Attaboy, Goon! I'm looking forward to seeing you in London in 2012!
So after a slow start, Canada is suddenly cleaning house --- 13 medals in the last five days. And we still have some of our best events (kayak, taekwondo) still to come!
“How is it that I am a good actor? What I do is I... pretend to be the person I’m portraying. You’re confused. Case in point: in Lord of the Rings, Peter Jackson comes to me and says ‘I would like you to be Gandalf the Wizard,’ and I said ‘You are aware that I am not really a wizard?’ and Peter Jackson said ‘I would like you to use your acting skills to portray a wizard for the duration of the show.’ So I said ‘Okay’ and then I said to myself ‘Mmm.. How do I do that?’ And this is what I did: I imagined that I was a wizard, and then I pretended, and acted, in that way on the stage. How did I know what to say? The words were written down for me in a script. How did I know where to stand? People told me where to stand." -- Sir Ian McKellen, Extras
Originally posted by The GoonI was thoroughly inspired by Simon Whitfield's performance last night(this morning in Beijing) in the Men's Triathlon. So much so, in fact, that I'm making completing a triathlon a goal for 2009. Maybe not the full Olympic distance, though.
You can do it! Especially if your running nemesis doesn't enter...
Originally posted by wmatistic As for Bolt, great to watch, most likely too good to be true.
I know where you're coming from here, but I find it interesting that folks are making comments like that about a guy who won a single medal and not at all about the guy who just won 8.
Is there a perception (due to Ben Johnson, Marion Jones, et al.) that track & field athletes are more likely to be "dirty"? Is it that Phelps is truly believable when he insists he's clean (or that he's got the test results to back it up)? Or is it because Bolt so clearly blew away the entire rest of the field (a la Johnson in '88)?
For the record, I think Phelps is a one-in-a-billion guy: physically ideal for swimming thanks to genetics, a drive to succeed and exceed expectations, and, frankly, the kind of ideal role model I was starting to think was extinct.
But I'd also like to believe that Bolt and the Jamaican women are more a sign that Jamaica has dedicated itself to training the best sprinters in the world than a sign that performance enhancing drugs are still prevalent in Track & Field.
Phelps may be a great swimmer, but from what I understand, a bit of a jerk. So I don't know if I want to use the word "role model" in his case, unless you are strictly talking about in the pool.
I'm hesistant to spoil anything for those that want to witness it on NBC tonight, so I'll just say that the mens 200m final was insane today. The race and the controversy after.
Originally posted by wmatisticI'm hesistant to spoil anything for those that want to witness it on NBC tonight, so I'll just say that the mens 200m final was insane today. The race and the controversy after.
Spoiler Below: Highlight text to read
This is one scenario where I don't give two shits if he's clean or dirty. If he's dirty, so is everyone else, and it's not like everyone else is using steroids and he's using SUPER-steroids. He is really fast. Really really fast.
It is the policy of the documentary crew to remain true observers and not interfere with its subjects.
It seemed pretty cut and dry watching it on TV. Just knowing something was going to happen but not knowing specifically who or what, I found it pretty easy to spot the first DQ as the race aired, and there really wasn't much more question about the other.
I loved watching the Women's beach volleyball finals. My dad and I actually stayed up and watched it together. It was a little awkward with the rain and the wearing of white and all that. But it didn't matter as Misty May and Kerri Walsh won the gold once again. Great match.
"Put on your helmets, we'll be reaching speeds of 3!" "It was nice of you to give that dead woman another chance." "All right, look alive everybody...oh sorry Susan."- MST3K: Space Mutiny Click Here (myspace.com)
Originally posted by odessasteps The spin NBC puts on the 200m controversy will be interesting, given...
How it involves the United States. Yes, a US runner got hosed, but the net result was 2 medals for the US and not just one.
I liked the reaction from the guy who ended up moving from fifth to third, and a bronze medal. "I still lost." Ha.
Dix was hilarious. Every time they interviewed him all they got was two or three word answers. If he could figure out how to get a better start in this and the 100 he'd be a solid second to Bolt. As is by the first ten steps he's always in last place, then once he gets up to speed he pushes past most of the field.
Shame about the relays. He was scheduled to run in the final before the semifinal team dropped the stick.
Before we see Kostya face Cotto, we still need Mitchell vs. Tsyzu, and personally I would like to see Hatton vs. Gatti, winner gets the winner of the other fight. Arturo has earned his crack at the top of the division.