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Post by The Bofa on the Sofa on Aug 18, 2004 12:33:43 GMT -5
I have to admit it's pretty impressive watching them flip flop all over. Most people wouldn't be able to walk across that four inch beam. I can think of worse things to watch... I turned to one of the other NBC channels and actually sat through a few minutes of ping pong..er..excuse me, I think the proper term is "table tennis."  Now, I know, I know, it takes skill, dedication, blah blah blah, to be a great ping pong player and they could ping pong circles around me in their sleep, etc. but can anyone really put them in the same category as far as athletic ability as those gymnasts? or decathlon athletes? Just saying... I can. I have no problem with table tennis as an olympic sport. You just have to recognize that "athletic" is an ill-defined concept, and as soon as you try to define it, it is too limited. In fact, I can handle an awful lot of the minor stuff (shooting, archery, etc). Equestrian, OTOH, is pushing the edge. |
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Post by thedaddy on Aug 21, 2004 4:16:10 GMT -5
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Post by sistahsledge on Aug 21, 2004 4:58:09 GMT -5
That was a good article about the scene at the Beach VB venue. Even on TV, you can tell it's the most rockin' joint at the Olympics. I think it comes the closest to the original Olympic theme. Not the prissy button-down version re-introduced by that stuffy French guy a hundred years ago. I'm talking about the all-out drunken sports orgies the Greeks put on in whenever, B.C. The Greeks had a prostitutes section, beach VB has the bikini girls. Even though it's an all-out party, the crowd does appreciate and applaud big athletic plays.
BTW, why do the guys have to wear shirts? It seems like they're losing out on the whole teeny-bopper and horny sorority girl market.
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Post by Go Iowa on Aug 21, 2004 8:45:17 GMT -5
I agree. Boys - take off your shirts. And then I hope my man, Clay, joins the beach circuit.  I give credit to Holly & husband for NBC filling up those beach times. They've worked incredibly hard over the past few years on sponsorships and getting tv coverage. USA volleyball hasn't done squat to get coverage since the last Olympics. So, did you really think NBC would just give it to them? Further, as long as volleyball (in general) is covered, I'm happy. I'd love to see more indoor covered, of course, but USAV needs to work on getting coverage aside from the Olympics for that happens... IMHO. |
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Post by Gorf on Aug 21, 2004 16:24:16 GMT -5
I wonder how much of a protest would be put up if the various Olympic committees were to "legislate" that the women in all sports must wear bikinis and the men for all sports must wear speedos.
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Post by romeo on Aug 21, 2004 16:59:38 GMT -5
>-(Gorf)-<[} link=board=general&thread=1092283173&start=34#2 date=1093123456]I wonder how much of a protest would be put up if the various Olympic committees were to "legislate" that the women in all sports must wear bikinis and the men for all sports must wear speedos. You know, I really admire the MN contingent on this board. Good vb info usually. But COME ON, get over the bikini thing and watch the sport for the vb value. I'm sitting here watching track right now, and they don't wear much more than a a bikini. A bit more cloth, but still two piece things with skin and form showing. The leotards for gymnasts, the short skirts in tennis-- heck Gorf, you guys are going to have to simply stop watching all women's sports. I think it's a MN thing. My neighbor from MN was making me laugh the other day because her 21 year old daughter SHOCKED her by buying thong underwear. What could she do during that 'time of the month' wearing THAT? She still believes women can't go swimming at that time. Come on, all you prudes!!! Women can celebrate their bods nowadays. K - spiel over. |
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Post by Gorf on Aug 21, 2004 17:28:43 GMT -5
I'm sitting here watching track right now, and they don't wear much more than a a bikini. A bit more cloth, but still two piece things with skin and form showing. The leotards for gymnasts, the short skirts in tennis-- heck Gorf, you guys are going to have to simply stop watching all women's sports. The men's track outfits , the men's gymnastics outfits are again much more covering than the women's outfits. Some of the men in track events (at least used to) wear those "unitard" style suits, but again it isn't bikinis or speedos. Women's soccer, women's basketball, nothing close to being the same as women's outfits in the sports you mention. Swimming is tight and similar for both men's and women's - though that is largely by choice since it improves their times and it isn't legislated like women's volleyball is by the FIVB. If the outfits were decided by choice on the part of the participants I wouldn't have as much of an issue with it, however, the FIVB dictates that the women have to wear bikini's for their beach volleyball matches. |
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Post by romeo on Aug 21, 2004 18:08:31 GMT -5
>-(Gorf)-<[} link=board=general&thread=1092283173&start=36#2 date=1093127323] If the outfits were decided by choice on the part of the participants I wouldn't have as much of an issue with it, however, the FIVB dictates that the women have to wear bikini's for their beach volleyball matches. Well you do have a point there. I still say that all the leotard stuff in the various sports are just as revealing as a bikini - like the infamous painted-on clothes that some magazines have used with naked models. And I'm watching track right now where the athletes are wearing 2-piece uniforms (bikinis). But I guess track athletes have a choice about if they want to go with something other than 2 pieces. Whatever. I was just tired about your griping, and I'm old and crotchety. |
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Post by Gorf on Aug 21, 2004 18:22:44 GMT -5
Well you do have a point there. I still say that all the leotard stuff in the various sports are just as revealing as a bikini - like the infamous painted-on clothes that some magazines have used with naked models. And I'm watching track right now where the athletes are wearing 2-piece uniforms (bikinis). But I guess track athletes have a choice about if they want to go with something other than 2 pieces. Whatever. I was just tired about your griping, and I'm old and crotchety. The track athletes wearing to piece suits are again only the women track athletes. Have you read any of the articles regarding swimming and the availability of the new "high tech" full body suits now allowing some muslim ladies to be able to participate in swimming events? You certainly won't see them playing beach volleyball with rules that dictate the wearing of bikinis. I guess you must get tired of "griping" very easily. The comment of mine that you originally responded to was the only comment I've made in this thread. |
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Post by romeo on Aug 21, 2004 18:27:22 GMT -5
>-(Gorf)-<[} link=board=general&thread=1092283173&start=38#2 date=1093130564] The track athletes wearing to piece suits are again only the women track athletes. Have you read any of the articles regarding swimming and the availability of the new "high tech" full body suits now allowing some muslim ladies to be able to participate in swimming events? You certainly won't see them playing beach volleyball with rules that dictate the wearing of bikinis. I guess you must get tired of "griping" very easily. The comment of mine that you originally responded to was the only comment I've made in this thread. Hahaha. Oh you're right - sorry. But I thought you and Ruffda were the same person.  |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2004 19:44:31 GMT -5
Hey! Don't drag me into this.
