Olympics, better late than never

[Napoleon 8657]

8 hours ago, Dr Fear said:

Wikipedia says Rio 2016 lost $2 billion after spending $11 billion. Also says China spent $44 billion in 2008 with no information on loses, but it's China so who the hell knows. Rio did build some subway lines with that money that are presumably still be used.

Hosting a World Cup or an Olympic Games (Summer probably more than Winter) is a horrible investment by any country.

So many kickbacks, so much raping of the host country, and then BAM... the middle class and below get royally fucked while FIFA & the IOC make out like bandits along with the politicians. 

The only people that do pretty well while getting fucked are the prostitutes.

[Lat22 4010]

They're going to pull the plug again.  You watch.

[Dr Fear 1268]

They're going to pull the plug again.  You watch.

It's too late. I think soccer starts in 48 hours. And they will just push through on positive tests.

[perfectchaos007 6621]

3 minutes ago, Dr Fear said:

1 hour ago, Lat22 said:

They're going to pull the plug again.  You watch.

It's too late. I think soccer starts in 48 hours. And they will just push through on positive tests.

Lots of teams will be forced to withdraw.   

[Lat22 4010]

6 minutes ago, Dr Fear said:

And they will just push through on positive tests.

That's what they should do.  It's what everybody should do.  The narrative will not allow it.

[Napoleon 8657]

Top Olympic sponsor Toyota pulls Games-related TV ads

FILE - In this March 13, 2015 file photo, Toyota President and CEO Akio Toyoda, left, and IOC President Thomas Bach pose with a signed document during a press conference in Tokyo as Toyota signed on as a worldwide Olympic sponsor in a landmark deal, becoming the first car company to join the IOC's top-tier marketing program. Toyota won't be airing any Olympic-themed advertisements on Japanese TV during the Tokyo Games despite being one of the IOC's top corporate sponsors. The unusual decision by the country's top automaker underlines how polarizing the Games have become in Japan as COVID-19 infections rise ahead of the July 23, 2021, opening ceremony.(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, File)

TOKYO (AP) — Toyota won’t be airing any Olympic-themed advertisements on Japanese television during the Tokyo Games despite being one of the IOC’s top corporate sponsors.

The extraordinary decision by the country’s top automaker underlines how polarizing the Games have become in Japan as COVID-19 infections rise ahead of Friday’s opening ceremony.

“There are many issues with these Games that are proving difficult to be understood,” Toyota Chief Communications Officer Jun Nagata told reporters Monday.

Chief Executive Akio Toyoda, the company founder’s grandson, will be skipping the opening ceremony. That’s despite about 200 athletes taking part in the Olympics and Paralympics who are affiliated with Toyota, including swimmer Takeshi Kawamoto and softball player Miu Goto.

Nagata said the company will continue to support its athletes.

Being a corporate sponsor for the Olympics is usually all about using the games as a platform to enhance the brand. But being linked with a pandemic-era Games may be viewed by some as a potential marketing problem.

Masa Takaya, a Tokyo 2020 spokesperson, said sponsors each make its own decisions on their messages.

“There is a mixed public sentiment towards the Games," Takaya said.

"I need to emphasize that those partners and companies have been very supportive to Tokyo 2020. They are passionate about making these Games happen.”

Toyota Motor Corp. signed on as a worldwide Olympic sponsor in 2015, in an 8-year deal reportedly worth nearly $1 billion, becoming the first car company to join the IOC’s top-tier marketing program.

The sponsorship, which started globally in 2017, runs through the 2024 Olympics, covering three consecutive Olympics in Asia, including the Tokyo Games.

The Tokyo Olympics, already delayed by a year, are going ahead despite the Japanese capital being under a state of emergency.

It's already virtually a made-for-TV Olympics with most events, including the opening ceremony, going ahead without fans in the venues. Some dignitaries, such as IOC President Thomas Bach and Emperor Naruhito, are likely to attend.

Toyota is one of the most trusted brands in Japan. The maker of the Prius hybrid and Lexus luxury models prides itself on its quality controls, with its “just in time” super-efficient production methods praised and emulated around the world.

Public opinion surveys reflect widespread concern among Japanese people about having tens of thousands of Olympic participants enter the country during a pandemic. Some already have tested positive for COVID.

Motoyuki Niitsuma, a manufacturing plant worker who was banging on a bucket in a recent Tokyo protest against the Olympics, said he didn’t like the idea of cheering for the national team, and the pandemic has made that message clear.

“The time to compete is over. Now is the time to cooperate,” he said. “We should never have gotten the Games.”

