I'm surprised all the women are using the old glide technique in shot put and none has gone to using the spin technique.

Gosling: the second-tier events of the first half, like rowing, fencing and judo, end up getting more prestige than the second-tier events of the second half, like wrestling, taekwondo and canoe/kayak.

Last olympics had a disappointed taekwondo player kicking the referee in the face, so that was something.

I do wonder how pole vault came about. I'm imagining a drunk Greek hoplite hoisting his sarissa in the air and saying "watch this!" before sailing through the air and being impaled on the nearest enemy phalanx.

JohnBigBootay: What the hell is wrong with that? If the 'exhibition' is seeing some of the best in the world jump hurdles and pole vault and run the 10k meters, etc. then I am totally cool with that. Watching great athletes is fun.

It's fine. I agree, watching great athletes is fun. Which is why I enjoy watching the American men play basketball.

They'd have to throw some show into it like the Harlem Globetrotters, though, since the fun isn't in seeing who wins (because it would usually be the same person over and over and over and over and over) but how it's done.

IAmRight: It's like saying that tennis and table tennis are two different types of tennis.

And by this I mean it's like saying they're the same sport. Not two different types. Dammit.

WhyteRaven74: I'm surprised all the women are using the old glide technique in shot put and none has gone to using the spin technique.

They haven't gone to spin class

I don't think I would like to bang that Gong.

4NSpy: breasts seem to be quite the disadvantage in pole vault.

That's funny, they seem make my pole rise pretty high.

This is feeling like "first to clear the bar wins" in the womens pole vault.

Cracking 'tache on the New Zealand shot put coach there.

Gosling: And those people were treated with the respect they deserved. Your point?

My point is that it's laughable to act as though basketball players don't belong because it's not as important to them, when in all these other events you see evidence that the "spirit of the Games" doesn't matter at all to them. Let me know when USA basketball tanks a game to get a better playoff matchup. Let me know when they just stop playing because they have somewhere better to be.

Siamese Bream: I do wonder how pole vault came about.

Actually it's a Dutch and English invention, originally it was about distance, basically how wide of a canal or some other water could you cross planting your pole some distance from the edge. Going for height, is also an English invention.

Based off rudimentary analysis of the upcoming schedule, Team USA has a chance to win roughly 30 more medals, with 14 of these gold. Team China has a chance to win roughly 17 more medals, with 7 of these gold.

I was pretty conservative in assessing who would win a medal; if a country had someone in the quarterfinals or later, and weren't overwhelming underdogs, I counted it. If an event hasn't had quals yet, I went off of betting odds and general team/individual rankings.

For the golds, I think Team USA is a virtual lock (within reason) for:
Men's decathlon
Women's beach volleyball
Women's soccer
Women's 4x100m relay
Women's basketball
Men's basketball

I think Team USA has a reasonable chance at gold in:
Women's beam
Women's floor exercise
Men's triple jump
Men's 4x400m relay (if Merritt can run)
Women's 4x400m
Women's volleyball
Women's 100m hurdles

For the golds, I think Team China is a virtual lock (within reason) for:
Men's 3m springboard
Men's table tennis
Men's 10m platform
Women's team table tennis

I think Team China has a reasonable chance at gold in:
Men's parallel bars
Women's beam
Men's horizontal bar

I ignored virtually all of the weightlifting, judo, Tae Kwon Do, cycling, and sailing events, as well as few others, simply because there's no way to know who will be in the quarterfinals or later until these events happen (most aren't until Wednesday onward).

I probably missed quite a bit, but this was my go at seeing who will be where by the end of the Olympics. My belief is that Team USA will win both the gold count and the overall medal count; they simply have more opportunities to medal than Team China, which has earned the bulk of the medals it will probably earn.

Belarus just uncorked on the shot put.

4NSpy: This is feeling like "first to clear the bar wins" in the womens pole vault.

Most of the women haven't gone yet.

How do these people get involved in shot put to begin with?

Showing women's shot put- the commentators are questioning the Belarus thrower's form for potentially being illegal.

WhyteRaven74: Actually it's a Dutch and English invention, originally it was about distance, basically how wide of a canal or some other water could you cross planting your pole some distance from the edge. Going for height, is also an English invention.

Interesting. Although I do prefer my version.

Doh - forgot the women's 200m. Team USA will probably gold and get silver, with a chance at a 1-2-3. Only counting two medals, though, just to be conservative.

That's the best crowd for a women's soccer game I've seen these Olympics.

They just showed a shot of the bar from the pole vaulter's perspective. That thing is HIGH. If I were her, I'd take one look at that and think "f*ck this, I'm going to the pub".

This is probably why I'm not an Olympian.

Jesus, did someone stab that Chinese shot putter?

desertgeek: That's the best crowd for a women's soccer game I've seen these Olympics.

There was a match last week that broke the UK attendance record for women's football...I think it was still some way short of the world best, though. Which may have something to do with stadium size.