For the record, I am no prude. I just think it's a shame that it's the skin (and the atmosphere) that accounts for most of Beach VB's popularity and not the sport. It doesn't bother me (except that I don't find it particularly attractive); when I watch Beach VB, I'm watching it for the VB.
Just contrast what the women wear v. what the men wear in the FIVB Beach events. Then you know what the FIVB is "selling."
As for this being a "Minnesota" thing, I don't think so. Although it is true we find down parkas very sexy.
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Post by Curious on Aug 21, 2004 21:08:44 GMT -5
...But COME ON, get over the bikini thing and watch the sport for the vb value....K - spiel over. Watch beach volleyball "for the vb value"?  That's a good one. Regards |
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Post by romeo on Aug 22, 2004 0:53:00 GMT -5
Watch beach volleyball "for the vb value"? That's a good one. Regards Cmon Curious. Come to the dark side. Funny. Volleyball purists should actually enjoy the beach game better - the setting standards are far higher than indoor. Now, I'm not saying I don't like the looser standards in the indoor. To the contrary - I like that the play flows on and isn't stopped based on arbitrary ref calls on sets as in days of old. I dunno, I think that the naysayers about the vb value of the beach game have not played the beach game and cannot judge its difficulty. Kinda like golf - how hard can hitting a little golf ball be, anyhow? It sure looks easy. |
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Post by Curious on Aug 22, 2004 1:52:22 GMT -5
Cmon Curious. Come to the dark side. Funny. Volleyball purists should actually enjoy the beach game better - the setting standards are far higher than indoor. Now, I'm not saying I don't like the looser standards in the indoor. To the contrary - I like that the play flows on and isn't stopped based on arbitrary ref calls on sets as in days of old. I dunno, I think that the naysayers about the vb value of the beach game have not played the beach game and cannot judge its difficulty. Kinda like golf - how hard can hitting a little golf ball be, anyhow? It sure looks easy. Now, look, I'm no volleyball tactician, but how can the setting standards for "beach" be far higher, when an indoor setter has to decide from among several options to several hitters? And how can we even begin to talk about comparing trying to hit through, over or around a double- or triple-team block versus one-on-one in the sand? I don't mind the bikinis, though, and body painting would be even better. Ok, I've revealed my "dark" side. Regards |
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Post by Gorf on Aug 22, 2004 10:38:20 GMT -5
Cmon Curious. Come to the dark side. Funny. Volleyball purists should actually enjoy the beach game better - the setting standards are far higher than indoor. Now, I'm not saying I don't like the looser standards in the indoor. To the contrary - I like that the play flows on and isn't stopped based on arbitrary ref calls on sets as in days of old. I dunno, I think that the naysayers about the vb value of the beach game have not played the beach game and cannot judge its difficulty. Kinda like golf - how hard can hitting a little golf ball be, anyhow? It sure looks easy. I like beach volleyball, however, the referees allow the players to have much more contact with the ball on the beach than they do indoors. You better be able to set a ball with no (or very little) spin on it when you're allowed to hold onto it for that much time. The open handed passing allowed indoors now started as "beach digs" that I don't see getting called any more in beach matches than I do in indoor matches. Saying that you like that there are fewer "arbitrary" calls to stop the beach mathces also argues that the rules are looser for beach volleyball than for indoor volleyball. I've played both indoor and beach volleyball, I enjoy watching both, but prefer to watch and preferred to play indoor volleyball. |
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Now, I know, I know, it takes skill, dedication, blah blah blah, to be a great ping pong player and they could ping pong circles around me in their sleep, etc. but can anyone really put them in the same category as far as athletic ability as those gymnasts? or decathlon athletes? Just saying...
