Bryant Gumbel..On The Winter Olympics

[Busyman]

Finally tonight, the Winter Games.

Count me among those who don't like 'em and won't watch 'em.

In fact I figure when Thomas Payne said "These are the times that try men's souls" he must have been talking about the start of another Winter Olympics.

Because they are so trying, maybe over next three weeks we should all try too.

Like try not to be incredulous when someone tries to link these games to those of the ancient Greeks who never heard of skating or skiing.

So try not to laugh when someone says these are the world's greatest athletes despite a paucity of blacks that makes the Winter Games look like a GOP convention.

Try not to point out that something's not really a sport if a pseudoathlete waits in what's called a kiss and cry area while some panel of subjective judges decides who won.

And try to blot out all logic when announcers and sports writers pretend to care about the luge, the skeleton, the biathlon, and all those other events they don't understand and totally ignore for all but three weeks...every four years.

Face it. These Olympics are little more than a marketing plan to fill space and sell time during the dreary days of February.

So for only to hasten the arrival of the day they're done and we can move on to March Madness, for God's sake..let the games begin.

And that's our show for this evening....

Damn he totally rips the Winter Olympics...in a Bryant Gumbel kinda way.

[hobbes]

Sounds like the crux of all of this is a lack of black althletes.

Good old racist drivel.

Gymnastics and diving have "cry and kiss" areas, as well.

The luge, skeleton and biathalon are as riveting as the shotput, discus throw, high jump, long jump, javelin throw, pole vault, and triatholon and all the other Summer games that get no press outside of the Olympics. Rarely there are televised track meets, used as filler, when the major sports are dormant.

To confine the legitimate "games" as ones the Ancient Greeks would have hosted fails to relfect the evolution and diversification of sports and misses the entire concept of showcasing those who excel in sport.

Basically, Bryan doesn't like white guy sports. He essentially says that these games cannot possibly host "great" athletes because black men will be scarse.

I personally don't really care about the Winter Olympics, but I will take pause to point out overt racist, fuckwit commentary.

[Busyman]

Sounds like the crux of all of this is a lack of black althletes.

Good old racist drivel.

Gymnastics and diving have "cry and kiss" areas, as well.

The luge, skeleton and biathalon are as riveting as the shotput, discus throw, high jump, long jump, javelin throw, pole vault, and triatholon and all the other Summer games that get no press outside of the Olympics. Rarely there are televised track meets, used as filler, when the major sports are dormant.

To confine the legitimate "games" as ones the Ancient Greeks would have hosted fails to relfect the evolution and diversification of sports and misses the entire concept of showcasing those who excel in sport.

Basically, Bryan doesn't like white guy sports. He essentially says that these games cannot possibly host "great" athletes because black men will be scarse.

I personally don't really care about the Winter Olympics, but I will take pause to point out overt racist, fuckwit commentary.

Damn I didn't get that the whole commentary was racist. Maybe one line out of many.

I just thought it was a good rip on the surface but underneath it was bullshit.

I think the Winter Games AND The World Championships were made to fill time.

The Winter Games just have more credence 'cause the events aren't duplicated.

He is right though that...I can't wait 'till March Madness.

[hobbes]

Sounds like the crux of all of this is a lack of black althletes.

Good old racist drivel.

Gymnastics and diving have "cry and kiss" areas, as well.

The luge, skeleton and biathalon are as riveting as the shotput, discus throw, high jump, long jump, javelin throw, pole vault, and triatholon and all the other Summer games that get no press outside of the Olympics. Rarely there are televised track meets, used as filler, when the major sports are dormant.

To confine the legitimate "games" as ones the Ancient Greeks would have hosted fails to relfect the evolution and diversification of sports and misses the entire concept of showcasing those who excel in sport.

Oh, and as for March Madness, I am totally stoked!

Basically, Bryan doesn't like white guy sports. He essentially says that these games cannot possibly host "great" athletes because black men will be scarse.

I personally don't really care about the Winter Olympics, but I will take pause to point out overt racist, fuckwit commentary.

Damn I didn't get that the whole commentary was racist. Maybe one line out of many.

I just thought it was a good rip on the surface but underneath it was bullshit.

I think the Winter Games AND The World Championships were made to fill time.

