau) and then automatically have one playing out of position. Two will be out of position if they elect to go with plan B abd put Tavares on the wing with Getzlaf and Perry. Apparently, Tavares played the entire lock out in Switzerland on the wing ... there is no logical or statistical argument to be found that justifies Pietrangelo or Doughty playing ahead of Subban. NONE.
Don't get me started on the defense .... Yuck is all I have to say.
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Post by CentreHice on Feb 10, 2014 16:03:39 GMT -5
What would your D look like, Skilly?
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Feb 10, 2014 16:04:19 GMT -5
Son of a gun ... Brad Jacobs rink loses to Switzerland in men's curling. Didn't see the match, but the Swiss stole three in the fifth to start it off. Swiss Upset Canada 5-4Cheers. |
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Post by Cranky on Feb 10, 2014 16:42:14 GMT -5
Da wife is enthralled with figure skating. Don't know why. Can't get excited by a guy wearing a see-through top and making hand gestures to the crowd that have no real world equivilant. You want to get me interested? Sure, contact figure skating like roller derby and the skaters giving the Italian salute to the judges will do it for me! Fights optional.  As for interest for the rest of the sports other then hockey? Nada. Zipo. Can't relate to four guys hugging real close in a bathtub with blades......or a guy on his back hurtling down a sheet of ice.....or jumping through the air to see who is going to land on their heads. Without hockey, "Winter Olympic games" are dead to me. |
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Post by Skilly on Feb 10, 2014 16:44:43 GMT -5
What would your D look like, Skilly? Well CH, you can see what the coaching staff is trying to do. Pair a centre with his NHL winger (that limits selections going forward, if this is the new in-thing to do), and put an offensive defenseman with a defensive defenseman. The odd pairing in my mind though is the St. Louis connection. Why did Pietrangelo or Bouwmeester need that chemistry? No other pairing was based around it (see Seabrook not picked). But here's the thing .... Weber has the worst defensive numbers, playing on a trap team. And Vlasic? He started the year with 11 points in 15 games, and has now only got 18 points. And as most people have figured out by now, I just don't like Doughty. Others like the whole left-right thing, I'm not sure it really matters with these elite athletes. I'd have moved Weber down the line-up (he is -10 on a defensive team) and the Norris trophy winner would be in my line-up. |
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Post by Cranky on Feb 10, 2014 16:47:02 GMT -5
I'm waiting for the synchronized, pentathlon, relay, team figure skating event. That should be a doozie. WITH CONTACT! Don't forget the contact! You can't leave out the contact or else, it's not a sport! Ya see, that's why I almost like you. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Feb 10, 2014 17:19:17 GMT -5
Son of a gun ... Brad Jacobs rink loses to Switzerland in men's curling. Didn't see the match, but the Swiss stole three in the fifth to start it off. Swiss Upset Canada 5-4Cheers. This is a team that seems to get on a roll and cannot be stopped. They did it at least year's Brier, at the pre-trials and at the final trials. Just need to get that roll going. A loss now is not the end of the world, but they need to be sharp as there are others that can knock them off if they are not playing on their game. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Feb 10, 2014 17:22:51 GMT -5
2 more medals. Gold and silver in mens moguls. Bilodeau first Canadian to defend Olympic title since Catriona Lemay-Doan. Kingsbury with Silver. Gagnon just off podium in 4th. Bilodeau and Kinsgbury have been the class of the tour all year. Great to see them fight through the pressure and finish that way on the big stage. First mogul athlete to defend title I believe. |
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Post by CentreHice on Feb 10, 2014 18:00:15 GMT -5
What would your D look like, Skilly? Well CH, you can see what the coaching staff is trying to do. Pair a centre with his NHL winger (that limits selections going forward, if this is the new in-thing to do), and put an offensive defenseman with a defensive defenseman. The odd pairing in my mind though is the St. Louis connection. Why did Pietrangelo or Bouwmeester need that chemistry? No other pairing was based around it (see Seabrook not picked). But here's the thing .... Weber has the worst defensive numbers, playing on a trap team. And Vlasic? He started the year with 11 points in 15 games, and has now only got 18 points. And as most people have figured out by now, I just don't like Doughty. Others like the whole left-right thing, I'm not sure it really matters with these elite athletes. I'd have moved Weber down the line-up (he is -10 on a defensive team) and the Norris trophy winner would be in my line-up. Thanks. I'm not challenging you....just wondering what your Top 6 dmen (and 2 subs) choices would have been.... What's your big beef with Doughty? My beef is with Kelly Hrudey touting him for the Norris a few times....including during an After Hours interview with him. "The most complete defence man in the league...no area of weakness," Hrudey said several times during a broadcast this year. That's the highest praise one can give...but Hrudey's association with the Kings makes it suspect, IMO. I haven't seen a lot of Doughty until the playoffs....so I don't have an informed opinion. All I know is that he's very "candid" and "colorful" during interviews....something for which Subban would be vilified. |
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