The Opening Ceremony: Let's Party!!

[Ohwell]

5 minutes ago, MyAimIsTrue said:

I'm old too as I watched both of those.  In all fairness to myself I was only seven in 1972!

Well, I'll do you one better.  I got married in 1972. ; )

The first Olympics I remember watching was in '68.

[mightysparrow]

4 minutes ago, chitowngirl said:

Sigh, I'm old, I remember Mark Spitz swimming and Bruce Jenner winning the decathlon.

I remember that Olympics too!  There are a lot of old folks around!

[camussie]

I also think it is cool that the USA not only has the most female athletes there but also a higher percentage of women than men,  

[galaxygirl76]

1 minute ago, camussie said:

I also think it is cool that the USA not only has the most female athletes there but also a higher percentage of women than men,  

My birth country also has more women than men representing :)

[mightysparrow]

8 minutes ago, chitowngirl said:

Plus the Massacre of the Isreali athletes.

I stayed up all night waiting to hear news about the Israeli athletes.  Edited to add:  I was a little girl but my mother let me stay up.

I will never ever forget when Jim McKay said 'They're all gone.'   It was devastating.

Edited August 6, 2016 by mightysparrow

[Daisy]

the Today people need to go away. 

[bmoore4026]

8 minutes ago, chitowngirl said:

Plus the Massacre of the Israeli athletes.

Also, it's been twenty years since the Atlanta Olympic bombings.  Yay, Olympic memories!

[maraleia]

I lived in Atlanta during the 96 games. All it did is jack up the prices on everything and the events were expensive as hell. The only good thing to come out of them was the Olympic park.

[KenyaJ]

10 minutes ago, camussie said:

Except for the Ralph Lauren logo I really like the team USA uniforms.  I think the white pants with the striped shirt and blue blazer are the right look for these Olympics which are a bit more a casual. 

I like them too. I want the t-shirt in my closet right now. Also, I want one of the Botswana blazers. That soft blue is a gorgeous color.

[cmahorror]

30 minutes ago, mojoween said:

I'm not going to lie...the first Olympics I can really remember are Calgary 88, but 28 years later the Olympics theme still gives me chills.

Hmmm, I was 11 in 84 so I'm not sure why I don't remember watching LA.  Must have been on past my bedtime.

 

 

Me too! I remember Mary Lou Retton from '84 but that is it.

The thing I remember most about Calgary - ice skating and giant dancing (inflatable I think) beavers.

Edited August 6, 2016 by cmahorror

[galaxygirl76]

Oh, those Indonesian outfits <3

[Daisy]

1 minute ago, cmahorror said:

 

 

Me too! I remember Mary Lou Retton from '84 but that is it.

The thing I remember most about Calgary - ice skating and giant dancing beavers.

Canada and our beavers. they were there in Vancouver too. 

[Arynm]

I hope the Iranian woman places! Good for her for making both the Olympic and Paralympic team!

[mightysparrow]

1 minute ago, cmahorror said:

 

 

Me too! I remember Mary Lou Retton from '84 but that is it.

The thing I remember most about Calgary - ice skating and giant (inflatable I think) beavers.

The Calgary Olympics were so much fun! Those beavers were insane!!

[mojoween]

I appreciate Matt and Meredith saying "E-rahn" and "E-rahq" (I know I'm butchering that, I hope you get my meaning) because I loathe the pronunciation of "Eye-ran" and "Eye-rack."

Ireland appears to be wearing footie pajamas.

Once again, Italy's hotness quotient is off the charts.

Edited August 6, 2016 by mojoween

[Rick Kitchen]

Damn, so many comments already, and we're just now getting it on the West Coast.  Well, here we go, late as always.  :D ...

Jeez, get on with the opening ceremony, and stop all of this preliminary blather.

[CherryMalotte]

Jim McKay!  Oh how I miss him.  He really knew his stuff.  You are right Daisy, Today can get out like yesterday.  

I'm enjoying the opening ceremony, the music is great and the 'show' value is fun but there's just something this time around, maybe with everything going on in the world as of late I'm not feeling the joy.  I just hope everything runs smoothly.  And I'd love to see one or more of the refugee athletes win a medal.  

The Aussie blazers...nope.  No thanks.  Not ever.  

Edited August 6, 2016 by CherryMalotte

[Rinaldo]

The Italians seem especially happy.

[Daisy]

Please show more Nations, less, USA! USA! chanters. 

[mojoween]

I love the flag bearer from Kiribati!

[Ohwell]

4 minutes ago, Rinaldo said:

The Italians seem especially happy.

And so am I just looking at them.

[Daisy]

Welcome, Kosovo!

[Shaynaa]

Do they have to keep cutting to the US team chanting "USA! USA!"? 

[camussie]

I get why NBC's coverage is American centric.  They are playing to an American audience.  I would guess that the Japanese coverage is Japenese centric.  

