Overheard in the Water Cube

[casterdamus]

Was having supper last night with the TV tuned to the Olympics. Why I don't know as I'm no fan of men synchronizing their dives. Anywho, there was a female commentator talking about how one of the divers, Tom Finchum, could have been on the team at age 14 in Athens. She went on to say something to the effect that he's been diving longer than most and is, get this, 'a student of the sport'! Synchronized diviing? Someone is actually a student of synchronized diving? How long has that 'sport' been around - 10, 15 years? :confused2: I about blew bun and burger across the table.

[cinehead]

I understand your outrage.

[The Mockingbird]

Ha ha, people are watching the Olympics?

[tater]

Better than being a student of synchronized swimming.

[Mighty Dyckerson]

That commentator is a lying *****. There's no such thing as synchronized diving. It's all done with computer animation, just like the opening ceremonies.

[wx or not]

I'm just waiting for synchronized hammer throws.

[Lazlo Toth]

HOw about synchronized Sumo wrestling.

[Another OMB]

I want to see Harry Shearer and Martin Short do a skit on synchronized diving, like their synchronized swimming one.

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/mens-synchronized-swimming/1980340333

[Kace]

What about Ballroom Dancing?

[product of communism]

Anyone else think Tom Finchum is most definately gay?

Not that there's anything wrong with that...

[s'news]

I'm no fan of men synchronizing their dives.

Hey, if they want to synchronize their dives, what's it to me? It's their business, not mine.

[jrat33]

Ha ha, people are watching the Olympics?

According to the ratings, yes.

http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN1135059120080811

NEW YORK (Reuters) - NBC Universal's Olympics coverage is drawing huge audiences, helped by the extravagant opening ceremony and swimming star Michael Phelps, and setting the stage for what could be record TV ratings for the Games.

NBC Universal said the first two days of the Beijing Olympics drew an average audience of 29.1 million, making it the most highly rated broadcast of the Summer Games held outside the United States since 1976.

In total, 114 million viewers tuned in for at least part of its broadcast in the first two days, about 20 million more than the 2004 games in Athens, NBC said, citing figures from Nielsen Media Research.

[Lazlo Toth]

Hey, if they want to synchronize their dives, what's it to me? It's their business, not mine.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

[JoinUsForCake]

Synchronized false outrage!!!!!!!!!!!!

ARGH!

ARGH!

9.7, 9.8, 9.5, 9.8, 9.7, 9.0 (East German judge!)

[Sultanosurf]

Synchronized repression...

http://obselia.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/tiananmen_tank_man.jpg

There's actually an interesting story on discontinued Olympic sports, including live pigeon shooting, dueling pistols, rope climbing, and tug-of-war fercrissakes. Funny to see rugby used to be in the Olympics and they also had a motorboat category...

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2008/07/08/6100216-ap.html

[Rambunctious]

Much like the marathon... synchronized diving was introduced by the greeks many centuries ago out of necessity.

Diving messengers with critical information were getting killed by the rocks below so they sent two at a time to improve the odds.

The message was then handed to swimmers who used a synchronized routine to confuse any sharks in the area.

Once safely to the other shore the message was given to a runner who twirled a stick with a long red ribbon attached. No particular reason for this... I think they were just gay.

I'm a little busy now but I will link a source later.

:whistle: