perpetual memory loss

So long, farewell, Auf wiedersehen, good night.

Today marked the end of the 29th Olympiad, and I have to say I’m sad to see it go.  I really enjoyed this year’s Olympics probably more so than in the past.  There were so many good stories, records broken, and all around great competition this year that it was rare for me to be watching TV and to not be watching the Olympics.  I watched a lot of Olympics this year, and because there is a 12 hour difference I ended up staying up very late most nights (3 or 4 in the morning usually).  So I figured I would go through my favorite and not so favorite moments of the Olympics Sergio Leone style.

The Good

Can’t talk about this years Olympics without talking about Michael Phelps.  Wow what a performance he put on, one for the ages.  I saw 7 of the 8 gold medal swims live, the one I missed of course was the closest one, the 200M Butterfly, and damn was that some compelling TV.  The come from behind relay win against the French is about as good as it gets.  Seeing Phelps win the 8th Gold Medal with about 500 other drunks at the Astoria Beer Garden–with chants of “U-S-A! U-S-A!” and “America fuck yeh!”–was one of the highlights of the Olympics for me.  Besides, Phelps the entire US swim team was ridiculously good on both the Men’s and Women’s side.  Some of the coolest stories to come out of the swimming cube were Phelps, Natalie Coughlin, Cullen Jones, and Dara Torres.

Even though I am not that knowledgeable about fencing I do like to watch the swashbuckling.  The US women swept the medals in individual sabres–which I don’t think has ever happened.  Probably the best match I saw, however, was the Women’s Team Sabre Gold medal match between China and Ukraine.  I tuned in late and China was about 6 points from winning the Gold and about 8 points ahead of Ukraine, but the Ukraine pulled off a stunning comeback to tie it up at 44 all, with the winner of the next point getting the Gold.  Ukraine completed the comeback by scoring the final point and winning the Gold.  It was a crazy good match.

Another great moment that I stumbled upon was the Men’s +105kg weightlifting final.  This event was won by Mattias Steiner, who had lost his wife in a tragic car accident the year before, making him the sentimental favorite.  Steiner failed his first two attempts before he lifted, a personal best, 568.8 pounds to clinch the Gold.  From there Steiner went nuts jumping all over the stage, hugging his coaches, and crying as he realized both his and his wife’s Olympic dream.  A touching moment that really encapsulates why the Olympics are special.

Rohullah Nikpai won the first medal ever for Afghanistan.  He won the Bronze medal in 58kg Taekwondo.  Good for him and good for Afghanistan.  Hopefully there are more moments and achievements like this in the future for Afghani Olympians.

Continue reading

Congratulations Sports Writers! you have officially made my list.  The other day–actually the 4th of July to be specific–I was sitting around reading the latest news on ESPN, and other sports sites.  I started reading this article, and the writer got all dramatic, and started talking about how all these athletes were warriors, engaging in combat of the field of battle.  That always bugs me, and especially of the 4th.  I don’t put much stock into holidays, but there are still some that I consider sacred.  However, that’s not my biggest gripe, no, no, no.  My biggest problem is that we have been engaged in a war for the last six years.  A real honest to fucking goodness war, with real people fighting each other, and real people dieing.

Personally, I consider it a smack in the face to compare an athlete, with someone who is actually in, you know, combat.  One person gets paid handsomely, if not extravagently, to do something enjoyable for a living.  Their slightest whims are catered to, they stay in the best hotels, eat the best food, get to see their family, and, oh yeh, they don’t have to worry about someone trying to fucking kill them.  Now the other person gets paid very little, doesn’t get to see their family, none of their whims get catered to, they go without more than than go with, and they genuinely have to fear for their life.  To me there is no comparison.  I am getting sick and tired of seeing these constant comparisons to sports, and war.  I would like to toss a couple of these fucking shit head sports writers into a combat zone, and then ask them, does it remind you of football now? does it?  Ahh if only I were all-powerful.  Anyways next time you read an article that tries to tell  you that athletes are warriors, take a moment to think about the real warriors.  Oh yeh since we are on the subjetct of sports writers, fuck you! Jay Mariotti, I fucking hate you.