Azazello1313 Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 so what is your point again? that swimmers aren't elite athletes because it's possible for them to be proficient across a fairly wide range of distances, unlike runners (even though I've shown that last point to be demonstrably false)? it just seems like a really hollow, vapid argument with all kinds of holes, I want to make sure I'm not missing some key cog in the argument. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detlef Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 (edited) so what is your point again? that swimmers aren't elite athletes because it's possible for them to be proficient across a fairly wide range of distances, unlike runners (even though I've shown that last point to be demonstrably false)? it just seems like a really hollow, vapid argument with all kinds of holes, I want to make sure I'm not missing some key cog in the argument. Not even close. Though I can see, having had your arguments pointed out as faulty, you'd resort to trying to frame my argument in an easier to dispute manner. When a guy like Phelps racks up so many medals, one can point to how much easier it is for swimmers to do so than other athletes. People often point to the fact that they have so many relays and different strokes, and I simply went on to also say that it's easier for them to compete at a wider range of distances within the same stroke. At that point, a number of former swimmers around here were quick to say I had no idea what I was talking about. That the different distances in swimming are as unique as they are in track. That it's just as hard for a swimmer to compete at several distances as it if for a guy in track. And, given that this Chinese guy's "unprecedented" feat(or rather, imminent feat) is nearly being equaled this year by another and others have come very, very close to doing the exact same thing in the two previous Olympics, and. meanwhile, the best you've been able to show is a guy who dominated almost 100 years ago and another who, over the course of his long career, eventually mastered numerous distances at various stages, that perhaps I was right all along. That swimming, by nature, lends itself better to success at a range of distances than track does. Edited August 2, 2012 by detlef Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ditkaless Wonders Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Excepting the disabled everybody runs. Not everybody swims. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEC=UGA Posted August 2, 2012 Author Share Posted August 2, 2012 Excepting the disabled everybody runs. Not everybody swims. I don't run... I carry a .45 auto. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detlef Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 I don't run... I carry a .45 auto. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big John Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 So someone on the mens basketball team fell for a Nigerian scam, and was revenge time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooby's Hubby Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 About to be track & field time. Let the roid testing begin! Track & Field are, IMO, the best events of the Olympics. I just wish they showed more than just the sprints and relays. I like watching the long jumps, javelin and hammer throws and the high jumps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEC=UGA Posted August 3, 2012 Author Share Posted August 3, 2012 About to be track & field time. Let the roid testing begin! Track & Field are, IMO, the best events of the Olympics. I just wish they showed more than just the sprints and relays. I like watching the long jumps, javelin and hammer throws and the high jumps. It is my understanding that the Hutu nation and the Greeks will be battling it out for the Javelin gold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chargerz Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 About to be track & field time. Let the roid testing begin! Track & Field are, IMO, the best events of the Olympics. I just wish they showed more than just the sprints and relays. I like watching the long jumps, javelin and hammer throws and the high jumps. I enjoy track and field events also. My wife has been glued to the gymnastics competition. NOW it's my turn!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt770 Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 Remember that Chinese gymnast from the last Olympics who was clearly a young child? She's back. She looks about 12 but they are saying she's 20 because she was supposedly 16 last time around. So ridiculous that they are getting away with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh B Tool Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 Hands down swimmers are in the best shape of any Olympian. So they can compete in more events in a meet? Much easier said than done. Try as a track and field guy to even compete in two to three races in a days time and all being of different distances and strokes or cadences. Maybe with an hour break in between. Oh yeah that is incredibly easier in a water, rather on land. In a pigs arse. What Phelps has done is dominate over a 12 year period, let alone win Gold in most. The greatest Olympian ever without a doubt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loaf Posted August 4, 2012 Share Posted August 4, 2012 Remember that Chinese gymnast from the last Olympics who was clearly a young child? She's back. She looks about 12 but they are saying she's 20 because she was supposedly 16 last time around. So ridiculous that they are getting away with it. I saw here but didn't remember the controversy. I thought she looked like a really young 20 yo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slambo Posted August 4, 2012 Share Posted August 4, 2012 I haven't watched the Olympics