GYMN-L Digest - 30 Jul 1996 to 31 Jul 1996 - Special issue

There are 19 messages totalling 601 lines in this issue.

Topics in this special issue:

1. Gogean's floor music
2. Tim Daggett Moments
3. Olympics and the crowd
4. magazines
5. NY Times on Tesh
6. Different things
7. Unfair judging, Tesh, etc.
8. Moceanu blinded on beam?
9. Where was men's vault and hi-bar on NBC?
10. Flashes
11. Mixed emotions at the end....
12. Final USA Floor Routine
13. GYMN-L Digest - 30 Jul 1996 - Special issue
14. Exhibition (3)
15. Olympic Gymnasts and College
16. AAAAHHHH! Now what about Amy?
17. "The Art of Gymnastics"

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Date: Tue, 30 Jul 1996 20:17:20 -0400
From: ***@AOL.COM
Subject: Gogean's floor music

This is driving me crazy. Does anyone out there know the name of Gina
Gogean's floor music? I think it's folk music that's been around for a
while. I recognize it so much but can't seem to come up with a name for it.
Thanks in advance.
Janet

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Date: Tue, 30 Jul 1996 19:48:12 EDT
From: ***@COMPUSERVE.COM
Subject: Tim Daggett Moments

Hello to all,

A couple of afternoon drive radio disk jockeys on AM 890 in Chicago have been
playing Tim Daggett moments on their radio show this week. During their radio
program they will play snippets of Tim Daggett comments such as:

*That is sooo HUGE.*
*He does it in the piked position . . . BEAUTIFUL.*
*He also has nice legs and toes. . . .*

Apparently, the idea is that as isolated comments, the statements carry sexual
overtones.

Well, it's nice to see Tim finally get some recognition for his journalistic
broadcasting skills : )

Dana

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Date: Tue, 30 Jul 1996 18:04:17 CST
From: ***@MAROON.TC.UMN.EDU
Subject: Re: Olympics and the crowd

Ok, sorry if I can't keep from commenting here. But, it was a dream come
true to be a part of it! I first knew of the Olympics in 1968 with Vera
Czslowska (sorry about that spelling) and started dreaming I'd be there
somehow, some day. Twenty-eight years later it happened.

At first I was disappointed in the crowd and how little respect they seemed
to have for the non-American gymnasts (in particular Pod in the women's
all-around). Then I realized I was comparing them to World Championships
spectators. (I've attended or worked at 4 World's over the years.) The
crowd for a gymnastics World Championships is very educated about
gymnastics, whereas the Olympic crowd is not necessarily
gymnastics-oriented. The spectators may watch one event one day, another a
different day. It doesn't necessarily excuse the "poor sportmanship," but
at leasts explains it somewhat.

On our off days, some of us made it to some other venues. I saw the
semi-finals of women's platform diving for example. As part of that crowd,
I found that we DID appreciate and clap for the good dives from the
non-American divers, but we got really excited for the Americans. So,
translating that experience to the gymnastics spectators, it could have
been they did clap for the non-Americans, but it just wasn't very loud in
comparison to the cheering for the Americans.

Again, just some observations, but the crowd at the Olympics is DEFINITELY
different that all of us "gymnastics-junkies." Even my own children are
cheering mightily for the USA in all the events we have watched since my
return home.

I'm looking forward to the exhibition tonight.

--Robin

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Date: Tue, 30 Jul 1996 18:58:25 -0400
From: ***@CORNELL.EDU
Subject: Re: magazines

At 17:13 7/30/96 -0400, you wrote:
>I haven't got my SI yet, but in Newsweek is an article (5 pages total, of
>which 2 are color pictures of kerri) about team gold for US women. In
>People is a two page article on kerri. I haven't seen anything else yet.

Newsweek's got that neat fold-out photo :)

SI (with Tom Dolan on the cover) hasn't gotten around to really
covering gymn yet, I'd expect more in their next issue.
Time has a two-photo cover with Bela and Kerri on one side, the
bombing on the other. Two short articles, one on team, one on Kerri. Also
the "Cover That Would Have Been"--Kerri would have had the Time cover all to
herself (!) in a neat posed shot holding up her team gold. But the bombing
occurred so plans changed.

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Date: Tue, 30 Jul 1996 18:54:58 -0400
From: ***@GARDEN.NET
Subject: NY Times on Tesh

This is in today's NY Times. I edited it take out some of the
boring stuff, since it's just WAY too long to type the whole
thing! I laughed my ass off. . . . :)


"Taped Confessions, Live From NBC"
by Richard Sandomir

ATLANTA - With Bob Costas's words Sunday night -- "What you saw moments ago"--
and the implicit admission that the action shown had been taped, NBC
surrendered the
central tenet of its Summer Olympic coverage, that not everything is being
broadcast
live as you see it. The admission of the use of videotape! Costas might as
well have
admitted that John Tesh, not Whittaker Chambers, possessed the Pumpkin Papers!

