There's no discussion of skiing or beer ... in the next entry to come after this one. Yeah, I know Sochi was a long time ago. But look, this isn't a Twitter feed folks (which reminds me, in reverse, of a great line about baseball by the late Earl Weaver, the Orioles' legendary manager: "This isn't football; we play it every day"). I miss Earl attacking umpires. Um, is the audio in this 1980 clip actually real? "You and your crew are here for one reason: to ^%$# us." ... "I'm going to the Hall of Fame, you %$#^" ... "Really Earl, for what -- *&^*@% up World Series?" [What's the plural of series?]
That said, if you're Nordic-recap-exhausted (and why wouldn't you be, unless your initials are C.T.), skim down to the first picture of two guys in a bar.
Sochi didn't go very well in U.S. Nordic land. I hope the Kikkan Randall cereal boxes on sale reflected a normal post-Olympics inventory adjustment, not poor sales due to Manhattanites' disappoint at the team's results.
Ever since Noah Hoffman crashed in the opening skiathalon, the U.S. team couldn't catch a break and just didn't seem to have its mojo. In olden times (say, 1977 to 2012), it would have made sense to write about how the U.S. made "progress" and is "getting closer," but, hey, it shows how far U.S. Nordic has come that spin isn't going to cut it this time. The U.S. should have medaled but didn't. OK, there were some highlights, like Diggins's 8th in the skiathalon and Sophie Caldwell's breakthrough 6th in the sprints. But as Statistical Skier put it, "Personally, if I'm being objective, I'd give the results a B+ ... On the other hand ... I find it hard not to consider these Games a pretty huge disappointment. But that's my heart talking." Among other low points, Andy Newell got sick and bonked out of the relay and couldn't race the team sprints, Kris Freeman described "racing as a shell of his former self," and Hoffman dramatically skied most of the concluding 50K in second place before sliding all the way to 26th in just the last couple kilometers. (For legal purposes, the less said about potential and unproven doping by certain large eastern European nations, as demonstrated by their athletes' inhumane performance on the final climb at 49k, the better.) Tragically, the women's relay was a bust, with our medal-contending team finishing an astonishing 9th. And above all, Randall, the cereal box queen and the world's best sprinter, not only failed to medal but didn't even make the semi-finals -- the first time in three years that had happened. How strange was Randall's non-medal? She was the two-time defending sprint champion, the odds-on favorite of the bookkeepers, and had podiumed in 10 of her last 12 skate sprints. Think Tiger missing the cut during his prime. Sigh. And to top it all off, the women's ski jumping team failed to medal (after bringing the sport to the Olympics), the Combiners could not, in fact, go home again, and, absolutely worst of all, a political science theorem I planned to test about how the world is a safer place when more world leaders cross-country ski is now up in smoke thanks to ski-fan Putin.
It would have been nice had the IOC allowed the winter athletes to compete in a place with winter (and sorry to disappoint Dad, but despite the brutal winter in the eastern US, the numbers are in and, globally, January was the fourth warmest and December the third warmest since 1880), but here's my advice to the U.S. Team: next time the Games are held in a subtropical climate, don't go with black racing suits that literally give your athletes heat stroke (see example A and example B), and come prepared with official racing shorts as well. We can afford it. The U.S. women should not have made headlines for stripping:
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| Credit: Thomas Zipfel. Please do not sue me here: I am a big fan. Everyone, go to thomaszipfel.de and buy his great art. |
Our friends Kari and Maijastiina live in Lahti, and they captured this trail-side shot of Therese Johaug gaining on Randall in the distance race.
Luckily, but not surprisingly, I decided a variety of beers with friends was the best way to ignore Sochi. Or more precisely, keep putting off the paper I needed to write to give in Nebraska.
Among the memorable ones was a Gulden Draak Triple at the new Four Olives -- part of the long-awaited Bobo-ification of Manhattan -- with my friend Andy visiting from upstate New York, though at this stage we were at Bourbon and Baker.
Sometime after Andy's visit it was time for a run-of-the-mill trip from KS to SLC to Idaho to SLC to a KC airport hotel to home (for 36 hours) to Lincoln, NE to home. This is about when I decided that, like every other time I've taught the survey, I would not in fact be able to keep my promise of keeping up with the textbook reading along with (some of) the students. Look if it's on the midterm, it must be in there. I do know this: those 1930s movie stars knew what they were doing going to Sun Valley. The place is amazing, even during a crappy snow year. Nice view from the top of the mountain ...
Thanks Lyd for the Christmas gift!
All enjoyed.
and even carved out some gendered time (always the taxidermy ...)
In Nebraska I gave a population-themed talk at UNL's Center for Great Plains Studies -- hence the map of the Great Plains in the lobby; and thanks to everyone at the Center for inviting me -- capped off by what surely promises to be my final population-themed NPR interview. Maybe the geographers reading this can comment on where they draw the borders of the Great Plains. Some maps insists on the 100th Meridian, which puts MHK east of the Plains, but the Center puts us squarely in them, as well as Denver.
