Buffalo Boy's Blog
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Olympics 2008: August 2008 Archives
Rain Dispersal
According to this report China used rain dispersal chemicals and rockets during the Olympics to prevent rain from falling in the Bejing area
That is not the first time I have heard this "technology" was considered being used but is it right? Who are we to control nature? Simply controlling weather to prevent it from happening during an event? I don't care if it is the Olympics its not right and seriously needs to be looked at by the international community as being outlawed. Its bad enough we are altering climate by the pullutants we throw into the atmosphere as innocent as fossil fuels seemed back 100 years ago or so when they were first discovered as a viable fuel of the future, but now we are intentionally trying to alter the weather. Have we truly investigated what long term impacts of altering regional weather like this could have on a global scale? What if long term altering or regional rainfall using these chemicals and rockets alters rainfall patterns hundreds or even thousands of miles away? Think about it, a front or storm system that was meant for the California coast is dispersed by the US for example before it hits because the Super Bowl is being played in an outdoor stadium and the NFL doesn't want it to rain, while that storm system is dispersed for LA, the southeastern US going through a drought doesn't get that rain that was supposed to make its way across the country and give the south eastern states rain the so need. Thats just an example. Besides that what are those rain dispersing chemicals? Those are going into the air that we breathe....I think it would be nice to know about those chemicals before they are used. Its scary to think we have this capability. We can control what really should not be controlled by any one species on this planet. We have no right to control the weather. The weather happens for a reason. Rain is necessary, snow is necessary. Even hurricanes and tornados serve some purpose. We have no right to try to control this. No one does. I hope this does not become the norm around the globe. This should be stopped before others try it and it becomes the norm rather than the exception.Category: News | Olympics 2008 | Weather | environment
The Defining Moment of These Olympics
This call on NBC of the Mens 4X100 meter freestyle relay will be the defining moment of these 2008 Olympic games, Why they are shutting down the videos of this on Youtube is ridiculous so all I could get were photos and the live call of the race.
Jason Lezak for all his failed moments in previous Olympics earned himself a place in history no one will soon forget. It too bad that the track and field has to follow up a week of swimming that played out as it did because it can not possibly measure up to what the US swimmers did in the pool. It will be a an Olympics not soon forgotten for USA Swimming.
We will just call it, the comeback:
Category: Olympics 2008 | Swimming
Dara Falls Short But Still.....
The other big headliner of the Olympics thus far is Dara Torres and its almost hidden by Michael Phelps. Torres swam the 50 freestyle in an American record time of 24.07 and finished 2nd for silver. Her 400 medley relay also finish second to the Austrailians for silver as well.
Take nothing away from her, at 41 she proved that age means very little. If you watched the semifinals for the 50 freestyle Friday night you also saw the incredible sportsmanship that Dara displayed by going to the judge and requesting that they wait for a swimmer next to her because they were changing suits.
They could have swam that race with out that individual but Torres went out of her way to inform the judge when she should have been getting mentally prepared to dive into the pool. All this and she still swam the fastest time in the prelims.
Dara, though she did not win gold, won three silver medals at 41 years of age in her fifth Olympics. She deserves full marks for making it and achieving personal bests and medaling in all three events. She may be short of gold, but she is long on heart and will go down as one of the greatest female swimmers of all time.
Category: Olympics 2008 | Swimming
Michael Phelps is the Greatest Ever
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He did it. Im speechless too. What more can you say that hasn't been said? I will take it to the point that this guy maybe the greatest athlete ever....yes that includes Gretzky, Lemeiux, Montana, Jordan, Woods and Mays. He is the greatest athlete of his time, period.
He finishes these games with 8 golds in one Olympics, 7 of those were world records. He now has 16 medals total for his career and with New York as the destination for 2012 you have to seriously put him down for 20 career medals easily and probably more gold.
Phelps in this Olympics has dominated, been a little lucky and gotten by with a little help from his friends (Jason Lezak). He has in essence, changed the sport of swimming forever. He has set a benchmark that no other Olympic athlete will measure up to anytime soon.
He like Gretzky, Lemeiux, Jordan, Woods and Montana has dominated his sport like no other, only I would argue after having been a swimmer myself for 10 years and a coach for close to 8 years, needed more endurance, strength and mental toughness than any of the other so called greats to achieve what he did this past week. He had 7 other swimmers chasing him down in every single final event for something that is so coveted, more than any other prize in any other sport...Olympic gold.
Michael Phelps until someone does something equally as spectacular is the greatest athlete of all time....period.
Category: Olympics 2008 | Swimming
Olympics
Michael Phelps is so amazing. There are no words to describe his performance so far. So Im not going to try and come up with anymore adjectives all I am going to say is that I will be more shocked if when all is said and done if he doesn't accomplish his feat.
Rebbeca Soni shocked everyone by winning the womens 200 meter breast. She adds to a long list of American swimming medals and world records. She is one who will definitely be back in 2012 so keep an eye out for her.
I tried to stay up last night for the whole gymnastics but the eyes just got way too heavy. When I woke up to see that they took gold-silver in womens gymnastics my jaw dropped. China's goal was to win the medal count on their home soil, right now, they are not doing a very good job losing events that they are supposed to dominate. Thats what they get for cheating.
