Sochi 2014 Winter Games

[tzarinna]

http://www.olympic.org/sochi-2014-winter-olympics

http://www.sochi2014.com/en

30 days...

I'm always hyped, soon the rest will follow. I hope all stay safe and no drama arises.

 

[Blind_Lawyer]

I'm a big fan of the Winter Games. I can count on one hand how many events from the Summer Olympics I've watched, ever, but every four years I take in as much of the Winter Olympics as I can.

Four years ago, my job had me working from home; four years before that, I was in college. I had a lot more freedom and flexibility in my schedule to just veg and watch coverage for hours on end. This year, I probably won't see as much as I'd like to, but oh well.

Go USA!

 

[Immortalfire]

I'm ready for some bobsledding and hockey

 

[Anita18]

I'll always remember the Summer Olympics as the time we (meaning my mom, my sister, and I) would leave the TV on and ogle hot swimmers/divers all day.

Winter Olympics is all about figure skating for me. And short-track speed skating, because that s*** is insane. US Figure Skating Nationals happening now, and all I'll say is, I'm SO GLAD I'm not on that Olympic selection committee for the ladies right now!

 

[The Incredible Hulk]

I prefer the Winter Olympics to the Summer Olympics, because at the Winter Olympics with all those blades, skis, and guns, there's always the possibility of a horrific accident right around the corner.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

The Winter Olympics just aren't the "Olympics" to me. That is reserved for the insanity and prestige of the Summer Olympics.

That being said, there are few things I enjoy more then Olympic Hockey. Add in the curling, biathlon, female Figure Staking, and downhill skiing, and I definitely enjoy it.

 

[kane9321]

hockey and bobsledding ftw

 

[Hush]

Olympic Hockey is just awesome. Downright perfect sporting event.

 

[Webfoot Hero]

While I like Olympic hockey, I like watching just about anything snowboard-related, even though I've never done it in my life. Favorite events are definitely the halfpipe and snowboard cross. Also really looking forward to slopestyle making its Olympic debut.

 

[Fallen Angel]

Last two Olympics i've found myself watching the Ski Jumping and the Alpine Skiing events and it's going to be the same again.

 

[The Incredible Hulk]

Sadly, I'm starting to get the feeling that these Olympics are going to be a gigantic cluster****.

Literally nothing you read about Sochi is positive.
http://theweek.com/article/index/255173/the-many-many-problems-of-the-sochi-olympics

 

[Schlosser85]

Sochi kills thousands of stray dogs in Sochi to "clean up the city" before Olympics

http://perezhilton.com/teddyhilton/2014-01-31-sochi-kills-thousands-of-stray-dogs-preparing-for-olympics#sthash.MGzLcxuV.dpbs

Two wild orcas have been captured and are on their way to Sochi

http://action.sumofus.org/a/sochi-orca-whales/

The mammals, which can grow up to 22ft long and swim 100 miles a day, are set to be kept in a “small concrete tank” after a 4,614-mile flight from the far east of Russia.

Between this, and their barbaric treatment of gays recently, why does Russia get to be the host again? Oh right, because Putin threw tens of billions at the Olympic Committee and outbid everybody. And now he's gone from a proposed $12 billion to $51 billion (!) because for some reason he thought a balmy subtropical resort is a great place for winter olympics.

I sure as hell won't be watching one second of this. I feel like we're all kind of morally tainting ourselves by attending, honestly.

 

[Schlosser85]

Attempting to stage winter events in a subtropical resort known as the "Russian Riviera" is an expensive, climate-defying business. Though the 7,600-foot-high slopes at the neighboring mountain resort of Krasnaya Polyana are almost guaranteed February snow, the same can't be said for the lower slopes or at sea level, where the average daytime winter temperature is a pleasant 52 degrees. So officials have had to drain swamps, store last year's snow, and install 400 snowmaking machines.

Chechen rebel leader Doku Umarov has urged his Islamist fighters in the neighboring North Caucasus to target the Games and cause as much carnage as possible.

This entire thing just sounds like an epic disaster waiting to happen.

 

[chamber-music]

I want to watch the Jamaican Bobsled team

 

[Immortalfire]

I want to watch the Jamaican Bobsled team

They qualified, but last I heard they were in danger of not being able to go, due to lack of funds.

 

[Hush]

A kick starter campaign got them there 'Fire.

 

[Dr. Evil]

Damn shame that Ryan Secreast has to be involved in the NBC coverage.

 

[The Incredible Hulk]

Stephen Whyno ‏@SWhyno 2h
One of rooms Canada men's hockey team will stay in pic.***********/7OJQd2m4bq

HA!

 

[Morg]

I hope people were warned about hackers, Nightly News did a part today and they had a hacker within minutes on their smartphone downloading a virus. They saying due to so many laptops, phones and what not the security that's suppose to protect them won't be able to protect everyone

 

[Webfoot Hero]

The whole Sochi games are a joke right now with all the poor construction, unfinished facilities for fans/families/athletes, ghost town of an Olympic Village, and corruption. There's really no reason they should be having this many problems after having nearly 6 years to complete everything.

 

[Sakuraba]

The figure skating and ice hockey are the big draws for me. Outside of playing NHL video games I never really watched hockey, but ever since the Nagano Games and Dominic Hasek's epic performance I have been a huge fan of Olympic hockey.

 

[Webfoot Hero]

Just a sampling of how bad things are in Sochi:
http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-...Water-Very-Dangerous-Don-t-Flush-Toilet-Paper

 

[Sakuraba]

http://m.washingtonpost.com/blogs/w...-their-hilarious-and-gross-hotel-experiences/

Another nice sampling of tweets from journalists and a few athletes checking-in Sochi hotels.

 

[Hush]

Honestly with everything that has happened I can't see how the Olympic Comission will allow the country of Russia to ever host any games again. This is deplorable and some of what they are doing is just outright wrong.

 

[Sakuraba]

The stories just keep popping up too. Sochi is now taking pillows from its residents to give to the athletes.

And of course, my fave, Putin taking some Olympic officials on a visit to a nearby nature reserve and the officials were attacked by a leopard cub until Putin calmed and cuddled the cub.