The Center is one of the nicest spaces I've ever seen that shares a building with a parking garage. Reminds me, VA types, of Tastings Restaurant in Charlottesville ... which I'm very happy to see is still going strong ... but I digress. Here's Lincoln at dusk from the roof.
It was good to see UVa friends Pete and Jess in Lincoln. They have new puppies.
Manhattan seemed different when I was finally settled back in town. I mean, I know we're growing and getting more urban and progressive, but I didn't think the socialists had actually managed to municipalize the former Commerce Bank.
At least the breweries here are still private, and Tallgrass was having one of its highly enjoyable open houses. I wish Sam could have relaxed and enjoyed himself like everyone else, but he seemed rather above it all by himself, lost in the world of the mind. Or maybe he was running the numbers in his head on my world leaders who ski hypothesis.
A month of travel, reading about Malthus on the Great Plains, and friends visiting was capped by a surprise visit from Rob, who moved to Pennsylvania but just can't quite seem to detach himself from K-State. Thanks to a former history major circa 2007-2008 who adores Brent -- and who works for a distributor -- the beers you see here were gratis. Small college cities have their perks.
I find it hard not to consider these Games a pretty huge
disappointment. But that’s my heart talking, not my head. - See more at:
http://www.statisticalskier.com/tag/sochi/#sthash.1wHTWvDT.dpufOn the
Personally,
if I’m being objective, I’d give the results a B+. - See more at:
http://www.statisticalskier.com/tag/sochi/#sthash.1wHTWvDT.dpuf
Personally,
if I’m being objective, I’d give the results a B+. - See more at:
http://www.statisticalskier.com/tag/sochi/#sthash.1wHTWvDT.dpuf
Personally,
if I’m being objective, I’d give the results a B+. - See more at:
http://www.statisticalskier.com/tag/sochi/#sthash.1wHTWvDT.dpuf
Personally,
if I’m being objective, I’d give the results a B+. - See more at:
http://www.statisticalskier.com/tag/sochi/#sthash.1wHTWvDT.dpuf
Personally,
if I’m being objective, I’d give the results a B+. - See more at:
http://www.statisticalskier.com/tag/sochi/#sthash.1wHTWvDT.dpuf
Personally,
if I’m being objective, I’d give the results a B+. Kikkan’s sprint race
was a huge disappointment, to be sure, but four women in the top twenty
is still quite good and we did put Sophie in the finals. Liz could
certainly have had a better 30k, but beyond that I don’t really think
anyone significantly under-performed in the distance events compared to
what I expected, or thought was reasonable.
On the other hand, (and it’s very hard for me to say this publicly, because Kikkan Randall has been nothing short of revolutionary for the US skiing community), I find it hard not to consider these Games a pretty huge disappointment. But that’s my heart talking, not my head.
- See more at: http://www.statisticalskier.com/tag/sochi/#sthash.1wHTWvDT.dpuf
On the other hand, (and it’s very hard for me to say this publicly, because Kikkan Randall has been nothing short of revolutionary for the US skiing community), I find it hard not to consider these Games a pretty huge disappointment. But that’s my heart talking, not my head.
- See more at: http://www.statisticalskier.com/tag/sochi/#sthash.1wHTWvDT.dpuf
Personally, if I’m being objective, I’d give the results a B+. Kikkan’s
sprint race was a huge disappointment, to be sure, but four women in
the top twenty is still quite good and we did put Sophie in the finals.
Liz could certainly have had a better 30k, but beyond that I don’t
really think anyone significantly under-performed in the distance events
compared to what I expected, or thought was reasonable.
On the other hand, (and it’s very hard for me to say this publicly, because Kikkan Randall has been nothing short of revolutionary for the US skiing community), I find it hard not to consider these Games a pretty huge disappointment. But that’s my heart talking, not my head.
- See more at: http://www.statisticalskier.com/tag/sochi/#sthash.1wHTWvDT.dpuf
On the other hand, (and it’s very hard for me to say this publicly, because Kikkan Randall has been nothing short of revolutionary for the US skiing community), I find it hard not to consider these Games a pretty huge disappointment. But that’s my heart talking, not my head.
- See more at: http://www.statisticalskier.com/tag/sochi/#sthash.1wHTWvDT.dpuf
ersonally,
if I’m being objective, I’d give the results a B+. Kikkan’s sprint race
was a huge disappointment, to be sure, but four women in the top twenty
is still quite good and we did put Sophie in the finals. Liz could
certainly have had a better 30k, but beyond that I don’t really think
anyone significantly under-performed in the distance events compared to
what I expected, or thought was reasonable.
