Olympics?

[Abbey Marie]

I'd say it dragged on about 5 days too long. I lost interest. And maybe it was just my bad timing, but every time I turned around it seemed to be beach volleyball. Whoop-de-do.

[Gunny]

I'd say it dragged on about 5 days too long. I lost interest. And maybe it was just my bad timing, but every time I turned around it seemed to be beach volleyball. Whoop-de-do.

They're catering to a crowd and we ain't in it, Abs. Beach volleyball doesn't bother me so much as when you import sand and play it in a stadium. Where's the "beach" part?

And I can't stand soccer. I enjoy sports I played. Soccer is after my time. I watched Humphrey Bogart all day Saturday. He was about as much of an Olympic athlete as Pee Wee Herman. But I have like 5 sports channels and there was not a thing on I cared about. Look at my profile then picture me giving a crap about figure skating. I could get on World's Dumbest trying THAT crap.

[kpronnoy]

Waiting for 2024 Olympics, that are going to be held in Paris.

[Gunny]

Waiting for 2024 Olympics, that are going to be held in Paris.

@NightTrain The way it's going, Russia won't be in the (rather I should say shouldn't be allowed to participate) in the 2024 Olympics. Besides the Ukraine BS Russia started, isn't Russia banned from competing for constant, widespread doping?

One can argue it is not fair to the individual athletes, and at the individual level I tend to agree. On the other hand, Russian Olympic-level athletes are state-subsidized/sponsored.

[NightTrain]

@NightTrain The way it's going, Russia won't be in the (rather I should say shouldn't be allowed to participate) in the 2024 Olympics. Besides the Ukraine BS Russia started, isn't Russia banned from competing for constant, widespread doping?

One can argue it is not fair to the individual athletes, and at the individual level I tend to agree. On the other hand, Russian Olympic-level athletes are state-subsidized/sponsored.

I agree. I'm pretty sure that Vlad doesn't have the money or the time for peacetime projects like the Olympics. His focus is on sending every fighting aged man to the Ukrainian meat grinder.

I very much doubt that Russia would be allowed to compete anyway in a Western hosted Olympics.

The new offensive is going to result in another mobilization and I'm not sure he'll survive that. Hell, I'm surprised he hasn't fallen out of a window already, but that shows what kind of a death grip he has on Russians and the kind of fear he generates. I'm thinking a Stalin or Saddam-level kind of fear from the masses.

Going to be interesting to see how this all pans out. It's a race now for Russia to finish this war before their economy completely collapses - it's in a crash dive now and there's no accessible reserves left to prop it up.

In other news, the Indian knucklehead above you snuck in and spammed his 'pro' badminton site, so I deleted the hyperlink.

[Gunny]

I agree. I'm pretty sure that Vlad doesn't have the money or the time for peacetime projects like the Olympics. His focus is on sending every fighting aged man to the Ukrainian meat grinder.

I very much doubt that Russia would be allowed to compete anyway in a Western hosted Olympics.

The new offensive is going to result in another mobilization and I'm not sure he'll survive that. Hell, I'm surprised he hasn't fallen out of a window already, but that shows what kind of a death grip he has on Russians and the kind of fear he generates. I'm thinking a Stalin or Saddam-level kind of fear from the masses.

Going to be interesting to see how this all pans out. It's a race now for Russia to finish this war before their economy completely collapses - it's in a crash dive now and there's no accessible reserves left to prop it up.

In other news, the Indian knucklehead above you snuck in and spammed his 'pro' badminton site, so I deleted the hyperlink.

Badminton is a sport?

As far as Vlad the Inhaler goes ... I wouldn't put it past him to try and field a team then protest his not being allowed to. We're talking about a guy at war with freedom still allowed to negotiate terms with everyone else on any other topic. That's as much the fault of those allowing him diplomatic status as it is anyone.

I do know as far as weightlifting goes, Russia did not participate in the European nor World Championships last year nor this year, respectively. Both are Olympic qualifiers for points.

Even if Ukraine surrendered today, Russia's economy is dead in the water. In that regard, Putin can't literally afford peace anymore than he can the war. He shoulda thought that through a bit more without the rose-colored glasses.

[NightTrain]

Badminton is a sport?

Yeah, at least he's an Indian not doing the typical computer/phone scam thing. He's got that going for him.

As far as Vlad the Inhaler goes ... I wouldn't put it past him to try and field a team then protest his not being allowed to. We're talking about a guy at war with freedom still allowed to negotiate terms with everyone else on any other topic. That's as much the fault of those allowing him diplomatic status as it is anyone.

I do know as far as weightlifting goes, Russia did not participate in the European nor World Championships last year nor this year, respectively. Both are Olympic qualifiers for points.

Even if Ukraine surrendered today, Russia's economy is dead in the water. In that regard, Putin can't literally afford peace anymore than he can the war. He shoulda thought that through a bit more without the rose-colored glasses.

Right. Vlad definitely misjudged how his little land-grab would be received.

If Ukraine had simply rolled over as everyone expected, the West would have placed a few meaningless sanctions on Russia and shrugged. But the fact that Ukraine stood up and fought tooth-and-nail gave hope that maybe there was a glimmer of a shadow of a chance, and prompted assistance from NATO countries, which shamed our insufferable baboon to reluctantly begin helping.

If Ukraine can make it through this new Russian offensive to buy time for the Challenger & Abram tanks to arrive on the battlefield, I think they'll pull this off! Plus there's serious effort to give them F-16s and British Typhoons which will completely turn the war in Ukraine's favor.