I am honestly looking forward to this weekend because all week I was focusing in on swimming and gymnastics (mostly swimming). What I like almost as much as swimming is seeing the sports that you wouldn't normally spend the time to watch like for instance, air rifle, rowing, beach volleyball, and I even caught myself watching and enjoying soccer.....I could get used to watching that I think more often.
The one sport I can't bring myself to watch is basketball, I am totally against the use of professionals and really the olympic hockey doesn't interest me for the same reasons. Baseball has done it right and they are not going to be back after this Olympics which I think is a shame and to have the Olympics potentially be in New York City in 2012 and not have America's past time would be outrageous. Baseball is the one summer team sport that should without question be an Olympic mainstay.
One thing I will say, watching the Olympics is emotional. It takes a lot out of you because I think at least for me, you realize 4 years of work go into this for these athletes and they leave themselves and all their energy in their respective events. I find myself as excited for Michael Phelps as I am sorry for the guy next to him who settled for silver but probably worked just as hard if not harder to be there. There are so many stories and so many great performances to see its almost overload. Again, thats what makes the Olympics so special and miles above all the other sporting events out there.
I will be posting over the weekend but I will also be spending much of my time watching the rest of the swimming so if my posts are infrequent you know why, but stay tuned because I will be on from time to time updating and leaving my two cents......
Category: Olympics 2008
Quick Olympic Update
The mens gymnastic team wins bronze which was the equivalent of David kicking Goliath's ass because they shouldn't have been in the same arena as the rest of the gymasts, but they somehow gutted it out.
Michael Phelps is now tied for most gold medals ever over an Olympic career and goes to break it tonight.
Aaron Piersol, if you get a chance to watch this guy swim and/or hear an interview, he is Mr. Cool. No wonder why he is redefining backstroke, one of the keys to a successful backstroke is being relaxed, this guy is just on a different playing field when he gets in for a backstroke event. Every time I watch him swim he breaks a record whether its American, Olympic, World or otherwise in the backstroke.
Natalie Coughlin has got a horseshoe up her butt, she had no right winning that 100 meter backstroke last night as she nearly hit the lane line again. She is what we call a circle swimmer. She is so used to circle swimming in practice that she does it in a race. I don't understand, as a coach how you get to the Olympics and let that be a factor. She got away with it and thats good because all things considered, I really like her and she deserves to win some hardware.
Thats all for now, Im going to watch more events. Best bet is, don't miss the swimming. They are flying in the water.
Category: Olympics 2008
Greatest 4X100m Free Relay Ever
It had to be the suits! The US shocked the world last night by coming from behind on the best 100 m freestyler in the pool in Alain Bernard. Bernard just also happened to be talking it up prior to the event which added fuel to the fire.
Michael Phelps swam an American record to lead it off which was bestest by the Austrailians who went a world record on the lead off leg. The US lost ground in the second and third legs to the French and then Jason Lezak had some words for Alain Bernard, only his words were spoken through his actions.
Sorry about the quality of the video but its all I could find this morning, it does the trick though if you didn't see it:
Category: Olympics 2008 | Swimming
Phelps Wins First and Probably Toughest
Michael Phelps won what is probably the toughest of the eight medals he wants at this Olympics. The 400 IM is not his favorite race though I don't know many swimmers who "like" to swim it, they just deal with it do it.
Michael Phelps got the first gold out of the way with the 400 IM which is 100 meters of each of the four strokes (butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle). He did it in world record time too...4:03.84. After the 400 IM Phelps has nothing longer than a 200 and he also has three relays so he can relax knowing the first is in the bag and his toughest race is done. A relaxed Michael Phelps? That means trouble for anyone thinking they can challenge him, hes going to be good, and to quote a local hockey guy, scary good the rest of the way. He really is the only one who can lose the rest of his individual races. In other swimming things, Dara Torres went a :52.4 in the 100 free as the anchor on the womens 4X100 meter relay. Rowdy Gaines mentioned that her anchor split might be one of if not the fastest relay split ever. She still has the 50 meter freestyle and has to be the favorite to win that event after watching her swim last night. Katie Hoff's finals swim in the 400 IM was a little disappointing but when you consider the two that finished ahead of her Stephanie Rice and Kirsty Coventry both were the first two ever to go under 4:30. Katie swam well, just not mind boggling well. She'll win some gold, it just wasn't meant to be last night.Category: Olympics 2008 | Sports | Swimming
Opening Ceremony
For those of you who missed it, I can remember some great opening ceremonies, but this was truly spectacular. Some 15,000 individual performers participated in last nights ceremonies and it was simply amazing. For all the negatives that have been talked about prior to these Olympics, the opening festivities helped everyone forget about all that stuff.The torch lighting was simply unique and awe inspiring all rolled into one. The lighting of the torch may have been the icing on the cake last night. I don't think anyone could have done it better.
It will be difficult for the next host of the 30th games to upstage this. Film maker Zhang Yimou went all out with a seemingly endless budget to do what he did last night. Take a look at the lighting of the torch, butterflies in the stomach man, thats all I could muster watching that. Watching that is one reason why the Olympics are the premier sporting event in the world, Super Bowl included, nothing can match the Olympics as a sporting event:
Category: Olympics 2008
