Rovers Posted February 13, 2010 Share Posted February 13, 2010 Traveling down an icy tube at 90 mph with a skateboard strapped to your back is inherently dangerous. Complaining about it being "unsafe" is ridiculous. Tell that to the athletes who said the track was too fast before the accident. I guess the athletes who complained about it were ridiculous too. What IS ridiculous is that this track was used as is above the objections of many of the lugers. Your idea of what is ridiculous is well, pretty ridiculous. But I'm not surprised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackass Posted February 14, 2010 Share Posted February 14, 2010 Sounds like they did something to cover those metal support beams. If they had done that earlier, guy probably wouldn't have died. Seems pretty obvious to me that that should've been done in the first place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBalata Posted February 14, 2010 Author Share Posted February 14, 2010 Sounds like they did something to cover those metal support beams. If they had done that earlier, guy probably wouldn't have died. Seems pretty obvious to me that that should've been done in the first place. I don't know....these guys are going 80-90 mph...I'm thinking it really didn't matter what kind of padding was there. 90 mph to 0 in a split second, what kind of padding could possibly save a life? If there was any design flaw outside of the speed this track generated, is that there wasn't anything preventing him from leaving the track and going airborne like that in the first place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rovers Posted February 14, 2010 Share Posted February 14, 2010 I don't know....these guys are going 80-90 mph...I'm thinking it really didn't matter what kind of padding was there. 90 mph to 0 in a split second, what kind of padding could possibly save a life? If there was any design flaw outside of the speed this track generated, is that there wasn't anything preventing him from leaving the track and going airborne like that in the first place. They put a wall up, 40 yards long. That would have kept him on the track if it was there in the first place. That would have saved his life. Lowering the start point has taken at least 5 MPH off the speeds they are reaching now. Might not sound like much, but from what I am hearing, the G forces at 95+ are too great to be able to overcome and still steer the sled. A hard lesson learned. I'd compare it to the commentary from the Womens' freestyle mogul event. The ex-olympian announcer said in order to win, you have to stay on that fine line between being in control and out of control. That is fine for that event, but not so much for the luge and even the bobsled. Those speeds can kill. An awful lot of winter games events are inherently dangerous. They can never be made "safe", but they can be made "safer", at least in terms of fatal accidents.These athletes are dare devils. One American woman skier tonight had 6 knee surgeries! And she still went out there and let it all hang out. That luge track was too fast. I'll rely on the comments from the athletes that said so even before the accident as opposed to some uninformed opions. It wasn't safe enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackass Posted February 14, 2010 Share Posted February 14, 2010 I don't know....these guys are going 80-90 mph...I'm thinking it really didn't matter what kind of padding was there. 90 mph to 0 in a split second, what kind of padding could possibly save a life? If there was any design flaw outside of the speed this track generated, is that there wasn't anything preventing him from leaving the track and going airborne like that in the first place. Well, with a helmet on and flying into padding, i'd say there's a shot he lives. I guess we'd need some physicists and neurologists to get to the answer perhaps, but why not put the padding up when it takes 10 minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainHook Posted February 14, 2010 Share Posted February 14, 2010 (edited) Tell that to the athletes who said the track was too fast before the accident. I guess the athletes who complained about it were ridiculous too. What IS ridiculous is that this track was used as is above the objections of many of the lugers. Your idea of what is ridiculous is well, pretty ridiculous. But I'm not surprised. I don't care what you think Rovers. You're a welcher and a liar. Once again, you single me out when I wasn't even replying to you. Stop stalking me. Edited February 14, 2010 by CaptainHook Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilthorp Posted February 14, 2010 Share Posted February 14, 2010 Welcher and Liar are strong words, used for scumbags like OIA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caddyman Posted February 14, 2010 Share Posted February 14, 2010 Tell that to the athletes who said the track was too fast before the accident. I guess the athletes who complained about it were ridiculous too. What IS ridiculous is that this track was used as is above the objections of many of the lugers. Your idea of what is ridiculous is well, pretty ridiculous. But I'm not surprised. Wow...one thing I have learned this year is that there is a BIG difference between Jets fans and Giants fans. Giants fans are pretty classy. I guess since that Jets have been a joke for nearly 40 years that it is not a surprise that there fans have no idea how to act. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rovers Posted February 14, 2010 Share Posted February 14, 2010 I don't care what you think Rovers. You're a welcher and a liar. Once again, you single me out when I wasn't even replying to you. Stop stalking me. Yes, Hook calls me a welcher because I didn't post a sig bet I lost on the night after a late game was played. I posted it the next morning. That makes me a welcher. Guy is delusional. And it is more like he is stalking me, not the other way around. He has brought this up in any number of threads now, and just won't let it go. I guess I am not supposed to post anything that is in disagreement with his views. That makes me a stalker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SheikYerbuti Posted February 14, 2010 Share Posted February 14, 2010 I don't know....these guys are going 80-90 mph...I'm thinking it really didn't matter what kind of padding was there. 90 mph to 0 in a split second, what kind of padding could possibly save a life? Are automobile airbags effective at 90 MPH? If so, something like that could be put in place. . .some kind of air cushion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SheikYerbuti Posted February 14, 2010 Share Posted February 14, 2010 Giants fans are pretty classy. Screw you, momo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainHook Posted February 14, 2010 Share Posted February 14, 2010 Welcher and Liar are strong words, used for scumbags like OIA. Rovers is right there. My point about the luge being inherently dangerous was in response to those that thought the event should be canceled. Or that it would put a black mark on these Olympics. When you participate in dangerous sports, bad things happen sometimes. It's not time to panic. They made adjustments and moved on. For what it's worth, a lot of participants don't even find this track the most dangerous. There is one in Germany they fear more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBalata Posted February 14, 2010 Author Share Posted February 14, 2010 Are automobile airbags effective at 90 MPH? If so, something like that could be put in place. . .some kind of air cushion. I don't know about 90, but I can personally attest to their effectiveness at 60 MPH. But that's also in conjunction with other required safety restraints. 90 mph with just an airbag, highly doubtful, imo. But I suppose anything is possible. However, the main point of my post was to question why it was even possible for him to leave the track like that? If the ice walls of the track are higher, he would have followed the course of the track, tumbling and rolling, probably suffering some evel kenievel type broken bones, but certainly a better chance of survival. Once he left the track and was able to encounter a sudden stop like that, his chances were pretty slim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rovers Posted February 14, 2010 Share Posted February 14, 2010 Rovers is right there. My point about the luge being inherently dangerous was in response to those that thought the event should be canceled. Or that it would put a black mark on these Olympics. When you participate in dangerous sports, bad things happen sometimes. It's not time to panic. They made adjustments and moved on. For what it's worth, a lot of participants don't even find this track the most dangerous. There is one in Germany they fear more. I'm right there with OIA? You are so transparent, I doubt you cast a shadow. You hid behind a skirt when you indrirecty (directly) replied to my post in this thread, even putting the word unsafe in quotes, a direct response to my previous post, but without the ability to be a man about it. Go ahead and lie about that too. This discussion had nothing to do with the sig bet, but yet again, for what, the 5th or 6th time you drag it back out in a completely unrelated thread, and YOU call ME a stalker? You know darned well you put out that bait in this thread, but didn't have the backbone to quote me, you just used one word in quotes. I on the other hand, replied directly to your post, ON topic. But, you would lie about this too, won't you? You are a sniveling spineless whiner. And a liar. I'd say it right to your face if we were in the same room. Because it's the truth, something you might want to familiarize yourself with some day. OIA welched on money bets, pretty big ones, and you say I am right there with him? Only your stupidity exceeds your cowardice. You are a liar and a coward. Much more like OIA than I could ever be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caddyman Posted February 14, 2010 Share Posted February 14, 2010 Screw you, momo. Back at you scumbag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuke'em ttg Posted February 14, 2010 Share Posted February 14, 2010 more cowbell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwacked Posted February 14, 2010 Share Posted February 14, 2010 more cowbell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cunning Runt Posted February 14, 2010 Share Posted February 14, 2010 Geez. I think this thread needs a group hug. Y'all need to chill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budlitebrad Posted February 14, 2010 Share Posted February 14, 2010 Geez. I think this thread needs a group hug. Y'all need to chill. +1, a guy died. There are bigger things to worry about than message board arguments. I'm guilty of it too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainHook Posted February 15, 2010 Share Posted February 15, 2010 I actually was referring to BeeR's comments. Not yours. But apparenty you think everything is about you. Your actions are well documented Rovers. Complaining about them, denying them, lying about them, and repeating over and over you did nothing wrong doesn't change a thing. You singled me out in this thread. Not the other way around. I know what kind of guy you are now. I know to avoid you, because you don't live up to your end of bargains. Then you lie about it. Then you claim you were just kidding around. I'll just put you on ignore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbpfan1231 