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The Chat House Goes to The Winter Olympics!
With
Michael Wilbon
Washington Post Columnist
Friday, Feb. 22, 2002; 1:30 p.m. ET
The Chat House has temporarily MOVED to Salt Lake City for the Winter Olympics! Join another special edition of The House with Michael Wilbon LIVE from Utah today for his last chat from the Winter Games. Michael is skating solo today; remember Tony is afraid to fly!
The transcript of today's discussion follows.
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Michael Wilbon: Hi everyone. I'm 5 mins early today. I'm heading off after our Chat to watch a couple of hockey games. As far as we know, the US will be playing Russia this afternoon. This will be the highlight of the Games for me. I can't think of anything I'd rather see here... okay, maybe US-Russia for gold. But, I'll take this. --Mike
Annandale, VA:
Short track skating reminds me of Roller Derby of the 60's. Do you feel that it's a legimate sport that should be kept in the Olympics or should it be dropped as being too controversial? Also, knowing little about the rules, do the Koreans have a valid gripe or are they being whiny cry-babies?
Michael Wilbon: As far as I can tell everyone is being whiny. Either whiny or simply too arrogant. The US and this medal count is absurd. We keep hearing how this is some record # of medals. BUt no one wants to mention the fact that there are about 7/8 new sports that have come aboard since Calgary in 1988. So the medal count is inflated. There was no snowboarding in 1988. I love watching short track speed skating. But, I don't understand the rule either as it pertains to an "imaginary lane." How wide is this lane? I don't know what the judge was seeing. Since I see the sport only once every years, I don't see enough of it to know how common it is for somebody to be disqualified after leaving his imaginary lane as the Korean skater was judged to have done the other night. But, the Winter Games are just a mess where the predominant scene is whiny and crying about everything. I'm so tired of this. I guess I would keep it as an Olympic sport, but I'm so aggravated right now by all of this poor sportsmanship that you could probably convince me w/a good enough argument. And I want all of you ring heads to take note of the behavior here when you start talking about how pure of heart, intention and purpose the "amateurs" are. This is no different from the NBA or NHL. People want to win and they are crushed when they don't. --Mike
I'm whining now. Where is my beret? --Mary
It's in the store silly. It's in the Roots store w/the 1 and 10 min line. --Mike
Well, you better get in line then!--Mary
I'd head right over there tomorrow afternoon. Oops I'm leaving tomorrow afternoon. --Mike
Damn you. --Mary
Fairfax, Va.:
Mr. Wilbon,
Thank you for taking my question(s). Who were the referees at the Russia/Czech Republic hockey game, and does Russia have a legitimate beef with their calls? Since these are mainly NHL officials and players who already know each other quite well, I would think that any bias would be on a personal level, not national.
Michael Wilbon: Good question Fairfax. I have no idea of the names of the refs. But here's all you need to know: the Russian players and the Russian writers covering the game had no complaint whatsoever and actually voiced their aggravation yesterday when it was suggested that the officiating in that hockey games was somehow blatantly biased, unfair or incompetent. --Mike
Washington, DC:
I didn't watch the women's figure skating, so help me with this: the radio & TV reports here in the US say that Hughes skated "perfectly" and that the other medal finishers stumbled and/or fell. The Russians say that their girl skated perfectly, and that the judging is biased. Is it Russian sour grapes, or do they have an argument?
Michael Wilbon: Let me just say this and I wasn't at the skating either b/c I was at hockey. I watched the skating on TV. And anyone of any race, nationality, or ethnicity who says that the Russian girl skated perfectly is a big, fat, liar. Can I be anymore clear on this issue? The one thing we got here is TV round the clock and you can watch re-plays ALL night. She stumbled. She is a GREAT skater, she just won a silver medal, she is one of the 2 or 3 best skaters in the world. She's fabulous. She stumbled. Anybody who takes exception to that, LOG OFF NOW. It was clear that she stumbled that Kwan fell. Does somebody want to tell me that Kwan didn't fall? --Mike
Baltimore:
First off, keep up the great work here and in print. On to the Olympics. What is the deal with the Russians and the South Koreans? As far as I can see, the Russians have nothing to complain about. The French judge admitted she was pressured to vote for the Russians in the skating and the crosscountry skier tested above the legal limit for hemoglobin. I didn't see the hockey game, so I can't comment on that. I assume you saw it--any comment? As for the Koreans, it seems a supportable judgment call by a neutral referee. Watching the replay, it's clear the Korean skater cut Ohno off and apparently that's against the rules. Am I missing anything here or are these two countries just being cry babies?