<snip>

Yes, this is beating a taped horse. NBC's Olympic melodrama -- "Atlanta!" by
Judith
Krantz -- is a best seller. Ratings are ascendant. Profits are rising.

Research commissioned by NBC shows extraordinary satisfaction: a higher female
viewing component here than at the Barcelona Games in 1992 (55 percent
versus 51
percent); no carping that foreign athletes are being slighted, and a scant
few complaints
about the live-taped conundrum that are dismissible within the margin of error.

<snip>

With track and field and diving coming to the fore, NBC has sent in the
adults. Tom
Hammond, Craig Masback, Dwight Stones and Carol Lewis are superior, smarter and
more skilled than any team of announcers on NBC's roster.

They don't scream (Summer Sanders, turn off your soprano megaphone!), they
don't get
overly excited, and they don't make the mistakes of naivete (on swimming,
where Charlie
Jones belongs, Dan Hicks exulted about an Olympic record being set in a
relay which
had its debut in Atlanta).

Yet through tonight, we still have John Tesh, the Muzak Man, on gymnastics. Who
writes his stuff? Danielle Steele? The man is purpler than Barney the
Dinosaur. Will his
deep-voiced, hammy, Ted Baxteresque narrations of features about gymnasts be
on his
next album? His voice-over for what seemed like a Kerri Strug "Civil War"
-length feature
on Sunday made her so saintly that I expected to see her vault in Mother
Teresa's robes.

I have a vision, of how NBC would have covered General Douglas MacArthur's
return to the
Philippines. It would be on tape, of course. (Dramatic, amber-lit images of
a craft washing
toward shore. Tight close-up of MacArthur's corncob pipe. Music, preferably
a crashing,
booming, Russian symphony plays in the background. Cut to reaction shots of
his troops
vomiting, but smiling, in slow-motion, into the ocean. Cut to MacArthur,
freshly pressed,
with one foot off the craft.)

"But before the General takes another step," Costas would say, "here's John
Tesh." Now,
an eight minute feature on MacArthur's life.

Tesh's overwrought narration would continue, accompanied by a montage of old
film of
MacArthur's life. "Douglas. Dougie. A man. Some would say just a mortal. But
a god. A
man loved by all. His mom wanted him to be a gymnast. But Bela Karolyi was
still a baby
in Romania. Doug wanted to be a military man. He emerged from the shadows of
an elm
tree, the shadows of Eisenhower. Of Grant. Of Franco. It was a large elm
tree. An arbor fit
for a god, but one whose shadow was not large enough to cover a god with a
corncob pipe.
And then he went to West Point."

(Grainy black and white film shows Doug's mom giving him a pair of Killer
Loop sunglasses
before he leaves for school Fade out.)

"Thank you, John," says Costas, sobbing, but are they tears of inspiration
or laughter?

Tesh, once a newsman, is knowledgeable and passionate about gymnastics. But
he has
sacrificed his perspective on this perilous sport to sound like an
exaggerated newsreel
narrator. Give me Tim Daggett, alone on gymnastics. He may be too excited about
Americans, but his insights are sharp and worthy.

<end article>

Hope you enjoyed! (and please excuse the typos!)

Liz

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Date: Tue, 30 Jul 1996 15:45:05 -0700
From: ***@VCN.BC.CA
Subject: Re: Different things

On Tue, 30 Jul 1996, Pattijo wrote:

> Upcoming Stars
> Since all of the United States gymnasts are supposedly retiring after the
> Olympics (is this true?), who do you think are going to be the upcoming
> stars?

I will be looking forward to future performance by Vanessa Atler, Gail
Kachura, Alexi Brion and Jamie Dantzscher. Anymore other I should be
aware of?

Go! Vanessa!!!
Thomas

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Date: Tue, 30 Jul 1996 22:40:53 -0400
From: ***@AOL.COM
Subject: Re: Unfair judging, Tesh, etc.


>Actually, it is pronounced "ScherbA", so you should really be criticizing
>Tim Daggett etc for saying it wrong.

When I went out drinking with Vitaly he pronounced it more Scherbo. Since
then I have studied Russian and a final unstressed O can be pronounced o or
a. I prefer a soft almost unheard o, myself.

Dean

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Date: Tue, 30 Jul 1996 23:00:33 -0400
From: ***@KENT.NET
Subject: Re: Moceanu blinded on beam?

