Germany, U.S. finish 1-2 in medal count (Torino Olympics)

Yahoo News ^ | DAVID CRARY

[Michael81Dus]

YESSS!!!

[Michael81Dus]

Ping

[dfwgator]

Deutschland Uber Alles, eh Michael. ;)

[Michael81Dus]

If it´s during a fair sports competition, you shouldn´t be mocking, should you? I mean, still better than marching with our helmets (see thread about Dutch orange plastic helmets for Soccer World Cup 2006 in Germany) to our neighbour countries. ;-)

By the way, the US team is better than 2002, when you finished as third (and we as the second). Norway surprisingly wasn´t in good shape.

I really enjoyed the Olympics, especially biathlon. Shooting and cross-country is really exciting.

[Michael81Dus]

Oh, and do you need a lesson in the history of the Deutschland-song?? I mean, the part when the Nazis abused the song is still in the heads of foreigners, but the intended meaning of the words shouldn´t be forgotten. If you want to hear the song, click on the link in my profile. :-) /Advertising off

[TitansAFC]

U.S. could've done better, and finished first:

Imagine if Kwan were able to compete, or if Bode Miller actually did....well.....anything at all. Or if the speed skaters actually fielded their best team in the relays. Or if the U.S. women bothered to show up at all for just about any non-ice-skating sport. Man, our women athletes just crumbled this time. Still, second is better than 2002!

There's always 2010!!!!

[Alberta's Child]

True. The U.S. did very well in the overall medal count, mainly because a number of U.S. athletes won medals unexpectedly. All in all, I think most people are going to remember this as a disappointing Winter Olympic for the U.S. -- mainly because the U.S. came up woefully short in a number of events where it was expected to do well.

When looking at "true" medal counts for the U.S., I usually eliminate those events where the U.S. almost always does well simply because very few other countries compete in them to the same level that we do (like aerial skiing, snowboarding, and women's hockey, for example).

[Michael81Dus]

Winter Olympics are always more exclusive. A German newspaper wrote leaning to a Audi advertisement slogan: "Advantage through technical skills". It´s to a large extent about technics, such as the bobs, the ice skates, the skies, etc.

[dfwgator]

The Germans can thank the fact that now there are so many different Biathlon events for their win. 11 out of their 29 medals came from Biathlon alone. Take that away and frankly the Germans were a bit disappointing, especially in the Alpine events. But I guess a win is a win.

[dfwgator]

Had it not been for the X-Games events, the US did pretty dismal, although they did much better towards the end, (Bode not withstanding)

[LdSentinal]

Did Bode Miller or Michael Weir win the gold medal for being the biggest jacka$$ of the Olympics?

[dollar_dog]

When looking at "true" medal counts for the U.S., I usually eliminate those events where the U.S. almost always does well simply because very few other countries compete in them to the same level that we do.

Well, then, I hope you do the same for Germany who always win Luge and Bobsledding medals.

I thought Team USA did awesome this Olympics, and the facts back that up. If one bases everything on the success of a particular individual or sport, one is missing the "true" point of the Olympics.

[Michael81Dus]

And we can be glad that Ole Einar Bjoerndalen (NOR) did so bad. Michael Greis alone made three gold medals. And of course, we would rank as 20th or so, if we hadn´t the sport promotion program of our armed forces, allowing athletes to be paid by the mil and train in the mil sports centers. More than half of our athletes are soldiers. How is it in the US? How can your athletes afford to train, they surely can´t have normal jobs.

[Wolfhound777]

...or if Bode Miller actually did....well.....anything at all.

If bar hopping and getting drunk were events, he would have two gold medals. He is a complete disgrace and a pathetic loser. He is a whiner and always has a myriad of excuses for his poor performance. I can not believe we let people like this represent the United States. He should have to pay back every dime he wasted to the USA to pay us back for sending him to Turin.

[Proud_USA_Republican]

Considering it was the best we have ever done in the winter olympics at a non-american venue, I would say Team USA kicked major ass.

Major kudos to them all!!! Was a great olympics.

[dfwgator]

Bode wanted to be the American Tomba. Except for one thing, Tomba knew how to win.

[Michael81Dus]

Really, we haven´t heard about a drunken B. Miller. He was a hope for the US Team, but that´s all that was covered here. I guess the doping scandal around Team Austria distracted from him. Despite the negative urine results, I´m convinced that the suspected Austrians have used blood doping.

Oh, and don´t be disappointed, all the athletes and media guys here said that the Olympics in Salt Lake City were a lot better than this. In SLC, there were cheering crowds of people at the sports events and no traffic chaos - unlike in Turino.

[PzLdr]

Who the hell cares. Another fourth year interruption of network TV [which is saying something].

[AmishDude]

I love Luge. A sport where you lie on your back and wait until it's over.

I was surprised to know there was a men's division.

[Bon mots]

Deutschland Uber Alles!

I thought that the original meaning of the slogan was from the Unification of Germany. Before then, many Germans thought of themselves as Hessians, Bavarians, etc.

They were encouraged to think of themselves as "German above all! Deutschland Uber Alles!

There was nothing terribly nasty about it, until the Nazis hijacked the slogan - along with the brilliant work of Nietsche and others...