Very startling to see how utterly incompetent Russia's military turned out to be. Living during the Cold War gave a completely different impression of their abilities and equipment, and I'm sure it was better than the joke they are now... but I can't help wonder if they were vastly overestimated all along, considering that they're fighting a much weaker and smaller adversary right along their border, much less supplying troops all the way into Central Europe. They can't supply troops a few miles across their border.

[Gunny]

Yeah, at least he's an Indian not doing the typical computer/phone scam thing. He's got that going for him.



Right. Vlad definitely misjudged how his little land-grab would be received.

If Ukraine had simply rolled over as everyone expected, the West would have placed a few meaningless sanctions on Russia and shrugged. But the fact that Ukraine stood up and fought tooth-and-nail gave hope that maybe there was a glimmer of a shadow of a chance, and prompted assistance from NATO countries, which shamed our insufferable baboon to reluctantly begin helping.

If Ukraine can make it through this new Russian offensive to buy time for the Challenger & Abram tanks to arrive on the battlefield, I think they'll pull this off! Plus there's serious effort to give them F-16s and British Typhoons which will completely turn the war in Ukraine's favor.

Very startling to see how utterly incompetent Russia's military turned out to be. Living during the Cold War gave a completely different impression of their abilities and equipment, and I'm sure it was better than the joke they are now... but I can't help wonder if they were vastly overestimated all along, considering that they're fighting a much weaker and smaller adversary right along their border, much less supplying troops all the way into Central Europe. They can't supply troops a few miles across their border.

Your last paragraph is definitely something I have pondered. In perspective, having grown up in the military then served during the Cold War, what we are seeing now is the remnants of what the USSR had then. At the time, they were pretty state-of-the art (by Russian standards) and on a full military industrial footing. Their stuff was new then. That same new stuff then is now outdated and falling apart.

IMO, what was overestimated was Russia's ability and claims to maintain a viable, up-to-date force. Not to mention one of the biggest issues the Russian military has is its own managers who dismantled a lot of capability under the table to line their own pockets.

The current Russian logistics system is still based on railroad delivery. GLARING weakness. That as much as anything else cost Russia it's quick win and is still dictating Russia's moves. Guess they should have learned a lesson from the US Civil War. Railroads was one of the South's biggest weaknesses and the US's strengths.

Definitely underestimating the Ukrainian people changed the whole story here. I suspect half the West was holding out from helping in the initial days, wishing putin would hurry up and get it over with so they could go back to what you stated: a few sanctions and business as usual. The Eastern European nations were the only ones I saw with any real sense of alarm and urgency.

IMO, if Ukraine survives the upcoming onslaught (that won't surprise me if it fizzles), the question is going to be how to disengage without Putin losing or paying enough of a price that he's ready to just nuke the place.

I wouldn't give it to him, but I think if Putin was offered Crimea and Donbas to back out, he would. Like Russia did in Georgia where they have to measure the demarcation line every morning after Russians move the sticks forward every night

[NightTrain]

IMO, if Ukraine survives the upcoming onslaught (that won't surprise me if it fizzles), the question is going to be how to disengage without Putin losing or paying enough of a price that he's ready to just nuke the place.

I wouldn't give it to him, but I think if Putin was offered Crimea and Donbas to back out, he would. Like Russia did in Georgia where they have to measure the demarcation line every morning after Russians move the sticks forward every night

Biden suggested that and Ukraine roundly condemned the idea. Under no circumstances should that notion be even considered - that's akin to Chamberlain's foolishness in 1939 and would have the same results.

I get that Putin really wanted access to the Black Sea, but allowing that would pave the way for future excursions to take by force what he wants.

I'm really not worried about nukes. I can't see him justifying that in a conflict that he freely admits he started. Even the meek sheep he rules wouldn't stand for that, relegating him to Sabre rattling to terrify Poland, but they're not even worried about that anymore. Good for them.

[Gunny]

Biden suggested that and Ukraine roundly condemned the idea. Under no circumstances should that notion be even considered - that's akin to Chamberlain's foolishness in 1939 and would have the same results.

I get that Putin really wanted access to the Black Sea, but allowing that would pave the way for future excursions to take by force what he wants.

I'm really not worried about nukes. I can't see him justifying that in a conflict that he freely admits he started. Even the meek sheep he rules wouldn't stand for that, relegating him to Sabre rattling to terrify Poland, but they're not even worried about that anymore. Good for them.

Ukraine/the West cannot cave to Putin. Maybe better put "should not" cave to Putin?

I'm thinking avoiding nuclear confrontation/war between the West and Russia. Of the 3 sides, Putin is the one who needs to save face the most. If he'd go home today the West would be buying his oil tomorrow I'd be willing to bet holding him accountable would be "investigated" by the UN where Russia and China have veto power, and it would evolve into endless arguments over crossing t's and dotting i's.

Make no mistake. Putin already has access to the Black Sea. He wants the area between Crimea and Odesa where enough LNG was discovered to kill his monopoly on selling LNG to Europe.

The access he is after is the Baltic Sea. That means Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia. Apparently Kaliningrad isn't big enough to house a fleet he doesn't have. Every Baltic state knows this, and they are the ones currently providing most of NATOs spine. The further West one goes in Europe, the less seems to be the concern.

Meantime, Russia is currently digging a bunch of trenches in Donbas it doesn't have the numbers to man