US sore losers in Olympics

Overheal · 27-08-2008 06:40PM

meh the US was guilty of jealousy from the opening ceremony. First we had to expose china for computer generating some of the fireworks :rolleyes: then we blasted them for replacing the singing girl with a cuter proxy :rolleyes: and we're still at them for the underage gymnasts, which could account for a bit of that gold.

metaoblivia · 27-08-2008 06:40PM

The US has traditionally gone by overall medal count instead of gold count, even in the Winter Olympics, where it generally doesn't help.

Tristram · 27-08-2008 06:47PM

Overheal wrote: »

Only you.

From a country that got its medal taken away on account of a drugged horse, this thread is laughable. But it is just the olympics.

Blame the horses, not us!

genericgoon · 27-08-2008 06:47PM

javaboy wrote: »

I think he meant the best attempt without actually succeeding. Kind of like a Failympics.

The paralympics?

snubbleste · 27-08-2008 06:59PM

metaoblivia wrote: »

The US has traditionally gone by overall medal count instead of gold count, even in the Winter Olympics, where it generally doesn't help.

This is true, the New York Times did the medal table this way in Atlanta 1996.
The OP should have done their research first!

juvenal · 27-08-2008 07:03PM

Deleted User wrote: »

There should be medals for the best attempt.

There's already Gold, Silver and Bronze. This could be tin, or something. We'd be sorted then.

I lol'd

IOC Medal table. I think if the IOC want to use a medal table they should just use points.

Gold = 3
Silver = 2
Bronze = 1

China: 51 Gold (153); 21 Silver (42); 28 Bronze (28) = 223
USA: 36 Gold (108); 38 Silver (76); 36 Bronze (36) = 220
Russia: 23 Gold (69); 21 Silver (42); 28 Bronze (28) = 139
Germany: 16 Gold (64); 10 Silver (20); 15 Bronze (15) = 99
GB: 19 Gold (57); 13 Silver (26); 15 Bronze (15) = 98
Australia: 14 Gold (42); 15 Silver (30); 17 Bronze (17) = 89

End of discussion.

The US media are the only ones who have USA at the top of the medal table - and tbh the Chinese are no better. Team GB are crowing because they beat the Aussies, and Russia are crowing because they beat GB.

Otherwise using the medal table is just media jingoism.

orestes · 27-08-2008 07:06PM

Hang on, we're missing the more important issue here.

Americans can count?

Overheal · 27-08-2008 07:10PM

Irish can sit on a bar stool??

thefinalstage · 27-08-2008 07:14PM

Em, isn't it about the individual? I mean the athletes made the accomplishments why should countries take part of the glory?

Magill · 27-08-2008 07:15PM

Overheal wrote: »

Irish can sit on a bar stool??

nice comeback..... not ! lol.

But seriously, can americans actually count ?

juvenal · 27-08-2008 07:15PM

thelastangryman wrote: »

Em, isn't it about the individual? I mean the athletes made the accomplishments why should countries take part of the glory?

Um, a lot of the events are also team sports. I agree that they individual athletes make it possible to win the medals, but they're also representing their country.

Plus if you want to go by gold medal count only, then you're completely devaluing silver and bronze. In that case, maybe they should just give out gold, and say a nice "thank you" to the rest of the field.

Silver and Bronze count for a lot, just not as much as gold, so the colour does matter. Look at the Irish - one silver and a bronze.

biko · 27-08-2008 07:19PM

petethebrick wrote: »

They are the only nation to measure it this way strangely....

This is the same nation that has a "world series" in baseball and wins every year...

Overheal · 27-08-2008 07:23PM

biko wrote: »

This is the same nation that has a "world series" in baseball and wins every year...

Theres a team from Canada too.

LolaLuv · 27-08-2008 07:24PM

Overheal wrote: »

Theres a team from Canada too.

Yeah and no one else really plays, so who's upset? No one. Anyway, the Little League World Series are actually global. That's nice.

Edit: Except Japan. And Cuba.

juvenal · 27-08-2008 07:24PM

biko wrote: »

This is the same nation that has a "world series" in baseball and wins every year...

