The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.
[PA Comic] Wednesday, August 8, 2012 - Games Of Storied Lineage
Geth
LegionPerseus VeilRegistered User, Moderator, Penny Arcade Staff, Vanilla Staff vanilla
LegionPerseus VeilRegistered User, Moderator, Penny Arcade Staff, Vanilla Staff vanilla
Posts
In the execution of the ceremony? The Honeymoon? Maintaining the passion in the relationship?
How long has ping pong been an olympic sport?
There are specialist websites for that kinda thing you know.
Well gosh, I suppose I might as well settle in for a nice cuppa ...... this is gonna be good!
They wear tights, funny helmets and rides on what can only be described as the unholy offspring of a nascar track and a bowling alley.
Yes, it's weird.
-Antje Jackelén, Archbishop of the Church of Sweden
I honestly didn't get why it was there either, they could have thought of weirder stuff.
...but I guess that's part of the joke.
Twitch: KoopahTroopah - Steam: Koopah
Especially with the way the helmets are designed with the opaque visors and the way the track is designed like some weird bowl. I've got to say they're a few neon lights away from it becoming a Tron thing.
I'm just biased because team GB is owning everyone in the cycling.
I'm basking in our sporting glory.
Well not USA or China levels of sporting glory but we're doing amazing compared to previous games.
Olympic officials will put an end to the event entirely upon the first male Olympian's tragic death of repeated severe trauma to the colon.
The sport is Horse Marriage, not Horse Gay Marriage. Weirdo.
More like the disaster of 8-O
That's the reason it's an Olympic sport.
New hotness: Passing the cat
It's called Keirin. Honestly velodrome track racing has been around a long time. Maybe I'm just used to it because I have friends who race, but it's not really that weird. I agree with the speed walking one though. Like seriously, WTF? It's a race that specifically limits your ability to race. The steeple chase is also super weird to me. Like what is the purpose of the water? Just to eff with people and make their shoes wet?
i don't know how the IOC plans to deal with that, it's part of the sport's culture
Racewalking seemed less odd to me once someone pointed out that it's not that much different than the butterfly races in swimming.
Sounds like a euphemism for smoking weed.
-Antje Jackelén, Archbishop of the Church of Sweden
Pet, pet, pass.
Jerry/Tycho is amazing.
edit: Mike's news posts always make me laugh, too:
My thoughts exactly...
Personal Quote: "I stare into the void as her molted carapace unfurls, her soaking thorax begging for my gentle touch... and she whispers: "krev unda xcryu!!!". Her slender neck riddled with eggsacks and vestigial maws beckons for my tender head, but what is that I see? Tis a hedgehog, nested upon one of her seven shoulder, her quills beckon for me as well. I now surrender myself as I am filled with countless fertilized eggs and my hands grace the spiky sensuous quills... Yes, yes - a thousand times yes..."
And to all the equestrian apologists out there - yes, I recognize how difficult it is, and that it takes a significant amount of ability, physical talent, training and experience to accomplish that level of achievement. But so does Nascar. And tetherball. And golf. And skydiving. That doesn't mean it really belongs in the Olympics, a celebration of pure human physical excellence. How fast a guy runs, how far they can throw something, how accurately they can shoot something, whether they can flip themselves through the air like a somersaulting top and make it look easy. While I recognize that equestrian has been in the Olympics for a long time, I'd note that the Olympics have changed considerably in their tone and purpose since the early days, and many events, such as "how long you can hold your breath underwater" have long been eliminated.
For the same reasons, I have a beef with sailing. Rowing is almost purely physical strength. Sailing is how well you can manipulate a propulsion system. It may require quite a bit of physicality - so does pulling on the cord of a large diesel motor.
And don't get me started on things like rhythmic gymnastics and ice dancing - it's very pretty and very difficult, but tango and poledancing don't get to be Olympic events, neither should you.
Racewalking just barely passes my personal standard - it is technically racing, though it does look ridiculous. Someone once compared it to a contest to see who could whisper the loudest.
Isn't that a sign that the track length is way too long? Or would it become a "Dash" if you no longer had to worry about pacing yourself?
Yeah, the Russian Blue team usually takes it, but their performance this year was Abyssinian. Surprisingly, the American Curling team showed up to rally for the Burmese team, who really had everyone else by their Brazilian Shorthairs.
There was a small upset when the Somali team tried to participate, but such strong sanctions were put into place that basically made them Ragdolls to their opponents.
In a sense. If your goal is a straight out go-super-fast dash, then you might say the length is too long. But the 5000m is also too long to go all out and has its own tactics that are separate from "run as fast as you can."
It just happens to be how the race works. I admit it's more interesting if they, say, try to do track stands during the slow part.
Addendum: It's also not just about pacing yourself. Being behind someone is a pretty big advantage in cycling because you can go the same speed for much less energy in addition to them not being able to easily see you (so you can start your sprint first). I bet if they shortened the race you'd still see slow paced tactics for the first stretch.