Posted on 02/15/2014 10:54:36 AM PST by SeekAndFind
The snow in the Caucasus Mountains is dissolving, the white patches shrinking, and many athletes on Team USA seem to be melting down with them. Some Americans are drained, and others are dragging. When they ski or they skate, they think they went fast, but then they look up at the clock and are stunned to find they were a second slow, and finish eighth. Team USA’s self-esteem is leaking away, and it’s triggering anxious super-secret coaching meetings and conspiracy theories. What’s in the Russian water table — and why are those Swiss timers so suspiciously slow?
It must be a plot — some foreign machination, causing this massive slippage. Four years ago in Vancouver, the Americans won more medals than anyone, with 37, but halfway through Sochi, the 13 medals they have won somehow don’t feel quite as memorable as the ones they let get away. They can’t win so much as a foiled chocolate in speedskating, where they’ve yet to finish any better than seventh. U.S. speedskating coach Ryan Shimabukuro said: “The fact that we’re that far out, something’s up.”
“It’s a mystery to me,” skater Brian Hansen said. “I think it’s a mystery to a lot of people.”
A mystery! At least that’s something for the American television audience to grab on to, because there is precious little suspense otherwise, save for the matter of when Bob Costas will return from his eye infection, and that’s a dodgy matter too. Who or what is poisoning us?
What accounts for this? Ted Ligety was the gold medal favorite in Friday’s super combined, yet he finished 12th, while Bode Miller was sixth, both of them shooting up huge rooster-tails of snow, futilely.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Being an American offers no pride anymore.
The feeling stems from our distinctly anti-American administration.
This is the first Olympics where I can honestly say I don’t give a crap what happens. I dont feel the need to cheer them on, and I certainly dont feel like a proud American in the “same boat”. Well, we’re in the same boat, but now i just feel like one of the slaves under the deck who are rowing, while so many are above deck sipping their mai tais.
I agree, but I also disagree.
Conservatives are all for offshoring US jobs. Just like liberals are.
Nobody is building up America right now.
We are letting our own country, fall to pieces right in front of our eyes.
Build up America. Now.
Wouldn’t be surprised *if* something was up given Russia’s penchant for corruption.
Maybe if they spent less time making commercials and appearances and more time training.. nnyyaaaaaa..
I haven’t spent one second watching the Olympics this time around.I’m just Not interested.This country’s well being is at stake.
You and Michelle Obama would get along so well. You both despise America. How precious. You make me vomit!
Haven't for a few cycles now, just not the same since the cold war ended.
BTW it was the networks that started the medal count thing, which I always found ridiculous. The Olympics are about individuals competing, IMO.
Another dismal Obama Failure.
The spying from Russia is super creepy.
I love international athletics and the peaks of the sports. I love seeing the young people achieve their dreams or at least make it to the big stage. I will always love the Olympics like I love the American presidency. The optimistic hope that it will be done right needs to be dusted off after a lot of clouds of politics from time to time.
And I enjoy seeing all of Gds children do their best, whether or not their country is mine.
I am embarrassed by our athletes. Their multicolored hair, tattoos, sloppy clothes, poor hygiene, and rumors of them “hooking up” with anything that moves in the Olympic village make me want to change to channel in disgust.
It had gotten so bad the other night, that I breathed a sigh of relief when an exceptionally poorly dressed boy who's pants keep falling down (because the small boy was wearing XXXX size clothes) while doing the slope style freestyle skiing turned out to be NOT American...
I was like THANK GOD! at least THAT one isn't one of ours!
Actually, that chart is outdated.
It used to be about competition,, now it’s smash your opponents and grab the medals and endorsements.
Pardon me for being so cynical but it is a hollow pre-packaged commercial rip-off.
I’ve watched some events .. but haven’t been able to catch a bad case of gas much less get my Olympic flame fired.
You know well it’s more complicated than that. Obamacare is part of america. The militarization of police is part of america. Crushing debt is part of america. The NFA, GCA, and FOPA are all part of america. The 16th and 17th amendments are part of America. The welfare state is part of America. The redistribution of wealth is part of America.
I do not support those things. I bet Michelle Obama does. How about you? Do those things make you proud of this country?
I don’t see why you can’t be proud of Americans who worked their entire lives for this and still be disappointed in the government.
Well, at least 85 of them wrote the UN to ask it to save the world from global warming. With an accomplishment such as that, why worry about getting medals?
That is exactly how I felt when I saw that kid!
Sad that we’ve come to expect our boys to look like sloppy brats.
I for one am tired of hearing them all whine and complain, Bode in particular. Funny, other athletes are getting down the hill...hmmm
We are now tied for first.
Funny to see you on this thread, so I’ll bite: how high should we raise taxes upon ourselves in order to get more Olympic medals? lol
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