Olympics watched so far

[Clodfobble]

I have a question about the swimming competitions. Do they deliberately place the highest-ranked swimmers in the middle lanes? Every Olympics I can remember, swimmers in the middle three lanes or so have been the winners. It seems there's always that distinctive V-shape during the race, like a flock of birds. I don't know, maybe it's just my imagination.

[lookout123]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

I have a question about the swimming competitions. Do they deliberately place the highest-ranked swimmers in the middle lanes? Every Olympics I can remember, swimmers in the middle three lanes or so have been the winners. It seems there's always that distinctive V-shape during the race, like a flock of birds. I don't know, maybe it's just my imagination.

someone else already pointed out that they put them out in the middle to minimize disturbances, but the put the fastest next to each other so that they race their fastest possible race. human nature causes one to only swim, walk, run, drive as fast as necessary to win. if the person in the lead can't see who may be in second they won't swim as fast.

i wrote that really poorly, but i think you get the point.

[lookout123]

The EU won the olympics. just ask 'em. ok, so it is probably just a couple of morons that think adding the entire EU's medals together and then comparing that to the number of medals won by the US is fair, but i've seen the story in several places.

i got to thinking about it and i realized the flaw in their logic. each and every nation in the EU got to send a full squad to the olympics to compete. if the US sent a full squad from each state of the union, might the results be a little different?

i am only linking to one of the stories, there are quite a few out there.

article

[Griff]

Either PA or NY could have taken the gold in mens basketball!

Hmmmm.. is there a list of athletes by state?

[Cyber Wolf]

I just got into a...'discussion' yesterday evening with someone (male) who was 'enraged and disgusted' by the WNBA on the whole. According to this man, women should not be playing basketball, as they are totally unfit for the sport, since they usually don't reach decent height, have distracting jiggly parts and care about their nails, which would break in 'real basketball play', among other things. He's convinced the US Women's Basketball team winning the gold while the men's team bombed is a fix, done to give a boost to Women's Rights, and that they probably slept with someone to make the gold possible. 'Buncha whores, all of them.'

I wanted to hurt this man. I mean really hurt him. Blowtorch and needlenose pliers kind of hurt.
But instead I laughed at his pain. Because it was hilariously stupid. And in the end, I didn't end up with assault charges and I still felt good.

[Griff]

It's too bad he can't just turn off the tv so he doesn't have to see it.

[garnet]

Originally Posted by Cyber Wolf

I just got into a...'discussion' yesterday evening with someone (male) who was 'enraged and disgusted' by the WNBA on the whole. According to this man, women should not be playing basketball, as they are totally unfit for the sport, since they usually don't reach decent height, have distracting jiggly parts and care about their nails, which would break in 'real basketball play', among other things. He's convinced the US Women's Basketball team winning the gold while the men's team bombed is a fix, done to give a boost to Women's Rights, and that they probably slept with someone to make the gold possible. 'Buncha whores, all of them.'

What a dumb ass. He doesn't even justify a response in my opinion. I could care less about basketball of any sort, but that's just ignorant and silly.

And by the way, who exactly does he think is distracted by the "jiggly parts"? Probably the men watching, which has nothing to do with the players' skill level or ability.

[glatt]

Originally Posted by lookout123

The EU won the olympics. just ask 'em. ok, so it is probably just a couple of morons that think adding the entire EU's medals together and then comparing that to the number of medals won by the US is fair, but i've seen the story in several places.

i got to thinking about it and i realized the flaw in their logic. each and every nation in the EU got to send a full squad to the olympics to compete. if the US sent a full squad from each state of the union, might the results be a little different?

There wouldn't be much of a difference if the US fielded 50 teams or 1 team. Only the best of the best make it onto that one team, so they are the ones who have a shot at the gold. If there are another 49 average athletes from other states who don't make it onto the field, it doesn't matter. They would have lost anyway.

[lookout123]

you don't think that if they US sent 50 teams we would have won more medals? or if you reverse it. the EU only gets to send one team with the top three athletes in X event going? they would have fewer possible winners so they would end up with fewer winners/medals.

in the world of sports anything can happen. look at gymanstics alone. how often does the top ranked person foul up and not medal? some relatively unknown individual steps up and wins.

if we had 50 teams, we obviously would have won more medals.

[glatt]

Originally Posted by lookout123

if we had 50 teams, we obviously would have won more medals.

I'll agree with both you and jinx, but I still don't think it would be a huge difference overall. We wouldn't have 50 times the medals if we had 50 teams instead of 1. We might have 5% more medals, but that's about the extent of it. The favored athlete usually wins. Overall, the results would be about the same.

[lookout123]

this really isn't a subject worthy of grand debate... but - do you think the individual nations of the EU have a greater proportion of superior athletes than our individual states. because that is what it boils down to. i don't believe we would have 50 times the medals. i do believe that the 50 US teams + the EU nations would take most of the medals by knocking out most of the countries that have small athletic programs and as people pointed out earlier they lack the money to pay for the best coaches. i would say that each of our states can put together a team worthy of competition on an international level and just from the number of opportunities to compete they would vastly increase the number of medals won by americans.

[glatt]

Originally Posted by lookout123

do you think the individual nations of the EU have a greater proportion of superior athletes than our individual states. because that is what it boils down to.

I honestly have no idea. I'm just arguing the numbers.

Look at it this way, you can weed out the athletes during the Olympics games themselves, or you can weed them out before they get on the teams for each country. Either way, the best are usually going to make it to the end. If all 6 billion humans on the planet compete in the Olympics, it's still going to boil down to a race between Thorp and Phelps.

[jinx]

I disagree, the favorite doesn't win every time. Especially in sports where a few thousandths of a second determine who wins and who comes in 4th.

Originally Posted by glatt

There wouldn't be much of a difference if the US fielded 50 teams or 1 team. Only the best of the best make it onto that one team, so they are the ones who have a shot at the gold. If there are another 49 average athletes from other states who don't make it onto the field, it doesn't matter. They would have lost anyway.