Olympics 2012 in London

[Boges]

Very interesting story.

http://www.thestar.com/sports/london2012/badminton/article/1235708--london-2012-chinese-badminton-player-yu-yang-quits-sport-after-scandal

http://www.thestar.com/sports/london2012/badminton/article/1235164--london-2012-disqualified-badminton-players-unfairly-punished-for-playing-the-long-game

The Chinese players set off a domino effect when they tried to rig the draw after China’s second-seeded pair unexpectedly lost to a Danish team in the morning. The South Koreans and Indonesians, wanting to avoid a tough opponent as well, followed suit in later matchups.

Teams blamed the introduction of a round-robin stage rather than a straight knockout tournament as the cause of the problem. The round-robin format can allow results to be manipulated to earn an easier matchup in the knockout round.

Badminton players were throwing games to get a more favourable position in the elimination stage of the women's doubles tournament. It was obvious to everyone watching that they weren't trying. So the top teams were disqualified.

Canada who was 0-3 ended up getting a shot in the Quarterfinals and beat the Aussie team yesterday.

So they'll actually get a realistic chance to compete for a medal.

Would anyone here feel any sense of national pride if Canada actually won a medal here?

Edited August 2, 2012 by Boges

[guyser]

a plague to soccer! ... ...

And Indian Cricket .

Soccer is considered to have the most match fixing games of any sport.

[wyly]

Canada who was 0-3 ended up getting a shot in the Quarterfinals and beat the Aussie team yesterday.

So they'll actually get a realistic chance to compete for a medal.

Would anyone here feel any sense of national pride if Canada actually won a medal here?

there's no shame in winning if other team are disqualified for their behaviour during matches, this no different than a boxer disqualified for hitting below the belt or a track athlete tripping an opponent...there rules, break them and risk punishment for doing so...

It doesn't give me any "national" pride if any canadian wins, nor did ben Johnsons cheating cause me any shame it's just an athletic contest...

[wyly]

And Indian Cricket .

Soccer is considered to have the most match fixing games of any sport.

[guyser]

It would be more laughable if it werent true, but alas, it is.

Football (soccer): Perhaps the game that has had most match-fixing incidents is football (soccer). One of the most sensational scandals occurred in the UK in the 1910s, when a First League Division match between Manchester United and Liverpool was fixed in favor of the former team while the benefits went to both teams. Seven players were involved in the scandal and all of them were later banned for life.

A similar betting scandal was unearthed in the 1960s. It involved a betting ring formed by a number of Football League players who continually fixed matches. When uncovered, many of the players were banned for life and some of them imprisoned.

In 2004, over thirty people in South Africa were arrested on charges of match-fixing by the South African Football Association. The thirty people included club officials, referees, an official of the association and a match commissioner.

One of the recent incidents that shook football in Germany was the Bundesliga Scandal in 2005, when prosecutors, along with help from the German Football Association, made an inquiry into allegations that Robert Hoyzer, a referee, was involved in fixing several matches that he had worked on. It was also reported that he was involved with gambling syndicates in Croatia. He later confessed his guilt and named several other referees and players involved in match fixing. He, along with the others were arrested and served over two years in prison along with a life ban from the association.

That same year, another scandal was to rock Brazilian football, when two referees, one of them being a member of FIFA’s referee staff, were charged with accepting bribes and having fixed several games in the Campeonato Brasileiro, the country’s top football tournament. Once the allegations were confirmed, the games were replayed and both the referees were banned from football for life.

In 2006, the Italian Police uncovered what was supposed to be the largest match fixing scandal in Italian Serie A football. Here, major football teams Lazio, Fiorentina, AC Milan and Juventus were charged with rigging matches and selecting their favorite referees. Juventus, which had won the previous two Serie A titles, were stripped of them and with the exception of Milan, all four teams were relegated to Series B.

Many a match-fixing incident has been uncovered over the years and most of them have been dealt with severely. Every country has its own rules to restrict match fixing and provide strict penalties for those indulging in such practices. Regardless of these laws, sportspersons have been lured time and again into match-fixing scandals. Even the advent of modern technology, instead of effectively curbing match-fixing, has opened new pathways for bookmakers.

[wyly]

not even worthy of a response...doubly so since you did a cut'n paste, plagiarism...naughty, naughty...

[msj]

not even worthy of a response...doubly so since you did a cut'n paste, plagiarism...naughty, naughty...

While I agree that guyser should properly quote and link to the source material this doesn't alter the point: football/soccer has a history of terrible corruption.

