Artistic Gymnastics: Stick the Landing!

[Minneapple]

3 minutes ago, Dots And Stripes said:

NBC lobbies to get their stars scheduled for prime time. I believe it happened a lot with Phelps over the years and I would bet they had something to do with Kerri Jennings Walsh having the last match for volleyball yesterday. I assume gymnastics wouldn't budge for them. I have no doubt they would have tried to get gymnastics live in prime time. 

They got a bit lucky with Phelps, particularly in Beijing since the time zones are a 12-hour difference. They were able to show quite a few of his morning races live in primetime.

Gymnastics is actually a bit tricky to show live in primetime since there's a ton of downtime. But, it wouldn't be gymnastics budging or not budging, it would be the IOC, which is what sets the schedules. Even when the Games were in Atlanta, gymnastics was held in the afternoon and NBC cut the package for primetime. 

[choclatechip45]

3 minutes ago, Minneapple said:

They got a bit lucky with Phelps, particularly in Beijing since the time zones are a 12-hour difference. They were able to show quite a few of his morning races live in primetime.

Gymnastics is actually a bit tricky to show live in primetime since there's a ton of downtime. But, it wouldn't be gymnastics budging or not budging, it would be the IOC, which is what sets the schedules. Even when the Games were in Atlanta, gymnastics was held in the afternoon and NBC cut the package for primetime. 

Didn't  they show team finals and the  all-around live in 2008? I could be wrong, but I am pretty sure they did.

[Minneapple]

Just now, choclatechip45 said:

Didn't  they show team finals and the  all-around live in 2008? I could be wrong, but I am pretty sure they did.

Yeah, they actually did. Again the time zones in that case worked in their favor. NBC will take advantage and show stuff live in primetime whenever they can. 

[DawnDavenport]

29 minutes ago, scarynikki12 said:

Mind you, I can't remember the book title since I read it in high school but, I remember reading that the judge(s) on Nadia's final AA apparatus delayed the score long enough to see what Davidova scored on her final event and then gave Nadia one that let her tie for silver but not get a repeat gold.  Now, Nadia still got a 10 on bars that same day so I'm not sure what I read is accurate, but I have no problem believing that the Soviets would have gone so far as to pull Tonya Harding's with the other countries to make sure one of their gymnasts won the All Around.  A little scoring corruption would have been nothing for them.

If I remember correctly, I heard they essentially delayed her bars score for 30 minutes to determine if giving her a 10.0 would move her ahead of Davydova. I think once they determined that she couldn't beat her, they gave her the 10.0. That would have been much harder to do had Nadia not fallen in the team finals where she only received a 9.5. Had she not fallen, there's no way she would have lost the competition unless they marked her down on every event. That was one of the most crooked competitions. I think the Soviets had solider in the stands heckling the other performers in an attempt to rattle them.

[DawnDavenport]

14 minutes ago, Minneapple said:

Yeah, they actually did. Again the time zones in that case worked in their favor. NBC will take advantage and show stuff live in primetime whenever they can. 

I believe to show the swimming and gymnastics live, they modified the finals to late morning so they could show them live in the US.  I think the athletes had to adjust their training schedules since they were used to competing in the late afternoon and early evening. It made for decent coverage but some of the athletes complained about it. I think NBC lobbied the IOC for these changes since they paid the most to cover the games.

[Sew Sumi]

35 minutes ago, Minneapple said:

Yeah, they actually did. Again the time zones in that case worked in their favor. NBC will take advantage and show stuff live in primetime whenever they can. 

Still tape-delayed here. #grumpywestcoaster

We're even getting the NBC weekend daytime coverage on tape delay. Really? At least the subsidiary cable channels are all broadcasting live. I can only watch so many things on the nbcolympics.com feed at once. Geezus. 

[Growsonwalls]

Oh my god, so great to see Boguinskaya rocking that bitchface so many years later as coach. Love her.

If you want to find out more about her, there's this interview with Kim Zmeskal who said that even at the height of their rivalry Bogi was apparently very nice behind the scenes.

[Daisy]

They really should rename BitchFace to BogiFace. <3 her.

[DawnDavenport]

4 minutes ago, Sew Sumi said:

Still tape-delayed here. #grumpywestcoaster

We're even getting the NBC weekend daytime coverage on tape delay. Really? At least the subsidiary cable channels are all broadcasting live. I can only watch so many things on the nbcolympics.com feed at once. Geezus. 

