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The Prototype 
Paint my face with a good-for-nothin smile.
Joined: 23 Apr 2003
Location: Hobart, Tasmania
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jack_spain 
Joined: 03 May 2008
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The yips have spread through the entire Olympic team. Favourites have gone down in flames everywhere, especially in the cycling. This morning our long jump hope Mitchell Watt finished with silver, well behind the winning Brit. No shame in that at all, except that the AOC and media had built him up (like Sally Pearson) as a certain gold medalist. There's a big difference in class and the seriousness with which athletes treat a world championship (every two years) and an Olympics (every four).
Obviously work ethic has something to do with it, but why do people assume that throwing money at a problem will solve it? Some poor African and Asian nations are winning gold medals, and good on them, they deserve it. They have talent, but talent without hard work is useless.
The problem we face in sports like swimming is the same one that has pushed us to the bottom in tennis. The rest of the world have started to take competition seriously. When we dominated tennis with the USA in the 50s and 60s there were exactly four countries who took the game seriously: Australia, USA, Great Britain and France (where else do people think the four grand slams came from?). Now half the world plays the game, and most countries better than us.
Exactly the same thing is happening in swimming.
We just have to accept the fact that we are a small nation with a limited pool to draw from. A slightly bigger nation in population than New Zealand. Of course it hurts when the Kiwis win more gold medals than we do.  |
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stui magpie 
Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.
Joined: 03 May 2005
Location: In flagrante delicto
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After this Olympics, the Australian team uniforms will be changed from Green and Gold to Green and Silver.
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Every dead body on Mt Everest was once a highly motivated person, so maybe just calm the **** down. |
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David 
to wish impossible things
Joined: 27 Jul 2003
Location: the edge of the deep green sea
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| jack_spain wrote: | The yips have spread through the entire Olympic team. Favourites have gone down in flames everywhere, especially in the cycling. This morning our long jump hope Mitchell Watt finished with silver, well behind the winning Brit. No shame in that at all, except that the AOC and media had built him up (like Sally Pearson) as a certain gold medalist. There's a big difference in class and the seriousness with which athletes treat a world championship (every two years) and an Olympics (every four).
Obviously work ethic has something to do with it, but why do people assume that throwing money at a problem will solve it? Some poor African and Asian nations are winning gold medals, and good on them, they deserve it. They have talent, but talent without hard work is useless.
The problem we face in sports like swimming is the same one that has pushed us to the bottom in tennis. The rest of the world have started to take competition seriously. When we dominated tennis with the USA in the 50s and 60s there were exactly four countries who took the game seriously: Australia, USA, Great Britain and France (where else do people think the four grand slams came from?). Now half the world plays the game, and most countries better than us.
Exactly the same thing is happening in swimming.
We just have to accept the fact that we are a small nation with a limited pool to draw from. A slightly bigger nation in population than New Zealand. Of course it hurts when the Kiwis win more gold medals than we do. |
Even if I cared (and I kind of don't), I wouldn't see it as particular cause for alarm. Australia will always be good at sport; one average Olympics isn't going to change that. I just wish we were competent at making films! (I'd say that the answer is more funding for cinema and less for sport, but I don't think that's the problem here).
Anyhow, if this is putting a dent in anybody's national pride, take comfort in the knowledge that we're still better than anyone else at Australian rules football. 
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"Every time we witness an injustice and do not act, we train our character to be passive in its presence." – Julian Assange |
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The Prototype
Paint my face with a good-for-nothin smile.
Joined: 23 Apr 2003
Location: Hobart, Tasmania
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And even if Australia wasn't good at sports, at least these people are trying their best, living their dreams.
It's a shame there may not be any coverage of the Paralympics, there were some athletes from the Australian Paralympic team out this way raising money for themselves to get to London.
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Ðavâgé
https://www.facebook.com/davehardingphotography
https://www.facebook.com/Davage |
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watt price tully 
Joined: 15 May 2007
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| David wrote: |
Even if I cared (and I kind of don't),.....
Anyhow, if this is putting a dent in anybody's national pride, take comfort in the knowledge that we're still better than anyone else at Australian rules football. |
That's very unAustralian of you David., your attitude has been noticed.
I understand we got a Silver in AFL 
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“I even went as far as becoming a Southern Baptist until I realised they didn’t keep ‘em under long enough†Kinky Friedman |
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jack_spain
Joined: 03 May 2008
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| watt price tully wrote: | | David wrote: |
Even if I cared (and I kind of don't),.....
Anyhow, if this is putting a dent in anybody's national pride, take comfort in the knowledge that we're still better than anyone else at Australian rules football. |
That's very unAustralian of you David., your attitude has been noticed.
I understand we got a Silver in AFL |
I doubt we'll even get a bronze this year in the AFL.  |
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Piethagoras' Theorem 
the hypotenuse, is always a cakewalk
Joined: 29 May 2006
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I love the olympics
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Formally frankiboy and FrankieGoesToCollingwood. |
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mandy 
Joined: 03 Jun 2001
Location: Glen Iris
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Really? Do men really dig on camel toes?
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#TEAMBUCKS
#TEAMEDDIE
#TEAMCOLLINGWOOD
#SIDEBYSIDE |
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4pies 
Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Location: not far from the beach
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Tannin
Can't remember
Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Location: Huon Valley Tasmania
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| mandy wrote: | | Really? Do men really dig on camel toes? |
Some of us prefer men. But in general, yes, of course. Be a funny old world if we didn't.
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�Let's eat Grandma.� Commas save lives! |
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Bucks5
Nicky D - Parting the red sea
Joined: 23 Mar 2002
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Hey guys, we doubled our Gold Medal tally last night Just saying....
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How would Siri know when to answer "Hey Siri" unless it is listening in to everything you say? |
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luvdids
Joined: 22 Mar 2008
Location: work
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^^^^ that last pic isn't from the Olympics.. I've never seen women wearing high heels to collect their medals  Plus they have advertising on their *whatever those suits are called*.
I guess you really just wanted to put that pic up, if I was a male I'd understand why |
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Tannin
Can't remember
Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Location: Huon Valley Tasmania
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| Jolly Good wrote: | | Hey guys, we doubled our Gold Medal tally last night Just saying.... |
^ Wrong.  Study some 3rd grade maths.
PS: or wait 'till tomorrow - chances are that we will double the gold count then.
PPS: it's back to the camel races for me.
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�Let's eat Grandma.� Commas save lives! |
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watt price tully
Joined: 15 May 2007
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I was lucky enough to watch the "Boomers" last night. With 4 seconds to go Russia ahead.
Boomers had the ball.
Time out called by the coach of Australia.
In the four seconds left, the Ruskies left Patrick Mills unattended outside the key via some good play to plan by the Boomers. The plan left Patrick Mills free to score a three pointer a nanosecond before the buzzer.
Remarkable. Marvellous.
Mill's last game against the old dart the day before was stupendous!! He scored something like 37 or 39 points to make a game in the balance to a certain win the day before.
Now the Boomers have the simple task of beating the USA!
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“I even went as far as becoming a Southern Baptist until I realised they didn’t keep ‘em under long enough†Kinky Friedman
Last edited by watt price tully on Tue Aug 07, 2012 4:11 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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