Paris Olympics

[One_ping_only]

Women's team going for the Gold against France in a few minutes. A game I'd normally watch but I'm simply going to boycott from watching the game as I hope a lot of other basketball fans will. Just to show those dumb fucks who decided to keep the two most important marketing ladies ever to play for the WBNA off the roster.

Could you imagine how many USA Number 22 Clarke jerseys they would had sold not only to Americans but to all basketball fans there in Paris??? Simply threw away much needed exposure for the league. Dumb fucks

 

[Saint_Ann]

Women's team going for the Gold against France in a few minutes. A game I'd normally watch but I'm simply going to boycott from watching the game as I hope a lot of other basketball fans will. Just to show those dumb fucks who decided to keep the two most important marketing ladies ever to play for the WBNA off the roster.

Could you imagine how many USA Number 22 Clarke jerseys they would had sold not only to Americans but to all basketball fans there in Paris??? Simply threw away much needed exposure for the league. Dumb fucks

Clark will get her turn. There are dues to be paid. US squeaks by a point as time expires, for gold.

 

[MajorRewrite]

Women's team going for the Gold against France in a few minutes. A game I'd normally watch but I'm simply going to boycott from watching the game as I hope a lot of other basketball fans will. Just to show those dumb fucks who decided to keep the two most important marketing ladies ever to play for the WBNA off the roster.

Could you imagine how many USA Number 22 Clarke jerseys they would had sold not only to Americans but to all basketball fans there in Paris??? Simply threw away much needed exposure for the league. Dumb fucks

I’m sure the team truly missed your support.

 

[One_ping_only]

I’m sure the team truly missed your support.

I'm sure they don't but let's see what their returns will be and the news report of how their attendance was lame throughout the games. I'm sure I'm not the only one with this opinion so let them get their just reward or criticisms this week.

Like I said they had an opportunity to promote women's basketball to the world which would had given everyone involved in that sport the much needed attention and marketing it needs. Oh well?

 

[RobDownSouth]

Cite?

Women's Rugby.
Women's Boxing (66kg class).
You're welcome.

 

[ll74]

The Olympics only happen once every 4 years, and sane people around the world enjoy the competition.

Meanwhile, the right wing nuts desperately try to find reasons to attack the Olympics. They are very upset every time a brown person wins a medal.

NBC’s Olympics Ratings are Soaring

Actually they occur every two years. Winter is up in two years.

 

[beckiefalwell]

Crook Monsieur's spawns', Don and Eric, favorite sport is killing animals with high powered rifles, after those animals were already hunted down by guides. Some sport!

https://www.safari.com/blog/trump-brothers-hunt-in-africa

 

[Saint_Ann]

Wonder if the closing ceremony will be weird...

 

[Lazaran]

Women's team going for the Gold against France in a few minutes. A game I'd normally watch but I'm simply going to boycott from watching the game as I hope a lot of other basketball fans will. Just to show those dumb fucks who decided to keep the two most important marketing ladies ever to play for the WBNA off the roster.

Could you imagine how many USA Number 22 Clarke jerseys they would had sold not only to Americans but to all basketball fans there in Paris??? Simply threw away much needed exposure for the league. Dumb fucks

You’re right on a very mercenary merchandising level, but you’re missing some of the more nuanced considerations:

Caitlin Clarke is already reaping massive rewards from the game that other WNBA players are not.

The Olympics will likely be the largest single boost to those other WNBA players’ profiles, legacies, and pocketbooks in their lifetimes.

Caitlin and the WNBA will be just fine: And IF Caitlin pans out as a dominant WNBA player over the next couple of years, then her Olympic debut in Los Angeles will be even more hyped and profitable. Actually, when you stop to think about it: Would it really have served the WNBA or America to have Caitlin Clark debut in the Paris Olympics???



Things worked out just fine, and France and the world got a thrilling final.

 

[ll74]

Loved the LA intro. Well done USA.

 

[jomar]

Loved the LA intro. Well done USA.

Yes, too bad the flag or whatever was strapped to cruises leg didn’t open

 

[ll74]

Yes, too bad the flag or whatever was strapped to cruises leg didn’t open

I missed that part

 

[jomar]

I missed that part

He was lowered into the stadium and kept yanking on a cord attached to the top of a cylindrical pack strapped to his leg, but it didn’t open. The show went on just fine, though

 

[RobDownSouth]

NBC learned an important lesson in this Olympics.
In 2016, people who shared televised clips of the Olympics immediately got takedown notices issued by NBC.
in 2024, people shared a tsunami of televised clips of the Olympics and NBC reaped the benefit of much higher ratings as people stood around the watercooler and talked about "did you see THAT?" moments.

Social Media is the future.

 

[Lazaran]

He was lowered into the stadium and kept yanking on a cord attached to the top of a cylindrical pack strapped to his leg, but it didn’t open. The show went on just fine, though

I thought he was pulling on a braking device he had strapped to his leg that attached to some cable kit under his clothing to control his descent to the ground.



Do you have a cite that indicates some prop malfunctioned???

 

[Saint_Ann]

Maybe it was a braking device...

