Did you see the opening of the games?

[TheBadger]

2014 Sochi

I watched it last night with my wife. I thought the history of Russia in dance was really quite amazing. Though I had to listen to these stupid commentators on NBC pretend to be experts in sports, history, and art all at the same time, as they constantly talked through the performance.

At one point they were laughing and making fun of the "whale" and the inflatable buildings. They were joking that the inflatables looked like promotion gimmicks from a used car lot. They shut up pretty fast when the buildings all lifted of the ground and floated away like hot air balloons.

Its as though they were planing from the beginning to be negative. Is there a worse broadcaster in America than NBC?

Anyway, what I really wanted to talk about is that projection tech! 60 projectors on each side of the stage/field. Painting with light, they called it... OR something like that.
What do you guys think/know about this?!?

[cyphyr]

I have many comments I could make about the Russian leadership, and it's general lack of humanity.
The games can not be viewed in isolation of this.
However I shall just instead post this.

The Most Ridiculously Expensive Olympics Ever

[TheBadger]

Agreed. And I was openly against Putin while studying in Russia for 2 semesters.

But the russian people are no more the russian Government, than the American people are the US government, or the British the british government and so on. THe games the governments of the world play, are not the ones I tuned in for last night.

And as far as cost.LOL! What person in their right mind did not see that coming from the moment Sochi was named?

YOu can say all you like Richard, I probably will agree with you on most of it. I doubt there is much to argue about on the politics of it. Putin is and always has been a gangster thug.

[cyphyr]

I doubt I will be watching any of it (maybe a bit of the downhill, maybe), partly as we don't have a television, but mostly because it is of little interest to me.

I too share your pet hate of idiot commentators.  Getting some uneducated comedian to poke fun at something that most of the viewers would have tuned into because they were genuinely interested in is just plain rude.

[TheBadger]

(maybe a bit of the downhill, maybe)

Yep! lol! that is the part I like too.. and the down hill jump thing (whatever its called).
I have never been very interested in the games, and this is the first or second opening I ever sat through all of.

My wife loves the ice skating stuff though, so that will be on in my house till its over. Kinda envy you not having a TV now

But I do like dance and performance art (to a point) and I just thought it was all pretty impressive, is all. hmmmm, well if you think about it, maybe that was the point "look at all our beautiful dancers! Not at all our ugly problems!" Like the propaganda train? 

[Tangled-Universe]

I have many comments I could make about the Russian leadership, and it's general lack of humanity.
The games can not be viewed in isolation of this.
However I shall just instead post this.

The Most Ridiculously Expensive Olympics Ever

You may be right about this, but it would be "nice" if the press could at least try to focus on the sports from now on.

I'm SO f-ing tired of the negativity surrounding these olympics.
I always looked forward to them and so did the press usually, who warmed up the people for the games.
But now....now it's all shit and negativity and I really don't care about it anymore. I haven't watched a minute of it so far
The press totally wasted it for me.

Regardless of the issues.

[masonspappy]

And I was openly against Putin while studying in Russia for 2 semesters.

There's no disputin' that Putin....

[Seth]

I didn't hear so much hatred against a hosting country. Not even against China, or even the USA.

[fleetwood]

Agree - commentators were an abomination. Thanks for ruining it NBC. Save the hostility for your satire shows.
Oh and the gold medal counting mentality needs to go. 

[Seth]

As for the laws about banning gay propaganda : http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/02/03/eight-u-s-states-have-policies-similar-to-russias-ban-on-gay-propaganda/

[cyphyr]

As for the laws about banning gay propaganda : http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/02/03/eight-u-s-states-have-policies-similar-to-russias-ban-on-gay-propaganda/

??
And in Uganda they put them to death. But only Russia has the Olympic Games at the moment ...

[Seth]

The USA had them before and nobody cried about it then.

[Walli]

it has nothing to do with the country where the games are hosted. Well, in some countries it simply gets worse. IOC is one of the most corrupt organizations, they earn billions and countries have to pay.
I really was a big fan, but if people continue to close their eyes, then there will never be a change.
People in southern germany did the right thing and refused to host one of the upcoming winter games and this is the first time where I don´t watch a single minute of olympic games. And this has nothing to do with russia.

[TheBadger]

IOC is one of the most corrupt organizations

Yes! This is why I laugh at the shock of the cost of things in Sochi. IOC, meet russia! LOL. Bribes are not bribes in Russia, they are a "gratuity". The Russians are just trying to "get theirs", too... As frustrating as it can be for foreigners.

And I agree with Seth on this sex politics stuff. THe American Left does not give a damn about the plight of gay people in Russia. Their  just pissed because Putin took Obama to school and made him look like the putz he is. Life long KGB agent VS  professor, at politics? Give me a break.
All the attacks on the Russians form the left are sour grapes.

And Seth's link shows the same about america. Its politics and power. THey don't give a Damn about solving any problem or injustice, just using it for their own political games. Sorry to say.

But I have to say, even as someone who is not a "sports nut", I do like the idea of the olympics. Too bad its not what its supposed to be. The idea of aggressive competition without dead bodies or economic catastrophe is a pretty good idea.

[Walli]

yes, the olympic idea is great - it´s just a pitty that the IOC doesn´t care about their own ideals. It seems to be okay that workers die and don´t get paid for the hard work they have done. Not sure how well this works toether with the olympic ideals