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Not watching the Olympics? Too bad for you.
San Francisco Chronicle ^ | February 20, 2006 | Tim Goodman

Posted on 02/20/2006 12:56:56 PM PST by Cecily

In the pantheon of bad ideas as they pertain to newspapers, you will almost always find an editor or nine. It's uncanny how they can ceaselessly come up with something obvious or dull -- hey, let's write about ratings! -- but when applied to the Olympics there's also what they perceive to be a Bigger Picture. Namely, what does it mean for us as a country and a people if the Olympics get trounced by prime-time soap operas or reality series about treacly cats?

While we suspect it has a lot to do with the Nordic combined or the biathlon, it could conceivably have something to do with meritless male divas performing badly on ice skates or an adult's inability to tell a child the difference between the luge and the skeleton -- other than one goes head first, the other feet first and that neither should ever be copied off the roof.

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Sports; TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: 2006olympics; torino
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To: Hatteras

Hmmm...mebbe I'll tune in tonight. When is the ice dancing on??


21 posted on 02/20/2006 1:20:50 PM PST by Pharmboy (The stone age didn't end because they ran out of stones.)
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To: sarasota
This year's Olympics were over-hyped.

I agree. Not more than two months ago, I recall seeing promos with skiers being chased by demons, skaters with their blades on fire, athletes dodging huge explosions and braving end of the world type storms- as if to admit that the Olympics isn't really all one would hope it to be.

22 posted on 02/20/2006 1:21:03 PM PST by new cruelty
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To: Cagey
LOL


23 posted on 02/20/2006 1:23:28 PM PST by maggief (and the dessert cart rolls on ...)
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To: Cecily
what does it mean for us as a country and a people if the Olympics get trounced by prime-time soap operas or reality series about treacly cats?

That even boring, mindless material is less boring and less mindless than the Olympics?

24 posted on 02/20/2006 1:24:07 PM PST by PistolPaknMama (Al-Queda can recruit on college campuses but the US military can't! --FReeper airborne)
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To: Pharmboy

It's actually taking place now, but broadcast 8 hours later in the USA.


25 posted on 02/20/2006 1:26:10 PM PST by gopwinsin04
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To: Cecily
Namely, what does it mean for us as a country and a people if the Olympics get trounced by prime-time soap operas or reality series about treacly cats?

It means that Most winter Olympic sports are boring and lame, we want to be entertained and don't want to watch shuffle board on ice.

26 posted on 02/20/2006 1:35:43 PM PST by Echo Talon
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To: RepoGirl
We have the best looking curling team, to bad its not a beauty pageant. :)
27 posted on 02/20/2006 1:37:39 PM PST by Echo Talon
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To: maggief


http://www.funny-games.biz/puppy-curling.html


28 posted on 02/20/2006 1:37:41 PM PST by Cagey ("Soldiers, keep by your officers. For God's sake, keep by your officers!")
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To: maggief; Cagey
Hey now, I liked them both.

I did kinda get hooked on the US Curling Teams. I even had to yahoo up the international rules just so I could figure out how they were scoring the Darn thing. I heard the US mens team lost today but I'll still try and catch the rerun tonight if they run it.
29 posted on 02/20/2006 1:40:47 PM PST by PeteB570 (Guns, what real men want for Christmas)
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To: Cagey

What’s with this sport curling? With the broom thing? How do you turn pro in curling? Do you become a maid? (Leno)


30 posted on 02/20/2006 1:41:00 PM PST by maggief (and the dessert cart rolls on ...)
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To: maggief

LOL! That's good.

Okay, I found one.


Q: How do you stop bacon from curling in the frying pan?

A: Take away their brooms!


31 posted on 02/20/2006 1:44:27 PM PST by Cagey ("Soldiers, keep by your officers. For God's sake, keep by your officers!")
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To: gopwinsin04

I've watched about 20 minutes of the Olympics each night.

It was time wasted. We can get the daytime reults right here on FR from people who watch it in real time on Canadian Broadcasting.


32 posted on 02/20/2006 1:46:03 PM PST by Palladin ("Governor Lynn Swann."...it has a nice ring to it!)
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To: stainlessbanner
The tearjerker stories run longer that the actual events.

That's why people no longer care about the Olympics. The soap opera media has killed the games. Did Katie win a gold medal for her shopping trip in Torino? What sport was the condoms with ballons on their heads?
.
33 posted on 02/20/2006 1:47:10 PM PST by mugs99 (Don't take life too seriously, you won't get out alive.)
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To: maggief; Cagey; Palladin

OMG! The judges may have left a window open for the USA tonight...the looks on the Russian faces indicated they may not have clinched


34 posted on 02/20/2006 1:48:48 PM PST by gopwinsin04
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To: mugs99
They were hyping up the mens 1000 meter race with the American Ohno. Long drawn out story, and the announcer says the event will be aired "later tonite" - 5 hours from now.

Switched channels and the news ticker said he won 3rd. No reason to watch the event.

Very boring coverage. The soap opera stories wear on you after awhile. They should just show the events - that's what the Olympics are about.

35 posted on 02/20/2006 1:57:55 PM PST by stainlessbanner (Downhome Dixie)
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To: Pharmboy
The German babe on speedskating last night was pretty sharp...

Anni Friesinger

Not to mention the sweetie-pie from Denmark that actually won the gold...

Marianne Timmer

36 posted on 02/20/2006 1:59:16 PM PST by Hatteras
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To: Hatteras

Ooops, the gold medalist, Timmer, is from the Netherlands. Sorry... They all look alike.


37 posted on 02/20/2006 2:03:55 PM PST by Hatteras
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To: Echo Talon

I have to agree with you there! What I want to know is... who is drawn to curling? And why? And what does it take to be a Gold-medalist in the sport? And why?


38 posted on 02/20/2006 2:05:52 PM PST by RepoGirl ("Ow! My eye! I'm not supposed to get jigs in it!" Lenny Leonard)
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To: stainlessbanner
They should just show the events - that's what the Olympics are about.

I agree. I won't waste my time watching until they do.
.
39 posted on 02/20/2006 2:08:30 PM PST by mugs99 (Don't take life too seriously, you won't get out alive.)
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To: gopwinsin04
OMG! The judges may have left a window open for the USA tonight...the looks on the Russian faces indicated they may not have clinched

Whoa!

40 posted on 02/20/2006 2:11:04 PM PST by Cagey ("Soldiers, keep by your officers. For God's sake, keep by your officers!")
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