The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver/Whistler

[whomario]

Opening ceremony on Friday ! closing ceremony Sunday, 28th.

what events are you looking forward to ?

Me personally the ski jumping events, allways been a big fan of the sport for many years now.
Also love the Biathlon.

Played curling myself, so gotta watch that even though i realize it´s definitely not an entertaining event for the outsider

After being at both places for a couple days last spring i kind of feel connected to the games more than usually.

Glad i have a DVR since new years, coming in handy with the time difference and all. Only gotta avoid the internet on days after recorded events ...

[Samdari]

Originally Posted by whomario

Played curling myself, so gotta watch that even though i realize it´s definitely not an entertaining event for the outsider

I look forward to the winter olympics primarily for curling.

Hockey is played 10 months a year, can see it nightly.

Figure skating makes tv for its big championships.

Winter X games is on every year.

The rest of the sports are pretty boring.

But curling and speed skating, you only get at the Olympics. This will be the first time I have a DVR during the Olympics, so I can pretty much fill my day with curling.

[Young Drachma]

I'm over curling. It's just cool at the Olympics because people who can't get into other events go watch.

Speedskating is too dramatic these days with the whole US team rift and the 1000x articles about how little money they make.

I'll watch, but it's not as interesting as it used to be.

[Kodos]

I find it hard to get excited about sports that I have no interest in regularly. Just because it is the Olympics doesn't mean that curling is any closer to being worth watching.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I'm just bordering on amazed they still make this.

[MacroGuru]

I always watch the Olympics as best as possible.

Speed Skating, Biathlon, Ski jump, luge and Bobsledding I love.

I missed out on when they came to Utah and I lived there. Never went to any event, couldn't do it at the time.

So I hope to DVR what I miss.

[molson]

Just Ice Hockey.

I can't get into a sport where it looks like everyone's doing exactly the same thing, except one of them does it .00001 seconds faster than everyone else.

[DaddyTorgo]

do they have snow yet?

[Johnny93g]

I was 8 the last time Canada hosted the games. We didn't win a gold and the big heroes were Elizabeth Manley, who won bronze I think, and Brian Orser, who won silver. But i remember them as a huge deal, school projects, watching events in class....

I am pretty excited, I think we'll get 24 hour coverage on 4 channels here. Always something to watch, and alot of projections have Canada doing quite well. We may actually win a gold!!!

[Dr. Sak]

I can't wait to watch the hockey...the 21st will be a great day!

Sunday, February 21
3:00 pm RUSSIA vs. CZECH REPUBLIC
7:45 pm CANADA vs. USA
12:00 am SWEDEN vs. FINLAND

[MikeVic]

Originally Posted by Samdari

I look forward to the winter olympics primarily for curling.

Hockey is played 10 months a year, can see it nightly.

Figure skating makes tv for its big championships.

Winter X games is on every year.

The rest of the sports are pretty boring.

But curling and speed skating, you only get at the Olympics. This will be the first time I have a DVR during the Olympics, so I can pretty much fill my day with curling.

I'll disagree with this. Hockey is very cool (to me) at the Olympics since you get very different teams. And we get a ton of curling up here regularly. I've only started to watch curling this year (women's) when I noticed a couple of cute, young girls on one of the province teams.

[Samdari]

Originally Posted by MikeVic

I'll disagree with this. Hockey is very cool (to me) at the Olympics since you get very different teams. And we get a ton of curling up here regularly. I've only started to watch curling this year (women's) when I noticed a couple of cute, young girls on one of the province teams.

We don't get any non-Olympic curling here. I am fascinated by it, and cannot wait to see it. I will probably skip the evening broadcast heavy with snowboarding and figure skating and watch DVR'ed curling.

[whomario]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

do they have snow yet?

there´s plenty of snow in Whistler. Not so much on Cypress Mountain by Vancouver, but they have it covered with transports and artificial snow i guess.

[Kevin]

Despite all the hype up here about trying to win the most medals, I think most Canadians really only care about hockey gold and then curling. Other medals are nice to have but these four are far and away the big barometer of Olympic success.

I will never forget watching the 2002 men's gold medal hockey game in the Ottawa airport. We drank the bar dry of all their beer and any flights boarding during the third period left without several of their passengers who refused to leave sight of the televisions.

It was also so cool that kids in Newfoundland and Labrador got the day off school in 2006 for the mens' gold medal curling match.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I'm all about the curling. I think they showed a bunch of it on MSNBC or CNBC the last Winter Olympics. They showed several matches throughout the day. It was all kinds of awesome.

[Fidatelo]

I couldn't care less about the curling, since we are inundated with it up here and, for the most part, the competition in the various tournaments within Canada is stronger overall than what we'll see in the Oly's.