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/top-olympic-sponsor-toyota-pulls-080200296.html

[alincoln 2371]

2 hours ago, Napoleon said:

Hosting a World Cup or an Olympic Games (Summer probably more than Winter) is a horrible investment by any country.

So many kickbacks, so much raping of the host country, and then BAM... the middle class and below get royally fucked while FIFA & the IOC make out like bandits along with the politicians. 

The only people that do pretty well while getting fucked are the prostitutes.

No reason for a US or Western Europe World Cup to not generate a profit for the hosts.  USA 94 and Germany 2006 certainly did.

[MNLonghornFUKM 8817]

Hosting a World Cup or an Olympic Games (Summer probably more than Winter) is a horrible investment by any country.
So many kickbacks, so much raping of the host country, and then BAM... the middle class and below get royally fucked while FIFA & the IOC make out like bandits along with the politicians. 
The only people that do pretty well while getting fucked are the prostitutes.

Why the U.S. and maybe 5 other countries doesnt host every Olympics, World Cup etc is crazy.


Isn’t the stadium Brazil built to be the main World Cup stadium a parking lot for buses now?

[4th&Five 41506]

 

[Napoleon 8657]

Chaos in Tokyo: U.S. gymnast, athletes in Olympic Village test positive for COVID-19

Olympic leaders' nightmare scenario is unfolding already, and the torch won't be lit for another four days to open the Tokyo Games. Despite IOC president Thomas Bach's claim that the Olympics will be "zero risk," COVID-19 is already wreaking havoc.

This morning, the USOPC announced thatan alternate on the U.S. women's gymnastics team tested positive for COVID-19. The positive test was announced by the local government of Inzai, a Japanese city in the prefecture where the women's gymnastics team recently held a training camp prior to the start of the Olympics.

Still, 18-year-old Kara Eaker became the first known American athlete to test positive for COVID-19 while in Japan. Fellow alternate Leanne Wong has also been placed in quarantine as a close contact…

FULL STORY:

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/chaos-tokyo-u-gymnast-athletes-154144810.html

[Michael Knight 12976]

7 hours ago, Napoleon said:

Hosting a World Cup or an Olympic Games (Summer probably more than Winter) is a horrible investment by any country.

So many kickbacks, so much raping of the host country, and then BAM... the middle class and below get royally fucked while FIFA & the IOC make out like bandits along with the politicians. 

The only people that do pretty well while getting fucked are the prostitutes.

It worked for Atlanta and London

[AUS-97HORN 11756]

I understand the spirit of the Olympics is to give equal chances for the world to have a chance to either host or be within a 6 hour flight of where the Olympics are being hosted every 24-28 years.   But its becoming more and more obvious that only significantly well built up cities with 50% of the infrastructure already built have any chance of not losing a shitload of money hosting them.

according to this wiki link  the for the most part, the host cities have either made money, or lost less than $5M overall.   Even Montreal '76 which has been declared a major loss by most standards, only lost $1M Canadian  (equivalent of about $4.75M Canadian today). 

 

But the big losses are in the last 29 years.

Tokyo '20(1) *5B

Sydney '00 lost $2.1Bill

Rio '16,  lost $2BILL

Negano '98 was a significant amount but the financial records were purposely burned to keep it secret.

Albertville '92 lost $68M

Athens '04 only lost around $14.5M... but that managed to put the whole country in BK.

Moscow '80 lost $1.2M so roughly $4M today.

Turin '06 lost $3.2M  (but Italy solved that by creating a lottery to pay it off).

*complete estimate right now

 

it seems that the countries that use the Olympics to improve infrastructure and make non-purpose built projects that can take on another life after the games are the ones that dont lose much.

Its the countries that have no infrastructure, bribed folks to win the games, and then scramble for 7 fucking years to build up enough infrastructure to handle the games that really lose out.  With the exception of Sydney '00---- I have no fucking clue how they managed, 16 years earlier,  to lose $100M more than Brazil

it sucks to say this, but The Olympic committee needs to have around 10 approved rotating countries per game type (summer/winter games) moving forward.

that would allow some of the structures from 40-50 years earlier to still be reused (LA Colosseum in '32 and '84, Lake Placid in '32 & '80)  as examples.  so that the costs are reduced.

 

 

[shadow_operative2.0 15941]

Jesus, you like to read your own words. 