Oh yes. I was living in Seattle during the SLC Olympics and we still didn't get the events live. They were on a one hour delay! The cable provider then had the CBC and I watched everything there (plus the commentators weren't quite as annoying) so I new the results before they actually aired on NBC. I have a feeling NBC would have delayed coverage even if the games were in a West Coast city. They like to create drama and package everything to allow time for the fluff and the athlete backstories. In fact, I remember watching figure skating and all Verne could talk about was some Italian ladies skater's dad who killed himself because he was a manic depressive. Mind you this is during her program! The group I was watching with couldn't believe it. That's why I'm afraid we're going to hear more about the "broken home" Biles is from rather than what a great athlete she is. I'm all for human interest stories but they need to tone it down during the events.

I don't remember completely but I think Josh Tesh wouldn't shut up about Shannon Miller's elbow screw in '92 and always referred to Tatiaa Gutsu as Odessa's Painted Bird, making her sound like some kind of hooker.

[Minneapple]

I missed Aliya's floor routine before...and wow, that was just bizarre. She seemed so out of it. Just a bunch of spins, not connected to the music at all. Tim actually tried to be nice. Nastia was like, WTF was that.

[Daisy]

2 minutes ago, DawnDavenport said:

Oh yes. I was living in Seattle during the SLC Olympics and we still didn't get the events live. They were on a one hour delay! The cable provider then had the CBC and I watched everything there (plus the commentators weren't quite as annoying) so I new the results before they actually aired on NBC. I have a feeling NBC would have delayed coverage even if the games were in a West Coast city. They like to create drama and package everything to allow time for the fluff and the athlete backstories. In fact, I remember watching figure skating and all Verne could talk about was some Italian ladies skater's dad who killed himself because he was a manic depressive. Mind you this is during her program! The group I was watching with couldn't believe it. That's why I'm afraid we're going to hear more about the "broken home" Biles is from rather than what a great athlete she is. I'm all for human interest stories but they need to tone it down during the events.

I don't remember completely but I think Josh Tesh wouldn't shut up about Shannon Miller's elbow screw in '92 and always referred to Tatiaa Gutsu as Odessa's Painted Bird, making her sound like some kind of hooker.

I know. you hear that and you're like.... is that a good thing or a bad thing? 

I don't get, even with all the complaints NBC doesn't show more. like you can air it during regular time - and then do the prime time fluffy. CBC and BBC does it. 

[Growsonwalls]

I love Mustafina. My god she's gorgeous. She hasn't gotten that old and slightly sour look that a lot of veteran gymnasts have.

[emma675]

It is so interesting to have watched the live feed and now the prime time taped version. The commentators are actually making it worse--during the live feed those girls just went about their business, getting things done. Now it makes it seem like it's high drama, overly emotional and over the top. Ugh.

[Fostersmom]

Did I hear Tim right? There's 6 medals women can get, but Simone will only be eligible for 5? Is she not doing one of the apparatuses? 

[choclatechip45]

Quote

Did I hear Tim right? There's 6 medals women can get, but Simone will only be eligible for 5? Is she not doing one of the apparatuses? 

Uneven bars. It's her weakest event even though she is still better than Laurie and Aly on it. It's a challenge for Simone because of how small her hands are (her words not mine)

Edited August 8, 2016 by choclatechip45

[kittykat]

Simone didn't qualify for bars.  Madison and Gabby got those 2 spots.

[Ohwell]

Granted, I'm not familiar with gymnastics "protocol," but must they do the huggy kissy face with each other every damn time one of them does a routine? Most of the time it just looks so fake.

Edited August 8, 2016 by Ohwell

[Growsonwalls]

3 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

Granted, I'm not familiar with gymnastics "protocol," but must they do the huggy huggy with each other every damn time one of them does a routine? Most of the time it just looks so fake.

The huggy huggy thing wasn't always there. I remember as recently as 2007/2008 there was a lot of talk of how the rest of the team would ignore Shawn Johnson and Nastia and Chellsie Memmel were also frosty with each other. It seems to be a thing in the last two quads.

[Quof]

Even more annoying is the constant "Go Gabby" or whoever throughout the entire routine.  I get cheering on your teammate, but they are doing their job.  Should someone stand behind me and scream "Go Quof" throughout my work day?

[choclatechip45]

I think its the whole ranch atmosphere. All of these girls have all been going to the ranch basically their whole careers. I remember seeing a picture of the 2005 National TOPs Team Aly, Jordyn and Gabby were all in the picture.

Edited August 8, 2016 by choclatechip45

[bunnyblue]

10 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

Most of the time it just looks so fake.

Yes, thank you!! I hate the forced huggy-huggy kissy-kissy they do. No one is buying it, ladies.

5 minutes ago, Quof said:

Even more annoying is the constant "Go Gabby" or whoever throughout the entire routine.

