Day-to-Day Nonsense

Scott Hamilton: The snark

Twice this Olympics Scott Hamilton has been snarky.

First it was the Brian Boucher comment: Finally Brian gets his gold medal. Like really dude, we know you beat him. We know it. And yes we’re bitter as Canadians that Brian came in second twice.

Then it was the comment on Ice-Dancing: I’ve been around the sport of ice-dancing my whole career, but I’ve never understood it.

well at least that one I can get behind.

Add comment February 27th, 2010

From heaven to hell in 5 seconds

The Olympic Quarterfinal women’s pursuit between Germany and the US produced the most amazing race.

The German racer, Anna Friesinger-Postma,  bonked, pulled a muscle, who knows, but she was failing with one lap left to go. And then with no gas left in the tank she fell on the ice and hurtled herself towards the finish line.

She falls on the ice and slides into the finish line.

Convinced she had blown it for her team she was on the ice pounding her hand onto the rink in frustration. She didn’t even bother to look at the result, because she knew they had lost. She knew she had failed her team. And the team was also convinced that they had lost.

But no. She had managed to cross the line just before the Americans … And her absolute determination to cross that line at all costs had paid off.

From heaven to hell in 5 seconds.

Add comment February 27th, 2010

There is a body of research

So I was curious to read about ski waxing. And I thought, well maybe there is some home-brew, anecdotal, crappy knowledge, but there isn’t any real science behind this.

Uh no.

There isn’t just some research out there, there is a body of research on the topic.

There is a field. I found this thesis which concentrates on a subset of the co-efficients  that affect the performance of skii’s.

http://epubl.luth.se/1402-1757/2006/03/LTU-LIC-0603-SE.pdf

I’m sorry.

I didn’t realize. Waxing at the Olympic level requires a Ph.D..

The countries with the deepest research departments, and the best athletes have a decided edge.

Wow.

Add comment February 27th, 2010

The Olympics, they are complete — A figure skating controversy

How wonderful. The Figure Skating competition has, once again a controversy.

On the one hand, we have Plushenko executing maneuvers that no one else did, but was flawed.

On the other hand, we have Evan Lysacek who executed the maneuvers he could execute, perfectly.

And then the debate emerges.

Was attempting flawed stronger moves more valuable than executing safe moves perfectly?

The scoring encourage perfection at the expense of experimentation.

Which is unfortunate and sad.

But ultimately, winning an event is about optimizing for the rules that are presented to you, not to argue that the rules are wrong…

So I agree with Plushenko, but Lysacek deserved to win.

Add comment February 19th, 2010

I am a wimp, Petra Majdic is not.

This woman broke four ribs in a horrific accident.

She could have called it quits.

But nope, she didn’t.

She came in third claiming bronze.

With four FUCKING BROKEN RIBS.

I’ve broken a rib.

It hurts like a bitch.

The idea that she could compete at a level necessary to claim a medal, is unreal.

So I am a wimp. Petra Majdic is not.

Add comment February 18th, 2010

Maele wins Gold with Jacobellis hanging over as a dark cloud

so the Canadian woman is in the lead. she has no chance of losing.

And the announcer says: in previous events we’ve seen how weird things can happen. All she has to do is focus. And you know not do what Jacobellis did.

Damn.

Poor Jacobellis. her life is permanently tied to a singular event with no hope for redemption.

I feel for her.

Add comment February 16th, 2010

Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah: Yevgeny Plushenko

I’m not an expert in figure skating.

I don’t understand the details of the sport.

But I do know greatness when I see it. Yevegny Plushenko put o a performance that was qualitatively better than anything I had seen before.

It was like greatness on ice.

And what was amazing was to hear the reaction of the announcers.

The announcer’s reaction was: Ah-ah-ah… aie – aie – aie ..

He was stammering …

The guy is a legend and is legendary.

Add comment February 16th, 2010

Jacobelis loses again!

Aie-aie-aie

She screwed up.

Again.

Dropped out of the competition.

Thrown off course.

Amazing.

Add comment February 16th, 2010

Andrea talks to Shani Davis

And nothing outrageous happens.

Damn.

Add comment February 13th, 2010

Andrea is back!

Andrea is back. She’s annoying and embarrassing and frustrating. But God Bless, she’s back.

This time she shares the fact that Chad Hedrik is a racer not a bunny rabbit…

Go Andrea!

Add comment February 13th, 2010