On the other hand, (and it’s very hard for me to say this publicly, because Kikkan Randall has been nothing short of revolutionary for the US skiing community), I find it hard not to consider these Games a pretty huge disappointment. But that’s my heart talking, not my head.
- See more at: http://www.statisticalskier.com/tag/sochi/#sthash.1wHTWvDT.dpuf
On the other hand, (and it’s very hard for me to say this publicly, because Kikkan Randall has been nothing short of revolutionary for the US skiing community), I find it hard not to consider these Games a pretty huge disappointment. But that’s my heart talking, not my head.
- See more at: http://www.statisticalskier.com/tag/sochi/#sthash.1wHTWvDT.dpuf
ersonally,
if I’m being objective, I’d give the results a B+. Kikkan’s sprint race
was a huge disappointment, to be sure, but four women in the top twenty
is still quite good and we did put Sophie in the finals. Liz could
certainly have had a better 30k, but beyond that I don’t really think
anyone significantly under-performed in the distance events compared to
what I expected, or thought was reasonable.
On the other hand, (and it’s very hard for me to say this publicly, because Kikkan Randall has been nothing short of revolutionary for the US skiing community), I find it hard not to consider these Games a pretty huge disappointment. But that’s my heart talking, not my head.
- See more at: http://www.statisticalskier.com/tag/sochi/#sthash.1wHTWvDT.dpuf
On the other hand, (and it’s very hard for me to say this publicly, because Kikkan Randall has been nothing short of revolutionary for the US skiing community), I find it hard not to consider these Games a pretty huge disappointment. But that’s my heart talking, not my head.
- See more at: http://www.statisticalskier.com/tag/sochi/#sthash.1wHTWvDT.dpuf
ersonally,
if I’m being objective, I’d give the results a B+. Kikkan’s sprint race
was a huge disappointment, to be sure, but four women in the top twenty
is still quite good and we did put Sophie in the finals. Liz could
certainly have had a better 30k, but beyond that I don’t really think
anyone significantly under-performed in the distance events compared to
what I expected, or thought was reasonable.
On the other hand, (and it’s very hard for me to say this publicly, because Kikkan Randall has been nothing short of revolutionary for the US skiing community), I find it hard not to consider these Games a pretty huge disappointment. But that’s my heart talking, not my head.
- See more at: http://www.statisticalskier.com/tag/sochi/#sthash.1wHTWvDT.dpuf
On the other hand, (and it’s very hard for me to say this publicly, because Kikkan Randall has been nothing short of revolutionary for the US skiing community), I find it hard not to consider these Games a pretty huge disappointment. But that’s my heart talking, not my head.
- See more at: http://www.statisticalskier.com/tag/sochi/#sthash.1wHTWvDT.dpuf
ersonally,
if I’m being objective, I’d give the results a B+. Kikkan’s sprint race
was a huge disappointment, to be sure, but four women in the top twenty
is still quite good and we did put Sophie in the finals. Liz could
certainly have had a better 30k, but beyond that I don’t really think
anyone significantly under-performed in the distance events compared to
what I expected, or thought was reasonable.
On the other hand, (and it’s very hard for me to say this publicly, because Kikkan Randall has been nothing short of revolutionary for the US skiing community), I find it hard not to consider these Games a pretty huge disappointment. But that’s my heart talking, not my head.
- See more at: http://www.statisticalskier.com/tag/sochi/#sthash.1wHTWvDT.dpuf
On the other hand, (and it’s very hard for me to say this publicly, because Kikkan Randall has been nothing short of revolutionary for the US skiing community), I find it hard not to consider these Games a pretty huge disappointment. But that’s my heart talking, not my head.
- See more at: http://www.statisticalskier.com/tag/sochi/#sthash.1wHTWvDT.dpuf
ersonally,
if I’m being objective, I’d give the results a B+. Kikkan’s sprint race
was a huge disappointment, to be sure, but four women in the top twenty
is still quite good and we did put Sophie in the finals. Liz could
certainly have had a better 30k, but beyond that I don’t really think
anyone significantly under-performed in the distance events compared to
what I expected, or thought was reasonable.
On the other hand, (and it’s very hard for me to say this publicly, because Kikkan Randall has been nothing short of revolutionary for the US skiing community), I find it hard not to consider these Games a pretty huge disappointment. But that’s my heart talking, not my head.
- See more at: http://www.statisticalskier.com/tag/sochi/#sthash.1wHTWvDT.dpuf
On the other hand, (and it’s very hard for me to say this publicly, because Kikkan Randall has been nothing short of revolutionary for the US skiing community), I find it hard not to consider these Games a pretty huge disappointment. But that’s my heart talking, not my head.
- See more at: http://www.statisticalskier.com/tag/sochi/#sthash.1wHTWvDT.dpuf
My life is complete; I've achieved a cameo on NPLH. Thanks for the power tour of Manhattan high culture, Derek!
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