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weirdmom Posted Mon 11 Aug, 2008 2:43 PM |
minnmess wrote: you know how everyone loves the underdog? the opposite also rings true. It's hard for anyone (from another country) to want the powerhouse american to win.
That was my guess but I didn't know if there was something specifically about him that rubbed you the wrong way.
Not sure how I'd feel if he were from another country but for me it's really exciting to watch him try and achieve a really amazing feat. |
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minnmess Posted Mon 11 Aug, 2008 2:58 PM |
weirdmom wrote: minnmess wrote: you know how everyone loves the underdog? the opposite also rings true. It's hard for anyone (from another country) to want the powerhouse american to win.
That was my guess but I didn't know if there was something specifically about him that rubbed you the wrong way.
Not sure how I'd feel if he were from another country but for me it's really exciting to watch him try and achieve a really amazing feat.
Well, i kinda find him arrogant, but...
Saturday night i was driving home from a play at my work, and it came on the radio that he had won his first gold of the games. Everyone in the car: "ugggg" |
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Gladly (the cross-eyed bear) Posted Mon 11 Aug, 2008 2:59 PM |
| I dont think there is anything wrong with arrogance. As long as it can be backed up with actual talent. |
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minnmess Posted Mon 11 Aug, 2008 3:02 PM |
| arrogants and athletes tend to go together, but he just rubs me the wrong way. Brent Hayden all the way! (Cdn swimmer who wears awesome nerdy glasses and is a photographer. *swoon*) |
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weirdmom Posted Mon 11 Aug, 2008 3:10 PM |
Gladly (the cross-eyed bear) wrote: I dont think there is anything wrong with arrogance. As long as it can be backed up with actual talent.
There is a fine line between justified confidence and arrogance but he's amazing and he couldn't be that good and not know it.
So yeah, I agree that if he live up to his claims, then what's wrong with that.
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SamuraiSandy Posted Mon 11 Aug, 2008 3:29 PM |
| Anne, I thought of you while I was watching last night because of your avatar! How exciting was that?? |
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weirdmom Posted Mon 11 Aug, 2008 3:32 PM |
SamuraiSandy wrote: Anne, I thought of you while I was watching last night because of your avatar! How exciting was that??
It was amazing. I am so glad that I saw it. Did you hear Bob Costas say that even the team who came in 5th (Sweden) under the old world record time?? That's how thoroughly the record was smashed.
Can't believe how tight the race between France and the US was. Really impressive. |
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Gladly (the cross-eyed bear) Posted Mon 11 Aug, 2008 3:32 PM |
| Anne , i read earlier that you were a swimmer as well. What made you give up? |
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SamuraiSandy Posted Mon 11 Aug, 2008 3:39 PM |
weirdmom wrote: It was amazing. I am so glad that I saw it. Did you hear Bob Costas say that even the team who came in 5th (Sweden) under the old world record time?? That's how thoroughly the record was smashed.
Can't believe how tight the race between France and the US was. Really impressive.
Yeah, I did hear him say that. How amazing!! The athletes just get so much better and better!
I was screaming so loud during the last 50m...I scared my dogs! lol |
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weirdmom Posted Mon 11 Aug, 2008 3:45 PM |
Gladly (the cross-eyed bear) wrote: Anne , i read earlier that you were a swimmer as well. What made you give up?
Sadly, bad coaching. I had a coach that esp. in hindsight I would say was abusive. Once I saw him pull one of my friends out of the water by her hair. He said he was trying to get her attention because she had done the last flip turn wrong and she wasn't hearing him. I think we were ten years old.
He just made it sooooo miserable.
Then we moved and I joined another team. Unfortunately I got a ton of ear infections and so I missed most of the season. Plus my heart just wasn't in it anymore. It was around that time I got into music and singing so I got real busy with that.
I was really good though. Distance and backstroke were my strong points. I pretty much always won.
I was lucky to go to the University of Texas for college and they have the best men's team in the USA. (They've won like 3 trillion titles or something like that- several of the guys at the Olympics went there). That means they have an amazing pool so I was able to take a class during college and just use the facilities during open swim time.
I still swim for exercise and sometimes think of joining a Master's team (swim team for grown-ups) but the times would be really hard given my current life situation (wee ones, etc.).
Do you still swim? |
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Gladly (the cross-eyed bear) Posted Mon 11 Aug, 2008 3:59 PM |
No i havent been near a pool. I walked away from it completely. Which is something i regret if only for fitness reasons.
As for the abusive coach , there are a lot of them out there. I tend to think some of them get so worked up about it due to their own failings at what they achieved or didnt as the case may be. |
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minnmess Posted Mon 11 Aug, 2008 4:07 PM |
| speaking of abusive coaches, i was reading about Bela Korolyi yesterday (gynmastics for those not in the know). I thought he was a cute old man. Apperently he was crazy and yelled a lot and was super restrictive on what the girls ate, to the point where members of the men's team would sneak food to the girls when they were away at meets. Those claims were also disputed but some and im sure this is really common in gymnastics. Still, it shocked me. |
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AbsGinger Posted Mon 11 Aug, 2008 4:10 PM |
Gladly (the cross-eyed bear) wrote: I dont think there is anything wrong with arrogance. As long as it can be backed up with actual talent.
what's your point ? |
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Gladly (the cross-eyed bear) Posted Mon 11 Aug, 2008 4:13 PM |
AbsGinger wrote: Gladly (the cross-eyed bear) wrote: I dont think there is anything wrong with arrogance. As long as it can be backed up with actual talent.
what's your point ?
Just how retarded are you? |
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weirdmom Posted Mon 11 Aug, 2008 4:14 PM |
Gladly (the cross-eyed bear) wrote: No i havent been near a pool. I walked away from it completely. Which is something i regret if only for fitness reasons.
As for the abusive coach , there are a lot of them out there. I tend to think some of them get so worked up about it due to their own failings at what they achieved or didnt as the case may be.
Agree that there are a lot of abusive coaches out there. Also agree that your theory is probably correct for a lot of them.
You should get back in the pool. It's never too late. I can't think of a less hokey way to say this but more than my body, my soul feels refreshed after swimming. I believe it was Kurt Vonnegat who said, "in the water I am beautiful."
I'm not the most graceful person on land but in the water I feel very graceful.
Just get in and swim for yourself. |
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