Does anyone else have Olympic fever? I forgot all about the start of the Olympics and spent the opening ceremonies outside sitting around a campfire with the kids. I was really bummed that I missed them until I found a replay online HERE! So if any of you guys missed them, check it out. Pretty darn spectacular, huh? Except when they get to the part where all the countries are walking in. That's the part where I got amazingly stupid. I'm embarrassed to admit I haven't heard of half those countries! I think they made them up!Oooo and HERE are some cool Olympic videos too. These are for all the moms who take the time to drive your kids to practice and lessons and meets. For the parents who wake up early to take their kids to the gym or the pool; for those who routinely serve dinner at 4:00 in order to get their kids to practice on time. It's for the parents who forgo some luxuries they'd like so they can afford the lessons and workshops and uniforms for their children; for the parents who freeze their butts off/melt in the heat in the stands to cheer their child on. And, what the heck, it's for all those parents who say, "There is no way I'm getting up that early to take you to the pool" or "I'm SO not signing you up for hockey. We just finished baseball and I don't think I can take anymore sports right now!" Not that I've ever said anything like that. A-hem. Make sure you click on the UK videos so you can hear them talk!!! They sound so cool! (My UK readers don't need to do this because you already know how you talk.)
So, what's your favorite Olympic event?
*****more than one post tonight so scroll down to see the other one*****
43 comments:
Gymnastics is also my favorite. We also like beach volleyball. Isn't interesting how things have changed in some areas. Like the mens' swimsuits... they now cover more skin than women's beach volleyball uniforms.
I think the trampoline is really an exercise in bladder control. Right?
I'm with you on the Gymnastics.
I like the swimming! The videos are awesome. Thanks for sharing!
Swimming. My kids are swimmers.
the mens gymnastics last night was awesome. i like strong men...
My favorites have always been gymnastics and swimming. In the past couple of Olympics I have actually enjoyed the beach volleyball. I know - the women wear next to nothing. But have you tried jumping in the sand?? They amaze me.
Swimming and Diving have to be my favorites. But I love watching all of it!
There must be something wrong with me, but I HATE the Olympics! They take up too much time on TV and are boring, boring, boring! doesn't mean others shouldn't watch them, but I don't care for them. Not only does it take all the time on the TV channel that's showing them, but the other channels assume everyone's watching the Olympics and don't show anything worth watching.
Obviously I'm in the minority. *sigh*
I love watching all of the events. If I had to pick I would say gymnastics, swimming, and track & field events. It is just so hard to choose one.
Thanks! We missed the opening ceremonies, too, and were wondering how to see a replay.
The 4X100 free relay was AMAZING tonight!!!
I love watching the Olympics. Plus, I think I can get 2 weeks of good behavior from my 4 year old son. All I have to do is threaten to take away his TV priviledges, and he's an angel. He'll watch any sport, it just doesn't matter to him. With about 2 cans of Coke, he can probably do his own version of gymnastics flips, jumps and tumbling!
I love the Olympics, I am Australian and my hubby is South African so we get quiet competitive when we watch the swimming. I also love the equestrian events and gymnastics...especially the men for the eye candy...
I am totally with you, I had no idea that trampoline was an event! I told my wife that was probably the only one I could do! How hard could it be to BOUNCE? She said she thought it might be a bit more complicated than just bouncing...she has also told me not to go on American Idol, or Survivor, something about not making it to the first round and being eaten by lions...
Aloha Dawn,
I found your blog through Rick. I saw your picture that he draw above, how cute is that!! My favorite is gymnastics, volleyball, and soccer. I enjyoed my visit and will be back to read more need to do some laundry. (sigh)
Lorie
Gymnastics is my favorite too, although the diving is always pretty amazing! And did you know they have badminton? Yep, badminton! I spent a good part of last July playing badminton with my husband's cousin's children, aged 4 and 2. But apparently, if you are good enough at knocking the birdie around, you too can go to the Olympic games!
Diving, anytime!
iLOVE the olympics! aside from the sports i love the gossip around it. did you know that part of the opening ceremony was not live??? (the footprint fireworks)
and i was surprised to find out that american media has the power to set the time of events. this is why the swimmers have their competitions so early so that americans can watch it live at night! crazy! so much money involved.
and a cute story, in athens, a guy who could have won the gold in some rifle shooting competition ended up shooting at the wrong mark and he left without a medal. BUT that night he met his future wife who won gold in (guess what), right, shooting a rifle, yesterday!
franzi
Me, me, me! I love the Olympics, too. I already have three or four posts on the subject on my blog LOL Badminton is also an Olympic sport.
This is the first year I've had a DVR, so there isn't a need to have three different VCRs set up to tape every hour possible. Right now I'm watching rowing but forwarded through the beach volleyball.
Can't wait to see the videos you recommended - and to hear the accents lol
OH and I was so embarrassed that I didn't know so many of the countries. One country was Turkmenistan and it has a huge long border with Iran - never heard of it. I was a geography minor in college. I guess I know now why it was my minor LOL
Another one you wouldn't think of being a sport in the olympics is badmittion. My husband was watching it the other night.
I have always loved the gymnastics. I think I always wanted to do that (not that I am or have ever been flexible at all). As an adult, I also like swimming. I can't really do that either and the male swimmers are hot!
Thank you for the link to watch the opening ceremony. I missed them and when I went to look for a link, all I got were fireworks!
Have you not seen Forest Gump? I know you've mentioned not watching too many movies before, but that is a can't miss one! *Of COURSE* table tennis is an Olympic Sport! :)
Yeah I'm really surprised at how much fun I am having watching everything! My favorite is the swimming. Did you catch the last relay race on Sunday? When we won by 8/100th of a second??
