Olympic Games Rio 2016

So. Handball. Well, I've played and followed various sports over the years but always been curious about handball. Being Irish, I was aware of our lesser known sport (compared to hurling and football) of handball but never played/watched it or even known anyone who had a clue. So when I heard/read of international handball I always thought 'why the fuck do other people play an Irish game that isn't even that popular in Ireland? Like, what the utter fuck?'

Then, tonight I watched Norway vs Russia in Olympic Handball. I realised that my cluelessness knows no bounds and that this is a great sport and quite different from Irish handball(which is also good). I immediately inquired about a local team and indeed we have one. See you fuckers at the next Olympics!
 
Handball is really fun. I always hurt like shit after I play it, but it's a great little game. I also really like squash.
 
Albie said:
I think you'll have to admit @Forostar who ever wins the hockey will leave a very detected loser.
Click to expand...
No sure what detected loser means but this was painful. 5 Dutch players could have won the Olympic title for the third time in a row. That's kind of comparable with Norway (handball, women) not making the final because they also went for gold for the third time in a row.
Dr. Eddies Wingman said:
Hmmm. Funny. I haven't watched too many team sports events (or 1 on 1 duels) so I guess I just have failed to spot that it is done all the time.
Click to expand...
I noticed throughout the whole tournament (several sports) that the Brazilians seem to like the Dutch. So they got a lot of cheering (perhaps also during the bronze medal match vs Norway in a few hours!) and their opponents some booing. This was vert painful I thought: The booing vs the Frenchman (the only man who was capable of taking the victory away from their country man) during the pole vault. Bastards.
 
I get it during team sport events (pick a team to cheer for, boo the opponents) but in athletics, I have hardly noticed booing before. Except against athletes who have a history with doping or unsportsmanlike conduct.

I mean - fine, be more enthusiastic when you cheer your own athletes. But booing the competition? That's a no-no.
 
Unfortunately I can't find the moment I (and many others) complain about. Hard to find Olympic video footage.
 
"If Fifa had banned the vuvuzelas in the 2010 football World Cup in South Africa, no matter how deafening they sounded even on TV, they would have amputated a cultural component of that society".

Yet, if you had gone a year or two back, and attended a game in the South African football league (or a home game of their national team) - would you have that vuvuzela wall of sound? I had the impression it was rather the odd one, and that the massive number of vuvuzelas was more of a World Cup 2010 thing. I.e. not an integral part of South African football culture as such.
 
The vuvuzela is a fad in South African football that started in 2001 and only picked up in the run-up to the 2010 World Cup. There is nothing integral about it.
 
OK, back to the Olympics.

Barring a miracle in women's golf, Norway will finish the Games with only 4 bronze medals (two in rowing, one in wrestling, one in women's handball - not there yet, but a six goal lead with 8 minutes left makes it look good). This is the worst collective performance of Norwegian athletes in Summer Olympics since 1964! Not even close to medals in any of the athletics event. In fact, most of our runners are currently at a level where we say "well done" to those who got close to qualifying for the final. The European Champion in the men's 1500m, Filip Ingebrigtsen, could perhaps have done something, but got disqualified after the semi-final after pushing his way past a competitor.

For comparison: In Sydney 16 years ago, we had 5 gold medal winners.

Are all the talented youth routed to winter sports these days?
 
I didn't understand why Daley was the face of GB diving in the first place but after that abysmal showing perhaps they'll give the kudos to the pair who actually won the gold and deserve it more.
 
*likes Wingman's analysis, not the result*

The Netherlands have their most successful Summer games ever, but were on the brink of more medals and not just a few times. So, even if this went well (in absolute numbers of medals) compared to previous Olympics, I uttered several damn it's and hoped for more. Swimming was a disaster, I gave up my hopes for that early on, what a collective failure. Now I'm hoping for a Bronze medal for the volleyball women, and perhaps a surprise in some other sport.
 
Last edited:
Dr. Eddies Wingman said:
Are all the talented youth routed to winter sports these days?
Click to expand...

I think this is generally true for both our countries, and probably sound reasoning in the big picture.
That said Canada is flirting with a top-10 finish in the overall medal count, which is very good for a summer performance for us.

Also, we may be developing Bolt's successor for the world fastest man title.
 
You've got pretty fast guys in the winter, too (I'm thinking about 500&100o m speed skating, where Canada have had some top class racers). Is it because you have to run away from grizzly bears?
 
Good volleyball match ... glad the US at least got a medal, volleyball has been a disappointment overall, but this helps
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top