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2016 Olympic Games, Rio

Joubert is a disgrace I just can't believe what I saw!! he should be permanently banned from any rugby match.
 
They just interviewed barret on the pitch and God is he unbearable

Never liked him, seems like your typical jock bully. Always celebrates way too much when he bounces off a smaller player.
Loved it when Hassler tackles him into touch after he tried to bounce him - think it was in the pnc
 
That's it... I think Dewi Morris and Clive might be the same person.


I think the pressure of the Olympics is definitely telling for some of these sides.
 
That wasn't too shabby now was it? Of my dark horses (US, Kenya and Argentina) only Argentina turned up, but like NZ they will massively struggle if they've lost two starters to injury.

Fantastic atmosphere for Brazil tries and amazing result for Japan who aren't much cop at sevens.

Joubert's penalty try for the play of the day by Imhoff wasn't great, but he's made far worse in the past month (never mind the RWC). The SA ref Rasta didn't make a single error during the entire women's contest so hopefully he'll replace Joubert for the rest of this tournament. He can't be allowed near a big game! Our Clive putting the boot in to Joubert was fun but he somewhat lost the moral highground repeatedly calling Brazil Spain (much to the obvious frustration of Butler!).

Great first round for SA, GB and France. I still think Fiji won't even medal. Pressure so big and probably contributed to Samoa not even being here.
 
Tennis is; even if most casual tennis fans don't think so - just have a look at the previous winners, and it's a who's who of tennis players from the last 30 years; and the likes of Federer counting his Olympic medals (he has one of each IIRC), or Edburg his Olympic bronze as their most treasured possessions (let alone the likes of Agassi, Nadal, Murray, Graf, Williams, Williams, Davenport saying the same about their golds); or Djoker's interview etc etc.
Olympics is at least the equal of any grand slam; even with its best of 3 sets format.
.

But it's not. It's a nice addition, the cherry on top for most tennis players. Grand Slams are and always will be the pinnacle for tennis - 7 best of 5 set matches for the men; 7 best of 3 set matches for women. Compare that to Olympics men's competition which is 5 best of 3 sets and only the final being best of five sets; women's are 6 best of 3 set matches. It's special for players because of the wider context that the competition is played in and I think it sits in it own right as a very special event in the tennis calendar, but definitely not the equal of a Grand Slam; maybe just below it.
 
That wasn't too shabby now was it? Of my dark horses (US, Kenya and Argentina) only Argentina turned up, but like NZ they will massively struggle if they've lost two starters to injury.

Fantastic atmosphere for Brazil tries and amazing result for Japan who aren't much cop at sevens.

Joubert's penalty try for the play of the day by Imhoff wasn't great, but he's made far worse in the past month (never mind the RWC). The SA ref Rasta didn't make a single error during the entire women's contest so hopefully he'll replace Joubert for the rest of this tournament. He can't be allowed near a big game! Our Clive putting the boot in to Joubert was fun but he somewhat lost the moral highground repeatedly calling Brazil Spain (much to the obvious frustration of Butler!).

Great first round for SA, GB and France. I still think Fiji won't even medal. Pressure so big and probably contributed to Samoa not even being here.

Yet for some reason rasta was an AR for the women's final
 
But it's not. It's a nice addition, the cherry on top for most tennis players. Grand Slams are and always will be the pinnacle for tennis - 7 best of 5 set matches for the men; 7 best of 3 set matches for women. Compare that to Olympics men's competition which is 5 best of 3 sets and only the final being best of five sets; women's are 6 best of 3 set matches. It's special for players because of the wider context that the competition is played in and I think it sits in it own right as a very special event in the tennis calendar, but definitely not the equal of a Grand Slam; maybe just below it.

Nadal, regarding his wrist injury:
"It is how it is. It needs more time. If this wasn't the Olympic Games then I would not be here competing."

http://www.sport24.co.za/OtherSport/Olympics2016/nadal-calls-time-on-wrist-injury-talk-20160808

Djokovic, regarding his first round defeat:

[FONT=&quot]“No doubt it’s one of the toughest losses in my life, in my career,†Djokovic told the New York Times after the match. “It’s not easy to handle, especially now just after the match, the wounds are still fresh but you know you have to deal with it. It’s not the first or the last time I’m losing a tennis match but Olympic Games yeah it’s different.â€

[/FONT]
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/olympics/2016/08/08/rio-olympics-2016-novak-djokovic-crashes-out-of-the-tennis-at-th/
 
for international basketball the olympics is still the pinnacle, it's not like soccer where the world cup is more important
 
Clearly, without a doubt, not even close to a grand slam. Djokovic said that because he's won everything but that. The fact that is happens once every four years and that you play representing your country and not yourself (at least on paper) adds to the folklore but it's a nice to have trophy, not a must in tennis.
I'm pretty sure most top players would rank it below the davis cup too.

Ask any player who's never won either what would they rather win and you'll get the right answer.
 
Nadal, regarding his wrist injury:
"It is how it is. It needs more time. If this wasn't the Olympic Games then I would not be here competing."

http://www.sport24.co.za/OtherSport/Olympics2016/nadal-calls-time-on-wrist-injury-talk-20160808

Djokovic, regarding his first round defeat:

[FONT="]"No doubt it's one of the toughest losses in my life, in my career," Djokovic told the New York Times after the match. "It's not easy to handle, especially now just after the match, the wounds are still fresh but you know you have to deal with it. It's not the first or the last time I'm losing a tennis match but Olympic Games yeah it's different."

[/FONT]
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/olympics/2016/08/08/rio-olympics-2016-novak-djokovic-crashes-out-of-the-tennis-at-th/

I didn't say it wasn't special, but it's still not the pinnacle of tennis or the equal of a Grand Slam.
 
For every team other than the americans maybe but NBA Rings are prob more desired than the Olympics.
I'd expand that to NBA players.

This mainly though because American top leagues consider themselves the pinnacle not world or Olympic championships.

NFL winner call themselves World Champions
MLB wins the World Series (before anyone says it the World Magazine/News sponsor story is a completely false)
 
I didn't say it wasn't special, but it's still not the pinnacle of tennis or the equal of a Grand Slam.

I think that the pinnacle is the tournament every top player is willing to give up the most to win.

Most top players (Federer excluded) will only have three oportunities at most in their lifetime to compete with chances at an olympic event, and that's why they want to win it so badly.
 

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