I suppose this is the wrong thread to respond to it anyway (if you were looking for another excuse to duck the issue guyser has raised - well, there it is).

[wyly]

While I agree that guyser should properly quote and link to the source material this doesn't alter the point: football/soccer has a history of terrible corruption.

I suppose this is the wrong thread to respond to it anyway (if you were looking for another excuse to duck the issue guyser has raised - well, there it is).

guyser has a hate on for soccer, he doesn't comprehend the sport and will take a single incident and transform it into an plague infesting the entire soccer world from the pros to tim-bits kids in the park...

I'm not interested in having the discussion with him to satisfy his personal vendetta...he doesn't understand the game in the least and my attempts to inform him have proven to be a waste of time...

[guyser]

While I agree that guyser should properly quote and link to the source material

Apologies....I should have .

http://sportsbetting.net.in/match-fixing/

[Guest American Woman]

I'm not interested in having the discussion with him to satisfy his personal vendetta...he doesn't understand the game in the least and my attempts to inform him have proven to be a waste of time...

Now that's funny.

[guyser]

guyser has a hate on for soccer,

Not true in the least.

I am a fan of the game and admitted as much earlier.

he doesn't comprehend the sport and will take a single incident and transform it into an plague infesting the entire soccer world from the pros to tim-bits kids in the park...

I comprehend the sport just fine.

But I wont take just one incident, I take them as they are found, and like diving, soccer has had a serious issue with mathch fixing the likes very few sports have had (or be found out)

I'm not interested in having the discussion with him to satisfy his personal vendetta...he doesn't understand the game in the least and my attempts to inform him have proven to be a waste of time...

Understanding the game has nothing to do with the fact that soccer has had a serious issue.

I dont know how to build a car nor how exactly they run with all the computers, but I can talk about cars all day long from a knowledgeable viewpoint.

You have never tried to inform me about the game, merely that you thought soccer was more expensive, and pretty much everyone knows it is not.

[Mr.Canada]

A country that performs well at the Olympics winning a lot of medals raises the spirits of the entire population of that country.

We, as Canadians, need to cheer on our athletes as we set out to bring in a record haul of medals. These people are doing things that very few people in the world can do. That is worthy of our support.

[Guest American Woman]

We, as Canadians, need to cheer on our athletes as we set out to bring in a record haul of medals.

What is the record?

[guyser]

What is the record?

In typical hyperbolic fashion Mr Canada's assertion is already wrong.

No where near what we will bring in either.

For the record (and its tainted as you'll see) was the LA Olympics , 44 medals, but no one should count that as a true goal

Apart from that, 22 at Atlanta. Hard pressed to beat that but who knows.

[Boges]

What is the record?

Pretty shitty. 0 Gold, 2 Silver, 5 Bronze.

Keep in mind Canada don't have the Collegiate system to support athletes like the US does. Most athletes need help from the governing government body or the meager corporate sponsors they can attract.

Plus the population is 1/10th of the size. That's not that much of an excuse because the Aussies pwn at the Summer games but then again Canada does very well at the Winter Games.

[-TSS-]

I'm glad that athletics finally begins. Watching swimming, fencing, judo or archery is fun for a couple of days every four years but in athletics there are likely to be races which you still remember one week after the olympics are over.

[Boges]

I'm glad that athletics finally begins. Watching swimming, fencing, judo or archery is fun for a couple of days every four years but in athletics there are likely to be races which you still remember one week after the olympics are over.

The story of the two Jamaicans (Bolt and Blake) in the 100m and 200m is similar to Phelps and Lochte.

Canada stands to win a medal in shot put, but that might be about it.

[Mr.Canada]

Canada stands to win a medal in shot put, but that might be about it.

You obviously have no idea what you're talking about so please don't try to sound as though you do.

The Olympics are often an underdog story which is what I like. Against all odds humans are capable of amazing things. It may only be for one day but for that one day unlikely people are capable of being the very best or even third best.

Our Judo medal is a fine example. This guy wasn't even supposed to be in the fight for a medal at all, yet against all the odds he comes out on top.

The Olympics are full of things that no one can predict. That is what's exciting for me.

In Beijing we didn't win our first medal until day 8. This is day 6 and we already have 7.

Capturing many Olympic medals adds a sense of pride to the people of an entire nation.

Edited August 2, 2012 by Mr.Canada

[-TSS-]

wasn't it in the original rules of basketball that when you donked the ball into the basket you were not allowed to touch the basket or the basket would be disallowed? Nowadays it seems that the donkers always stay hanging onto the basket for 2-3 seconds.

[Boges]

You obviously have no idea what you're talking about so please don't try to sound as though you do.

