baron-pierreIV

On the internet.

From being carried on the Concorde SST in 1992 to . . . a sailing ship in 2024? Something doesn't seem right with that picture.

. . . more so than any other set of Games in history? Hasn't the IOC learned that the BIGGER they make the Games, the greater the opportuntiies for BRIBERY in the staging of their Games? The leaner the Games are, they would probably be staged more ethically and honestly? Discuss.

I wonder if the IOC tracks the success or failure of the mascots by how many were actually sold and how many thousands languished in the warehouses or in the bargain bins?

Kerri Walsh-Jennings priming herself to be noticed for the 2028 Lighter position by attempting to return for Paris 2024 and maybe LA 2028 competition -- at age 40 this year. Kerri Walsh Jennings is back for one more beach volleyball run (nbcsports.com) Or at least get her name and identity seriously considered for a top Lighting slot in 2028.

I attended my FIRST US Figure Skating Championships @ SAP Center, San Jose, this PM. Went to see the Ice Dance finals. My favorite dance couple- Madi Chock and Evan Bates picked up their 4th US title. Bates, at 32, is among the oldest still competititve figure skaters in the world today. Another FIRST for me today -- and I don't agree with it. On top of already paying $50 at the Arena box-office -- NO TICKETMASTER, they still tacked on a $4 fee . . . and then NO Physical ticket but you get that bar code on your phone! What if you have no PHONE?? Really STUPID practice. OK, call me a Luddite. IDGaF! And the friggin' ARENA was sooooo COLD. Forced you to have to buy a $4.25 cup of coffee plus a $7.25 hotdog! RIP-OFF!! 2023 U.S. Figure Skating Championships scores, results (msn.com) But I enjoyed this couple the most of all. They came in #2

Here, watch the medal Ceremony of the recently concluded Figure Skating (Ice Dance) competition at Lake Placid. It's really just a WTF moment? Instead of hearing the stirring LA MARSEILLAISE, you get the blah GAUDEAMUS IGITUR. I suppose it could be worse but something is just wrong with the moment by taking away the anthems. The athletes skate for King, country and themselves -- not some abstract, distant piece of music.

Summer, Winter, Fall and Spring GOAT Champion of all time!! George Fabulist Bullsh*t Santos!!

Thanks, Sir Rols. #1 - Author, Philip Barker, is the new editor of the ISOH Journal. So, have co-authored an article previously with him in the ISOH Journal and we have another one in the works for next edition of the Journal. #2 - I don't know what Brundage was thinking, but of course, that was before the likes of NBC infused the IOC the billion-dollar plasma on which it lives. An Olympics without national flags and anthems would probably be the most COLORLESS, BORING thing ever. It would be soooo CORPORATE (but even the logos of the Partners are not allowed on Olympic FOPs) that what would be the point of even having NOCs if they are going to remove flags and anthems? Might as well also promulgate medal quotas per country -- depending on the population of the country. Look at the Opening Ceremony of Moscow 1980 with all those Olympic flags. Really quite a blah ceremony. But I do want to limit the size of the larger delegations for the Opening Ceremony March -- no more than 50 athletes for the larger countries, including the host (OK, 100 athletes for the host country). Even the so-called "neutral teams" like Refugee teams are quite silly. Who takes them seriously? I mean it's nice to give stateless athletes a "shell" to compete in but for what? A fictional state like Wakanda or Brigadoon or Lilliput? Quite bizarre really. Also, removing flags and anthems would, as the article states, also REMOVE strong potential penalties for errant nations like Russia, Belarus and Iran now. Politics CANNOT be removed from international sport. I wish people would get that into their heads and bloodstream. Ostracizing a country (and its presence and symbols) is really quite a good deterrent for unacceptable behavior in the family of nations. It may not solve the problem, but as in Russia's case, it takes a toll on their youth who want to show that they are among the world's best. But if you take away that platform, then they should be thinking twice about their actions which unjustly impact other nations who adhere to a code of intra-state conduct and civility. Actually, Rols, here's a better article on the participation of Vatican City / the Holy See in the Mediterranean Games. Vatican City primed for debut at Mediterranean Games - Infobae That should be a good counter vs. the idea of castrating the Olympic Games of all its nationalistic shades and overtones.

Nope. Why would Paris do it? #1 - There is no shortage of hotel rooms in the Paris metro area. #2 - Paris is not a seaport, so how can they enlist cruise ships as extra lodging? #3 - Even if you got lodging on the Seine barges, you do know that ALL extraneous craft on the Seine will be heavily restricted and monitored, if not asked to move out, because the Opening Ceremony will heavily depend on the Seine. So . . .your query is kinda puzzling and superfluous. I doubt if even Surfing in Tahiti will be "popular" enough to warrant enlisting a cruise ship there for extra accommodation.

They didn't want to wash out the stains.

This was Sparta!! Constantine, ex-King of the Hellenes, Olympic gold medalist, dies in Athens at 82. Didn't realize that they let him back in for the 2004 Games; and then he returned full-time to Greece in 2013 after40 years in exile in London; and finally back to Athens last year. Olympic sailing gold medallist King Constantine dies aged 82 (insidethegames.biz) RIP. Supposedly will get a private funeral. I wonder if his 2nd cousin, King Charles, will attend.

Nah. The IOC won't want to lose one stream of income. Besides, adding them to the SOG would eat up all availalbe indoor arenas. Also, bad mix of summer and winter sponsors.

Clarification on my idea: Some of the Nordic events can actually be retained - those requiring flat terrain are easy enough to flood with artificial snow (so Biathlon, some X-country, the half-pipes, etc. Ski jumping can also be held with artificial snow. It's just the Alpine and sliding events that are a drag on a more feasible set of Winter Games -- unless the sliding sports can just use the ski jumps -- after all there's a choice of the smaller or the higher jump!

Sneak peek! Practicing for the Lighting of the Cauldron by French archer Sandrine LeBourget! Facebook