>Did she ever say that the flashes caused her to be blinded? There were
>alot of flashes during that sequence and that could have done it. I doubt she
>would have missed that series by accident. If it was the flashes, my question
is
>why did the event organizers allow these cameras into the arena? She could
>have been serious;y hurt. That fall looked as bad as Gogeans.

It did seem to be a pretty bad fall, and I was impressed by her composure.
However, she has missed that pass before....wasn't it at the 1995 US nationals
during event finals?

Jordynn



>
>Jeff
>
>Dina, Dina, Dina.
>
>

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Date: Tue, 30 Jul 1996 23:01:25 -0400
From: ***@VAXC.HOFSTRA.EDU
Subject: Re: Where was men's vault and hi-bar on NBC?

I can tell you exactly what happened. In an attempt to keep the audience
until twelve, they don't show gymastics until eleven. I have to say I
was VERY dissapointed about not seeing hi bar and vault. Thumbs down to
NBC at an obviously bad ploy.
Alisa

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Date: Tue, 30 Jul 1996 22:58:00 EDT
From: ***@PSUVM.PSU.EDU
Subject: Flashes

If Moceanu's fall was caused by flashes, it surely would not have been
the first problem caused by the flashes. It was horrendous in the
Podium Training, and it looked 10 times worse during the competition.
(I might even say it almost balanced out the home-crowd advantage that
the Americans had...) As a gymnast (okay, a retired one, but still a
gymnast at heart), I know how difficult it is to concentrate while there
is flash going off. When I was down there, I explained to MANY people
exactly WHY it is so dangerous--about the spotting during release moves,
tumbling, etc.--and they understood. But the problem was that people
don't realize that their flashes won't do a darned thing in the Dome!
Cameras were allowed in the Dome so there wasn't much that guards could
do to prevent the cameras (with or without flash attatchments) from
being brought in. Actually, many of the flashes came from those Kodak
funsaver cameras--which were actually sold at a Vending machine inside
the Dome... Well, I guess there isn't much to do about this now...At
previous competitions I've attended, the flash has not been a problem,
but this is the Olympics and it is in the USA so that may just be a
combination that will lead to such activities.

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Date: Tue, 30 Jul 1996 23:54:00 EDT
From: ***@PSUVM.PSU.EDU
Subject: Mixed emotions at the end....

Today a columnist from my local
newspaper wrote a story about her daughter watching the gymnastics
coverage from the Games. The general theme (up to this point) of the
article was that the mother has always looked at the Olympics as a
family bonding time, so they always watch together. This is an excerpt
from the article:

"NBC announcer sends wrong message" by Renee Herb
from The Express Times Tuesday, July 30, 1996

Thursday night we watched the women's individual all-around gymnastics
competition. I set up snack on the coffee table and we were all ready for some
excitement.
While Shannon Miller was preparing to perform her uneven bar routine, my
daughter announced that she would cross her fingers "because she's an American
and I want her to win."
Cool. My daughter was even becoming patriotic watching this stuff.
After Shannon did well and we cheered, NBC showed us a Russian competitor.
My daughter asked whether she was an American.
No, she's a gymnast from another country.
"Then I'm uncrossing my fingers and I hope she falls because only the
Americans should win."
I turned off the TV.
I explained that all of the gymnasts practiced very hard, every day. And
even though it's great when the Americans win a medal, sometimes there are
people from other countries who deserve to win. Because they practiced
harder. Because they're better.
"But mom, the man on TV wants the Americans to win all the time. He keeps
saying the Americans should win."
Maybe those weren't John Tesh's exact words, but that's what a 7-year-old
child understood.
And now I'm angry. I consider myself patriotic and I'm happy when we win
a medal. But TV coverage of the Olympics has been so pro-American, you'd think
we were the only country competing.
Or the only country deserving of medals.
And that's not the lesson I want my daughter to learn.

Just thought that was a well-written piece from a gymnastics "outsider's" view.


Ah! But still, as I watch the Gymnastics Gala, I must admit that the
gymanstics in these games--despite various problems--was fabulous. I think
this kind of last-night exhibition should be required at all major events.
And if Moceanu didn't win an individual medal, she is now the envy of many
simply because she got a kiss from Nemov! (I'm jealous...)

:) Joy

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Date: Wed, 31 Jul 1996 00:11:18 -0400
From: ***@AOL.COM
Subject: Final USA Floor Routine

If you haven't watched the Gala, do not read this! If you want a spoiler and
commentary, continue ...