OT - I guess the argument is that with the Toronto Blue Jays, and the amount of Latin American and Asian players in the teams it's basically a "world" series - even though 30% of the players are from outside the US I don't buy it. Although it really pisses me off when the media describe the Superbowl winners as "World Champions" - um against who else?

It's like saying Kilkenny are the defending World Champions in hurling or Kerry are the World Champions in football:rolleyes:

Overheal · 27-08-2008 07:25PM

and whats the rugby situation besides being only a little less boring to watch than cricket?

javaboy · 27-08-2008 07:30PM

Overheal wrote: »

and whats the rugby situation besides being only a little less boring to watch than cricket?

Do you of the land of shoulderpads and helmets really want to start the rugby debate?

Overheal · 27-08-2008 07:39PM

..............fumble?

Victor · 27-08-2008 09:28PM

thelastangryman wrote: »

Em, isn't it about the individual? I mean the athletes made the accomplishments why should countries take part of the glory?

They aren't countries. They are "National Olymipic Committees".

Dragan · 27-08-2008 09:56PM

I can see their point to a degree. Some of the medals awarded to were questionable.

Lirange · 27-08-2008 09:57PM

Wincest is best! wrote: »

And yes, Olympics have always gone by total number of Gold medals, not overall medals so it was rightly amusing to see them all of a sudden change to overall total medals.

They didn't change. I've noticed that they've always done it by total medals in the U.S.

Example from Athens:
http://www.nbcolympics.com/medals/2004standings/

LolaLuv · 27-08-2008 10:08PM

It still seems to me like twisting things around so you can make yourself out to be number one. Maybe it's more benign than that, who knows.

Billy Bi Polar · 27-08-2008 10:08PM

Anyone know which country got the most per population?

Zaph · 27-08-2008 10:12PM

Billy Bi Polar wrote: »

Anyone know which country got the most per population?

Jamaica

EDIT: Sorry, Bahamas. 1 silver and 1 bronze for a population of 307,000. Jamaica had 6 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze for a population of 2.8 million.

metaoblivia · 27-08-2008 10:14PM

Billy Bi Polar wrote: »

Anyone know which country got the most per population?

http://www.symworld.com/medals/index.php?sort=gold

Zaph · 27-08-2008 10:17PM

juvenal wrote: »

Germany: 16 Gold (64); 10 Silver (20); 15 Bronze (15) = 99
GB: 19 Gold (57); 13 Silver (26); 15 Bronze (15) = 98
Australia: 14 Gold (42); 15 Silver (30); 17 Bronze (17) = 89

Actually that should read:

GB: 19 Gold (57); 13 Silver (26); 15 Bronze (15) = 98
Australia: 14 Gold (42); 15 Silver (30); 17 Bronze (17) = 89
Germany: 16 Gold (48); 10 Silver (20); 15 Bronze (15) = 83

Billy Bi Polar · 27-08-2008 10:18PM

metaoblivia wrote: »

http://www.symworld.com/medals/index.php?sort=gold

Thank you very much. Is there nothing the internet does not know!?!? :eek:

Holy batsh1t...there are 75 Million people in Egypt! :eek:

tolosenc · 27-08-2008 10:46PM

petethebrick wrote: »

Everyone knows its all about the gold, always has been!

I thought it was the taking part...

Peared · 27-08-2008 11:37PM

Now I'm not a particular fan of our overweight, loud, obnoxious warmongering across the sea neighbours..

But enough about the brits.

So anyway... they did actually win more medals.

I mean, who cares an all, but they did.

petethebrick · 27-08-2008 11:43PM

juvenal wrote: »

Plus if you want to go by gold medal count only, then you're completely devaluing silver and bronze. In that case, maybe they should just give out gold, and say a nice "thank you" to the rest of the field.

Silver and Bronze count for a lot, just not as much as gold, so the colour does matter. Look at the Irish - one silver and a bronze.

Its not meant to devalue silver and bronze, It originates from the need to be to able to rank countries in terms of the number of athletes they have that can classify themselves as the best in the world. Obviously now there are the World Championships and all but anyway..........
And to those who argue that its the individual that matters and not the country- screw that. As long as the westphalian system remains in place I'm cheering for Ireland! (no matter how bad!).

US sore losers in Olympics

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