XXVIII Olympiad: "Too much skin, Too few People."

[amicus]

A piece on Fox cable news tonight...

I had the same thoughts, but rather than being charged with being a 'neocon prude' here on Lit and a sexist troublemakerat my other site, I refrained from comment.

The 'bra and panties' outfits of the USA girls beach volleyball team left little to the imagination...several other teams displayed a rather overt amount of flesh and even male athletes were dressed more 'brief' than I have seen before.

Why is there no one in Athens watching. I heard that airlines are offering 'free' tickets with no takers...

a curious amicus...

 

[doormouse]

I must be watching the wrong coverage

 

[Lisa Denton]

OMG!!!!! I missed the "bra and panties volley ball," did anybody record it?

 

[Liar]

Swedish politician Margareta Winberg, former minister and now ambassedor, brought up one thing about this in a debate article recently. Normally she is a whining, moralist extremist with imo preposterous quotes like "all men are rapists" on her sleeve.

But this time she makes a valid point: There are actually dress code rules for the female beach volley players that says how high cut the bikini bottoms must be. Similar regulations can be found for the tops. What you see them wear out there is not the minimum that they have to cover. Oh no, it's pretty much the maximum. It's either that, or skimpier, says the rules.

The only comparable rule for men goes the other way. They often want to play bare chested, but the olympic regulations say no.

In honesty though, there is a one-piece bathing suit for the laidies too (leg cut and decolletage still regulated), but everyone seems to choose to show off their midriffs. So I guess the athletes themselves don't mind.

But that's not the point. Being modest, prude, or just preferring shorts, shouldn't be an obstacle to win the olympics. Equal rules, dammit.

 

[OldnotDead]

I've mostly been watching Gymmanstics and Swimming and those uniforms haven't changed in the last 12 years or so.

But on the 'too few people' thought, I think the Greeks are getting a real lesson that just building it will not make people come. Lots of people talk about wanting to go to Olympics, but even the ones that can afford to often do not. Cities think that having such big events will do great things and the reality is that unless it is well organized and equally well financed, it will be both a logisitcs and economic disaster for the hosting city.

Los Angeles '84 lead the way to the modern structure when a private group took over when citizens rebelled about funding what everyone realized was going to be a huge deficit. But they also had a huge advantage not true to all sites - a very large nearby population. Greece is the smallest country to ever host and needed lots of outside visitors to make this work. As best I can tell they did nothing to promote attendance.

Nor did they do much to counter the news reports that it was poorly organized and a construction mess.

NYC is experiencing a similar awakening right now that the RNC is going to actually reduce the dollars they normally get in the summer rather than be a boon. Regular tourists are going elsewhere. One would think that their Olympic Organizing Committee would wake up and drop their bid, but not likely.

 

[Liar]

I've mostly been watching Gymmanstics and Swimming and those uniforms haven't changed in the last 12 years or so.

Speaking of which... When did swimmers go from wearing swimsuits and speedos to start with those long legged and sometimes even long armed "shark skin" suits? I remember being a tad bit dissapointed to be denied that parade of skin that a bunch of well trained swimmer legs can deliver.

 

[R. Richard]

The 'bra and panties' outfits of the USA girls beach volleyball team left little to the imagination...several other teams displayed a rather overt amount of flesh and even male athletes were dressed more 'brief' than I have seen before.

I used to live at the beach. They would play 'two man beach volleyball,' especially during the summer. The players wear very little. The reason is that it gets HOT during the summer and 'two man beach volleyball' is a strenuous game. The less clothes a player wears, the cooler the player can stay. The men play bare chested and the ladies wear as little as they can get away with. It is not so much a matter of sexy, it is a matter of cooling.

 

[McKenna]

Didn't the original Olympians compete in the nude?

 

[Weird Harold]

I had the same thoughts, but rather than being charged with being a 'neocon prude' here on Lit and a sexist troublemaker at my other site, I refrained from comment.

From an interview with the sole female member of the Iraqi team on her lack of proper equipment:

"What they call track uniforms, we call lingeree."

(I wonder if some equipment manufacturer has taken the opportunity to donate one of the hooded bodysuits some of the sprinters wear and/or new track shoes -- it could be a public relations bonanza for them if handled properly.)

 

[cheerful_deviant]

Didn't the original Olympians compete in the nude?

That's what I heard.

From what I remember, the root of gymnasium means nude, meaning practice in the nude... I think.

Anyone with a language degree know for sure?

 

[McKenna]

That's what I heard.

From what I remember, the root of gymnasium means nude, meaning practice in the nude... I think.

Anyone with a language degree know for sure?

Found this at a site called "Take Our Word:"

Gumnazein (a slightly different transliteration from the Greek) came to mean "train, practice" after gumnos "naked", because it was common in ancient Greece for athletes to train with no clothes on. The noun that derived from the verb was gumasion, taken by the Romans to mean "school" in Latin (in a slightly different form: gymnasium). In English the word retained its connection to athletes.

Site is here.

 

[cheerful_deviant]

Found this at a site called "Take Our Word:"

Gumnazein (a slightly different transliteration from the Greek) came to mean "train, practice" after gumnos "naked", because it was common in ancient Greece for athletes to train with no clothes on. The noun that derived from the verb was gumasion, taken by the Romans to mean "school" in Latin (in a slightly different form: gymnasium). In English the word retained its connection to athletes.

Site is here.

I hope this come up next time I play Trivial Persuit.

Thanks McK.

 

[McKenna]

I hope this come up next time I play Trivial Persuit.

Thanks McK.

You're welcome!

