But as we're also discussing downthread, figure skating is a judged "sport", so there is room to discuss what the standards of judging should be. Thinks like luge or cross-country skiing or ski jumping that have concrete standards obviously do not have a "gender standard", and as you note, the sports have…

No, I'm talking about before she had Kerrigan whacked. Her style of skating was absolutely frowned upon.

I disagree. This is a warm-weather location. Placing the Winter Olympics here was fundamentally misguided. They're having to ship in snow.

I disagree with the linked column and the others like it that criticize Western journalists for ragging on Sochi Problems. If you apply to host an Olympics you are making certain guarantees that you can provide the infrastructure, and that includes things like tap water you can drink and toilets that have individual…

I am dumb—I thought that Scott Hamilton and co. were in Sochi calling the action. Apparently they are commenting on tapes, and lying their asses off by pretending they don't know what is going to happen.

The most famous case of a skater being ostracized for being "not feminine enough" or too athletic is none other than Tonya Harding.

That's an interesting quote from Weir, who is as far from masculine as you can get. IIRC his problem in competition was all the other male figure skaters who actually looked like men and could do things on the ice that he couldn't.

First clue that the activity one is watching is not a real sport: it requires a soundtrack.

NBC broadcast an NFL game with no announcers about 30 years ago. Everyone hated it.

I kept scrolling down this comment thread, wondering if that would ever get mentioned. Think it's safe to say that none of the shows listed are really the most memorable Cavett shows; the winner is when James Rodale had a heart attack and fucking died on Dick Cavett's couch right in the middle of a goddamn show. …

Up All Night, with Rhonda Shear, biggest waste of time ever—T&A movies with the T&A censored

Bette Davis was pretty sexy. Wouldn't call her beautiful, not with that face that was kind of weird, but she had a very curvy body.

"We know a farm in Lincolnshire, where Mrs. Buckley lives…"

Yep, apparently they moved Harry up 20 years for the TV show.

I've read every Michael Connelly novel. Am stoked about "Bosch". Titus Welliver!

And Bob was there, too.

It is, it IS the "Casey and Andy" guy. Andy Weir, everybody.

Wait, is this the "Casey and Andy" guy? Because that was awesome.

Man, I can't sit through 10 minutes of a Barbra Streisand performance, be it dramatic or musical. Just so irritating.

She would have been the right age for the character as written by Baum—actually the illustrations in the novel look a little like Shirley.