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Luge runner dead in Vancouver

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Here are two particularly critical pieces on the Vancouver games.

If arrogant nationalism were a sport, Canada would win gold
http://www.montrealgazette.com/life...re+sport+Canada+would+gold/2568915/story.html

Most of the things I've criticized - nationalistic swagger, use of the home-field advantage, poor sportsmanship, insensitivity and an embrace of commercialism - have occurred in earlier Olympics. But if there were medals for taking these traits to new levels, Vancouver would truly own the podium.
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Canada's lust for glory is to blame for this senseless tragedy
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/ar...e-senseless-tragedy-Nodar-Kumaritashvili.html

Canada wanted to Own The Podium at the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games. This morning they can put their maple leaf stamp on something more instantly tangible: the nondescript little box carrying the lifeless body of Nodar Kumaritashvili back to his home in Bakuriani, Georgia.

Made in Canada, it should say. Made by the perversion of the Olympic movement for national gain; made by a culture of worthless aggrandisement and pride.
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CanOWorms said:
I can't believe people here, too. Disregard a death because they changed the course? You need to understand why they had the course set up as it was in the first place - that's where the outrage should be.
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Anyone who honestly thinks Canada set the track up to kill their competitors has issues. Did you ever stop to consider it might have been a Canadian who made an error and wound up getting killed? No wait, they knew were the "death traps" were so they could avoid them, right? Gimme a fvcking break. They set the course up to challenge the athletes.
 
Robor said:
Anyone who honestly thinks Canada set the track up to kill their competitors has issues. Did you ever stop to consider it might have been a Canadian who made an error and wound up getting killed? No wait, they knew were the "death traps" were so they could avoid them, right? Gimme a fvcking break. They set the course up to challenge the athletes.
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stop feeding the troll
 
Wow, I wasn't aware of all this "worst Olympics ever" stuff.

Meh, I've been enjoying it. I don't watch opening ceremonies and could care less about some mechanical prob. I was watching when the ice equipment didn't work, seemed like stupid PC bullsh!t; instead of using zambonies (sp?) like they should have they chose some electric powered thing.

As far as the luge, I'm dissapointed that they wussed it down and moved the start to the women's spot. Should've just put up the retaining wall and let 'em fly.

Fern
 
Robor said:
Anyone who honestly thinks Canada set the track up to kill their competitors has issues. Did you ever stop to consider it might have been a Canadian who made an error and wound up getting killed? No wait, they knew were the "death traps" were so they could avoid them, right? Gimme a fvcking break. They set the course up to challenge the athletes.
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It's the more that they were aware that it was risky + consciously chose to ignore it + for nationalistic and economic purposes.
 
Fern said:
Wow, I wasn't aware of all this "worst Olympics ever" stuff.

Meh, I've been enjoying it. I don't watch opening ceremonies and could care less about some mechanical prob. I was watching when the ice equipment didn't work, seemed like stupid PC bullsh!t; instead of using zambonies (sp?) like they should have they chose some electric powered thing.

As far as the luge, I'm dissapointed that they wussed it down and moved the start to the women's spot. Should've just put up the retaining wall and let 'em fly./

Fern
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My idea is to build it in a big clear acrylic tube, just ice the part you want to be the track. Then you can't fly off it, just lose control and spiral down to the end. A luger losing control, flying off the track, and striking a steel support is horrifying; a luger losing control, flying off the track, and spinning inside a big acrylic tube would be comic relief.
 
werepossum said:
My idea is to build it in a big clear acrylic tube, just ice the part you want to be the track. Then you can't fly off it, just lose control and spiral down to the end. A luger losing control, flying off the track, and striking a steel support is horrifying; a luger losing control, flying off the track, and spinning inside a big acrylic tube would be comic relief.
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I wonder what kind of air pressure a luger would create inside a tube traveling at 100+kph. Would there even be any? I guess not since they are pretty aerodynamic, and pretty small compared to the size of the track.
 
This is why I love winter olympics. Not that he died but about half the shit there can kill you. Downhill skiing at 95MPH, down an ice tube at 130MPH, etc.. Very harrowing making winter Olympics the shit.

I wouldn't expect many IT nerds here to understand the thrill of looking at death in the face each run. Believe me he died a happy young man.
 
