2021 Summer Olympics

[nocera]

I met her at a Kroger in Steubenville Ohio in 96 (or maybe 97) and she signed her Wheaties box. Somebody else was there too but I can't remember who that was except that it wasn't Moceanu.

[dodint]

Moceanu was my favorite. Big crush. Her biography is still on my bookshelf somewhere.

[meow]

Gymnastics as a whole is creepy and the entire system should be overhauled

[dodint]

The SouthPark episode about the toddler pageants is how I picture gymnastics.

[LITT]

burb of the burgh?

[nocera]

burb of the burgh?

You know it.

[shmenguin]

Dude. Like every American in 96 thought she needed to do that to win. It definitely seemed like that was her impression as well.

The premise here is that she just wanted to experience excruciating pain for funzies?

The premise here is that her dadhole coach pressured her into doing it for the furtherance of his own ego, pursuant to the pervasively toxic culture of USA Gymnastics

"You better do it."

When you picture the moment in your head, you don't see this image......

.....you see this image:

It's also worth remembering that while she hurt her ankle on the first vault, the massive injury that effectively ended her career happened on the second vault.

I think of the first image and I also don’t think any of this context changes the impressiveness and resonance of that moment. But such things are subjective, naturally.

[shmenguin]

Gymnastics as a whole is creepy and the entire system should be overhauled

Icky thing you can’t discuss. It only has any broad popularity because they wear skimpy clothes. Same with women’s beach volleyball. And this is what happened with women’s tennis…people liked it until they went from wearing underwear to wearing shorts.

The sports where the female version is more popular than the men’s are typically a result of sex appeal. And with gymnastics that’s suuuuuuuper weird and problematic.

[Spangler]

When the national gymnastics championship was in Pittsburgh, the arena was practically empty for the men's event even though they had almost all of their male Olympians competing. The senior women's event was sold out.

I won't deny women in skimpy uniforms in beach volleyball is a big reason for me watching. I still enjoy women's volleyball, both beach and indoor, way more than men's because the women don't rely as much on power. The men spike the ball with such velocity, it's extremely difficult to stop. I like the dynamic play of the women's better.

[count2infinity]

I said to my wife the night we watched floor routines in the team competition... "I don't know if it's because they're all under 5ft tall and jumping incredibly high in the air or what, but this seems so much more impressive than the men's competition." I appreciate the mens gymnastics, but the artistic flair (music) to the women's competition just seems better.

[shmenguin]

I’m sure both of you are sincere and that’s true. But I think there’s also a subconscious element to it for many.

We can all agree that women’s beach handball only exists because of asses, and their overall awesomeness, however.

[count2infinity]

I watch the beach volleyball (why did you say handball???) because they put it on the screen. I watch no beach volleyball outside of every 4 (or 5) years. Men... women... makes no difference to me.

Now when the camera man puts dat ass front and center, sure. It's a "whoa... nice." moment. But that's not what I'm watching for.

[meow]

Women’s soccer is light years better than men’s. Women’s gymnastics is more watchable than men’s. That’s about the only women’s products that are more appealing to me.

[MalkinIsMyHomeboy]

Women’s soccer is light years better than men’s.

wat

[meow]

Did I stutter?

[nocera]

Women’s tennis is also way way better than men’s.

[meow]

I’ve consumed less than 60 seconds of tennis in my life

[shmenguin]

I watch the beach volleyball (why did you say handball???) because they put it on the screen. I watch no beach volleyball outside of every 4 (or 5) years. Men... women... makes no difference to me.

Now when the camera man puts dat ass front and center, sure. It's a "whoa... nice." moment. But that's not what I'm watching for.

Wasn’t beach handball the one where they protested the ass show? Or was that indoor?

[shmenguin]

Women’s soccer is light years better than men’s.

wat

I too like watching world class athletes that, when you squint your eyes, looks like a good high school team.

God dammit what a take.

[Ad@m]

I watch the beach volleyball (why did you say handball???) because they put it on the screen. I watch no beach volleyball outside of every 4 (or 5) years. Men... women... makes no difference to me.

Now when the camera man puts dat ass front and center, sure. It's a "whoa... nice." moment. But that's not what I'm watching for.

Wasn’t beach handball the one where they protested the ass show? Or was that indoor?

Norway beach handball

[tifosi77]

I used to be a big volleyball fan, but I generally lost interest in the sport when they switched from sideout to rally scoring.

[meow]

I used to be a big volleyball fan, but I generally lost interest in the sport when they switched from sideout to rally scoring.

mrs meow - a scholarship college volleyball player - agrees with you

[nocera]

I’ve consumed less than 60 seconds of tennis in my life

You’re missing out man.

[meow]

[shmenguin]

I was a huge tennis head. And then Federer happened and nothing was fun anymore. The women’s game is lousy, really. Especially compared to anyone not named Pete Sampras.

Goran Ivanisevic…my dawg.