Michael Wilbon: Everyone is cry babies. Don't single out the Koreans or the Russians. The Canadians have been crying and moaning like babies starting w/Wayne Gretzsky... who I absoultely adore as a player and a public figure and as a guy. Wayne is the real deal. He is one of the best people I've ever met in sports and he's moaning like a baby this week. And the Americans, if they aren't moaning now, will be in a minute. This is not about nationality. People moan and they cry when they loose. Sportsmanship is at an all time low internationally, not inside anyone's borders. And, let's be fair about this: there is a lot at stake. Careers and livelihoods are on the line in these Games and losing puts all of that in jeopardy. But, let's not make is sound as if a couple of different people have put a premium on whining. --Mike
Arlington, VA:
Sorry. I cried real tears in 1980, but I think Belarus's win over Sweden has to qualify as an even bigger upset.
Michael Wilbon: That's a GREAT point Arlington and I thought about that 2 days ago when I was watching the game. I don't think you can say bigger b/c Belarus does have an NHL player or two. They have pros. In 1980, the US had amateurs. No pros. And the Russians had the best team in the world arguably... actually not arguably b/c they used to beat NHL teams w/some frequency. But you make a great point. It was A HUGE upset, but there were no political ramfications either. And remember the political ramifications of the 1980 victory were enormous. --Mike
Washington, D.C.:
Michael,
Any idea what game the referee was watching last night in the US-Canada women's hockey game?
Good Lord were some of those calls bad. Even though I was rooting for the US, I couldn't believe some of the calls.
And then she missed at least two completely obvious too many (wo)men on the ice calls.
Ugh. Absolutely horrible.
Michael Wilbon: I agree 100 percent w/that. I have NO idea what was going on w/the referee in that game. I was sitting 20 feet from the ice and I was stunned at some of the stuff that got called. Given the theme of this week w/all of the whining can you imagine what would have happened if Canada had lost that game in the US to the US? I guess Gretzky would have pulled out both hockey teams. --Mike
Sorry. I spelled Gretzk wrong earlier. My bad. --Mary
Dupont:
Random somewhat fluffy question: on nbc.com, they have listed the heights and weights of every athlete competing in the games...(we were looking to see if Bode's stats are up to par with my friend's specifications)...but there is no weight listed for any of the iceskaters. Kind of conspicuously absent. Why could this be?
Michael Wilbon: THAT's Great. Thank you for that tid-bit. That's great. Somewhere it was revealed that Sascha Cohen weighed 87 lbs.
Really? Wow. Mini. --Mary
That's what I read. I've seen 2 weights for her 87 lbs and 89 lbs. She must have had a burger between those stories. People would be shocked at how waif-like and almost non-existant these little girls are. It's not as bad as gymnastics, but it's pretty bad. --Mike
Washington, DC:
Do you miss Tony?
Michael Wilbon: I do. Well, kind of.--Mary
W/the amount of whining we've already had here. DO you think I want more? Tony should be the official closer of these Winter Games? "THE WHAT ABOUT ME GAMES." Just I'll be happy to be back in the same city, same TV show, same studio, same Chat House as Tony asap. --Mike
Washington, DC:
Just got back myself from SLC. Had a
blast.
What has been your favorite sport, from a
spectator standpoint? Which is the most
enjoyable to watch and which is just
painful?
Michael Wilbon: I make no secret. Hockey is my favorite. Men's and Women's. Aerial skiing is great to watch in person. So is short track speed skating. I haven't gone to curling here, but I've been in my life to curling and I could do w/out that. But, I enjoy most things. I enjoy the spectacle of sitting there and watching figure skating. But I liken it to watching the ballet or an elite dance theater. It's great performance, but I don't want people to be scored or treated as a loser if there's a fall or stumble. I enjoy most of the events. I like the ski jumping event more than the slalom. I have to go and catch a bus to hockey. Talk to you on Monday!! --Mike
H Street, DC:
Mike, I take exception to your statement about how figure skaters are waif-like. Sasha Cohen is only 17 years old. I am a 32-year-old woman who weighed 85 pounds when I was 17. Now I am 110. Let Sasha finish growing, please.
The older skaters are more "womanly" and still are good sktares. Slutskaya, for one.
Michael Wilbon: Thanks for the comment. --Mike
Roots Beret.....:
Mary ---
Nordstrom.com is selling the beret.
Michael Wilbon: Sweet. Thanks!
Boca Raton, FL:
Mary-- The Roots USA Team berets are available online through both nbc.com and roots.com so there's no need to wait in line for them in Park City!
Michael Wilbon: GREAT!!! Thanks. --Mary
washingtonpost.com:
Thank you for joining us today. Please be sure to join Mike and Tony this Monday at 1:30 pm ET for the Chat House!
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