Wednesday, February 05, 2014

Acutus, Immuniditiam, Stolidus

From nearly the moment Sochi was announced as the venue for the 2014 Winter Olympics, the decision was criticized from all sides. The human rights community decried Russia's deplorable record on gay issues. Others pointed out the irony in the fact that Sochi is a summer resort, and climatically inappropriate to host a cold-weather Games. International diplomats offered stark criticism of Vladimir Putin's lengthy and ongoing violent repression of rebellions in any number of Russian states, not the least of which are within mere hours of Sochi. Add to that massive costs for development and transportation, incomplete and poorly built facilities (which are injuring high-profile athletes even in training), and substantial concerns for the security of participants and spectators, and the Sochi Games are off to a dismal start, even before they've officially begun.

With all that as backdrop, and from the safety and comfort of the G:TB World Headquarters in the U.S.A., we're still firmly on board as huge fans of the Olympic Games. We'll be hunkered down in front of our televisions for the better part of the next three weeks, and spending much of non-viewing time hoping to avoid spoilers. Like #lastman, only not limited to sycophantic loonbats.

There are lots of terrific stories, both in the U.S. delegation and others, and we encourage our readers to share their rooting interests in the comments below. People like White, Lolo Jones, Ashley Wagner, Alex Ovechkin, Ted Ligety, and Kelly Clark will get a lot of press coverage, and we'll get our once-every-four-years appreciation of lesser-known athletes like U.S. bobsledder Steve Holcomb, the defending gold medalist in the four-man, and cross-country stud Kikkan Randall.

We featured Randall in our 2010 Winter Olympics Preview, which was far, far better than this one. In 2014, we'll be pulling hard for her to become the first U.S. woman to win a cross-country medal.

HAIL TO THE REDACTED!
Another of our favorites comes from far closer to home than Alaska's Randall. 20 year-old Ashley Caldwell was born in Ashburn, VA, home of the NFL's Washington REDACTED and Lost Rhino Brewing (and my barber shop). She was an accomplished gymnast as a young girl, competing for Apex Gymnastics, the same gym for which my youngest daughter competes. In 2006, Caldwell watched the Winter Games in Turin, and was transfixed by the ski aerials competition. Within three years, she was a world-class competitor in the event. She finished 10th in the 2010 Games, and heads to Sochi as a medal threat.

We'll be rooting hard for Caldwell, for obvious reasons (and because my nearly 10 year-old is as stubborn and lazy as any kid on the planet, and anything that motivates her to get off her ass is a good thing). But we'll be rooting for all the athletes. That's what we do, at least every four years.

55 comments:

rob said...

tribe getting 3.5 at uncw this evening. the seahawks are 0-7 in caa play. if w&m are who they think they are, they'll win this game handily. i think they do.

rob said...

not getting 3.5, giving 3.5. i still like the tribe.

zman said...

Does anyone else find it ironic that a kid from northern Virginia--a neighborhood that prides itself in its inability to drive on, remove, or even simply function in snow--is a world class skier?

T.J. said...

#Sochintzy

T.J. said...

during our philly cbb trip (#gtbhoopsroadie, y'all) rob and I discussed these upcoming Olympic Games in some detail, and I am sad to say I am pretty damn convinced something very, very...very bad is going to occur over the frozen fortnight

Greg said...

Other than Russia getting some extra medals in the sports which have judges, I can't see what could possibly go wrong.

T.J. said...

luv u, greg

rob said...

i'm not sure she's a world-class skier - she just points her skis down the hill and does a bunch of flipping and spinning. but the irony's not lost on me.

Dave said...

don't we usually get assigned a sport or a country or something and have to write a post on it? i'm so lazy i can only function if i get assigned something.

T.J. said...

Dave, you're in charge of curling. Get on it.

Danimal said...

did little danny pay her a few bucks to pose w/the 'skins skis?

Greg said...

She got a C&D letter from him unless she coughed up some cash

Danimal said...

I think you mean a C&D's.

Greg said...

DMX is going to box George Zimmerman?! What a world.

zman said...

C&D's nuts!

Danimal said...

they should sell tickets. the world that is.

Mark said...

The SEC is ridiculous. Auburn played in the BCS Title game and has the nations 10th ranked recruiting class, which ranks 7th in the SEC.

Marls said...

I may be in the minority here, but I have faith in Vlad to violently repress any potential issue.

However, if by very, very bad you mean the US men's hockey team dropping a big steaming turd, I agree.

They built this team like it was a Nintendo Hockey team with all skinny guys.

Greg said...

The European game is different, Marls. It's more speed & finesse.

Greg said...

Speaking of big steaming turds, I can see several athletes, (if not entire contingents) come down with some sort of stomach flu/virus/thunderpoops. Hopefully, Team USA was smart enough to bring their own food & water.

