Winter Olympics thread

[NancysSummerSip]

We're not a country who does a whole lot of whooping and hollering when it comes to the Winter Olympics, but at least we'll have a thread now.

And we can start with this look at the made in America, Ralph Lauren-designed uniforms. What do you think?

[Artemis Windsong]

The Opening Ceremony look, revealed exclusively on TODAY Thursday, includes a knit patchwork cardigan emblazoned with stars ($598), paired with a cream cotton turtleneck sweater ($245), slim-fitting white fleece athletic pants bearing the “Team USA” label ($165), black leather boots with bright red laces ($395) and a cotton belt accented with American graphics ($75). Of course, there’s also a reindeer hat ($95).


media3.s-nbcnews.com/j/streams/2014/January/140122/2D11391927-today-women-olympic-outfit-140122-01.blocks_desktop_medium.jpg
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Someone needs to convince me the patchwork cardigan is going to keep anyone warm.

[ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ]

It was announced on our news here this morning, that Female Olympian & Ice Hockey great Haley Wickenheiser is going to be our flag-bearer at the Opening Ceremonies:

www.thestar.com/sports/sochi2014/2014/01/23/sochi_2014_hayley_wickenheiser_to_be_canadas_flag_bearer_at_opening_ceremonies.html

[Artemis Windsong]

I posted a US Sochi clothing right after this one.  Maybe they can be combined.

[wvugurl26]

I hope everyone in Russia for the Winter Olympics is safe during their visit.

I bet those items are the first made in the US items Ralph Lauren has manufactured in a long time.

[swamp]

I think the uniforms are ugly.

[Virgil Showlion]

Jan 23, 2014 14:04:13 GMT -5 NancysSummerSip said:

We're not a country who does a whole lot of whooping and hollering when it comes to the Winter Olympics, but at least we'll have a thread now.

And we can start with this look at the made in America, Ralph Lauren-designed uniforms. What do you think?

They're a bit patchy, but not bad.

I like them better than the "true blue Navy" getups used for the 2012 London Olympics.

[Virgil Showlion]

*lol*

Whenever I look at photos like this, I can't help but think of Homestar Runner toons.

"Ooh. Wipe my brow.

Being a top athlete requires a lot of hard cereal, and dedication. That's why I choose Temporarios.

Temporarios: The official cereal of athletes you won't remember in two weeks."

[mmhmm]

Jan 23, 2014 14:12:12 GMT -5 Artemis Windsong said:

I posted a US Sochi clothing right after this one.  Maybe they can be combined.

I moved your post to this thread, Artemis. 

[NancysSummerSip]

Jan 23, 2014 15:11:30 GMT -5 Virgil Showlion said:

*lol*

Whenever I look at photos like this, I can't help but think of Homestar Runner toons.

"Ooh. Wipe my brow.

Being a top athlete requires a lot of hard cereal, and dedication. That's why I choose Temporarios.

Temporarios: The official cereal of athletes you won't remember in two weeks."

I think that's some kind of Canadian joke.

<<crickets chirping in the silence south of the border>>

[ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ]

I kind of like the Canada Opening Ceremonies uniforms.

The "Hudson Bay Blanket Coats" (front & center) are pretty nice.

[Green Eyed Lady]

I really like the uniforms.  I just don't understand why any turtleneck would cost $245.00.  It's cotton. 

[resolution]

The model drawn in the concept art looks so fragile and unnatural compared to the real athlete.

[Virgil Showlion]

The concept art is what models (or at least the fashion designers who hire them) wish they looked like.

[justme]

Jan 23, 2014 16:03:35 GMT -5 ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ said:

I kind of like the Canada Opening Ceremonies uniforms.

The "Hudson Bay Blanket Coats" (front & center) are pretty nice.

Tee hee - their scarves have two beavers. Now I have visions of them singing "two beavers are better than one" in my head.

[NoNamePerson]

They look like a box of red, white and blue crayons threw up all over them.  

ETA: I looked again and I need to rethink my original answer. It looks like 4th of July fireworks threw up all over them. 

[NancysSummerSip]

At least the Canadians are warmly dressed. Not sure if the Americans will make it through the opening ceremonies without freezing to death.