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Zebo said:
This is why I love winter olympics. Not that he died but about half the shit there can kill you. Downhill skiing at 95MPH, down an ice tube at 130MPH, etc.. Very harrowing making winter Olympics the shit.

I wouldn't expect many IT nerds here to understand the thrill of looking at death in the face each run. Believe me he died a happy young man.
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I prefer to look death in the face on television.

Coldmeat, we can drill little holes in the acrylic tube to release the pressure. Preferably with little noisemakers that go "WHIZZZ!" when they go by.
 
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CanOWorms said:
It's the more that they were aware that it was risky + consciously chose to ignore it + for nationalistic and economic purposes.
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So basically every luge run ever taken?

And shouldn't your sentence read "It's more that HE was aware that it was risky + consciously chose to ignore it"?

Since when is anything that is done at the Olympics not for a nationalistic/economic purpose? The only two themes of the Olympics (from every team, not just the hosts) are winning for your country and making corporations lots of money (unless somehow a cynic like you doesn't see the Olympics for the big business that they are).

So I completely agree with you, I just think you're placing blame incorrectly on a specific organizer as opposed to the direction the Olympics have taken for a long, long time.
 
actuarial said:
So basically every luge run ever taken?

And shouldn't your sentence read "It's more that HE was aware that it was risky + consciously chose to ignore it"?

Since when is anything that is done at the Olympics not for a nationalistic/economic purpose? The only two themes of the Olympics (from every team, not just the hosts) are winning for your country and making corporations lots of money (unless somehow a cynic like you doesn't see the Olympics for the big business that they are).

So I completely agree with you, I just think you're placing blame incorrectly on a specific organizer as opposed to the direction the Olympics have taken for a long, long time.
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No, I mean the VANOC, IOC, etc.
 
werepossum said:
I prefer to look death in the face on television.

Coldmeat, we can drill little holes in the acrylic tube to release the pressure. Preferably with little noisemakers that go "WHIZZZ!" when they go by.
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You never raced anything? I did motocross till I got too big...it's 5'9" dudes built like but strong as piano wire is what you need to be world class..anyway I have tracks on my back, holes in my legs where pegs went through, broken dozens of bones and so on and loved every minute of it. Could have died lots of times.

When i first started around 5 my dad who was a flat track racer out in Ca used to say "if you aint crashing you aint going fast enough" or alternatively " you aint getting any better unless you're crashing in practice" and that's the truth. Your limits are never known until you exceed them and crash is demonstrative and educational. Unfortunately it can kill when speed/sudden deceleration is involved. Sucks but hell of a ride in meantime.
 
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Zebo said:
This is why I love winter olympics. Not that he died but about half the shit there can kill you. Downhill skiing at 95MPH, down an ice tube at 130MPH, etc.. Very harrowing making winter Olympics the shit.

I wouldn't expect many IT nerds here to understand the thrill of looking at death in the face each run. Believe me he died a happy young man.
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thumbs up

When these guys got their tube surrounding the track, its going to be really hard to keep my dead grandmother from trying out every year
 
Zebo said:
You never raced anything? I did motocross till I got too big...it's 5'9" dudes built like but strong as piano wire is what you need to be world class..anyway I have tracks on my back, holes in my legs where pegs went through, broken dozens of bones and so on and loved every minute of it. Could have died lots of times.

When i first started around 5 my dad who was a flat track racer out in Ca used to say "if you aint crashing you aint going fast enough" or alternatively " you aint getting any better unless you're crashing in practice" and that's the truth. Your limits are never known until you exceed them and crash is demonstrative and educational. Unfortunately it can kill when speed/sudden deceleration is involved. Sucks but hell of a ride in meantime.
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I raced motocross, good times but never had the balls to hang in when you're in the scrum hanging grips and taking pegs in the calves and ankles. I've spent a few months recovering from broken bones. And I've actually gotten my bike wedged in the fork of a double tree from hitting a jump at the wrong angle at speed, hit trees hard enough to break them off (and send me flying), so yeah, I liked going fast. Unfortunately there was no enduro racing near me at the time. And I street raced cars until my battery mount broke and I lost a hundred bucks. But all that's three decades and change behind me.
 
This was a truly sad incident, and as a Canadian I am ashamed by all the political maneuvering done to avoid blame. The designers and organisers should take responsibility for this incident - if the track was fine why was it changed after the fact?
 
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