Marls said...

Just because they are playing in Europe does not mean that we have to play that way. The Canadians, Russians, and Swedes will kick out ass.

Don Cherry thinks Greg is a pansy.

Marls said...

Thunderpoop, Thunderpoop, Thunderpoop, Thunderpoop
It's alright, we're doin' fine
It's alright, we're doin' fine, fine, fine
Thunderpoop, yeah, yeah, yeah
Thunderpoop, Thunderpoop
Thunderpoop, baby, baby
Thunderpoop, you've been Thunderpooped
Thunderpoop, Thunderpoop
You've been Thunderpooped

zman said...

Speaking of big steaming turds, zfamily is snowbound like we're Virginians--I'm not allowed to shovel because I broke my wrist and zwoman isn't allowed to shovel because I knocked her up--so we're potty training zson (finally) using the "no pants" method. He's walking around the house with no pants, no diaper, no nothing. Apparently humans innately don't want to shit on the floor so he will sit on his little crapper when the time comes. I don't see this ending well for my carpets.

Dave said...

the "no pants" method does not make sense -- humans don't want to shit themselves because they DO wear pants, and no one wants to walk around in shitty pants.

but what do i know? my brain has turned to mush because i don't have to go to work any more . . .

going out to shovel (and not shit my pants)

Greg said...

Zman...get this stuff & use it to coat all your floors, drapes, beds, sheets & upholstery...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4J6uC22Hwo

Marls said...

Actually Dave, small children (that is what we are talking about) shit their pants all the time. It's not new.

I used to think that summer Dave was a lot less cranky because of having time off. That said, winter Dave 2014 is just a cranky, but without having to work anymore.

Geoff said...

I feel like someone needs to pull zman aside and explain to him the ins and outs of "family planning." Or do we have an aspiring mormon in our midst?

T.J. said...

always knew Greg was a hydrophobic

Mark said...

Geoff just advocated for Planned Parenthood, right?

zman said...

Geoff, are you saying that you timed your wife's pregnancy so that she would be able to shovel your driveway?

Geoff said...

My wife doesn't even start her own car if its below 50 degrees outside. No, I was more commenting on the fact that every time I turn around you seem to have legally procreated yet again.

zman said...

Ah. This is merely the second procreation, it's just protracted.

zman said...

I've been completely immasculated, even more so than usual -- my 55-year-old babysitter, the pushing-50-years-old guy across the street and his 10-year-old son are shoveling my driveway, totally sua sponte and without telling me.

rob said...

been misspellalated, too.

Geoff said...

Based on last week's True Detective, you should confront and threaten each of them.

Greg said...

It seems that Geoff has turned around twice.

Geoff said...

Greg, a careful reading of my comment would lead one to that rational conclusion. Though, in retrospect, there may have been occasions when I have happened to turn around that I am failing to recall at this time. I remember a 3 point turn in an Arby's parking lot outside of Akron...

Marls said...

TJ loves that Arby's

T.J. said...

I love all Arby's...though not sure I would love Akron.

Geoff said...

Great Jamoaca shakes...

zman said...

Don't condenscend me man ... I'll fuckin kill you.

Geoff said...

Floyd smoked the second half of the letter...

Dave said...

you'd be crabby too, marls, if you were trying to read and your wife and kids were watching "sharknado."

philistines.

Mark said...

The Arby's in Akron smells like burnt rubber. I've never been to that Arby's but I've been to Akron and everything there smells like burnt rubber. EVERYTHING. /cranes neck towards LeBron James

Greg said...

Lemme guess Dave, you're reading the book, "Sharknado" and it's waaaay better than the movie.

Clarence said...

Greg's return to the comments section has been like a breath of fresh, boozy, hot, slurry air. More, please.

zman said...

They used to make tires in Akron. The Black Keys recorded my favorite BK album in a rubber factory in Akron, hence the title "Rubber Factory."

Mark said...

Indeed they did, Z.

While I'm here, can ESPN stop showing Knicks games all the time. I get it. They play in America's largest media market. They're also terrible. Doesn't the NBA allow some sort of flex scheduling? No more Knicks, please.

Mark said...

Greg's old high school (and also the team I scrimmaged against this summer) is really good this year. 23-2 on the season. They're playing their first game of the district tournament tonight. They lead 33-3 at the end of the 1st quarter. 33 to 3.

zman said...

There's piss all over zhome. Pants are back tomorrow.

Marls said...

Tribe trying to spit the bit.

Marls said...

Tribe covers. Rob is on a hot streak.

rob said...

yeah, that's right

TR said...

The Knicks are a hot mess. Their crunch time line-up has four players w/ single-digit numbers above five. Basketball karma gods don't like that.

TR said...

And they just scored six points in 15 seconds. So much for that.