plausible(?) Olympic fantasies

[Bert Bates]

I'm too old to kid myself about most of the events, but I can kind of fantasize about moving to some small country and making the team for:

- ping pong
- archery

[Jelle Klap]

If couch sitting ever makes it as an olympic sport, I say: bring it on!
Well, if curling can make the cut...

[Tejas Jain]

Originally posted by Bert Bates:
I'm too old to kid myself about most of the events, but I can kind of fantasize about moving to some small country and making the team for:

- ping pong
- archery

Don't have to be a small country, welcome to India.

[Arijit Daripa]

Originally posted by Bert Bates:
I'm too old to kid myself about most of the events, but I can kind of fantasize about moving to some small country and making the team for:

- ping pong
- archery

Can you coach Indian Hockey team. 7 consecutive Gold winners in Olympics couldn't qualify for the Olympics this year.
As you are teaching us JAVA(if you are that Bert who changed our world with Kathy). Teach them how to hold the stick. We know you can(if you are that Bert).
Well...... Are you that Bert?
[ August 15, 2008: Message edited by: ARIJIT DARIPA ]

[Paul Clapham]

Originally posted by ARIJIT DARIPA:
As you are teaching us JAVA. Teach them how to hold the stick. We know you can.

First of all, always keep your stick on the ice.

[Arijit Daripa]

Originally posted by Paul Clapham:
First of all, always keep your stick on the ice.

Paul! I am very weak in idioms.
Can you explain me what keeping one's stick on the ice means.

[Ulf Dittmer]

Originally posted by Bert Bates:
- ping pong

If you keep calling it that, no team will let you in: when done competitively, it's called table tennis.

Can you explain me what keeping one's stick on the ice means.

I don't think that's an idiom. It's just common sense in ice hockey. Paul hails from Canada, where they take that sport seriously (and won a lot of medals in it).

[Paul Clapham]

Originally posted by Ulf Dittmer:
I don't think that's an idiom. It's just common sense in ice hockey. Paul hails from Canada, where they take that sport seriously (and won a lot of medals in it).

That's right. So when you say "hockey" to me, I think about ice hockey first. Although both of my children played field hockey (that's the sport that you play on grass or artificial turf) when they were young and not ice hockey. The equipment's a LOT cheaper.

But I'm sorry to say that Canada even qualified for the Olympic field hockey event. If you watched the opening ceremonies on TV, you probably didn't notice the people in the Canadian team wearing red turbans. That was some of the field hockey players.

[Arijit Daripa]

And dude I am from India. So for me hockey is played on the grass-field. I forgot about the other version of the game. That's why I couldn't pick that(keeping one's stick on the ice).

[marc weber]

Originally posted by ARIJIT DARIPA:
...for me hockey is played on the grass-field...

This is the first I've heard of such a thing!

[Bert Bates]

Ulf -

ping pong vs. table tennis

I just heard a thing on the radio the other day that the snooty referees and coaches and those types prefer to say "table tennis" - but that all the top players, when talking to each other still prefer "ping pong".

So, I'm not sure, but I'd say that at least it's not become a 100% standard


Oh and I hadn't thought of the winter games - I could add curling to the list of "possibles"

[Ulf Dittmer]

I just heard a thing on the radio the other day that the snooty referees and coaches and those types prefer to say "table tennis" - but that all the top players, when talking to each other still prefer "ping pong".

Hmm, not sure what to think of that. I've been playing competitively for over 20 years and I've never met a player -top player or not, in the USA or in Germany- who used the term himself, or who didn't sneer at anyone who did. So, I'm thinking that someone pulled the radio commentator's leg with this one.

[Pat Farrell]

Originally posted by ARIJIT DARIPA:
And dude I am from India... That's why I couldn't pick that(keeping one's stick on the ice).

In ice hockey, the rules say you are not to use the stick as a club. If part of the stick is on the ice, you are safe. If you carry it off the ice, you may be called for "high sticking" which I think means having both hands above your belt.

So if you want to whack your opponent with the stick, make sure that some part of it is on the ice.

[Ryan McGuire]

Originally posted by Bert Bates:

- ping pong
- archery

For a couple brief, shining weeks back in the '80s I was in the top 10 in collegiate archery. Coming from a northern state, we had a relative advantage at the indoor distances over the some of the perennial in the Texas/Arizona region who practice more and therefore excel at the longer outdoor distances. IF I was somehow pressured into trying to win an Olympic medal, that's the sport where I'd probably have the best chance.

Then again, if I was having all my equipment provided free of charge in this hypothetical scenario, maybe I'd go for large yacht racing instead.

[Pat Farrell]

Originally posted by Ryan McGuire:
I'd go for large yacht racing instead.

Have you ever been on an Olympic yacht race? I have, and its no fun and hard work. There is nothing close to "luxury" on an Olympic yacht. Nor an America's Cup yacht. Not even a head. On long races, they will have a bucket, but you are not supposed to use it.