[Napoleon 8657]

Cancel the Olympics due to COVID? Head of Tokyo organizing committee doesn't rule it out

Dan Wetzel

·Columnist

Tue, July 20, 2021, 7:54 AM

 

 

TOKYO — Even as women’s soccer and softball are set to begin competition Wednesday, and the rest of the Olympics await Friday’s Opening Ceremony, the head of the Tokyo organizing committee didn’t rule out a last-moment cancellation of the Games due to surging COVID-19 cases.

Toshiro Muto sent shockwaves through the Olympics here Tuesday when he didn’t rule out scrapping this delayed and beleaguered event altogether. At a news conference, Muto was asked if the Games might still be canceled.

"We can't predict what will happen with the number of coronavirus cases," Muto said. "So we will continue discussions if there is a spike in cases.

"We have agreed that based on the coronavirus situation, we will convene five-party talks again. At this point, the coronavirus cases may rise or fall, so we will think about what we should do when the situation arises."

While Muto didn't say anything was imminent and such a move remains almost unfathomable at this point, he sure didn’t say no, either.

A number of athletes, including American tennis star Coco Gauff, basketball player Bradley Beal and alternate gymnast Kara Eaker, have already been forced out of the Games due to positive tests. There have been numerous positive cases inside the Olympic Village itself, where the majority of the 11,000 athletes live in close quarters.

The number of Games-related infections soared past 70 on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, cases in Tokyo, while still proportionately low per capita, are up substantially week-over-week. The capital city reported 1,387 new cases on Tuesday, not a huge number, but a 67.1 percent increase from the week prior. It is the 30th consecutive day cases have been up week-over-week.

As tens of thousands of athletes, coaches, officials, administrators and media continue to descend on Tokyo, there is little reason to think the situation will immediately improve.

What Muto didn’t express is how much is too much, and at what point pulling the plug on the Games would be truly viable. The International Olympic Committee has billions on the line in global television deals.

Muto’s statement was notable because he is known for being a cautious, by-the-book administrator with ties to the local financial industries and Japan’s ruling family. While this wasn’t a promise, it was some kind of a warning sign.

Anything is possible, apparently.

The Tokyo Olympics are not popular in Japan, where vaccination rates hover around just 20 percent and the event is seen as a potential superspreader. Fans have been barred from attending, and in an effort to control outbreaks, bars have been shuttered, foreign visitors banned and restaurants are supposed to shut down by 8 p.m.

The financial impact of the Covid restrictions are widespread and have hit mom and pop stores and every day workers … all so some international sporting festival can take place.

Signs of the discord can be seen in Monday’s decision by Toyota — arguably Japan’s largest brand — to pull advertising and sponsorship of the Games inside Japan, a move that distances it from the Olympics it once wholeheartedly backed.

On Tuesday, additional Japanese companies, including Nippon Telegraph & Telephone, Fujitsu Ltd. and NEC Corp., decided against sending executives to the Opening Ceremony that will take place in a near empty, newly constructed, $1.4 billion stadium. It seems no one wants to be a part of this.

That’s still a long way from canceling the Games altogether, of course, let alone at such a late date.

Muto is correct, however, that monitoring cases and protocols is necessary. If there is an outbreak among athletes, then events, teams and competitions can be altered significantly.

Most of the athletes are young, fully vaccinated and, almost by definition, of incredible health and fitness level. The likelihood of anyone in that group suffering more than minor symptoms is low.

Yet the IOC and the Japanese government are engaged in relentless testing anyway, in part because of Japan’s low vaccination rates and public pressure to keep the Olympics from making the situation worse for everyday people.

That’s part of what Muto will be monitoring. And it is something that he knows — and he wants everyone else to know — can get much worse quite quickly.

Even cancel-the-Olympics worse, apparently.

https://sports.yahoo.com/cancel-the-olympics-due-to-covid-head-of-tokyo-organizing-committee-doesnt-rule-it-out-125434976.html

Edited July 20, 2021 by Napoleon

[William Wallace 106]

I read the olympians were worried about cardboard beds and not being able to fuck.

https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/sports/tokyo-summer-olympics/the-cardboard-beds-at-the-olympics-arent-meant-to-prevent-sex-heres-the-truth/3162383/

Irish guy tested out a bed, should be lots of fucking!

[UncleSonny 6570]

This may have already been posted/discussed elsewhere, but I had no idea that Cat Osterman still played and was on the current Olympic team: 

https://theathletic.com/2715792/2021/07/20/2021-olympics-softball-cat-osterman/

Spoiler

 

Cat Osterman’s big encore: As Olympic softball returns, the U.S. veteran is out to avenge the shock of 2008

Liz Finny Jul 20, 2021 7 

To this day, Cat Osterman remembers the emotions of the 2008 Olympic softball gold-medal game against Japan all too well.