since Roy Jones Jr. was robbed of a Gold Medal at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt770 Posted August 4, 2012 Share Posted August 4, 2012 Jebus, how awful is NBC's coverage. Lead off with 30 minutes of '96 girls gymnastics flashbacks, tease the swimming, then team volleyball, now frigging diving. Let me guess, we're still 2 hours from seeing Phelps. Normally I think NBC does a great job. And this is off-topic but Savannah Guthrie is a disaster on the Today show. I wasn't nuts about Ann Curry but she was head & shoulders above Gidget. They're lucky GMA is unwatchable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt770 Posted August 4, 2012 Share Posted August 4, 2012 Oh, and it was hot & sunny today, so the beach volleyball babes wore their bikinis. Do they show the match??? Nope, highlights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpwallace49 Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 The only thing worse than watching some of the events is flipping through the det vs az discussion in this thread. Pursuit bicycling around a roller derby indoor track ? W.t.f is that all about? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loaf Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 How dominant was Serena Williams yesterday? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detlef Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 100m final lived up to the hype. That was freaking awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detlef Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 Hands down swimmers are in the best shape of any Olympian. So they can compete in more events in a meet? Much easier said than done. Try as a track and field guy to even compete in two to three races in a days time and all being of different distances and strokes or cadences. Maybe with an hour break in between. Oh yeah that is incredibly easier in a water, rather on land. In a pigs arse. What Phelps has done is dominate over a 12 year period, let alone win Gold in most. The greatest Olympian ever without a doubt. Imagine that. The only thing that's been keeping track and field athletes from competing in as many different distances as swimmers do was simply not training hard enough. It's amazing that nobody has ever thought of that or been committed enough to put in the work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azazello1313 Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 interesting story somewhat relevant to my pissing match with det. medal favorite in the 1500m who dominated both his heats. his team didn't withdraw him from the 800m qualifier in time, so he went out and mailed it in to avoid any exertion that might hinder his chances in the 1500m final. got kicked out of the olympics for "not trying". I sympathize with this guy's plight a lot more than the stupid badminton players who were throwing matches just to manipulate matchups. but still man, if you want to go out and jog around two laps and come in last so you can save yourself, go for it. but wandering off the track through the infield? if you're out there on the olympic field wearing your country's flag, you gotta give it a little better than that. maybe it was intended as a sort of protest for not allowing him to withdraw? in any case, the reaction was probably harder against him given the backlash in response to that embarrassing badminton fiasco. back to our pissing match though, one thing I have to concede is that one sort of big difference between spanning middle-to-long distances in swimming and running is physiology. the elite runners tend to get a LOT smaller as you go up in distances, the elite swimmers seem to get smaller too, but much less so. I suppose it's because weight is more of a drag in distance running than it is in distance swimming. that factor alone probably makes it slightly more likely to see the 200m, 400m, 1500m combo in swimming than the 800m, 1500m, 5000m combo in running. in point of fact, however, the crossover between middle and long distance specialists in obviously very uncommon in both disciplines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detlef Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 that factor alone probably makes it slightly more likely to see the 200m, 400m, 1500m combo in swimming than the 800m, 1500m, 5000m combo in running. in point of fact, however, the crossover between middle and long distance specialists in obviously very uncommon in both disciplines. Again, in the last 5 Olympics, a total of 5 different times, it's either happened or nearly happened. 2 swimmers have earned a medal in all 3 of those distances, two others have earned medals in 2 of them and gotten 4th in the 3rd, and another has made the finals of all 3. I don't know of anyone who has ever come close to doing that in the 800/1500/5K during the same Olympics. At least not any time remotely recently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEC=UGA Posted August 6, 2012 Author Share Posted August 6, 2012 Wimmens synchronized swimming... Next up, wimmens pole vault. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevegrab Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 How dominant was Serena Williams yesterday? A little more dominant than Murray was over Federer. Amazing tennis gold medal matches. And something I have interest in watching (over a 3 hour marathon race, or cycling coverage). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detlef Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 Wimmens synchronized swimming... Next up, wimmens pole vault. And one of the hottest women in sports Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwacked Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 The USA - Canada women's soccer game live right now is absolutely epic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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