Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site opus.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!mgnetp!ihnp4!zehntel!hplabs!hao!cires!nbires!opus!atkins From: atkins@opus.UUCP (Brian Atkins) Newsgroups: net.flame Subject: Re: American sportscasting sucks! Message-ID: <670@opus.UUCP> Date: Fri, 3-Aug-84 13:45:25 EDT Article-I.D.: opus.670 Posted: Fri Aug 3 13:45:25 1984 Date-Received: Sun, 5-Aug-84 05:44:13 EDT References: <361@oddjob.UChicago.UUCP> Organization: NBI, Boulder Lines: 71 W.r.t your flame on Kirt Thomas' remark on soviet judges, look at the major upsets on Olympic history in which an eastern block athlete was the winner. Then look at the major examples of bad judging by an eastern judge in the same time span (judging that was obviously bad, from more than one nation's viewpoint). Behold! There are an incredible amount of coincidences, arn't there. I haven't seen any examples of an American (or British, or Israeli, or French, or Chinese!, or Japanese, or....) athlete winning an upset victory due to a bad call from one of the American judges (or British, etc.). The same cannot be said of the Soviets. Take 1976 Basketball. A dubious call for extra time on the clock (by an eastern judge, if I'm not mistaken) lead to a Soviet victory. Other examples abound. W.r.t. the Men's Gymnastics, nobody has complained about bad officiating, not the Chinese or the Japanese (at least I haven't heard anything, and I watched both the men's compulsories and optionals). If I'm not mistaken, we also broke the Olympic record for team score, it takes more than the American judge to do that. The U.S won because of the consistent high scores that EACH member of the team got. The Chinese had more 10s, but they had more lower scores as well. Li Ning and others were perhaps better then any given American (hence the lineup on the individual medals) but the Americans where higher overall. I think if you look well at the examples of bad judging on the part of Rumania in the woman's Gymnastics, you will find the Rumanian judge consistently beneath the other judges for the competition, and consistently above for the Rumanian team. This is perhaps normal, but not to the extent displayed here! (I did not watch the woman's competition, but my wife did. She said there were examples of such behavior on the part of the Rumania (she was a very good gymnast in high school). I have heard similar reports from ABC people and the American woman's coach (a Rumanian defecter, poor sources but perhaps another possible motivation for the Rumanian scores). I in no way attempt to depict America as being lily white in our international activities, including sports (which, as I reread this note, I seem to be). Thrashing about with a loaded flame thrower has always pissed me off, especially when the toastees are undeserving on the accounts listed. If your going to flame American Broadcasting of the Olympics, nuke 'em where they need nuking, like the commentators constant patting on each other's back about their beautiful, clear and wonderful *ABC SUPER SLO-MO*. Or Jim McKay's sputtering voice overs. There are enough examples of ABC's ineptitude for everyone. But DON'T come on like your flaming broadcasting then pick poor examples of American poor sportsmanship to flame America about, there enough examples of REAL American poor sportsmanship to go around as well. If an American Olympic audience wants to cheer a very proud and elated American Gold medal team or individual, is that bad sportsmanship? Whip out your video tape of the medal presentation for Men's Gymnastics team competition, and look at the applause the American audience gave to the Chinese and Japanese, it was appreciative, large, and sincer! I agree, the hand shaking done by the Japanese was an excellent example of TRUE sportsmanship, and the Audience as well and the Chinese and American team new it! Incidently, what they did was a breach of Olympic protocol (in my opinion good breach, bad protocol). But what really gets under my skin is a person who can't flame a poor flame in under 71 lines of text!