(Now we both know!)

 

[Colleen Thomas]

I think the root cause of the lack of spectators is something out of the greek's hands. People are afraid to travel. They are also afraid to visit places not well known for safety and security.

The aussies faced a similar problem in Sydney and passed out free tickets. It has been rumored that the South Koreans, shipped in military personelle, in civilian clothes to fill the stands.

The olympiad, while a spectacle of immense proportion, is at heart an event. It will happen again, maybe closer to home or in a city or country I want to visit. It's very easy to convince yourself to "wait til next year". With terroism still formost in many people's minds and anti-american sentiment high in Europe and around the world, I imagine it's even easier to convince yourself to stay home. Besides, preseason football has started and Baseball is getting down to the meat of the pennant races. I can get all the drama of sport and never leave the house.

-Colly

 

[CrazyyAngel]

The noun that derived from the verb was gumasion, taken by the Romans to mean "school" in Latin (in a slightly different form: gymnasium).

Were it found its way to the german language. In German the word gymnasium is our word for High school. Its the highest school form before college/university. You need to attend it in order to gain eligibility for college/university.

CA

 

[Liar]

Were it found its way to the german language. In German the word gymnasium is our word for High school. Its the highest school form before college/university. You need to attend it in order to gain eligibility for college/university.

CA

Same thing here in Sweden.

However, I can't remember practicing anything naked.

At least not while in class.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

My question is: why do all the teams have warm-up jackets with the name of their countries written on the back in English?

For instance, the Japanese call their country "Nihon" or maybe "Nippon", but on the back of their jackets it says "Japan". Similarly, Russia uses a different alphabet than we do, but on the back of their jackets it says "Russia".

Are these jackets provided by the USA so we can tell who's from where? It's kind of creepy.

---dr.M.

 

[Weird Harold]

My question is: why do all the teams have warm-up jackets with the name of their countries written on the back in English?
...
Are these jackets provided by the USA so we can tell who's from where? It's kind of creepy.

Because English or French are the "Iternational Languages" for diplomacy and sports. (not so much diplomacy anymore, but moreso for sports.)

The gear is actually provided by companies like Nike (Japan), ADIDAS (Argentina?) and McGregor (England.) They have large presences in the US, but their headquarters are almost always outside of the US.

 

[CrazyyAngel]

The gear is actually provided by companies like Nike (Japan), ADIDAS (Argentina?) and McGregor (England.) They have large presences in the US, but their headquarters are almost always outside of the US.

Ahm ... Nike is a US based company if I am not mistaken. Adidas is a German company.

Originally posted by Liar
However, I can't remember practicing anything naked.

At least not while in class.

Sad, isnt it ... .

CA

 

[snooper]

... Lots of people talk about wanting to go to Olympics, but even the ones that can afford to often do not. ...

In spite of the hoohaa about free tickets they still wanted 200 euros ($245 or £135 at today's commercial rates) to watch one four hour session of gymnastics. Who can afford that?

... NYC is experiencing a similar awakening right now .... One would think that their Olympic Organizing Committee would wake up and drop their bid, but not likely.

Many of us wish London would do so also, and let the French lose their collective shirts.

Originally posted by Colleen Thomas
... I can get all the drama of sport and never leave the house.

In the UK, I can get all the drama of the Olympics without leaving the house, ad nauseam.

Originally posted by dr_mabeuse
... My question is: why do all the teams have warm-up jackets with the name of their countries written on the back in English?

That is presumably their choice. More to the point, why do all the signs in the stadia, gymnasia, etc. say ATHENS 2004 in English? Should it not appear somewhere in Greek?

And finally .... as to beach volleyball, I don't understand why the beach version was included instead of the indoor version, if it is not so that the females can be paraded as near to naked as possible.

Edited to attribute a quote correctly!

 

[hunting_tiger]

In case you haven't done it yet.

Check with a travel agency close to you and you will know why lots of people stay at home.

When it starts to cost around 1000 bucks (all included) a day then I am out. I would rather travel around the globe for the kind of money it costs to watch the games.

They have a dress code for volleyball (indoors) too. I don't think females are allowed to play in shorts there either. ... Silly rules.

McKenna .. Olympia hadn't been the same if the shot putters had competed nekkid this year

Colleen .. We might not share the views of a certain president in Europe but we can see the difference between a government and an american in Paris or Athens or whereever a major sport event take place.

 

[juanjsojr]

swimming

you are right they show skin when I was watching some and I saw a woman nipples showing in there suit

 

[CrazyyAngel]

They have a dress code for volleyball (indoors) too. I don't think females are allowed to play in shorts there either. ... Silly rules.

Depends on what you call shorts ... these are two of the german volleyball players in a win over cuba on the first day in Athens.

http://www.rp-online.de/layout/showbilder/3755-volleyball2.jpg

CA

 

[HornyHenry]

Rowing!

You should have caught the women's 8-person w/coxswain rowing competition!
Lots of hard nipples all around.

And, do the women gymnasts wear "cups"? The way they pound them on the balance beem must hurt!

The women's beach volleyball uniforms seen just right to me. They are cool and sexy, as well as allowing freedom of movement.

These are all ATHLETES people, and they should be allowed to wear whatever will help them perform to their fullest.

It's wonderful to see the greatest athletes in the world performing sports that, sometimes, we would never watch otherwise.

 

[Sabledrake]

My hubby said last night that I had forever ruined the watching of men's track and field events for him ... and all because I remarked on how the runners all seemed to be bouncing around all loose and jiggly commando under their clingy shorts. What can I say? I was looking.

Sabledrake