2020, uh, 21, uh, who knows Tokyo Olympics thread

A not insignificant part of me is grateful Biles walked away from her Nike deal, lest people think that “mental health” is suddenly a marketing scheme on the heels of that stupid commercial.

 

I guess Biles had to regain her balance.

BWAHAHAHAHA

 

I know, I've been watching the Canada games. Seems like there are more bombs in NCAA. Must be the improved pitching depth.

 

Is women's gymnastics the only sport where all the elite athletes are routinely children? If so, should there be a conversation about that?

 

Biles is such an athletic marvel that just completes on an entirely different level.

She’s Bo, Tyson, Wilt, Tiger, Babe, Shohei.

Just watching her compete is a pleasure.

NPR is using art where she is so high in the air it looks like she was dropped out of an airplane.

As a sports fan, I am extremely disappointed, win or lose, that I did not get to see her jump today. We probably will never see another gymnast with her ability.

 

You must have missed skateboarding.

 

Thanks. I can’t see how the ratings are down.

 

The sport is kind of drifting - slowly - toward more physically fit performers, probably partly because of Biles' influence. The minimum age was changed to 16 a couple years ago, IIRC, and there has been more emphasis on doing skills that require strength. There's a pretty stark physical difference between the stars of the 1990s and early 2000s, vs. Biles, Aly Raisman and so on. (Note: Basing this a lot on what my wife has been telling me. She's a former collegiate gymnast and still a huge fan.)

 

Yeah, streaming live coverage and knowing the results 15 hours before your primetime broadcast is a strategy that only works for people who are still looking for the "any" key on their Jitterbugs.

 

I kind of like a "bad" Olympics for the US every now and then, when we don't win everything. Given the last year and the training conditions, I'm surprised anyone is doing well.

 

I know nothing about the sport. I've watched a little bit of it, but I missed the women's. So, is it routine that the elite athletes in skateboarding are all children? My question was serious.