The U.S. fell short in a 3-1 loss in which Osterman gave up two runs and three hits in the first five innings. The loss snapped Team USA’s winning streak at 22 games and was the team’s first loss since September 2000.

“(The 2008 team) had been on such a roll that I think we just kind of thought we were going to get out of it,” Osterman told The Athletic. “And then when it got closer to the end time, we panicked, we might have panicked a little bit.”

Fast forward 12 years later, and Osterman is ready for redemption.

The 38-year-old Olympic gold medalist from the 2004 Athens Games came out of retirement to join the U.S. women’s national team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the team’s quest for its fourth softball gold medal in five tries. Team USA is the most decorated team in the sport’s history, winning three consecutive golds in 1996, 2000 and 2004 and capturing the silver in 2008 before the sport was removed from the Olympic program in 2012 and 2016.

After retiring in 2015, Osterman — the only player on the current team to have played in both the 2004 and 2008 Games — didn’t plan to return to Olympic competition but said she was “highly encouraged.” Former Olympic teammate and friend Kelly Kretschman prompted Osterman to think about playing again when she wasn’t selected as a coach of the U.S. team for the years between the Rio Games and Tokyo.

“She was like, ‘Tell me you don’t want to play again,’” Osterman recounted. “‘Cause I bet you can’t tell me you don’t want to play again.’

“’I don’t want to have to leave my job,’” Osterman — who was an assistant coach at Texas State at the time — replied, but Kretschman pointed out that wasn’t the question. Osterman admitted, “‘OK, maybe there’s a small part of me that wants to play again.’”

Osterman didn’t like the way her international career ended when she walked away in 2010.

“I kind of just felt like, you know, I was given a chance, not necessarily for the Cinderella story, but just to be able to come back and be the veteran that I had when I was 21 for my first Olympics,” she explained.

“I truly felt like if I could get myself in shape, I could give this younger generation of athletes that I’m playing with a good chance at being on the medal stand one way or another, whether it’s just sharing experience or actually pitching. I felt like I had things to offer and kind of felt like it was my responsibility to do that.”

 

The last time U.S. softball was on the Olympic stage, a stunning loss to Japan in the gold-medal game in 2008 in Beijing ended a years-long run of dominance. Osterman is fourth from right. (Jonathan Ferrey / Getty Images)

In her 10-year career with Team USA from 2001 to 2010, she held a 59-4 record with a 0.38 ERA, striking out 832 batters in 425 2/3 innings. While Osterman has seen extreme success on the field, she emphasized that at her age she may not be as “primed and go-getting” as she was when she was younger.

Translation: She’s ready to take on whatever role the team needs her to.

“I do still think I can throw complete games if (coach Ken Eriksen) wants me to; if I’m a relief person, then that’s what I’ll do,” Osterman said. “But I’m just going over with the idea of whatever the team needs me to do, I’m going to do. I’m going to share the emotions and the mental side that I can tap into because there’s only two of us that can do that.”

Monica Abbott, now 35 and once the youngest member on the 2008 team, is the only other player on the team with past Olympic experience. She’ll join Osterman as a veteran presence for younger team members such as pitcher/infielder Rachel Garcia (24), catcher Dejah Mulipola (23) and utility player Bubba Nickles (23).

While the first-time Olympians soak in the experience of playing on the biggest stage, Osterman’s return is somewhat bittersweet, as she won’t be able to share it with husband Joey Ashley and stepdaughter Bracken.

“The heartbreaking part is I started this journey, obviously, as I said, for the reasons of being able to help this younger generation,” Osterman said. “But having my stepdaughter and being able to show her what it looks like to work hard for your dreams, and what it looks like to work hard day in and day out — that was a big part of it.”

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, families of the Olympians cannot travel to the Games. And after Japan declared a state of emergency on July 8 as COVID-19 cases increased, the International Olympic Committee, along with the Tokyo Olympics organizing committee and Japan’s government, announced no spectators would be allowed into any Olympic venues.

“In ’04, that celebration with our families was incredible,” Osterman said. “And unfortunately, it’s just gonna be — I shouldn’t say ‘unfortunately’ — but it’s going to be just the 18 of us celebrating, hopefully.”

The coronavirus pandemic also affected the team’s training.

The team members weren’t able to tour extensively or play as many college games as they normally would. They were also without their head coach and assistants for most of their training, instead training with Kretschman and Kyla Holas, the junior national team coach.