[mmhmm]

Can we say Under Armor?  Lots of Under Armor!

[ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ]

I think those US sweaters do look way too "busy". It's like the designer couldn't decide what to do with a bunch of random remnant scraps - it's like jumbled patchwork quilt.

[NoNamePerson]

All the little white specks on them - are those supposed to be snowflakes? They even have them on their faces - is that part of the uniform? 

[ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ]

I think the photographer who took the pic had fake snow falling on them for the illusion of winter.

Those white speckles aren't on the model's uniform in post #12.

[NoNamePerson]

Yep, you're right. Didn't pay much attention to the other picture. Still say box of fireworks blew up on them LOL

[Virgil Showlion]

Jan 24, 2014 11:23:48 GMT -5 NoNamePerson said:

Yep, you're right. Didn't pay much attention to the other picture. Still say box of fireworks blew up on them LOL

At least there won't be any confusion about what country they're from.

...or what year it is.

[Deleted]

I don't like them. They look way too busy.

[NancysSummerSip]

And on a slightly different topic  - not that we have to discard the clothing theme by any means (since I have yet to see the uniforms for other countries), the US women's bobsled team decided to take Lolo Jones onto their team. Jones is a previous Summer Olympian who did not medal at either 2008 or 2012 games, and was chosen over other (and some say better) competitors with more bobsled experience. The issue is alleged to be one of publicity: since skier Lindsay Vonn is not going to Sochi, the US Olympic bobsled committee may have been pressured to take Jones to add sex and media appeal to the games. They deny it, but the firestorm has begun.

news.cincinnati.com/usatoday/article/4804891&usatref=sportsmod

[NoNamePerson]

I guess you don't have to qualify before hand to enter this sport? They just pick team members? Can't say I pay much attention to Olympics lately. Really stopped when they started allowing Pro players to make up dream teams and all that. I will watch them sporatically though just because.

[NancysSummerSip]

Jan 24, 2014 12:43:38 GMT -5 NoNamePerson said:

I guess you don't have to qualify before hand to enter this sport? They just pick team members? Can't say I pay much attention to Olympics lately. Really stopped when they started allowing Pro players to make up dream teams and all that. I will watch them sporatically though just because.

For many of the winter sports, that's true. They go based on qualifying times/rankings from other national and world events, as opposed to an actual Olympic qualifier. Part of the issue is timing and a place: there just isn't enough time and a centralized venue for a qualifier, then sufficient rest, then to travel to the Olympics, and do all of this while still training. And a big part of it is money: most Olympic athletes have real jobs, either full or part time, or they are in school. Another qualifier added to their schedule means no money and missing school, not to mention additional wear and tear on their bodies.  Sure, some have sweet endorsement deals, but those are just the few you see. The vast majority do not. They might get some money to cover some costs, but most of them could not possibly live on what the Olympics bring them.

[NoNamePerson]

That makes sense. I just know that I see all the qualifying with ice skating, etc so I didn't know about bobsleding per se. Like I said before though, I am a bit jaded now with the olympics. I can appreciate the time/effort/sacrifice put in to reach that peak. I just hate that actual professionals are allowed in but that is the price of change and politics I guess. 

[the flying reindeer]

Just finished watching the parade of nation into Sochi's Olympic Stadium to the alphabetical order of the Cyrillic alphabet. No a, b, c, d, e, f, etc. I thought I had somehow missed Finland and France. Somehow "F" comes after "U" in Russia, for all of a sudden there they were after all the "U", such as the USA!! I always like to see what the French Olympic clothing looks like. They are usually pretty stylish, of course. BTW, the US uniforms look better on the athletes then I thought they would.

On the issue of amateurism vs. professionalism, the original Olympics were professionals. Winners were set for life. At the time the games were revived, in the late 19th century, few sports were anything other than amateur. With the exception of boxing, most professional sports weren't part of the games. Remember, the basic principle of the games was to have the best athletes in the world compete against each other. With that in mind, professionals eventually had to become part of the games.

[busymom]

Although the uniforms Team USA is wearing wouldn't be my first choice, I did like them better than some of the others I saw during the opening ceremony.

I'm looking forward to a wonderful distraction from our winter weather.