2026 Olympics Thread

[ELA]

The funny thing is that while their skaters dominated the US skaters, the US was absolutely not built for 3 on 3.  I don't love that method of deciding things, but that's where Canada SHOULD have had the biggest advantage

[SFBadger96]

Yeah, unlike the women, where I thought they were just as well suited to 3 vs 3 as 5 v 5, I thought the US men were cooked in 3 v 3.

As an aside, I really dislike 3 v 3 as a method of determining a meaningful hockey game.

4 on 4, for at least 10 minutes, seems like it is at least a compromise. For a gold medal, an extra 20 at 5-a-side before getting into gimmicky solutions makes sense to me. If anyone asked me, that's what I would say: 5 on 5 for an extra period; 4 on 4 for 10 minutes; 3 v 3 for 10; if still no winner (highly unlikely--3 v 3 is a huge advantage for the offense), a shootout.

Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy with the two hockey gold medals, but I can like the outcome and not like the process.

[ELA]

I would do a series of 10 minute OTs.

5 v 5

4 v 4

3 v 3

Shootout

4 v 4 is at least still hockey, 3 v 3 isn't.

I would be ok with the same for NHL Playoffs, but with full 20 minute OTs.

Surprised college football hasn't gone to the NFL OT

[utee94]

[MikeDeTiger]

Surprised college football hasn't gone to the NFL OT

I suppose one barrier is cfb decided to preclude the possibility of ties, whereas the NFL still has them.  

[Hawkinole]

In March, for my birthday, my wife and I went to an Iowa women's basketball (WBB) game. I had not been to an Iowa women's basketball game since February 2020, just before they shut down all indoor spectator sports for COVID-19. I have been a follower of women's sports because I have a daughter, and my little sister played for the Iowa WBB team circa 1977-81.

I went to the 2026 Round of 64 game that Iowa won, but struggled against a lesser opponent. In 2020 the team was good, but it was one-year before Caitlin Clark. There were about 6,000 attending. This time the arena was full.

When we were in line to show our tickets, I noticed that about 35% of the fans had a t-shirt from the Des Moines company that also sells online at T-Shirts – RAYGUN all featuring their favorite WBB player. These WBB fans are perhaps more fanatical than Iowa football fans. These are serious fans willing to put out some coin for apparel, and to watch young girls with online personalities, who compete against the world. The fans whoop and holler at the games. Hawkeye Arena has no air conditioning. We travelled from the north about 1.25 hours to the game, and I had my long sleeve shirt on. When we stepped out of the car it was 89F, and inside the packed arena it was at least 95F probably pushing 100F and we were seated about 1/3rd of the way up.

When I watched my little sister play in the 1970s there might be 200 parents, family, and friends of the players. She would say no one went to our games. She considered me to be that there person, i.e., to her, I was "no one." I even went to road games in Madison and Minneapolis for her. While still in Minneapolis, the next day after Sue's game, we got to see the real Hawkeyes with Ronnie Lester, Vince Brookins, Kevin Boyle (she secretly admired), and Steve Krafcisn in the same arena, but now it was at full capacity, against Kevin McHale and the Gophers.