[Ohwell]

The Latvians look really cool.  The men look handsome in their suits; the women look gorgeous. 

[Rick Kitchen]

God, get on with it!  Don't tell us what you're going to show us, just show it!

[Daisy]

Just now, camussie said:

I get why NBC's coverage is American centric.  They are playing to an American audience.  I would guess that the Japanese coverage is Japenese centric.  

BBC, and CBC usually focus on everyone with some home-centricness.  NBC is like American-concentrate. 

but yah when you are in Asia - it's very focused on their own country. 

[Brattinella]

Looks like "Oh, there are those obnoxious Americans again!"

[chitowngirl]

Ok, that Toyota commercial was nice!

[camussie]

I don't think the American team is being obnoxious.  It seems like an exuberant atmosphere in the stadium and I am sure there are other teams cheering, chanting, etc for their team.   I do agree that while i get why NBC's coverage is American team heavy they don't need to flash to the team quite so often

Edited August 6, 2016 by camussie

[formerlyfreedom]

Malta flag holder = hot.

[Daisy]

he's an overachiver because he's focusing on school? Okay Today-Lady whose not Meredith. 

[MyAimIsTrue]

10 minutes ago, mojoween said:

I love the flag bearer from Kiribati!

Me too, my favorite athlete from any country so far!!

[Mountainair]

I liked these opening ceremonies a lot better than London. Got bored during the polar ice caps segment- I thought the "show" part was over after all the gratuitous shots of Giselle. Speaking of, I loathe anything having to do with her or Tom Brady- both sanctimonious assholes. Speaking of, the constant USA! USA! Chants by the athletes and the announcers is a bit much. 

The first Olympics I recall really being interested in was Atlanta (I was 11?). My two boys are almost 4 (I had him during the London olympics) and 6 and are totally into the diving and swimming (they are water babies and argue over who gets to be Michael Phelps when playing in the pool). I introduced them to diving via the trials on last week and their minds were blown! This is a fun time for me! 

[WhitneyWhit]

2 minutes ago, camussie said:

I don't think the American team is being obnoxious.  It seems like an exuberant atmosphere in the stadium and I am sure there are other teams cheering, chanting, etc for their team.   I do agree that while i get why NBC's coverage is American team heavy they don't need to flash to the team quite so often

I agree. It seems everytime the Olympics roll around it's Americans being exuberant=obnoxious, other countries doing the same = "cute", "sweet", "I'm crying", "I love that". I'm no a USA, rah rah kind of person, but I've never understood why people think Americans shouldn't make a peep during the Olympics yet find it perfectly acceptable when other countries do the same.

[Daisy]

Mongolia is bright! I like them

[maraleia]

I'm old and remember both the summer and winter 1980 games.

[Ohwell]

I always look forward to the Mongolians, especially their flag bearers.

[Bees52]

Woah... all that plaid for Mozambique... they looked more like lumberjacks....

[chitowngirl]

I imagine the USA athletes' families and friends would love to catch a glimpse of them at the Olympics.

[Daisy]

1 minute ago, WhitneyWhit said:

I agree. It seems everytime the Olympics roll around it's Americans being exuberant=obnoxious, other countries doing the same = "cute", "sweet", "I'm crying", "I love that". I'm no a USA, rah rah kind of person, but I've never understood why people think Americans shouldn't make a peep during the Olympics yet find it perfectly acceptable when other countries do the same.

I don't think they are being obnoxious or anything  - I am fine with them being all hyped and everything (and when they get all emotional etc - I have plenty of emotion for them). What irks, I think especially here  during the Parade of nations - is that NBC pans to them chanting USA etc - when they could focus on other stuff. (that is my glitch). When CBC overdoes it i give them the same flack :)

[Mountainair]

I love the birds eye view shot of the athletes on the white ground. Looks like paint splatter!

[Rick Kitchen]

It's absolutely ridiculous that they're going to go thirty minutes before they ever get to the opening ceremony.

[KenyaJ]

Spoiler: I really like Rio's Olympic flame and the thought behind it.

[mojoween]

The Nepal flag bearer is one of a few athletes who was born after the year 2000.  Good lord.

[Rinaldo]

How does a teeny island nation like Nauru (8 square miles!) even function? Cool to see them.

[Shaynaa]

I don't blame the USA athletes for being excited and chanting when they see a camera pointed at them.  I do blame NBC for showing them every 5 seconds.  It is really obnoxious.

[Daisy]

Just now, mojoween said:

The Nepal flag bearer is one of a few athletes who was born after the year 2000.  Good lord.

lol i heard that. I feel old now. 

[Ohwell]

I got close to the tv and just noticed that on bottom the right side there's a map that highlights each country.  Never noticed that before.  Damn my eyes are getting bad.

[maraleia]

So comedian Judy Gold just tweeted this- Why do I find #MattLauer's commentary as annoying as a fingernail caught in between your teeth?

and I agree with her 100 percent.