 

[jomar]

I thought he was pulling on a braking device he had strapped to his leg that attached to some cable kit under his clothing to control his descent to the ground.



Do you have a cite that indicates some prop malfunctioned???

You could be right on the breaking device. Seems an odd place for it, but I have no idea how that stuff works.

ETA: saw a replay clip this morning and it looked like lever, not a cord so I think you’re right.

 

[JoePepsiCo]

They're finally over.

I watched none of it and missed it not one wit.

In the old days, in the old days, when I was a kid, it was fascinating, a spectacle, but more importantly...,



... in a time when they were teaching us duck and cover, under our schools desks, drills...,

It was US verses them .​

 

[ishtat]

Things worked out just fine, and France and the world got a thrilling final.

Basketball finals have to be in the Olympics firstly, because USA get two certain golds, secondly it keeps millions of people glued to their small screens in the worlds biggest market, though in reality Basketball is not a big deal in most countries. A special commendation should go to the USA college system which enabled at least 3 small nations to strike gold - St Lucia, Domenica and Granada.

 

[coati]

They're finally over.

I watched none of it and missed it not one wit.

In the old days, in the old days, when I was a kid, it was fascinating, a spectacle, but more importantly...,



... in a time when they were teaching us duck and cover, under our schools desks, drills...,

It was US verses them .​

Gosh, tell us some more stories, Gramps.

 

[LLCox]

Olympic Moment

 

[LLCox]

 

[Lazaran]

Basketball finals have to be in the Olympics firstly, because USA get two certain golds, secondly it keeps millions of people glued to their small screens in the worlds biggest market, though in reality Basketball is not a big deal in most countries. A special commendation should go to the USA college system which enabled at least 3 small nations to strike gold - St Lucia, Domenica and Granada.

Um, okay.

Just a couple of points:

1) The U.S. men didn’t win the Gold Medal in 2004, and before the best NBA players were allowed to participate in 1992, the U.S. was regularly getting beaten by international teams. (And the U.S. has lost games in group play.)

Side note: USA mens basketball has fared poorly in the FIBA tournament since 2014.

2) The USA women’s team barely won this year, so… The world is catching up.

3) Basketball is a global sport now, but it isn’t as prominent as Soccer (football). Still, exceptional young athletes around the world are witnessing the success of international players in the NBA and other professional basketball leagues and they are seizing on the opportunities basketball offers. The NBA, etc, are dedicated to growing the sport of basketball internationally, and it seems to be working.

4) Yes, the U.S. college system does provide an avenue to success for foreign athletes. I’m surprised you didn’t include Leon Marchand, the star of the Paris Olympics, who represented France, but trained at Arizona State college and is benefiting from the training of the American coach who trained Michael Phelps, etc, Bob Bowman.

 

[jomar]

Um, okay.

Just a couple of points:

1) The U.S. men didn’t win the Gold Medal in 2004, and before the best NBA players were allowed to participate in 1992, the U.S. was regularly getting beaten by international teams. (And the U.S. has lost games in group play.)

Side note: USA mens basketball has fared poorly in the FIBA tournament since 2014.

2) The USA women’s team barely won this year, so… The world is catching up.

3) Basketball is a global sport now, but it isn’t as prominent as Soccer (football). Still, exceptional young athletes around the world are witnessing the success of international players in the NBA and other professional basketball leagues and they are seizing on the opportunities basketball offers. The NBA, etc, are dedicated to growing the sport of basketball internationally, and it seems to be working.

4) Yes, the U.S. college system does provide an avenue to success for foreign athletes. I’m surprised you didn’t include Leon Marchand, the star of the Paris Olympics, who represented France, but trained at Arizona State college and is benefiting from the training of the American coach who trained Michael Phelps, etc, Bob Bowman.

The men’s final was a bit of a squeaker. And both men and women in NBA and WNBA are playing for their home countries (though some have dual citizenship) which further less the playing field.

And they talked about WNBA players on the French team committing to considerably more time to practice and gel than the US team had available.

 

[Lazaran]

The men’s final was a bit of a squeaker. And both men and women in NBA and WNBA are playing for their home countries (though some have dual citizenship) which further less the playing field.

And they talked about WNBA players on the French team committing to considerably more time to practice and gel than the US team had available.

The foreign players / teams have some built in advantages:

1) They are the hunters, the U.S. teams are the hunted. (And foreign players seem to play extra aggressively against the U.S., and international refs seem to allow it.)

2) The American professionals are generally the top stars, so they always seem to be more risk averse in international games. (I don’t see the all out effort, which is related to my first point: There is a very real risk of an injury that could end a career.)

3) As you mentioned, the foreign players have more time to “gel”, but they are ALSO more open to “gelling “ (imho) than the American stars. There is undoubtably more ego management on Team USA than on the foreign teams. (See: Jayson Tatum, etc.)

4) FIBA rules and refereeing are waaaaay different than the NBA / WNBA. They even use a different ball. (I would definitely like to see the FIBA rules, reffing, court size, and ball mirror the NBA /WNBA , but that isn’t going to happen.)



Ultimately, the talent gap is closing while the standard disadvantages the U.S. teams have to deal with remain intact.

It is what it is.