Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Obligatory Olympics Post (Nb. Phelps-Phree)

Some observations:

1. I'm a fan of Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh, but mostly because of that indelible image of them from Athens. I don't mean this image per se -- more their nearly effortless dominance over every other team, which had an aphrodisiacal effect on me back then. But since 2004, that same dominance has translated any match of theirs into fait accompli -- they almost literally never lose -- and I've also realized that the May-Walsh duo doesn't overpower its opponents because they can out-finesse them instead, which isn't quite as exciting to watch. Misty will uncork a spike, but Kerri, more often than not, dinks the ball efficiently where the other team is not. Are they Americans, or are they Germans? Fortunately, I got to see Elaine Youngs and Nicole Branagh play a couple matches, because their game is almost all about pounding the ball hard. They didn't medal, but aesthetic pleasure! Fwoomp!

2. When I'm not watching women's beach volleyball, I'm watching women's indoor volleyball, and good thing too because the Polish team is a revelation of hotness.

Agnieszka Bednarek


Kasia Skowronska


Many more beauty here, thank Gdansk.

I can say that volleyball is to the 2008 Olympics what short-distance swimming is to 2004 (Natalie Coughlin, Inge de Bruijn, Amanda Beard).

3. When I'm not perving out to female athletes, I'm trying to figure out synchronized diving, which, according to my super objective measure of whatever the hell I'm thinking right now, is the randomest event ever. What's next, synchro weightlifting? Synchro free throws? Synchro discus?

4. And when I'm done with number 3, I'm trying to wrap my head around women's tramampoline. Wuh?

Indie rating: Electrelane - "To the East"

5 comments:

geeky Heather said...

I'm still trying to wrap my head around triple-jump. That's the real "schwunh??"

demondoll said...

So the IOC brings on trampoline, but wants to dump baseball and softball? I'm so confused.

BTW- my son thinks Olympic Tramp Champ is a nice title.

Leee said...

geeky heather, triple jump isn't so alien to me because we had to do it in Jr. High PE, though, yeah, thinking on it now: "Buh?"

As for softball, I know IOC is going to drop it because the US pwnz too much in it and by a LOL HUEG margin. As for beisbol, MLB doesn't want its bonafide stars to go anywhere near it and won't suspend the regular season to accommodate the summer Olympics.

Leee said...

Of course, right after I say that Americans dominate softball, we lose the gold medal game to Japan. Way to go, Jennie Finch!

geeky Heather said...

'Course you didn't jinx 'em. 'Course.

You really want to see weirdly awesomeness, watch Goalball during the Paralympics. Suh-weet!!