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2014 Winter Olympics, Sochi


bachanon

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I'm curious as to whether other HAIF members are watching the winter Olympics.

 

I'm interested, but the first half hour tonight included commercials, commentary, the president, commercials, commentary and the obligatory positive intro on the host country, Russia.  I shouldn't be surprised.  I do not watch television like I used do and do not have patience for all of the filler while I wait for what I want.  At this point, I think I'll just find the events and ceremonies I want to watch, when I can watch them with a little more control over the content.

 

I plan to watch highlights of snowboarding, maybe some figure-skating and bobsled competitions.  If you're a fan of the winter Olympics, what are you following?

 

Are there any Houstonians or Texans we can root for?  I haven't been paying close attention to the teams.

 

Have you seen the stories and pictures of unfinished facilities?  It looks like Russia might not have been the best choice (is Russia ever a good choice?).

 

http://www.sochi2014.com/en

 

 

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I would watch if we were getting the European feed that's not dominated by hours of crap stories on fluff topics, but just showing hour after hour of competition without focusing on only US competitors. Once you've watched the Olympics, Summer or Winter, outside this country, you realize what a raw deal we get from NBC.

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Russia seems to be an interesting choice and I'm not sure the IOC would award them to Putin...I mean Russia, again in retrospect, or if Russia had the anti-gay legislation, on the books prior to 2007. The opening ceremony was spectacular and the facilities are something to be proud of. But the 50 Billion Dollar Price Tag? Paid for by their federal government?? I'm a fan of big projects, because I like to see what can be done. But this will be a terrible waste. Doesn't look like many foreign visitors will go to Sochi for the games, and I doubt afterwards either. Russia's always fascinated me but it is one huge hot mess. But...the world has to deal with it.

It'll be an interesting couple of weeks. I hope there are no attacks. But, I wouldn't mind seeing Putin humbled a bit if there some technical issues. And please, oh please, let there be just one gay athlete who sneaks a rainbow flag on to the podium. That...is what I'd really like the world to see. Even if viewers in Russia won't.

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I am not watching any of it! With Russia's recent anti-gay legislation, the country is socially in total reverse. Similar to the anti-gay legislation currently taking place in the state of Indiana, it's fighting a losing battle against an impending rising tide. Many violent homophobes and bigots have since come out full force in Russia feeling empowered by this hateful legislation. Beating, raping, holding hostage innocent LGBT people, all while Russian authorities do nothing and blame the individuals sexual orientation for the violence. Although Putin welcomed gay and lesbian visitors to the games, he stated for them to "leave their children alone", suggesting that LGBT people are pedophiles. While Sochi's mayor stated that gay people didn't exist in his city. These statements are offensive on so many levels especially coming from leaders. Unsurprisingly, the IOC and many Olympic advertisers such as Coca Cola and McDonalds have turned a blind eye, shunning human rights for profits. This discrimination is unacceptable and is totally supported by the Russian government, which is why I do not support any event where a country such as Russia would be shown in a positive spotlight on a world stage.

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I am not watching any of it! With Russia's recent anti-gay legislation, the country is socially in total reverse. Similar to the anti-gay legislation currently taking place in the state of Indiana, it's fighting a losing battle against an impending rising tide. Many violent homophobes and bigots have since come out full force in Russia feeling empowered by this hateful legislation. Beating, raping, holding hostage innocent LGBT people, all while Russian authorities do nothing and blame the individuals sexual orientation for the violence. Although Putin welcomed gay and lesbian visitors to the games, he stated for them to "leave their children alone", suggesting that LGBT people are pedophiles. While Sochi's mayor stated that gay people didn't exist in his city. These statements are offensive on so many levels especially coming from leaders. Unsurprisingly, the IOC and many Olympic advertisers such as Coca Cola and McDonalds have turned a blind eye, shunning human rights for profits. This discrimination is unacceptable and is totally supported by the Russian government, which is why I do not support any event where a country such as Russia would be shown in a positive spotlight on a world stage.

 

i'm not sure how not watching the olympics will send a message or even qualify as a protest.  there are gay athletes from all over the world in sochi, some who could medal....giving a polite finger to anti-gay russia.  i wouldn't want to miss that.  imagine how a medal winning gay athlete in sochi who sneaks out a pride flag will encourage and give hope to those oppressed in russia.  you are not supporting russia by watching, you're supporting athletes from all over the world, straight, gay, bi....whatever, who have committed a large portion of their lives to be the best of the best.  i wouldn't dishonor their efforts because russia is on the wrong side of history. you defy russia by supporting the usa delegates that are there......and if you feel strongly enough, support human rights efforts in russia with feet on the ground trying to make a difference.