I just wrote to say I really liked the USA women's floor routine they made
for the Olympic Gala. I thought that including Kerri Strug - at all, was
great. She really deserved to be there, and I'm glad her ankle could do
something (just a few little things, but I must admit she did much more than
I thought she could). It was very nice. : )

Seadrifter

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Date: Tue, 30 Jul 1996 22:33:01 -0600
From: ***@IX.NETCOM.COM
Subject: Re: GYMN-L Digest - 30 Jul 1996 - Special issue

>Dominique Moceanou
>I cannot believe how bad Dominique Moceanou did considering that she was
>supposed to be the next Mary Lou. She got all the hype and didn't do that
>great. Kerri Strug, Dominique Dawes, Shannon Miller.... are so much better
>than her. it is true that she is a good gymnast, but not good enough to be
>an olympic champion like people said.

What?!?! Excuse me but I'd just like to get my 2 cents worth. It is obvious
to everyone that Miller and Dawes had better performances that Moceanu at
times. Why is this? Can you spell E-X-P-E-R-I-E-N-C-E? Both of them are
19 compared to Dominique who is 14. I don't know about you or everyone else
but I feel as though Dominique showed us a preview of what is to come. Let
her injury heal and give her a couple more years and I assure you that
you'll change your mind.

I feel she showed us what she can be capable of even though she had a few
rough moments on the beam. Just watching her tonight during the gala makes
you wonder how good she'll be by Sidney if she decides to perform.

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Date: Tue, 30 Jul 1996 22:43:35 -0600
From: ***@SUPERNET.AB.CA
Subject: Re: Exhibition

>>Can't wait for the exhibition tonight. One thing I remembered
>>from (maybe it was the tour?) four years ago was having two
>>gymnasts mirror each other by doing their compulsory FX
>>from opposite ends of the floor. Now that would be cool!

The Exhib was excellent. I thought it was well put together. I like that
Kerri was in it. And Nemov was awesome! I loved his pom horse routine :)

How about that kiss for Dom Moc??? Lucky girl!

I think it was great the russians the the u.s. together like that!

Kel

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Date: Wed, 31 Jul 1996 04:07:27 UT
From: ***@MSN.COM
Subject: Re: Olympic Gymnasts and College

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Sent: Tuesday, July 09, 1996 10:07 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list GYMN-L
Subject: Olympic Gymnasts and College

I was wondering out of the seven girls on the US Olympic teams where each
(for those old enough) is going to college and the eligibility of each
one. This is what I've gathered so far ... feel free to correct me.

Miller-not eligible, currently at UOklahoma I've heard interested in
Stanford.
Dawes-not eligible, currently at Maryland going to Stanford next year
Strug-eligible, UCLA
Chow-? (would assume not eligible because of coke commercial), stanford
Borden-eligible, Georgia
DomM-not eligible, too young for college
Phelps-?, too young for college

In a catalog I have for Alpha Factor (Reebok), Jaycie Phelps, Amanda Borden,
Kerri Strug, an ( I just know I am going to slaughter this name) Mohini
Bhjardwa are posing for leo's. Wouldn't this wreck chances for an athletic
scholarship or could they just choose not to except money? I can't see why
they would even bother doing that then, maybe to get their names spread around
more? Just wondering!

Jjeorje

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Date: Wed, 31 Jul 1996 00:56:56 -0400
From: ***@AOL.COM
Subject: Re: Exhibition

Can't wait for the exhibition tonight. One thing I remembered
>>from (maybe it was the tour?) four years ago was having two
>>gymnasts mirror each other by doing their compulsory FX
>>from opposite ends of the floor. Now that would be cool.

That was Shannon and Tatiana Gutsu on tour in 1992, it was on ESPN repeatedly
around Xmas...

SEa

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Date: Wed, 31 Jul 1996 01:03:59 -0400
From: ***@AOL.COM
Subject: Re: Exhibition

Sorry, I would have included this but I completely forgot to mention it. That
exhibition, with Tatiana and Shannon, made me interested in gymnastics : )
the way I am now. It really amazed me how one simple routine can addict
someone for a lifetime worth of things! : )

Seadrifter (who apologizes for her amnesia)

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Date: Tue, 30 Jul 1996 22:16:25 -0700
From: ***@LELAND.STANFORD.EDU
Subject: AAAAHHHH! Now what about Amy?

I know that some of you are probably expecting me to answer this, since I
(in theory, at least) maintain the Stanford gymnastics web pages. I will
try to find the answer ASAP, but I have to ask in case anyone else has
heard from a reliable source. (Boy, what a lead-in....)

To get to the point, is Amy Chow going to compete at Stanford?

Kerri Strug, in a move that I knew was coming but which bummed me out
nonetheless, announced Tuesday that she would give up her NCAA eligibility
to tour with the team. Does this mean that Amy (and Jaycie) will not be
competing in college either? After the post-elite collegiate success of
Missy Marlowe, