GYMN-L Digest - 23 Jul 1996 to 24 Jul 1996 - Special issue

There are 22 messages totalling 600 lines in this issue.

Topics in this special issue:

1. John Tesh
2. WAG: Tea Finals - SPOILER
3. NBC ON DAWES (2)
4. french girls scores
5. US - team Olympic champs
6. Shannon and Steve Nunno
7. Watch those spoiler messages!
8. Kerri The Hero
9. GYMN-L Digest - 23 Jul 1996 - Special issue
10. Kerri Strug
11. Kerri Strug a hero
12. Bela
13. KERRI--Also a score??
14. Yvonne Tousek???
15. Kerri, Kerri, Kerri
16. results request
17. ** Team USA ** (SPOILER)
18. Info about other teams in WAG
19. NBC's broadcast of the Women's Finals.
20. <No subject given>
21. The crowd at Georgia Dome
22. SPOILER - NBC's Mistake on Kerri

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Date: Tue, 23 Jul 1996 19:46:43 -0400
From: ***@Q.CONTINUUM.NET
Subject: John Tesh

>>Some one mentioned mailing NBC with Tesh complaints...I have
been part of a mass email complint spree that ended well once. If
everyone emailed at the same time, and NBC was flooding with it, they'd
>>NOTICE. However, I am betting Tesh has that something called a contract :(

Last summer, anticipating that NBC was probably lining up its announcer
personnel, I listened to the 4 hour tape I made of the Barcelona Olympics.
It was sheer torture - usually I have the mute button on because I just
can't stand John's comments...the tape is almost completely routines so
doesn't contain any of the equally annoying filler moments. While
listening, I tallied how many times John made the same absurd comments
during that 4 hours of tape while routines were going on. The results were
not surprising. While Elfie and Tim were trying to make comments about the
routines, John was babbling about Svetlana being Tatiana's surrogate mother,
how Betty Okino knows Romanian and has a screw in her leg, how Svetlana and
Kim have bad blood between them, how Tatiana is a painted bird, how every
Romanian gymnast is just like Nadia, etc. Each of these comments was made a
minimum of 5 times during my tapes. Never once did John say anything more
technical in his commentary than "Good *dismount*!" I sent the results of
my tally to NBC (Dave Michaels, the producer - I think that is his name).
He very kindly wrote back and said he wasn't aware that John had overdone it
that much and they would have to watch that. He seemed to feel that I had
something against John because he is from ET. I tried to express to him
that I don't care what the announcers do as long as they know something
about gymnastics, which John either doesn't or he keeps his knowledge a
well-hidden secret. Worse, he keeps the real commentators from doing their
jobs because he is incapable of sensing when it would be a good time to be
quiet. I know Elfie and Tim have their bad points too, but at least they
are familiar with the sport, not just the soap opera drama life story of
each competitor.
Unfortunately, John does have a contract and the die was cast long before
any of us tried to keep him off the air.
So far, I feel John is actually doing better than in 1992. Hard to believe,
but he has actually managed to keep quiet a little better during the
routines. I know, it seems unlikely, but if you listened to my 1992 tape
you would immediately see he is better. However, if I hear one more time
about Vitaly Scherbo's wife, I am really going to lose it. I also heard him
call one of the female gymnasts a "surrogate mother" to another and had a
sinking feeling of deja vu. And of course the patronizing language about
"little girls" and "princesses" (while the men are MEN although the same age
or minimally older in the case of the US) is sickening.
I would be so happy if John Tesh would just go away and not come back until
he knows how to comment on the *nature* of the routines.
JMO.
Kar

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Date: Wed, 24 Jul 1996 00:50:31 BST
From: ***@IC.AC.UK
Subject: Re: WAG: Tea Finals - SPOILER

> Top All-Around Qualifiers:

> 4. Milo
> 5. Geogean
> 10. Marinescu

etc..

Hmmm Simona Amanar qualified for three out of four apparatus
finals and still couldn't make the AA...

Sherwin

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Date: Tue, 23 Jul 1996 19:14:22 -0500
From: ***@PRODIGY.COM
Subject: NBC ON DAWES (2)

C. Gray wrote:

I'm a lurker whose come out of the shadows to voice my opinion about
one thing that really irritates me. What's the deal with Dawes? I
think she's the most ignored gymnast in American history. I've never
heard of someone accomplishing so much and getting so little of the
spotlight. She's set all kinds of records during her career, has been
as high as 4th in the world, has never let the team down in any
competion, is a World medalist, an Olympic medalist yet she's treated
as a non entity in any discussion of gymnastics I've ever observed. I
loved the piece NBC did on her. It really caught her spirit. I felt
she was something special the first time I ever saw her perform. I was
glad to see someone else felt the same way about her I did.
~~~~
I 2nd the notion! But I think Kerri Strug is another equally ignored
gymnast, so I hope NBC does another segment on her.

Go Dom! Go Kerri! Go Amanda! Go USA!!

Yours in gymnastics,
Joanne
~~~~

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Date: Tue, 23 Jul 1996 21:04:12 -0300
From: ***@CCN.CS.DAL.CA
Subject: Re: french girls scores

Silly me, i posted the scores for a few of the french girls and filed to
tell what the scores were on...it was for floor ex.

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Date: Tue, 23 Jul 1996 17:06:13 +0100
From: ***@ASUCLA.UCLA.EDU
Subject: US - team Olympic champs

Not funny.

What are the real results?

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Date: Tue, 23 Jul 1996 22:58:35 -0400
From: ***@AOL.COM
Subject: Shannon and Steve Nunno

Has anyone else noticed that every time Steve tries to hug Shannon she
cringes and barely wants to touch him? What is this all about? Or is it that
she is a woman now and doesn't feel comfortable hugging him at every
opportunity?

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Date: Tue, 23 Jul 1996 20:35:24 -0700
From: ***@PRIMENET.COM
Subject: Watch those spoiler messages!

On Tue, 23 Jul 1996, Automatic digest processor wrote:

> Subject: WAG: Tea Finals - SPOILER
>
> US women win the gold!!!


Well Lori,

You kinda fumbled the ball on this announcement. You should allow some
"spoiler space"--at least one blank page--before revealing details. Just
a friendly suggestion, OK?

Denise

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Date: Tue, 23 Jul 1996 21:24:59 -0700
From: ***@IX.NETCOM.COM
Subject: Kerri The Hero

Let me first say congragulations to the US
team. But I have to also say that the hero of this Olympics is Kerri
Strug. I can't believe that she did that second vault after she was
obviously very injured. But then again, what can you expect from an
athlete like Kerri? Always the bridesmaid, unwillingly cast in the
shadow of gymnasts but also someone who would risk her individual
chances to grab the gold for the US team. Her performance brought me to
tears and I am still fighting them back. The picture of Bela carrying
her to the podium is an image of which I will never forget. Her bravery
and consistencey has been the key to the US's Gold medal and I hope
that she knows how proud all of America is of her....

Laura

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Date: Wed, 24 Jul 1996 14:26:53 +1000
From: ***@COUGAR.VUT.EDU.AU
Subject: Re: GYMN-L Digest - 23 Jul 1996 - Special issue

IF anyone would like to give a commentary of the team women's final and
all the drama surrounding it, please do so.... I fell asleep just proir
to it starting and woke at the end of the medal presentation so i have no
idea what is going on, only that the USA won. (Simone A, can i borrow ???)
Personally, i was going
for Russia, but my hopes were a bit high for a competition in the USA.

- Did the USA rightly deserve to win ??

- POOR MO HUILAN!!!!!!!!....again the same problem

Corey : I can't decide on my AA prediction so i'll give up.

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Date: Tue, 23 Jul 1996 22:25:43 -0600
From: ***@SUPERNET.AB.CA
Subject: Kerri Strug

I said in 1991 that Kerri was going to be a World Champion. I knew that
would happen. It didn't happen. But he gutsy performance brought me to
tears, in front of my boyfriend and cats. Even my boyfriend was a little
emotional.

I only wish that this injury did not happen...as she would have been in the
top 10 for sure on Thurs. I hope that she can compete, but as I remember
being injured with a broken knee cap, I couldn't even walk for 3 weeks.

Every time there is gymnastics on, I seem to get all emotional, it might be
because I was in gymnastics for 14 years. I had a chance to get to
Nationals and I broke my knee. I just feel so deeply for Kerri Strug. I
hoped her and Amanda would get on the team and they did. They brought the
gold home.

Everyone should take a moment to think about what Kerri Strug did tonight.
I know this seems really emotional, but she is going to be remembered for
that moment, of being injured and vaulting for the gold. I think this is
what also will be remembered for these Olympic Games.

Kelly

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Date: Wed, 24 Jul 1996 00:29:26 -0400
From: ***@HICOM.NET
Subject: Kerri Strug a hero

Kerri Strug is my hero.

I am crying instead of rejoicing at the US Women's unprecedented victory. The
'Bridesmaid' finally put it all together and qualified for AA. It is cruel that
she has gotten injured at the very Olympics which she's been striving for for so
long, which may keep her out of her much sought-after all-around slot. She has
never been more solid, and never been more deserving of that victory lap that
she was denied.

I will say a prayer for Kerri Strug tonight. She is a world-class hero.

Michele

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Date: Tue, 23 Jul 1996 22:30:30 -0600
From: ***@SUPERNET.AB.CA
Subject: Bela

I just wanted to say:


Did everyone see the look on Bela's face when Kerri Hit her vault? It was
like YES YES we won!

Then, when she fell and was hurt? He looked worried, upset, and tried to
get over to her.

I think that was wonderful that they put that on the air. It shows Bela's
big heart.

Kel

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Date: Wed, 24 Jul 1996 00:40:22 -0400
From: ***@TRISTATE.PGH.NET
Subject: KERRI--Also a score??

I have said it all along---Kerri is an American to watch. I cannot BELIEVE
that she had the mental and physical toughness to land that vault, and
knowing that the gold rested on her shoulders!!! I truly hope that it is
only a mild strain and that she can compete the AA because she above all
others DESERVES it!!!
WAY TO GO KERRI!!!!! AND WAY TO GO TEAM USA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BTW--Can someone please tell me Kerri's floor score and Moceanu's beam
score...NBC never posted them! THANKS!!
LeeAnne

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Date: Wed, 24 Jul 1996 00:38:39 -0400
From: ***@KENT.NET
Subject: Yvonne Tousek???

Does anybody know where she placed in qualifying for all-around?

Go Yvonne!!

- Megan

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Date: Wed, 24 Jul 1996 00:41:42 -0400
From: ***@AOL.COM
Subject: Kerri, Kerri, Kerri

-- If you don't want to see this letter (it's about the results of the team
competition tonight, please close this letter NOW) : )

If not, look this way:
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Wow, what a heart stopping Olympics. I purposely didn't look at whether or
not the U.S. had won the gold because I didn't want to spoil my surprise.
Once the Americans had finished beam, I thought, ok, but vault worried me.
And I guess I had good reason to worry, especially after what happened to
poor Dominique. (What a time for that to happen). Then seeing Kerri fall
(1st vault) ... it made me think that maybe we wouldn't win , because I knew
that of anyone, Kerri could pull it off. Then, after she did the 2nd vault, I
was ecstatic, for obvious reasons, but on the other hand, I was heartbroken.
Although Kerri is now the latest in the spotlight (NOT Shannon Miller, or
Moceanu as the media had predicted), I feel bad that she probably will not be
able to compete in any more events. (I could go on and on with "On the other
hand..."'s but I'm not sure I want to keep this much longer)... wow, she's
always been the one I've kept my eye on the most. She did it just in time
and, wow, the coverage she'll get still isn't enough. She fought off injury,
nerves (both of which have attempted to consume her in the past) and did
something which gained her much pride, respect, patriotism (you know what I
mean - did it for her country) and won the gold medal for the U.S. (Time to
breathe)

Just my two bits,
Seadrifter

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Date: Wed, 24 Jul 1996 00:40:05 -0400
From: ***@KENT.NET
Subject: results request

Could somebody please send me the AA and event final
qualifying results? I accidentally trashed them before
I got a good look.

thanks

Megan

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Date: Tue, 23 Jul 1996 23:42:05 -0500
From: ***@MARLIN.UTMB.EDU
Subject: ** Team USA ** (SPOILER)

10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1


Congratulations to both our gymnastics teams. I couldn't be more proud
of the job that all these great athletes did!

I am really disappointed for Kerri Strug. She was GREAT today and I hate
that she's going to miss taking home an individual medal.

I think Dominique Moceanu learned a big lesson today too. She's only
going to get better. Her bars routine was so sharp and from someone who
hates her choreography, I thought her floor routine rocked.

While I'm very happy for the Americans, part of me really finds it hard
to celebrate because I didn't get to see their competition. If NBC had
to make this the glamour event like they did, they should have allotted
more time so that we could see the other gymasts. Thanks God we at least
got to see Pod's floor routine. I thought it was by far superior to any
other I'd seen (which besides Team USA, is very few).

Dominique Dawes really deserves more attention than she gets. On
second thought, Maybe she's better off that she doesn't get that much.

I also noticed that the girls really seemed to be working as a team.
This, I believe, is the secret to Romania's consistent success. It's
about time the Americans learned that.

Good job, girls, for USA's first women's team GOLD!

Joel

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Date: Tue, 23 Jul 1996 23:55:05 -0500
From: ***@LULU.ACNS.NWU.EDU
Subject: Re: Info about other teams in WAG

Hi all!

I'm delurking again to ask some questions-- was anyone either in Atlanta, or
watching international coverage about other teams that NBC didn't show? Fo
rinstance, how did the Chinese do in their optionals? Why is Mo so far down
in the AA-- did she fall again? As much as I was INTENSELY proud of our
team, I wish that we could have seen a few routines by other countries;
aside from the occasional comment from everyone's favorite :) commentator,
John Tesh, that "such-and-such" has just fallen off of this apparatus, we
don't really know how anyone else did. I must say, though, it says a lot
about the strength and depth of this year's Olympic team if NBC insists on
showing every American's routine on each event. That's incredibly flattering
and I think the girls deserved it. I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE WE WON---WOOOOO
HOOOOO!!!!!!!

And may I take a moment to mention that Kerri Strug is my hero-- I was
trying VERY hard not to cry in front of my roomates when Bela carried her
out to the medal stand, and I couldn't do it. :) Even if she isn't able to
compete in the AA, everyone knows that she is the one who clinched that team
gold-- what an amazing sacrifice to make for your team. Somehow I think that
that moment, that final vault, would mean more than any individual gold ever
could.

--Meighan

Kerri, Kerri, Kerri (that's for you, Jeff ;)

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Date: Tue, 23 Jul 1996 23:51:06 -0600
From: ***@ZEPHYR.MEDCHEM.PURDUE.EDU
Subject: NBC's broadcast of the Women's Finals.

That was the most disgraceful exhibition I have ever seen. I now understand
(or hope) that the IOC will never allow the USA to host these games again.
What happened in that Dome between the commentators and the fans was
down right RUDE. There is NO way to justify that behavior for the athletes
involved. I can't go in there an chastize the *IDIOTS* who continue to use
flash photography (which is USULESS!) in an arena of that size. I can not
go in there and tell the Judges that Bela is coaching from the side (whe
can HEAR it in the broadcast- can't they!- which is a deduction). I
can't go in to that crowd and tell the fans that the Russian team served
up several 9.8 + scores on beam which you refuse to aknowledge. I can't
go in there and tell them that the ROmanian team, regardless of what you
people think on this list, worked just as hard, if not harder with their
competition schedule to train for this meet and competed under the worst
conditions of only having 6 athletes and early comp round. I can't go in there
and SLAP JOHN TESH back to last week for saying 'Shannon Miller is the
world champ on UB' or that Men and women use compulsory FX music. I can't
tell them that they could have put ONE of the Russian's FX into the show.
(maybe Dina, who anchored.) I can't go in there and tell Steve Nunno to
SHUT UP. I can't go in there and tell everyone that this is NOT the US
CHAMPIONSHIPS. This is the biggest meet of alot of athletes
lives. They train and many can not get second chances. The best gymnats
on the earth is Pods. And she only got one routine shown (Current World
and Euro champ DEFINES that title.) I can't go in there and ask NBC
to atleast acknowledge the Russian athletes who don't fall. And finally, I
can't ask NBC to atleast show the other teams recieving their medals.
You could see by the faces of the Russian and Romanian teams that they were
not happy and with their treatment from the crowd. If they watch the NBC tapes,
they will not be happy with them, either.