The Winter Games just have more credence 'cause the events aren't duplicated.

He is right though that...I can't wait 'till March Madness.

Sure it is a rip, but why?

White atheletes.

What about the slolum, hockey, ski jump, downhill, bobsled and all those other fun Oympics winter sports.

I brought up all those other Summer games that suffer from the same fate as the winter games he sites.

He brought up the lack of black athletes for what reason?

He could have just said that the Winter games had activities most never care about outside the media driven hype of Winter Olympic.

His comments were overtly racist and completely unacceptable.

What a fuck ass.

I also am totally stoked about March Madness.

[Busyman]

Damn I didn't get that the whole commentary was racist. Maybe one line out of many.

I just thought it was a good rip on the surface but underneath it was bullshit.

I think the Winter Games AND The World Championships were made to fill time.

The Winter Games just have more credence 'cause the events aren't duplicated.

He is right though that...I can't wait 'till March Madness.

Sure it is a rip, but why?

White atheletes.

What about the slolum, hockey, ski jump, downhill, bobsled and all those other fun Oympics winter sports.

I brought up all those other Summer games that suffer from the same fate as the winter games he sites.

He brought up the lack of black athletes for what reason?

He could have just said that the Winter games had activities most never care about outside the media driven hype of Winter Olympic.

His comments were overtly racist and completely unacceptable.

What a fuck ass.

I also am totally stoked about March Madness.

I just don't get where the whole diatribe was racist.

He made comments in an "and also" fashion.

For instance, if black athletes were predominate, the other reasons would still stand on their own(even though those were flawed as well).

What's fucked up about March Madness is I will definitely be back at work. .......right when it starts too.

Oh well I'll be on light duty but it's not like I can sit in front of a TV like I do now.

[Skiz]

Was this from a reliable source Busy? Not that you'd lie about it, but Bryant Gumble is such a pussy I just can't hear him saying all that. As for my opinion:

Oh hey, look the Olympics are on..................

[hobbes]

Why was the race of the participants even mentioned?

Why did he not mention the "kiss and cry" areas in the Summer Olympics for fairness?

What did that add, other than expose his true offense.

Most summer games, which involve black atheletes, suffer the same fate as the Winter games he wants to disrespect.

The impetus was racism, pure and simple.

[Busyman]

Was this from a reliable source Busy? Not that you'd lie about it, but Bryant Gumble is such a pussy I just can't hear him saying all that. As for my opinion:

Oh hey, look the Olympics are on..................

I actually quoted it directly from Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel on HBO. It's the current episode so it should have repeats all the way up to the 18th.

It was his last little commentary right before signing off.

Your last sentence pretty much summed it up. Hardly anyone watches the Winter Olympics around here FOR VARIOUS REASONS.

[Busyman]

Why was the race of the participants even mentioned?

Why did he not mention the "kiss and cry" areas in the Summer Olympics for fairness?

What did that add, other than expose his true offense.

Most summer games, which involve black atheletes, suffer the same fate as the Winter games he wants to disrespect.

The impetus was racism, pure and simple.

So if the one line about the "paucity of blacks" wasn't there then that would have changed the entire commentary?

Sorry I don't buy it.

And tbh, race does play a role in who watches. I can count many numbers of people who all of sudden watch golf 'cause of TigerTigerTiger Woods ya'll.

I'm one of them (I don't watch often or even an entire match but still).

Are these people racist?

This is where I say you focused on one line out of the whole commentary.

The same thing about race was said about golf ages ago.....and college basketball.....and quarterbacks and coaches in football....and...

I remember one time I made a remark about wanting to see more good white basketball players in the NBA. I was called racist.

The only reason I know the Olympics started is 'cause I was watching PTI and they mentioned it. It wasn't big news on that sport show either.

[hobbes]

That was the ONLY line that mattered. It setup the entire post. It was the pivot point.

I simply focused on the fulcrum, the point upon which all commentary hinged.

Why was the race of the invovled participants inculded?

Because that was important to Bryant.

The rest was just just bullshit, all he cared abourt was black involvement.

Why did he include the race of those involved?

Why did he mot mention the "kiss and cry" areas of the Summer Olympics.

To deny the obvious is an embarrassment.