~M
I love the Olympics. There something so beguiling about all that competitive nature all balled in to two weeks. We've just been jumping up and down in Britian over our second Gold (we don't get that many so we've got to cheer each and every one!)
The Olympics have started? That means I don't have to turn the TV on for a couple of weeks as there will be nothing worth watching! Now if it were the Winter Olympics and figure skating it might be worth turning it.
Actually, speaking as a physicist the gymnasts are not defying the laws of physics but using them (Conservation of Momentum, Conservation of Energy, etc) to their advantage. Knowing how and why their movements work makes them all the more interesting to watch if you like that sort of thing.
I missed the opening ceremonies because I had to work, so thanks for doing that. I just watched, and it was amazing!!!!
This year, I think my favorite is swimming because I just did a sprint triathlon and I'm still trying to figure out how to swim properly. (Don't be too impressed, my goal was to finish, which I did. I highly recommend the Danskin women's triathlon series for ANY woman out there, if you're looking for some motivation!) Anyway, I love seeing the swimmers from the underwater cameras. I'm learning all the things I do wrong! But also, swimming is my favorite this year because DARA TORRES is my new hero! She's 21 days older then me, winning medals and breaking records! Go girl!!
HUGE Olympic fan here! Especially the summer games. I get so excited when they're on, I think because it turns sporting events into the 4th of July. You can cheer like crazy but you're being patriotic at the same time.
Favorite event- usually gymnastics for me, but I'm really loving the swimming this year too. How can you not be proud to be an American when we beat the snot out of those French snobs! ;)
I love the gymnastics (both men and women) but this year with the mens team down two of their best and the womens being a little shaky in the qualifying round (fingers crossed for them) Swimming has completely captured my attention.. go Phelps!! If you didn't watch the 4x100 relay race you MUST go find it, I almost fell off the couch I was so excited!
Swimming is by far my favorite. I'm a huge Michael Phelps fan so I'll be plastered to the TV for the next week. I also enjoy diving, gymnastics, beach volleyball, and track and field.
And I have to agree with Anonymous that the 4X100 free relay was INSANE last night. I was starting to think the Americans couldn't do it but that was an unbelievable comback.
Hubby was a nationally ranked gymnast in HS and collge...college he was single event (high bar) so he couldn't try out...you have to do all around, but two of his teammates were on the team, just didn't make the final cut.
Tim Daggett does amazing play by play coverage of the Olympic gymnasts...he is by far the best in years. And he is in person just like he is doing coverage...really nice, down to earth guy. Bart Connor, OTOH, let's just say he's not been my favorite of all the gymnasts hubby competed again (he's a terrible loser, for starters) And we'll leave it at that (but hubby threw a beautiful set and Someone on the Neb team didn't like it at all and sulked.)
Hi Dawn,
Something up for discussion... at what age do you (and others) think it's OK for children to be left home alone for short periods? My friend and I do not see eye2eye on this, nor should we b/c IL and most other states do not have a law, just guidelines. Just curious about others. Thanks!
I am obsessed with the Olympics. Have been as long as I can remember. We love them. And its something my husband can agree on. We will watch most any of the events. And it is always exciting because I have known someone to compete in the Olympics every year since 1992 (when I was 12).
The Opening Ceremony was INCREDIBLE to say the least!
I am so surprised you haven't commented on the 33 year old female gymnast for Germany. Amazing in the sport of gymnastics.
We also enjoy the Little League world series. THat was quite a game between Ohio and Indiana the other night.
Equestrian events!
ping pong? Ping pong!? Next were gonna start playing tiddly winks! (I hope I spelled that right!) and my fave summer one is all the horse stuff, thats my fave Animal. And my fave winter one is bobsledding.
Because of China's human rights abuses and forced abortions on mothers that are 9 months along, I will not be watching.
I'm not watching the Olympics this year, because of China's terrible human rights record, including forced abortions, and especially because Christians are persecuted, imprisoned, tortured and killed there. I usually love the opening ceremonies, but I can't bring myself to watch them.
Lurve the olympics. I'm riveted to:
Gymnastics
Diving (I used to do this once upon a time)
Synchronised Swimming
Rhythmic Gymnastics
Hockey
Water Polo
You should definately try to catch some of the table tennis - its insane!
For summer, we love gymnastics, swimming and softball. What is this synchronized diving thing? Regular diving isn't hard enough, we have to do it in unison? My husband insists it's been around for a very long time. So of course I had to look it up. Turns out it was added in 2000, in Sydney. Ha, take that, husband.
I love gymnastics, swimming & pole vaulting (I know wierd but it looks fun!)
Oh yeah I forgot water polo. But it has nothing to do with scantily clad wet chisled men, nothing at all.
*ahem*
I have major Olympic fever. I am trying to spread the fever to my own children. I made them torches out of wrapping paper rolls, duct tape and tissue paper (you can see them on my blog if you feel so inclined). We are having different Olympic events for them every day and strongly encouraging our two year olds to watch the coverage. I know- a tad obsessed.
I wasn't aware that trampoline was an olympic event until I met my father-in-law's fiance. She is an olympic gold medalist in trampoline! Her name is Leigh Hennessy, and she's now a stunt woman in Hollywood. She was Demi Moore's stunt double in GI Jane! Her father was a trampoline coach here in Acadiana (SW Louisiana) for years. This year, we are vey proud that both of the US trampoline competetors are from Louisiana! Here's a link to an article about them and about Leigh's father.
http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080815/SPORTS/808150337/-1/NEWSFRONT2
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