Olympic Game Thread: August 13, 2008
by Ryan on Aug 13, 2008 10:33 PM EDT
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PrintUnited States vs. The Netherlands, 10:30 PM (NBC Online)
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USA 7, Netherlands 0 • Box Score • Recap
Matt LaPorta went 1-4 with a three-run bomb in in the 4th — the only time he's reached base in 8 PA so far.
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Cuba 7, Canada 6 • Box Score
Nick Weglarz went 4-4 with two home runs, providing 10 of his Canada's 19 total bases and driving in half of their six runs. He went 1-3 with a walk yesterday in Canada's 10-0 demolition of China, giving him a healthy 2321 OPS in the first two games.
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U.S. manager Davey Johnson has responded to the opening night loss by going to a completely different lineup in this one. Not one player is in the same spot tonight as in Game 1.
The Netherlands are throwing their top pitcher, Shairon Martis, tonight. Martis, a 21-year-old right-hander in the Nationals chain, is 5-6 with a 3.75 ERA in 110 1/3 IP between Double- and Triple-A.
Well, that clearly portends badly for his whole career. Terrible trade.
by fleerdon on Aug 13, 2008 10:53 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
So, things weren’t working, and Davey Johnson totally reworks the lineup. Does that make him the anti-Wedge or what.
by fleerdon on Aug 13, 2008 10:54 PM EDT reply actions
I’m not sure what I expected of Olympics baseball, having never really watched it before, but I am finding it rather weird to hear the same crappy butt rock, breaking glass sound effects and electronic “clap your hands” sound effects at these games. I’m half-expecting a mascot race any inning now.
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In Cliff we trust.
Yeah, I think I was expecting something more like that instead of freaking Blink 182.
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In Cliff we trust.
Well, maybe they’ll get some cute Chinese girls in there to lip synch a traditional Chinese song, which will in fact be played backstage by Blink-182.
by fleerdon on Aug 13, 2008 10:58 PM EDT up reply actions
as physically awe-inspiring as male gymnastics is, I’m really not into it right now. I’d rather watch some obscure shooting or rowing event right now
Explain to me how life as a gymnast isn’t one long rotator cuff tear.
by fleerdon on Aug 13, 2008 11:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Also: I agree, the marksmanship events are great. I came into possession of an air pistol pretty recently and it’s been just fantastic.
by fleerdon on Aug 13, 2008 11:07 PM EDT up reply actions
Okay, I’m serious, look at this ... the Neths are 81% Dutch and 98% white. Am I the only one who finds this amusing?
And judging from their usenet posting habits, they also have horrific taste in music.
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In Cliff we trust.
the prime time Olympic coverage is just starting on the West Coast. Is there anything worth watching so far?
That Michael Phelps diet piece really has got me geared up for some IHOP.
Question: Instead of a CEO, shouldn’t the International House of Pancakes have a Secretary-General?
by fleerdon on Aug 13, 2008 11:09 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
This is great … with C.C. facing Giles and Kouzmanoff, there’s at least three different trades we can second-guess in real-time, including both sides of the LaPorta deal.
I’m waiting for “Hava Nagila”, although I’m told that’s more of a hockey standard.
by Jay on Aug 13, 2008 11:11 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
My name is. But the Dutch side of my family came over to America more than 350 years ago. I’m of much more recent German and English heritage.
Goodness gracious, what bloodlines. You must have an incorrigible desire to conquer the world’s trade routes with sea power.
by fleerdon on Aug 13, 2008 11:16 PM EDT up reply actions
It’s true I’m a massive egomaniac. But I had my first sailing lesson last week on a little sunfish and immediately capsized it. So world domination through sea power might have to wait for awhile.
Don’t sweat it. I’m Irish and Russian-Polish. My primary genetic desire is to plow rocks.
by fleerdon on Aug 13, 2008 11:20 PM EDT up reply actions
that fuwa was Jinjing the panda
the five Olympic mascots – Beibei is the Fish, Jingjing is the Panda, Huanhuan is the Olympic Flame, Yingying is the Tibetan Antelope and Nini is the Swallow. When you put their names together – Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni – they say, “Welcome to Beijing”.