I'd like to watch USA vs Canada but no love from NBC (no cable) and the justin.tv streams are too horrible to watch. Any Farkers care to help a brother out?

Massive mustache on the New Zealand shot put coach.

Try ATDHE.EU

WhyteRaven74: JohnBigBootay: and even the best at their discipline who are well compensated are viewed as slightly lacking because of the lack of olympic gold.

Not necessarily, depends on various factors.

Ok. You get the gold in being pedantry.

desertgeek: That's the best crowd for a women's soccer game I've seen these Olympics.

The crowds for those games are really kind of sad. It's good soccer, and it should be getting a little more attention than that.

Also, has anybody posted this yet?

luyseyal: I'd like to watch USA vs Canada but no love from NBC (no cable) and the justin.tv streams are too horrible to watch. Any Farkers care to help a brother out?

NBC has streams too I think. Or go straight to the BBC.

Otherwise you might have better luck going to a sports bar.

St. Celery: How do these people get involved in shot put to begin with?

Usually they see it and want to do it. That's how it is pretty much everywhere, except China.

luyseyal: I'd like to watch USA vs Canada but no love from NBC (no cable) and the justin.tv streams are too horrible to watch. Any Farkers care to help a brother out?

ExPatShield and BBC.
(or vipbox, oleotv, firstrow....)

luyseyal: I'd like to watch USA vs Canada but no love from NBC (no cable) and the justin.tv streams are too horrible to watch. Any Farkers care to help a brother out?

try this

cptjeff: desertgeek: That's the best crowd for a women's soccer game I've seen these Olympics.

The crowds for those games are really kind of sad. It's good soccer, and it should be getting a little more attention than that.

Also, has anybody posted this yet?

youtube blocked at work. Is that the Epic knee thwack the New Zealand Keeper received?

mootmah: Canadian Farkers: Do you have any pride/grudge riding on today's women's soccer game or do you feel that it's only women's soccer and not worth your time?

It's the only women's soccer game I've gone out of my way to watch.... so far.

This feels a bit odd. Normaly i have to use dodgy streams to watch football live. Now i can just go to the BBC

Siamese Bream: desertgeek: That's the best crowd for a women's soccer game I've seen these Olympics.

There was a match last week that broke the UK attendance record for women's football...I think it was still some way short of the world best, though. Which may have something to do with stadium size.

No, they're playing them in pretty big stadiums, they're just not coming anywhere close to filling them.

Wicked Chinchilla: cptjeff: desertgeek: That's the best crowd for a women's soccer game I've seen these Olympics.

The crowds for those games are really kind of sad. It's good soccer, and it should be getting a little more attention than that.

Also, has anybody posted this yet?

youtube blocked at work. Is that the Epic knee thwack the New Zealand Keeper received?

No, Blame Canada from South Park. Mandatory for any US v. Canada event.

Norfolking Chance: This feels a bit odd. Normaly i have to use dodgy streams to watch football live. Now i can just go to the BBC

Neither FIFA, the FA nor Murdoch have got their claws into this one. Yet.

Siamese Bream: They just showed a shot of the bar from the pole vaulter's perspective. That thing is HIGH. If I were her, I'd take one look at that and think "f*ck this, I'm going to the pub".

And just think, they're only at 4.45 meters right now. The men start just about a meter higher. And a few can get over 6 meters.

cptjeff: No, they're playing them in pretty big stadiums, they're just not coming anywhere close to filling them.

Apparently said UK record crowd at Wembley last week was 70,584, but it suffered the repeated problem of empty seats because of "Olympic family" members not turning up. Wembley's capacity is 90,000, so I'm not sure how much bigger the crowd would have been if all tickets had been available.

The Belarusian shot putter reminds me of Francis from Pee-Wee's Big Adventure.

THANK YOU!

WhyteRaven74: And just think, they're only at 4.45 meters right now. The men start just about a meter higher. And a few can get over 6 meters.

If man were meant to fly, God would have given him BA Executive Club miles.

mootmah: I enjoy women's soccer quite a bit more than men's. Probably has a bit to do with the lack of diving.

I don't usually watch events in the olympics that I can see throughout the year, like soccer, tennis, basketball (okay, i'll check out the dream team), etc. It's only every four years I get to see things like pole vault, handball, and hammertoss.

Siamese Bream: Norfolking Chance: This feels a bit odd. Normaly i have to use dodgy streams to watch football live. Now i can just go to the BBC

Neither FIFA, the FA nor Murdoch have got their claws into this one. Yet.

The Olympics in the UK still have legal protection against Murdoch, and luckily he is now not someone a politician will want to cosy up to (at least publicly) so it should be safe for a few years yet.

JerseyTim: Anyone watching women's shot put final? I loved Nadzeya Astapchuk in Spinal Tap.

*golf clap*

Siamese Bream: If man were meant to fly, God would have given him BA Executive Club miles.

heh