This sickens me. It really does. People may say USA deserved their moment,
but not like this. I would have been alot happier had the crowd and NBC
acknowledged the other athletes and maybe gave the whole thinga sense of
dignity. What was shown was, basically, a camcordered taped version of the
parenst of Team USA competing. There is no difference between what we
saw tonight and a pee-wee baseball game.


My heart went out to Kerri. But I felt more for the tears of Roza and her
teammates. I really did.


BTW: This *IS* an American thing. In 1980, the crowds cheered for Nadia in
AA and booed her low score of beam which lost her the gold. In Barcelona,
the crowds cheered for the other teams. Even the non-medal teams. They
Cheered for everyone. What you saw in that crowd and what NBC only showed
you was plain not right.


Jeff, who is sending a copy of this post to NBC.

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Date: Wed, 24 Jul 1996 00:52:36 -0400
From: ***@GNN.COM
Subject: <No subject given>

Wow, what a night at the Olympics. I can breathe a sigh of relief that
Dawes and Khorkina made AA finals, and Kerri Strug is going to be a star!

The only downside was that Tom Brokaw blithely mentioned on the 6:30 news
that USA had won the Women's Team Final!! He wasn't even reporting the fact,
he just used it as a transition! Then of course I had to sit through 3
hours of "who will win gold?" previews... I purposely avoided e-mail and the
Web because I didnt want to know results, and then they go and do this!

Milo made beam and bars finals (ick) and *not* floor?

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Date: Tue, 23 Jul 1996 22:05:22 -0700
From: ***@PRIMENET.COM
Subject: The crowd at Georgia Dome

First off, I'd like to give a thumbs up to the US women for putting on a
stellar performance in tonite's team optionals. And as for Kerri
Strug--what a gutsy lady! I can already see her face on the Wheaties box
now...

That said, however, I have to add my voice to the chorus of American
gymners here who are a tad disappointed in the behavior of the crowd at
tonite's competition. I mean, for all the interest the predominately
American audience was showing, the Russians, Romanians, Chinese, etc.
might as well have competed at one of the local high school gymnasiums for
the custodial crew--and they probably would have gotten a lot more
attention!

I remember watching Svetlana Khorkina's lovely set on beam, seeing her
stick the landing and pausing for a moment--waiting, perhaps, for an
acknowledgement from the crowd. When it quickly became obvious that it
was not forthcoming, she dropped her arms and returned to the bench,
looking a bit disconsolate. Now, I grant you the Russian women had other
reasons to be bummed out--after all, they let their lead slip away early
in the competition. But still, these women are not "Joe Schmoe" gymnasts
who were dumped off here in Atlanta solely to put in an appearance. They
are gifted athletes who have thrilled and dazzled us many times in the
past and who deserved a better reception than they got.

I felt the same sense of vague irritation about the crowd reaction to the
"in-your-face" performance the Russian men gave Monday nite. No matter
how rabidly pro-American you may be, you have to acknowledge facts--these
guys kicked butt and took names! The US men didn't do *badly*, they were
simply outclassed. In fact, they did a little better than I expected, and
I tip my hat to a valiant effort.

Anyway, I look forward to hearing other opinions on this issue.

Denise Pryor

When you say Bogi, you've said it all...

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Date: Wed, 24 Jul 1996 01:15:22 -0400
From: ***@AOL.COM
Subject: SPOILER - NBC's Mistake on Kerri

With the final results being:

1. US 389.223
2. Russia 388.404
3. Romania 388.246

Kerri did not need to vault at all. John Tesh and NBC must have been
confused.
Moceanu got a 9.200, .512 worse than Strug's score that did count. If you
deduct that from the US's score you get:
388.711.
The US still would have won by more than .300.
Not to detract from what Kerri did (because it is simply heroic), but the
gold medal was clinched by Moceanu's failed vaults and Kerri didn't need to
vault. I doubt that the athletes or coaches new that, but NBC really should
have.
That's pretty bad journalism.

LeeAnn

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End of GYMN-L Digest - 23 Jul 1996 to 24 Jul 1996 - Special issue
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