You're right, that may just be even more annoying. Do the men gymnasts do it? I don't think I heard them while watching last night.

[emma675]

I heard the men doing it last night, too, so it's not just the ladies.

[Sew Sumi]

Poor Canada. :(

[galaxygirl76]

The girls made the team final, you all have no idea what a big deal this is because this is the first time in 40 years that we even have a team at the Games to begin with!

[Quof]

Yeah, Canada has had a sucky day all around, including two 4th place finishes.  Canadian athletes have a penchant for just missing the podium, or the cut off. Guess we are being polite and ceding our place to others. 

[Dots And Stripes]

3 minutes ago, galaxygirl76 said:

The girls made the team final, you all have no idea what a big deal this is because this is the first time in 40 years that we even have a team at the Games to begin with!

 Which girls? Lol

Edited August 8, 2016 by Dots And Stripes

[Ohwell]

23 minutes ago, Growsonwalls said:

The huggy huggy thing wasn't always there. I remember as recently as 2007/2008 there was a lot of talk of how the rest of the team would ignore Shawn Johnson and Nastia and Chellsie Memmel were also frosty with each other. It seems to be a thing in the last two quads.

Ok thanks.  I remember seeing my first Olympics gymnastic competition when Nadia Comaneci was the star, and I didn't remember the women doing the huggy kissy face thing back then. 

[WhitneyWhit]

I posted this in the announcer thread but as if we needed another reason to think Al is ass covered in shit sauce this would be it.

[galaxygirl76]

8 minutes ago, Dots And Stripes said:

 Which girls? Lol

I'm Dutch and I thought I was pretty vocal about it :)

[Growsonwalls]

Um what a shitty comment for Al to make about Simone. And I'm just going to come out and say that there's racism in that comment too. A lot of Olympic athletes come from broken homes but I'd bet you anything Al would never disrespect, say, Michael Phelps' mom like that.

[Daisy]

20 minutes ago, Quof said:

Yeah, Canada has had a sucky day all around, including two 4th place finishes.  Canadian athletes have a penchant for just missing the podium, or the cut off. Guess we are being polite and ceding our place to others. 

but we just won a silver in the pool! by a sixteen year old. 
Apparently Canada can swim. Which is good because Canada can't tumble :(

[MostlyC]

Al should be fired for that tweet.

Ask any adoptive parent or child out there.  A parent is someone who loves, cares and is legally responsible for their child.  

Dna does not a parent make. 

[Minneapple]

Wow, Al is hideous. 

[galaxygirl76]

Just now, Minneapple said:

Wow, Al is hideous. 

Especially on the inside.

[Daisy]

Shame, Shame, Shame, Al. That is low blow. Simone considers them her parents, which should be the end of story. 

Actually reading his twitter feed... he's really odious. 

[Growsonwalls]

1 minute ago, Daisy said:

Shame, Shame, Shame, Al. That is low blow. Simone considers them her parents, which should be the end of story. 

I really, really hope this doesn't give fans of a certain presidential candidate (and maybe the presidential candidate himself) to start in with the racism for Simone, Gabby and Laurie. Because that would be all sorts of hideous. I don't know, I just have a sick feeling that since this is the year it's apparently okay to be totally hideous on social media, that Simone/Gabby/Laurie are going to be targeted. Hope I'm wrong.

[ExplainItAgain]

12 minutes ago, Daisy said:

Shame, Shame, Shame, Al. That is low blow. Simone considers them her parents, which should be the end of story. 

Exactly. End of story. Shut up, Al.

[AuntieDiane6]

Quote

Simone/Gabby/Laurie are going to be targeted. Hope I'm wrong.

Simone was already targeted at an earlier world championship by an Italian gymnast (who basically said Simone won because she was black).  Simone took it all in stride.

Hey, Simone has wonderful role models in how to handle hecklers:  THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND HIS FAMILY. 

Edited August 8, 2016 by AuntieDiane6

[emma675]

Not that they'll do anything about it, but I hope someone is making NBC aware of Al's ass-hattery. It is just totally uncalled for--Simone calls them her parents, they raised her as their child, end of story.

Edited August 8, 2016 by emma675d

[Aliconehead]

It looks like Trautwig deleted the tweet. But omg that man is an ass going by his Twitter. He makes trump look thick skinned. 

[kalystia1983]

31 minutes ago, emma675 said:

Not that they'll do anything about it, but I hope someone is making NBC aware of Al's ass-hattery. It is just totally uncalled for--Simone calls them her parents, they raised her as their child, end of story.

Looks like Aimee (Simone's coach) saw it and tweeted back at him.  I'm hopeful as one of the US coaches she'll say something.