 

http://www.pridehouseinternational.org/current-campaigns/pride-house-events-sochi/

 

http://www.lgbtnet.ru/en/content/winter-olympics-we-should-speak-not-walk-out (the russian lgbt network is pleading that people speak up, not walk out)

 

....that's my two-cents.

 

do we have any athletes competing from houston? 

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The anti-gay, dog killing Olympics!

 

The anti-gay part is pretty egregious. The dog killing? What else do you do with a huge population of strays in a country where there's no chance at all of them being adopted?

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  • 3 weeks later...

The Paralympic games start shortly, and then the G8 was supposed to meet there, then Putin and Medeved are planning on keeping the ski resort open and the Adler (all the olympic park stuff is in Adler not Sochi necessarily) stuff either converting to a casino/gambling area or dismantling and rebuilding things like the speed skating venue back in Moscow or St Petersburg.

 

Not sure the West will go ahead with the G8 now?  We'll see.  Russia should probably go ahead and keep/take the Crimea off of the Ukrainian hands if those people wish to go - and non-pro-Russians are given a chance to relocate.  Should be a tense and interesting next few weeks watching this unfold.

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You are asking for 60% of the population (of Crimea) who have been there for generations to just pick up and leave? I'm not defending Russia, and they should not have mobilized troops. But Crimea being an autonomous state within Ukraine was only going to work for so long.

 

Back to the original thread, NBC was annoying. At least this time they did have plenty of sports on live in the mornings, so I would just record the items i wanted and watch those after work. Overall given the winter olympics are less popular here, the fluff pieces were designed to draw interest in to the athletes and keep people on for the events. Unfortunately from what I heard it worked.

 

And yes, we had a few speed skaters from the Katy area. I don't believe they placed.

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  • I'm not asking for anything.  I'm saying this:  Perhaps if Russia intends to simply annex the Crimea (which looks pretty evident) that maybe they will work with the Ukraine to allow residents of different ethnic groups to leave with open visas.  And the larger part of the population of the Crimea is native Russian (or Russian descent), so those are people who are likely in favor of Russian actions that have transpired lately.  Unfortunately without American muscle (and blood) on the line the EU won't do anything and Russia and the Ukraine may come to blows.  Which honestly - from a hypothetical standpoint I would like to see Russia face a serious advisary (compared to Georgia in 2008).  I do hope that it doesn't come to a conflict, but if it does that it ends quickly with relatively few casualties.

 

  • Back to the Olympic coverage - I feel that NBC did a much better job than during the London games.  They've been trying to increase the scope of coverage to all the top athletes and not just the Americans.  I liked all the "fluff" pieces they did about Russia/about sporting figures who've overcome odds and the like.  I love those feel good stories.  I love to tie together reasons why these men and women train, what they've had to overcome.  I don't really know anyone who just wants to watch sports to see statistics and a score?  Give me a reason to cheer for team x or y, or person a or b.  Fluff pieces do that.  I don't understand the dislike/disdain I see from people who are seemingly tired of these stories.  Would Houstonians love JJ as much if he was a jerk, or just kept to himself?  Nope.  And you can spin it however you'd like to, but we simply wouldn't care as much about him if he was that way.  To us he would be no different from Wade Smith or other less celebrated players.  Would he still be great - yes, but his off field stuff has endeared him to us and for that we follow him closer and are ever the more watchful for his exploits.

 

The Winter Olympics are less popular here and elsewhere in the States because like track and field we seldom get to watch these events - if ESPN or others had a channel dedicated to olympic sports (I think NBC actually has one) then we would get more coverage and more television sets would watch.  Unfortunately even my rather large cable/dish package doesn't have the olympic sports channel so I (one of the few who try to watch everything) miss out.  Thankfully we're getting new cable providers in our area!

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I guess I watch for the sports. I didn't watch many of the pieces, of what I did watch maybe 10% was interesting. I watch hockey because I have played my whole life and enjoy the sport. I'll watch any of the other sports I know less about if there is direct competition (1500m short track, ski cross, snowboard cross). Getting in to the athlete definitely helps with the timed or judged events, I agree with that.

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