I’d say no one reading would know what’s going on.
“Honey, like eight people just typed this guy’s name in all caps. We must have scored.”
Steel Nick
by nickjs21 on Aug 13, 2008 11:29 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Not quite certain. I saw LaPorta, I thought “ICBM,” I ran with it.
by fleerdon on Aug 13, 2008 11:31 PM EDT up reply actions
The search for “red october baseball” turned up mostly references to the Cardinals and Red Sox playing in the postseason.
And I resent the implication that LaPorta looks like crap.
I suspect it has to do with the Georgian invasion, the beet discussion upthread, and the constant shots of the Great Wall … I’ve got Cold War on the brain.
by fleerdon on Aug 13, 2008 11:35 PM EDT up reply actions
every time I see gymnasts doing what they do, I wonder how you begin learning how to do that stuff? What kind of a learning curve leads you to knowing and being capable of this stuff.
You wanna talk learning curve? Show me how they teach you to do freestyle snowmobiling in the X-games. “Okay, so, if you crap out on this flip halfway though, you’re going to get crushed under 400 pounds of machinery. Lots of luck.”
by fleerdon on Aug 13, 2008 11:33 PM EDT up reply actions
this is how the Chinese cheer
Walls of red flags are waving as they chant, “Ja you!! ja you!!” This means, “Come on!! come on!!” in Mandarin but it translates literally as, “Add oil!! add oil!!”
A Matt LaPorta home run, beach volleyball, and Phelps. That was pretty much my checklist for the night. Now I want to watch The Hunt for Red October. You want to know what I was like as a kid? That was my favorite movie.
by fleerdon on Aug 13, 2008 11:40 PM EDT up reply actions
Never watch it with commentary. McTiernan spends the entire time apologizing for every scene in a completely affect-free monotone.
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In Cliff we trust.
Yeah, it was a real surprise to me that he seemed to feel like absolutely nothing was done right. The whole commentary was a series of “This scene should have told you this and that,” “I’m not really sure we ever made it clear whose sub was whose,” “I could have done this better,” “I think this scene could have come to the point quicker,” etc. It got really irritating to sit through, especially when it became apparent that McTiernan feels that everything needs to be spelled out in 10-foot high flashing letters to the audience at all times.
I generally agree with you re: commentaries, incidentally. Save for Spinal Tap ... that was a scream.
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In Cliff we trust.
Once during high school Spanish, I translated the whole song…
es mi vida
es ahora o nunca
no quiero VIVIR siempre
Man I’m glad high school’s over.
by fleerdon on Aug 13, 2008 11:38 PM EDT up reply actions
Strasburg had to wait a long time to continue his dominant outing. Maybe it will have some effect on his command. It’s The Netherlands’ only hope.
lol
No worries, Matt. I think breaking pitches move differently in China. Kind of like toilet water or something. Yeah.
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In Cliff we trust.
There you go – Hava Na-freaki-Gila.
Go Jews.
You have no idea the physical toll that three vasectomies have on a person
Haha the best part is I don’t even remember swearing. Pure elation this morning. Oh, and then we lost because the rest of the team kinda sucks.
by supermarioelia on Aug 14, 2008 12:52 PM EDT up reply actions
I just looked up the medal count by country so that I could talk trash, but then I saw the actual total and felt bad. Hang tough though!
Yeah everyone’s in a tizzy up here about our failures thus far. Thing is, it’s not like we’ve had any medal favourites crumble or anything. We just weren’t favoured to win anything thus far. Although you’d figure with 332 athletes that a few of them would manage to sneak something out.
by supermarioelia on Aug 14, 2008 12:55 PM EDT up reply actions
Well, it would have to be …
Weglarz isconsistingsubsistinghimselfon a diet of 3 Beijing schoolchildren a day.
… but “subsisting” implies that it’s a very meager amount of nourishment for him. Was that what you meant?
Minipoll
Who ends the tournament with more jacks (per game played)? Both are sitting at 1HR after 2 games.
-Weglarz
-LaPorta
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