The Ameri-lympics

Franz Klammer winning the Downhill in 76 , flying over a jump looking like a crash was about to happen.

Dave Wottle coming from way behind in the mens 800m and beating the favor Kenyans and Russkie.  And people complaining about his beat up hat. (72 games in Munich)

Valery Borzov winning the mens 100 & 200, who says white guys aren't fast.  Although I think he was bio/chem engineered by the Evil Empire.  Americans sprinters had the wrong schedule and missed their heats.

For the 92 Barcelona Summer Olympics, I paid the local cable fee to get the RED, WHITE & BLUE channels to watch almost everything LIVE.  Took two weeks of vacation from the USAF and camped in front of the TV.  Was great to watch all the heats, quarter finals, Semis and finals.

In agreement on the sappy bios. 

Not that I've watched any of this Olympic coverage.  Past times though, seems like EVERYONE has some sort of  sappy tough life story.  Get over it please. 

I remember and loves watching Eddie "The Eagle" sore on the ski jump.  He didn't fly far, only farther than I would ever want to try.  If I remember right, he was the only ski jumper from the UK (i think that's his country) so they had to let him compete.  As for the stupid EDDIE RULE, if the USOC really thinks about it, only a select few in any event have a legitimate chance of winning on talent, speed or endurance alone.  The rest need some of the top people to screw up or get hurt.  So why let everyone else compete? 

As much as people like to see a WINNER, they also like to see those who have no legitimate shot GIVING THEIR ALL!!!!!

OH YEAH.....my moments were any time Edwin Moses was running the 440 Hurdles.  Just looked it up again and he went 9 years 9 month and 9 days between loses in the Finals.  That's 107 straight finals races.  Since I ran hurdles for track, that man was a sports hero to me at the time.

Just my $1.05 worth of thought.

Actually, my impression is that the coverage this year has been more internationally balanced than in previous years. Perhaps that is because some of the US star athletes that the network had been hyping have not performed as well as expected. NBC has aired a surprising number of events where Americans were not even in medal contention. (Short tack pursuit, skeleton, pairs skating, for instance)

I agree that the media hype over US medalist winners and/or contenders is annoying, and I can't stand listening to Katie Couric

FWIW, when I lived overseas, (in '96) the local Olympic coverage was similarly skewed. I saw a lot of judo, rugby, and fencing, very little gymnastics and no basketball

PS - Olympic moment - at SLC, the winner of the men's cross-country cheering for the lone Kenyan finishing DFL. 

I've been watching the olympics both, CBC and NBC, and have found that our own Canadian broadcasters are just as nationalistic as their American counterparts.  The same goes for Austrian, Swedes or Russians.  It is only natural that one would root for his own countryman even if that country man came in last in an event. 

So  ...  GO CANADA GO!

Tyrant,     I was thinking about sprinters and remembered Lennox Miller (USC alum) had a daughter that was a sprinter.  when I googled him.  Found out he died of cancer at young age of 58.    Sad.   Silver medal at 100 in 68 and a bronze in 72. 

http://usctrojans.collegesports.com/sports/c-track/spec-rel/110904aac.html

But depending on the event, you still may have to go through some sort of pre-Olympic elimination.  Notice that certain countries have more competitors in the luge and skeleton than other countries do.  There were qualification rounds held through the previous months to determine this.  I think you might be able to squeak in with an event like the marathon though.  Of course you're going to look pretty silly, coming across the finish line when the stadium is closed down.  Maybe the janitors will cheer for you! 

You realize that I am not serious right?

Don't forget these guys