Team USA softball at the Tokyo Olympics

ROUND	OPPONENT	DATE (ET)	TIME (ET)
Group stage	Italy	July 20	11 p.m.
Group stage	Canada	July 21	8 p.m.
Group stage	Mexico	July 24	1:30 a.m.
Group stage	Australia	July 24	9 p.m.
Group stage	Japan	July 25	9 p.m.
Bronze medal (if 3rd/4th place)	TBD	July 27	12 a.m.
Gold medal (if 1st/2nd place)	TBD	July 27	7 a.m.

Without their coaches, the onus was put on the players to own their training and make sure they would be ready for the Games. Osterman, though, saw that as a positive, saying the team got to a place maturity-wise and mentally more quickly than if it hadn’t been “thrown into that fire.”

“We were tested on every aspect of the game mentally and physically,” Osterman said of the final two weeks of training before the team left for Tokyo, adding it was probably the 12 most competitive games U.S. softball had ever played before going to an Olympics.

“It was a good ending point because we got to play really high-level competition and prove to ourselves that we’re ready to go.”

Heading into the first game on Tuesday night (vs. Italy, 11 p.m. ET, NBCSN), Osterman wants fans to know what an energetic group this team is — “You’re gonna tell they love the game,” she said. She described the team as dynamic, especially the lineup, with batters one through nine being able to do almost anything — giving the offense a lot of tools to work with.

“Haylie McCleney is one of our best hitters, but she can drop a bunt. And if she needs to run through the box and slap, she will,” Osterman said. “Janie Reed can swing away or slap. … Valerie Arioto is our four hitter, so much power and she’ll square around and bunt if that’s what needs to happen.”

The U.S. will face each of the five other competing countries in a six-day span, with the top two finishers from group play advancing straight to the gold-medal game while the third- and fourth-place teams play for bronze. As the team prepares for the tournament, Osterman feels she has perspective from the way her last Olympics ended.

But while she takes that knowledge into the Tokyo Games, she’s hoping she doesn’t have to constantly share it — that the team will have a better pulse on things. This way, she can focus on enjoying her third Olympic Games and washing away the shocking defeat that ended her last appearance.

“I just really, I’m going to try to soak it all in. This will be the last time I’m on an Olympic stage. And obviously, with technology — I’m looking at my iPhone — I can soak it all in a whole lot more than with my little Nokia I had back in the day.”

 

[perfectchaos007 6621]

The Olympics are officially underway. Live coverage right now on NBCSN

[shadow_operative2.0 15941]

This field is some Jim Ned bullshit. 

[dcar00 14144]

19 minutes ago, shadow_operative2.0 said:

This field is some Jim Ned bullshit. 

this is hilarious.  when do tanner, ogilvie, kelly leak and Bob Watson come out of the dugout

[tokamak 6391]

3 hours ago, UncleSonny said:

This may have already been posted/discussed elsewhere, but I had no idea that Cat Osterman still played and was on the current Olympic team: 

https://theathletic.com/2715792/2021/07/20/2021-olympics-softball-cat-osterman/

  Hide contents

 

Cat Osterman’s big encore: As Olympic softball returns, the U.S. veteran is out to avenge the shock of 2008

Liz Finny Jul 20, 2021 7 

To this day, Cat Osterman remembers the emotions of the 2008 Olympic softball gold-medal game against Japan all too well.

The U.S. fell short in a 3-1 loss in which Osterman gave up two runs and three hits in the first five innings. The loss snapped Team USA’s winning streak at 22 games and was the team’s first loss since September 2000.

“(The 2008 team) had been on such a roll that I think we just kind of thought we were going to get out of it,” Osterman told The Athletic. “And then when it got closer to the end time, we panicked, we might have panicked a little bit.”

Fast forward 12 years later, and Osterman is ready for redemption.

The 38-year-old Olympic gold medalist from the 2004 Athens Games came out of retirement to join the U.S. women’s national team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the team’s quest for its fourth softball gold medal in five tries. Team USA is the most decorated team in the sport’s history, winning three consecutive golds in 1996, 2000 and 2004 and capturing the silver in 2008 before the sport was removed from the Olympic program in 2012 and 2016.

After retiring in 2015, Osterman — the only player on the current team to have played in both the 2004 and 2008 Games — didn’t plan to return to Olympic competition but said she was “highly encouraged.” Former Olympic teammate and friend Kelly Kretschman prompted Osterman to think about playing again when she wasn’t selected as a coach of the U.S. team for the years between the Rio Games and Tokyo.