6 minutes ago, Aliconehead said:

It looks like Trautwig deleted the tweet. But omg that man is an ass going by his Twitter. He makes trump look thick skinned. 

He really really is.

[choclatechip45]

Al really pissed me off during trials when he refereed to Ron and Nellie Biles as Simone's grandfather and wife. I hope he finally gets fired. He basically said Gabby wasn't an Olympic champ because she kept falling on the beam while he said Mikulak was exciting to watch who by the way hasn't gone 6 for 6 in a competition since the American Cup of 2013!

Edited August 8, 2016 by choclatechip45

[AuntieDiane6]

Quote

Looks like Aimee (Simone's coach) saw it and tweeted back at him.  I'm hopeful as one of the US coaches she'll say something.

   16 MINUTES AGO,  ALICONEHEAD SAID: 

It looks like Trautwig deleted the tweet. But omg that man is an ass going by his Twitter. He makes trump look thick skinned. 

He really really is.

He removed it.  Let's not distract Simone or get her all involved in some PC controversy and then have every commentator bring it up for all interviews ad finitim.  

[KBrownie]

16 minutes ago, AuntieDiane6 said:

He removed it.  Let's not distract Simone or get her all involved in some PC controversy and then have every commentator bring it up for all interviews ad finitim.  

It's not about being "PC" as you put it.  He literally tried to erase her parents from her life to fit whatever narrative he has in his head about what family means.  It's not some trite quibble over what to call them as if it doesn't matter in the long run.  I really hate when people, don't know if that was the intent here, try to de-legitimize serious issues by throwing that "PC" label and all the connotation that comes with it at an issue they don't agree with.

And just because he deleted it doesn't mean it didn't happen.  Or that he didn't fail in his job of commentating on the sport and not what family supposedly means to him.  And what happens if Simone wins the All-Around and they show her parents in the stands?  Is he going to go into another spiel about how they're not really her parents?  Not okay.

I don't think Simone really cares as I'm pretty sure this isn't the first time she's had to deal with ignorant people trying to minimize her parents' role in her life and success just because they're her grandparents and not her biological parents.  

Edited August 8, 2016 by KBrownie
Punctuation

[Growsonwalls]

It's not a matter of being PC. It's a borderline racist, offensive tweet that he'd never dare say about a white athlete. 

Edited August 8, 2016 by Growsonwalls
Accidentally posted

[SophiaD]

Al is an idiot.  I couldn't believe how much he bloviated all over the beginning of the coverage.  (I'm on the West Coast, so we're just getting started).  Can't we get Terry Gannon or someone normal?

 

I love their leotards this year.  

 

Laurie just tore it up on floor just now.  I can't imagine what that would be like, to do such a great job at your first Olympics routine, more or less out of nowhere.  She seems so bubbly and cheerful.  I'll bet her slumber parties were awesome.  

 

FANTASTIC floor routines from Simone and Aly.  This evening is going to be fun.

[DawnDavenport]

2 hours ago, Minneapple said:

I missed Aliya's floor routine before...and wow, that was just bizarre. She seemed so out of it. Just a bunch of spins, not connected to the music at all. Tim actually tried to be nice. Nastia was like, WTF was that.

That was a horrid floor. The tumbling wasn't even up to 2000 level tumbling. She tried to get credit for all those spins and fell out of most of them. There's no way she's going to get anywhere near the AA podium. Why didn't she just show up as a bars specialist? Is the talent pool in Russia that shallow they had her compete AA?

[Daisy]

How on Earth did NBC get away with showing Ellie Black's injury? CBC flat out said there were standards and they couldn't show it, and I know BBC didn't show it either, but there it was on NBC (and they showed it twice). Wowzer. 

[Growsonwalls]

2 minutes ago, DawnDavenport said:

That was a horrid floor. The tumbling wasn't even up to 2000 level tumbling. She tried to get credit for all those spins and fell out of most of them. There's no way she's going to get anywhere near the AA podium. Why didn't she just show up as a bars specialist? Is the talent pool in Russia that shallow they had her compete AA?

Aliya's had a number of injuries. She had ACL surgery. I'd imagine hardcore tumbling on the floor is almost impossible for her which is why she does so many spins on floor. But she's got a pretty wrecked body.

[ExplainItAgain]

The NBC coverage is ridiculous! It's 11:15 on the east coast, they just got back to gymnastics, with 2 rotations to go for USA. They are showing big moments from other teams (appreciated), but come on! It's late and it's a work night. Thankfully I watched this earlier.

I can't believe that gymnast from England vaulted after that landing on floor.