<p>Do any of my fellow Americans out there actually care if China (or anybody else) beats us in the medal count?</p>
<p>We are pretty excited to watch the swimming and the track/field events. Our local papers have had several articles about Mark Spitz/Michael Phelps. (Spitz trained/attended Indiana University which is our hometown college so lots of curiousity if Phelps will break his medal record.) The head coach of D’s swim club is in Beijing, sending daily updates. Very smoggy today according to his most recent update. There are several IU connections/athletes in the Olympics this year so there is quite a bit of excitement. </p>
<p>DS had David Neville (track) as a student teacher a couple of years ago so we are quite excited about watching him run.</p>
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<p>I like to see the US in general and American athletes in particular do well, so I suppose I care to a mild extent. But I suspect that many Chinese, and particluarly the Chinese government, want to beat the US in the medal count far more fervently than I care about beating them. </p>
<p>I’ll probably look over the medal standings chart at the end of the games and think “Yay for us” if the US comes out on top or “Good for them” if the Chinese do.</p>
<p>Right. I want our team to do well (and I want our female gymnasts to win!!!) but if China gets a medal or two or three more than the US, I think China will be totally elated but the US will not be anguished to a corresponding degree.</p>
<p>Absolutely stunning Opening Ceremonies. Can’t wait to watch it again tonight in prime time!</p>
<p>The opening ceremony was very good.</p>
<p>Who carried the torch?</p>
<p>Somebody better put spoiler alert in here if you spill about the torch bearer!!!</p>
<p>And I don’t have cable and can’t see things as they happen so, please, no one start posting results as they happen. PLEASE!!!</p>
<p>Uh, I might have just cured my cc addiction at the very thought of having the results ruined for me!</p>
<p>I posted a link to a photo of the lighting (with a spoiler alert) but the link had the persons name when it posted, so I deleted it.</p>
<p>I would recommend that no one look for details of the Opening, and particularly of the torch lighting. It will definitely affect the appreciation for the absolutely spectacular way that it was done and seeing it at the end of the wonderful Opening.</p>
<p>That’s funny, because I love knowing the rusults in advance-that way I can relax when I watch…if I know that so and so fell off the balance beam, I won’t be a nervous wreck when it happens.</p>
<p>I was thinking this morning now nervous the athlete’s parents must be. I was always a huge bundle of nerves whenever my own daughter was on the balance beam (I’d have to remind myself to breath) and these were just little meets for elementary school aged kids. Nastia’s mom said she used to never watch her on beam, but lately she’s been making herself watch.</p>
<p>I’m with you , missiepie-- I like the head’s up. Then I know what to watch for. But I also wanted to know the sex of my kids before they were born, and there are others who want to be surprised.</p>
<p>can’t wait to watch the highlights when i get home tonight… i too love the olympics, politics and doping scandals notwithstanding.</p>
<p>For me, there’s a difference between hearing results of individual events and reading/seeing spoilers about what happens in the Opening Ceremonies. I, and I assume others, enjoy watching the Opening in its entirety and love the thematic threads throughout the show, with the ultimate moment of the lighting of the torch. Even after watching the beautiful ceremonies, my jaw literally dropped seeing the finale! Be patient and wait to watch it. :)</p>
<p>As far as the events are concerned, and results being posted, I think it’s probably unreasonable to expect people to avoid discussion. People have different access and ability to view events, and, in my opinion, if you don’t want to risk the possibility of seeing/hearing results, then avoid this thread, or maybe the internet entirely!</p>
<p>I was looking at a slideshow of the Opening Ceremonies online - they look gorgeous. Can’t wait to watch them tonight!</p>
<p>Another fan of a “minor” sport - wonder how much volleyball we’ll see? Not beach volleyball, which is ok, but REAL volleyball. Also love gymnastics, of course, and diving. Two sports in which I know there is no way on God’s green earth that I could have ever in my life done 1/10 of what these teenagers are doing! (But will that stop me from saying, “Oh, too bad, she took a step on the landing.” lol).</p>
<p>Yeah, I am about the most un-athletic person on the planet, so who knows why I love the Olympics so much? I will say that by having a gymnast daughter, I do have a great appreciation for how hard it is for the gymnastis to do what they do. I’m sure many have similar feelings from minor experiences with other sports.</p>
<p>They used to show quite a bit of volleyball on TV, but it seems to have been booted out of the line up by the type of volleyball that involves bikinis for uniforms. (Perhaps curling would be more popular if they wore bikinis.)</p>
<p>Totally off topic, but when we were in Germany, the kids watched lots of sand soccer on TV. Large field of sand, no shoes.</p>
<p>^^^ I don’t know, I we watched a lot of curling during the last winter olympics (it was on in the mornings) and I don’t think I’d have wanted to see some of those Curlers in bikinis, lol. (No offense, curlers! You wouldn’t want to see me in a bikini either!!)</p>
<p>Have dinner plans tonight and wont be able to see the show when it airs.</p>
<p>I assume that everyone’s kids are going to watch, too? The Olympics always provide such great lessons in moral courage, perseverance, mental toughness-or lack thereof. I remember last time, in the All Around, Paul Hamm’s vault landing was so out of bounds that he landed on the judge’s table! But was able to pull himself together and win the all around. (Too bad the judging was contested, becuase it such a remarkable achievement.) But in another Olympics, Svetlana Horkina (sp) had a very bad vault (wrong setting) and she was so rattled that she totally blew her signature event, the bars. So many lessons to be learned.</p>
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<p>lafalum, I don’t know what NBC will do but I just checked CBC’s broadcast schedule and their coverage of volleyball begins tonight and there’s some on every day until the finals on the 24th. I hope that you’re able to get to see a good amount on NBC. One of my Ds played volleyball from middle school and all through h/s. It’s a great game!</p>