“She was like, ‘Tell me you don’t want to play again,’” Osterman recounted. “‘Cause I bet you can’t tell me you don’t want to play again.’

“’I don’t want to have to leave my job,’” Osterman — who was an assistant coach at Texas State at the time — replied, but Kretschman pointed out that wasn’t the question. Osterman admitted, “‘OK, maybe there’s a small part of me that wants to play again.’”

Osterman didn’t like the way her international career ended when she walked away in 2010.

“I kind of just felt like, you know, I was given a chance, not necessarily for the Cinderella story, but just to be able to come back and be the veteran that I had when I was 21 for my first Olympics,” she explained.

“I truly felt like if I could get myself in shape, I could give this younger generation of athletes that I’m playing with a good chance at being on the medal stand one way or another, whether it’s just sharing experience or actually pitching. I felt like I had things to offer and kind of felt like it was my responsibility to do that.”

 

The last time U.S. softball was on the Olympic stage, a stunning loss to Japan in the gold-medal game in 2008 in Beijing ended a years-long run of dominance. Osterman is fourth from right. (Jonathan Ferrey / Getty Images)

In her 10-year career with Team USA from 2001 to 2010, she held a 59-4 record with a 0.38 ERA, striking out 832 batters in 425 2/3 innings. While Osterman has seen extreme success on the field, she emphasized that at her age she may not be as “primed and go-getting” as she was when she was younger.

Translation: She’s ready to take on whatever role the team needs her to.

“I do still think I can throw complete games if (coach Ken Eriksen) wants me to; if I’m a relief person, then that’s what I’ll do,” Osterman said. “But I’m just going over with the idea of whatever the team needs me to do, I’m going to do. I’m going to share the emotions and the mental side that I can tap into because there’s only two of us that can do that.”

Monica Abbott, now 35 and once the youngest member on the 2008 team, is the only other player on the team with past Olympic experience. She’ll join Osterman as a veteran presence for younger team members such as pitcher/infielder Rachel Garcia (24), catcher Dejah Mulipola (23) and utility player Bubba Nickles (23).

While the first-time Olympians soak in the experience of playing on the biggest stage, Osterman’s return is somewhat bittersweet, as she won’t be able to share it with husband Joey Ashley and stepdaughter Bracken.

“The heartbreaking part is I started this journey, obviously, as I said, for the reasons of being able to help this younger generation,” Osterman said. “But having my stepdaughter and being able to show her what it looks like to work hard for your dreams, and what it looks like to work hard day in and day out — that was a big part of it.”

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, families of the Olympians cannot travel to the Games. And after Japan declared a state of emergency on July 8 as COVID-19 cases increased, the International Olympic Committee, along with the Tokyo Olympics organizing committee and Japan’s government, announced no spectators would be allowed into any Olympic venues.

“In ’04, that celebration with our families was incredible,” Osterman said. “And unfortunately, it’s just gonna be — I shouldn’t say ‘unfortunately’ — but it’s going to be just the 18 of us celebrating, hopefully.”

The coronavirus pandemic also affected the team’s training.

The team members weren’t able to tour extensively or play as many college games as they normally would. They were also without their head coach and assistants for most of their training, instead training with Kretschman and Kyla Holas, the junior national team coach.

Team USA softball at the Tokyo Olympics

ROUND	OPPONENT	DATE (ET)	TIME (ET)
Group stage	Italy	July 20	11 p.m.
Group stage	Canada	July 21	8 p.m.
Group stage	Mexico	July 24	1:30 a.m.
Group stage	Australia	July 24	9 p.m.
Group stage	Japan	July 25	9 p.m.
Bronze medal (if 3rd/4th place)	TBD	July 27	12 a.m.
Gold medal (if 1st/2nd place)	TBD	July 27	7 a.m.

Without their coaches, the onus was put on the players to own their training and make sure they would be ready for the Games. Osterman, though, saw that as a positive, saying the team got to a place maturity-wise and mentally more quickly than if it hadn’t been “thrown into that fire.”

“We were tested on every aspect of the game mentally and physically,” Osterman said of the final two weeks of training before the team left for Tokyo, adding it was probably the 12 most competitive games U.S. softball had ever played before going to an Olympics.

“It was a good ending point because we got to play really high-level competition and prove to ourselves that we’re ready to go.”

Heading into the first game on Tuesday night (vs. Italy, 11 p.m. ET, NBCSN), Osterman wants fans to know what an energetic group this team is — “You’re gonna tell they love the game,” she said. She described the team as dynamic, especially the lineup, with batters one through nine being able to do almost anything — giving the offense a lot of tools to work with.