Ice Hockey, mens and womens, will be my big focus. Although I looked at the schedule and there isn't really a good game until the 20th or 21st. Seems like all the top teams are just playing against scrubs for their first couple games, which is pretty boring.

The aerials in skiing are fun to watch, but I won't go out of my way.

Everything else will only be watched if I happen to be sitting around and I can't think of anything else to watch or do.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

I couldn't care less about the curling, since we are inundated with it up here and, for the most part, the competition in the various tournaments within Canada is stronger overall than what we'll see in the Oly's.

I smell Canuck elitism. Our curling stones are bigger than your curling stones.

[DaddyTorgo]

love the olympics. will probably dvr a ton of stuff. luge/bobsled aren't that exciting, nor is curling, but most everything else will get dvr'd.

not sure if i like summer or winter more. summer has some great sports - water polo anyone???

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

I couldn't care less about the curling, since we are inundated with it up here and, for the most part, the competition in the various tournaments within Canada is stronger overall than what we'll see in the Oly's.

wtf are the Oly's??? Is that some of your crazy canadian slang???

[Samdari]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

The aerials in skiing are fun to watch, but I won't go out of my way.

See, I think that stuff, and the snowboarding, is glorified figure skating. Besides being avaliable to watch every winter on ESPN.

I feel like we are inundated with that crap here.

[johnnyshaka]

Speaking of curling, the Canadian Men's team (Kevin Martin and friends) have been training at a local rink here in Edmonton...and it so happens my grandfather curls there as well. One morning a few weeks ago both my grandfather and Kevin Martin were doing their thing when my grandfather made a pretty nice double. Kevin and his crew cheered the great shot and acknowledged the old guys playing on the sheet next to them. Well, my grandfather (who's quite the character and never one to shy away from any opportunity to be a joker) hollers over to Martin, one of the best curlers in the world:

"Maybe if you keep at this game you might be able to make a shot like that someday!"

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by johnnyshaka

Speaking of curling, the Canadian Men's team (Kevin Martin and friends) have been training at a local rink here in Edmonton...and it so happens my grandfather curls there as well. One morning a few weeks ago both my grandfather and Kevin Martin were doing their thing when my grandfather made a pretty nice double. Kevin and his crew cheered the great shot and acknowledged the old guys playing on the sheet next to them. Well, my grandfather (who's quite the character and never one to shy away from any opportunity to be a joker) hollers over to Martin, one of the best curlers in the world:

"Maybe if you keep at this game you might be able to make a shot like that someday!"

awwwww

your grandfather knew who it was he was talking to i assume?

[whomario]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

not sure if i like summer or winter more. summer has some great sports - water polo anyone???

Water Polo is evil, most brutal sport i´ve ever played. My cousin´s cousins both allways played (1 of them actually played for the national team on a few ocasions and was one of the last cuts before the bejing olympics) and one birthday they got me to give in and i came with them to a practice of their clubs b-team. Most intense experience in my live, absolutely terrifying and unbelievably exhausting.
And i´m a pretty good swimmer, so it wasn´t like i was drowning by myself allready.

[mckerney]

I am most looking forward to the Olympics being over so there will be new episodes of Chuck on again.

[Scoobz0202]

Originally Posted by mckerney

I am most looking forward to the Olympics being over so there will be new episodes of Chuck on again.

+1.

I don't know how I didn't already figure it would be like that but I was disappointed when at the end of the last episode it said it won't be back until the monday following the winter olympics.

[johnnyshaka]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

awwwww

your grandfather knew who it was he was talking to i assume?

Every curler (and probably any Canadian who reads the sports section of their local newspaper) knows who Kevin Martin is...so, yes, he most certainly did.

Regarding the Olympics, I'm actually looking forward to seeing the Opening Ceremonies...hockey...curling...and speed skating. It will also be a very much needed break from the Oilers...I think that's what I'm looking forward to the most.

[Glengoyne]

I think I'll be DVRing some curling this time around as well. Last time, I didn't see much curling coverage in the evenings. Too damn much figure skating.

I think my wife is a bit curious as to why I have three curling apps for my iPod Touch.

[Samdari]

Originally Posted by johnnyshaka

any Canadian who reads the sports section of their local newspaper

You guys still have newspapers? That is so 20th century.

[MikeVic]

Originally Posted by Samdari

You guys still have newspapers? That is so 20th century.

Racist.

[molson]

They should really move basketball to the winter olympics.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by molson

They should really move basketball to the winter olympics.

Half a dozen jokes here. Half a dozen easily.

[molson]

Originally Posted by Dark Cloud

Half a dozen jokes here. Half a dozen easily.

Are any of them knock-knock jokes? It's been a while since I've heard a good knock-knock joke.

[johnnyshaka]

Originally Posted by Samdari

You guys still have newspapers? That is so 20th century.

We have to do something with all the trees we removed to twin the highways in BC for the Olympics!!!

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by molson

Are any of them knock-knock jokes? It's been a while since I've heard a good knock-knock joke.

Hehe...no.

[Tasan]

I like just about all of it except for cross country skiing and downhill slalom. I can't wait for some curling and bobsledding/skeleton/luge. If anyone else has it, the Universal Sports station has been showing the World Cup events from the down-the-ice sports like bobsledding for the last few weeks.

I'm also geeked for ski jumping. There's just something about flying down a hill with nothing but skis and a prayer that is just cool.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by mckerney

I am most looking forward to the Olympics being over so there will be new episodes of Chuck on again.

When it returns I strongly suggest you nag everyone you know to return to watching it quickly.

It's basically considered a bubble show, on the renewal side at this point but if the return is slow and they drop down to something like 2.2 or less instead of their standard 2.4-2.5 then it could find itself on the wrong side of the bubble.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by molson

They should really move basketball to the winter olympics.

+1

[Lathum]

Chalk me up as another one who loves the curling, my wife doesn't get why. I'm not sure I do either.

[Ajaxab]

Originally Posted by Glengoyne

I think I'll be DVRing some curling this time around as well. Last time, I didn't see much curling coverage in the evenings. Too damn much figure skating.

I think my wife is a bit curious as to why I have three curling apps for my iPod Touch.

How's Age of Curling anyway? It actually looks like it could be interesting.

[Passacaglia]

Knock Knock.

Who's There?

Basketball.

Basketball who?

Basketball in the Winter Olympics.

[whomario]

actually also looking forward to the hockey tournament as i normally don´t follow the sport but really enjoy it every other year at the worl championchips or Olympics.

[Honolulu_Blue]

I can't wait for the hockey to start. I already have the schedule printed out and highlighted for each of the games. I'm a little torn about the whole thing, however.

On one hand, I'd like to see America win the gold, because, well, I'm American. On the other hand, I would like to see Canada win because Steve Yzerman is the GM and Mike Babcock is the head coach. Then you have the half dozen Red Wings on the Swedish team, though they won it last time so I am not overly concerned, and the Russian team should be a ton of fun to watch. I don't think Russia is quite as deep as Canada, but I don't think any team can really beat their top forwards: Ovechkin, Malkin, Kovalchuck, and Datsyuk.

[Dr. Sak]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

On one hand, I'd like to see America win the gold, because, well, I'm American. On the other hand, I would like to see Canada win because Steve Yzerman is the GM and Mike Babcock is the head coach.

You forgot to add that your man crush Sidney Crosby is on that team too.

On a serious note, I'm also really excited for the hockey...but I am pulling for the USA 100%. It'll be the first time that all my friends and I can root for the same team...pretty much ever.

[ISiddiqui]

Woot! I love the Winter Olympics. I enjoy it far more than the Summer ones. Mostly for sports like curling, speed skating, luge, and the skiing, as well as interesting stuff like speed biking (or whatever its called).

[Big Fo]

Originally Posted by molson

They should really move basketball to the winter olympics.

The Summer Olympics are far more interesting, this would help close the gap.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by Big Fo

The Summer Olympics are far more interesting, this would help close the gap.

Taking hockey out of the equation, I find the Summer and Winter games to be pretty much equal. But once you take olympic hockey into account, it's a no brainer.

The Winter Olympics is really just an awesome hockey tournament with a bunch of other stuff going on around the periphery.

Olympic basketball does nothing for me.

[Dr. Sak]

Jagr to carry the flag for Czech Republic
Ziggy Palffy to carry the flag for Slovakia
Peter Forsberg to carry the flag for Sweden
Alexei Morozov to carry the flag for Russia

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Dr. Sak

Jagr to carry the flag for Czech Republic
Ziggy Palffy to carry the flag for Slovakia
Peter Forsberg to carry the flag for Sweden
Alexei Morozov to carry the flag for Russia

Will the Flying Tomato be carrying the U.S. flag?

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Will the Flying Tomato be carrying the U.S. flag?

I'm sure you were joking, but if i had to guess (and i haven't looked...i'm sure the info is out there), I'd guess it'd be Apollo Ohno carrying the U.S. flag.

[DaddyTorgo]

well now i looked and i was wrong

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Back in 1984, Mark Grimmette was startled to find bulldozers ripping into the side of his favorite sledding hill.
Turns out, a luge track was being built. Grimmette went out and helped the crew finish the job.

That was the first step along a path that would bring him to five Olympics as a doubles luge competitor, plus the honor of being the U.S. flagbearer for Friday night's opening ceremony of the Vancouver Games.