The Olympics are often an underdog story which is what I like. Against all odds humans are capable of amazing things. It may only be for one day but for that one day unlikely people are capable of being the very best or even third best.

Our Judo medal is a fine example. This guy wasn't even supposed to be in the fight for a medal at all, yet against all the odds he comes out on top.

The Olympics are full of things that no one can predict. That is what's exciting for me.

In Beijing we didn't win our first medal until day 8. This is day 6 and we already have 7.

Capturing many Olympic medals adds a sense of pride to the people of an entire nation.

Yes and I hope I'm wrong. The hurdler who won bronze in 2008 was a pleasant surprise but she failed to qualify for the Olympics.

I looked it up. Apparently Canada is expected to medal in three events.

http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/2012-summer-games/Canada+long+history+success+sprint+been+long/7032084/story.html

Didn't know we had a medal hopeful in the Heptathalon, that should be interesting to watch.

[Guest Manny]

In Beijing we didn't win our first medal until day 8. This is day 6 and we already have 7.

Capturing many Olympic medals adds a sense of pride to the people of an entire nation.

Good point Mr. Canada but you should refrain from telling others they "don't know what they're talking about". Even if people are mistaken, no one can know everything, eh?

I should like to add that the government plays an important role in how well our Olympic athletes do. In terms of financial support to set up the training programs, and to encourage athleticism among our youth beginning in the schools. Canada is doing well this year and this is the product of social programs put in place years ago, when these athletes were younger.

The other thing I have noticed is how proud our athletes are even when they don't win gold, but get a silver or bronze. Unlike some athletes from countries much larger than Canada who actually burst into tears of despair for the fact that they "only" won a silver or a bronze! What's with that?

[Boges]

The other thing I have noticed is how proud our athletes are even when they don't win gold, but get a silver or bronze. Unlike some athletes from countries much larger than Canada who actually burst into tears of despair for the fact that they "only" won a silver or a bronze! What's with that?

Well if you were a favourite in your event and you expected Gold. Silver would seem like being a First loser for you. Guys like Usain Bolt or Michael Phelphs don't care about Bronze or Silver.

I don't think many Canadians would have been proud of our Canadian Hockey players for getting a Silver in 2010.

But then there's a guy like Brent Hayden who won a Bronze in Swimming yesterday. He hadn't won a Medal before so even just getting a Bronze in such a competitive sport like swimming is an accomplishment.

[wyly]

Pretty shitty. 0 Gold, 2 Silver, 5 Bronze.

Keep in mind Canada don't have the Collegiate system to support athletes like the US does. Most athletes need help from the governing government body or the meager corporate sponsors they can attract.

Plus the population is 1/10th of the size. That's not that much of an excuse because the Aussies pwn at the Summer games but then again Canada does very well at the Winter Games.

what it really comes down to is money...the US throws 100s of millions at sport through it's collegiate system of course third world countries can't match that, and in canada we made eduction a priority in our universities ahead of sports and it still remains that way...winning a lot of medals doesn't make Americans better athletes than us or any other country...

so I feel no pride or shame in out national sports performance it has nothing to do with how we respect ourselves as a nation, it isn't indicative of anything but how little money we put into sports...

Edited August 3, 2012 by wyly

[wyly]

Well if you were a favourite in your event and you expected Gold. Silver would seem like being a First loser for you. Guys like Usain Bolt or Michael Phelphs don't care about Bronze or Silver.

I don't think many Canadians would have been proud of our Canadian Hockey players for getting a Silver in 2010.

But then there's a guy like Brent Hayden who won a Bronze in Swimming yesterday. He hadn't won a Medal before so even just getting a Bronze in such a competitive sport like swimming is an accomplishment.

I've been thinking the same thing...it used to be silver and bronze was what athletes settled for when they couldn't win gold, now it appears to be the target...

the last competition I ever took part in was the final of a sr. provincial competition, I had never reached that level before and then we came up short and finished 2nd...I took no pride and 2nd and chucked the medal in a drawer and have never seen it since...

[msj]

I've been thinking the same thing...it used to be silver and bronze was what athletes settled for when they couldn't win gold, now it appears to be the target...

On what basis do you base this feeling on?

the last competition I ever took part in was the final of a sr. provincial competition, I had never reached that level before and then we came up short and finished 2nd...I took no pride and 2nd and chucked the medal in a drawer and have never seen it since...

How do you know if the athletes are just being polite and saying how great it is to even win a medal to the media and then go home, cry their eyes out, and throw the medal in some draw like a spoiled kid?