Olympics

[House of Mustard]

I'm not sure why Puerto Rico is allowed to put up their own team, other than the fact that they have their own government.  American Samoa and Guam also fit into that category.  Personally, I have no problem with it.  If Puerto Rico was a state I could see comparing it to Alabama or North Carolina, but it's not.  And it doesn't look like it's going to be a state any time soon--Puerto Ricans voted several times to remain part of a commonwealth and avoid statehood.

But that's not what my point is...

My point is that the Puerto Rico game is not all that different from any other Olympic basketball game, with respect to the NBA.  Puerto Rico is certainly not the only team with NBA players.  Argentina, for example, has five NBAers (P.R. only had four).  Australia has two.  Spain has three.  Even little old Serbia has EIGHT (though some are ex-NBA now.)  

The truth is that the NBA is changing--bringing in a lot of foreigners who maintain a dual citizenship.  The European basketball leagues are getting bigger.  When you view the NBA, you can no longer think of it as a bunch of Americans.  So the fact that Puerto Rico had a lot of NBA players is NOT self-defeating.  It's just a sign that the world is getting better at basketball.

[42]

The US should just grant statehood to any country that beats them in the Olympics. Then the US would never lose.  

Actually, one of the things I like about the Olympics is getting to see sports I would never get to watch normally. Not that I'm a big sports watcher. Course maybe that's because there isn't that much selection to choose from.

[House of Mustard]

I think that the Olympics could be spiced up a bit by putting in some of those American Gladiator events.  That'd be sweet.

[Peter Ahlstrom]

When I was in Japan there was this show called Sasuke Challenge that had some awesome American Gladiator-like stuff. Well, I guess not really, since it was basically just obstacle course stuff against a clock...didn't have to fight any gladiators, but it was still really cool.

[Mad Dr Jeffe]

I always thought combining sports would be cool,...
Discus Vs Javalin "Its a head to head battle to the death"
Skeet and High Jump
"He jumps and thats a beautiful shot" "Yeah he really nailed him that time Chuck"
Judo vs Fencing
"its raw skill versus 36 inches of toledo steel"

[House of Mustard]

Seriously, what about Paintball?  I mean, they have Air Rifles, so paintball isn't that big of a stretch.

[42]

I think paintball could have some security issues at the olympics. Giving the Iranian team and the Isreali team both guns and telling them to go hunt each other down. I don't think that the olympics are meant to imitate life that much.

[House of Mustard]

Athletes are only allowed to whack at each other with swords then?  Or punch each other in the face?  Or kick each other?

[42]

My point is that paintball resembles military action, A LOT. Fencing, boxing and judo do not.

[House of Mustard]

I'll concede that, but that doesn't mean it wouldnt be neat.

Here's a neat idea for a sport, though:  Swimming races, except the swimmers all have blindfolds, and there are no lane dividers.  Just imagining it makes me laugh out loud.

[EUOL]

Combine your ideas, HoM!  Give'em paintball guns too.  They have to swim from one end of the pool to the other, blindfolded, and anyone they manage to shoot is disqualified.

[House of Mustard]

So more like blind water polo with guns?

[Mad Dr Jeffe]

Marco!

Polo!

<bang, bang, bang, bang bang>

Marco!

heh, the fun never stops.

[Peter Ahlstrom]

Tonight's gymnastics final was an incredible television event. NBC ROCKED that coverage (and the 2 Americans played right into their hands).

By the way, the Modern Pentathlon is an Olympic event that sounds sorta like some of the things suggested in this thread.

[Mad Dr Jeffe]

actually coverage today was way above par...
I was happy with the white water slalom as well, and really enjoyed beach volleyball....