Posted February 15, 2010 Share Posted February 15, 2010 I actually was referring to BeeR's comments. Not yours. But apparenty you think everything is about you. Your actions are well documented Rovers. Complaining about them, denying them, lying about them, and repeating over and over you did nothing wrong doesn't change a thing. You singled me out in this thread. Not the other way around. I know what kind of guy you are now. I know to avoid you, because you don't live up to your end of bargains. Then you lie about it. Then you claim you were just kidding around. I'll just put you on ignore. This all about a sig line bet? man there are A LOT of thin skins around this place. Can't people take some good hearted ribbing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainHook Posted February 15, 2010 Share Posted February 15, 2010 (edited) This all about a sig line bet? man there are A LOT of thin skins around this place. Can't people take some good hearted ribbing? no. it's about his actions the weeks after he lost a sig line bet. When he won sig line bets the two weeks prior, he was immediately available to post the loser's sig line and bask in the victory. When he lost a sig line bet, he disappeared until the middle of the next day. put up the sig incorrectly. complained about the sig. bitched about how his team was better and Colts fans were enjoying their SB berth too much. then he claimed he behaved the same way after the Jets won in the playoffs as when they lost the AFC Championship. when shown he did in fact show up immediately after wins to enjoy his bets, and disappeared after he lost, he promptly quit posting for two weeks until his sig bet was over. And suddenly reappeared after the Super Bowl. Overall douchery. Edited February 15, 2010 by CaptainHook Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainHook Posted February 15, 2010 Share Posted February 15, 2010 The day before he died, luger Nodar Kumaritashvili spoke to his father by phone and said he was terrified of the track at the Whistler Sliding Center. David Kumaritashvili gave an interview Sunday outside his house in the Georgian mountain town of Bakuriani, recounting one of the last conversations he had with his 21-year-old son. The Wall Street Journal reports: "He called me before the Olympics, three days ago, and he said, 'Dad, I'm scared of one of the turns.' "I said, 'Put your legs down on the ice to slow down,' but he said if he started the course he would finish it. ... He was brave." Nodar Kumaritashvili also spoke with his parents minutes before his fateful slide, telling them he planned to make them proud, according to The Globe and Mail. Since his death, many people have debated whether the track was too fast or the relatively inexperienced luger was out of his element. A number of Olympic lugers think the track was fine. They fault Kumaritashvili – a sentiment shared by luging officials who deemed the track safe (even while hypocritically lowering the starting location and adding pads to the metal beams that caused the death). Germany's Natalie Geisenberger, who won a race at Whistler last year, said the women's event has turned into a kids race, a startlingly insensitive remark given the tragedy of Friday: I'm not happy about the new start. It’s not a woman’s start, it’s a kinder (German for children’s) start. The rest of the track is OK, but it's not as fast as from the proper start. It's the same for all the athletes, but I don't like it. I felt very good, but now because of the new start it's not fun. Canadian Regan Lauscher complained that the lowered start means her nation's home-track advantage is "basically gone." Given that some have said Canada's resistance to allow other countries to train at the Whistler track played a role in Kumaritashvili's death, that comment beats out even Geisenberger's for insensitivity. Maybe Lauscher is taking cues from her coach, Wolfgang Staudinger, who said that "exotic sliders" are the reasons luge accidents happen. The lugers are in control of their speed. If he wanted to slow down through the dangerous curve, he could have done what his dad suggested. Many lugers think the track was fine. Inexperienced Olympians seem to be the ones complaining. If that's the case, they clearly had the option to SLOW DOWN. But Olympic Gold is a powerful lure. It's sad that he died. But it sure seems wrong to blame this all on the track. A lot of times, it's not until a tragedy happens that you find out exactly what safety precautions would be best. Higher fences and the HANS devices at racetracks come to mind. You don't cancel the race. You just make more improvements. It is a DANGEROUS sport. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilthorp Posted February 15, 2010 Share Posted February 15, 2010 I don't think you become a luger, or a stock car driver, or bungy jump or go sky diving....if you aren't some sort of risk taker. So, this is a risky sport, and it appears the stupid ass track management could have put up a wall around their death poles. On a side note: sig bets are weak. The only thing worse is complaining about them, or betting 30 beers and only paying off 24 of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainHook Posted February 15, 2010 Share Posted February 15, 2010 I don't think you become a luger, or a stock car driver, or bungy jump or go sky diving....if you aren't some sort of risk taker. So, this is a risky sport, and it appears the stupid ass track management could have put up a wall around their death poles. On a side note: sig bets are weak. The only thing worse is complaining about them, or betting 30 beers and only paying off 24 of them. exactly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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