“Haylie McCleney is one of our best hitters, but she can drop a bunt. And if she needs to run through the box and slap, she will,” Osterman said. “Janie Reed can swing away or slap. … Valerie Arioto is our four hitter, so much power and she’ll square around and bunt if that’s what needs to happen.”

The U.S. will face each of the five other competing countries in a six-day span, with the top two finishers from group play advancing straight to the gold-medal game while the third- and fourth-place teams play for bronze. As the team prepares for the tournament, Osterman feels she has perspective from the way her last Olympics ended.

But while she takes that knowledge into the Tokyo Games, she’s hoping she doesn’t have to constantly share it — that the team will have a better pulse on things. This way, she can focus on enjoying her third Olympic Games and washing away the shocking defeat that ended her last appearance.

“I just really, I’m going to try to soak it all in. This will be the last time I’m on an Olympic stage. And obviously, with technology — I’m looking at my iPhone — I can soak it all in a whole lot more than with my little Nokia I had back in the day.”

 

Hell yeah. Hook ‘em, Cat. 

[tokamak 6391]

How the fuck are athletes getting COVID? Is it really that hard to get a vaccine, wear a mask, and stay in your fucking room so you don’t, you know, miss the biggest fucking event of your athletic career? Rivals the sprinter gal who couldn’t refrain from smoking weed for 24 hours in stupidity. 

[shadow_operative2.0 15941]

Our unis are fucking awful. 

[Napoleon 8657]

6 hours ago, tokamak said:

How the fuck are athletes getting COVID? Is it really that hard to get a vaccine, wear a mask, and stay in your fucking room so you don’t, you know, miss the biggest fucking event of your athletic career? Rivals the sprinter gal who couldn’t refrain from smoking weed for 24 hours in stupidity. 

This TIMES a baffinity!

Do you want to go to the Olympics or not?

Get vaccinated and then behave like you have NOT been vaccinated and you are morbidly obese with asthma.

The Delta variant ain't fucking around.

[shadow_operative2.0 15941]

Watching China/Brazil in women’s soccer now, old friend Pia is whoopin’ that ass. 

[shadow_operative2.0 15941]

Our women’s team getting drilled by Sweden. 

[Tobias 20]

that game was fucking ugly, might as well have been 5-0

[Napoleon 8657]

What kind of pay is deserved for a team that gets shut out by a country of only 10 million people?

Do the USWNT have a different coach? Or are the players just getting a little Serena Williams-ish?

[Fudbelty 2787]

Our women’s team getting drilled by Sweden. 

I wouldn’t mind getting drilled by Sweden.

[WBT 20559]

1 hour ago, Tobias said:

that game was fucking ugly, might as well have been 5-0

They'll make up for it with plenty of showboating when they beat NZ 5-0

[PittsburghTiger 6174]

2 hours ago, Napoleon said:

What kind of pay is deserved for a team that gets shut out by a country of only 10 million people?

Do the USWNT have a different coach? Or are the players just getting a little Serena Williams-ish?

Yeah, this is the first Olympics for the new coach. The other gal stepped down after the World Cup.

[Blotto 23484]

57 minutes ago, Fudbelty said:

I wouldn’t mind getting drilled by Sweden.

 

[Helobious 9461]

Lulzed when I saw the USWNT score. Serves those arrogant assholes right.

[Fudbelty 2787]

 

1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,3,2

[The Dog 44017]

What kind of pay is deserved for a team that gets shut out by a country of only 10 million people?
Do the USWNT have a different coach? Or are the players just getting a little Serena Williams-ish?

They’re old and need to move on.

[TonyTexas 10504]

12 hours ago, tokamak said:

Hell yeah. Hook ‘em, Cat. 

She pitched 6 innings of 1-hit ball in opening win against Italy. 

[ChickenSandwich 9824]

1 hour ago, Blotto said:

 

They won when they got off the bus 

[Guest Lobo]

Pipe down, Mack.

Is the Women's Olympic deal like the men's where it's not necessarily our best roster, but some mixture of veterans, b-teamers, and U-23 players who need international exposure before the next Cup?  I mean, if this was our best 18 players...that was a shit performance.  

[Helobious 9461]

It’s women’s sports, Olympics is the only time people care about it besides the World Cup. If you’re not putting your best out there then that’s a serious problem. 

[InkaUtexas 25852]

Brazil women's team can Neymar with the best of them. 

[dcar00 14144]

14 hours ago, tokamak said:

How the fuck are athletes getting COVID? Is it really that hard to get a vaccine, wear a mask, and stay in your fucking room so you don’t, you know, miss the biggest fucking event of your athletic career? Rivals the sprinter gal who couldn’t refrain from smoking weed for 24 hours in stupidity. 

you realize vaccinated people are getting Covd right?

[shnsajax 3591]

1 hour ago, Lobo said:

Pipe down, Mack.

Is the Women's Olympic deal like the men's where it's not necessarily our best roster, but some mixture of veterans, b-teamers, and U-23 players who need international exposure before the next Cup?  I mean, if this was our best 18 players...that was a shit performance.  

Women get to send their full National Team unlike the Men, and we did send the full team. Sweden are #5 in the world as well, no slouch. 

[Napoleon 8657]

25 minutes ago, shnsajax said:

Women get to send their full National Team unlike the Men, and we did send the full team. Sweden are #5 in the world as well, no slouch. 

#2 & #3 in the world (France & Germany… not sure which order) aren’t in Japan because the Women’s tournament is only 12 teams. The performance of the European teams in the last World Cup determined who got to come to this World Cup.

The field should be 16 teams rather than 12, because 8 teams get to advance either way, but it’s not.

 

2 hours ago, The Dog said:

They’re old and need to move on.

Definitely this. The Olympics is a truncated tournament with only two rest days between game days AND I think that the rosters were limited to 18 players, though they may have made a change to squads of 22, but only 18 dress on game days.

Tournaments cry for younger players due to the short turnarounds. Small rosters do as well. You can only bring 1-3 old guard in a short tournament, not the most senior 18 of the 2019’s 23-woman World Cup roster from 2019.

Rookie coach was afraid to make tough decisions and it will be interesting to see how that dooms them.

[shnsajax 3591]

Definitely this. The Olympics is a truncated tournament with only two rest days between game days AND I think that the rosters were limited to 18 players, though they may have made a change to squads of 22, but only 18 dress on game days.
Tournaments cry for younger players due to the short turnarounds. Small rosters do as well. You can only bring 1-3 old guard in a short tournament, not the most senior 18 of the 2019’s 23-woman World Cup roster from 2019.
Rookie coach was afraid to make tough decisions and it will be interesting to see how that dooms them.

And Holland who does have a very young team (and made it the WC Finals) put up 10 goals today although they gave up 3 as well. Will be interesting to watch them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[perfectchaos007 6621]

3-0 is a blowout in soccer. Don’t think I’ve ever seen the US women’s team get outclassed to that extent 

[Nicole44 22055]

4 minutes ago, perfectchaos007 said:

3-0 is a blowout in soccer. Don’t think I’ve ever seen the US women’s team get outclassed to that extent 

“As coaches we failed to make our coaching points more compelling than their Fat Little Girlfriends. Now their Fat Little Girlfriends have some obvious advantages. For one thing, their Fat Little Girlfriends are telling them what they want to hear, which is how great you are and how easy it's going to be. I’m willing to go to fairly amazing lengths to make that happen. There will be some people inconvenienced, and if that happens to be their Fat Little Girlfriends, too bad.” 

[William Wallace 106]

Is the weightlifter the only trans athlete this year?

[Guest Lobo]

Nearly 200 countries on this planet.  I think 160 of them send some athlete and/or team to the Olympics for both men's and women's.  And it turns out, there's like 4 trans athletes in the whole planetary competition.  So what should we do?  Spend millions debating where those 4 go to the bathroom for a few weeks during their sport's season.  

[perfectchaos007 6621]

24 minutes ago, Lobo said:

Nearly 200 countries on this planet.  I think 160 of them send some athlete and/or team to the Olympics for both men's and women's.  And it turns out, there's like 4 trans athletes in the whole planetary competition.  So what should we do?  Spend millions debating where those 4 go to the bathroom for a few weeks during their sport's season.  

Who cares about what bathroom people choose to use imo, that’s not what this is about. Make all restrooms unisex idgaf. The potential issue with trans athletes is centered around a possible inherent competitive advantage. Hardly anyone takes issue with a female -> male competing in the male divisions which is why those stories aren’t newsworthy and you hardly ever hear about them. Male -> female trans competing in female divisions can create a competitive advantage for the athlete, which is why there’s a debate on what’s fair. I assume we can’t engage in that debate here without being told to go to cloakroom so I’ll drop it lol. 

[staboner 4969]

14 hours ago, shadow_operative2.0 said:

Our women’s team getting drilled by Sweden. 

[shadow_operative2.0 15941]

We’re up 1-0 in top 5 over Canada in softball on NBCSN.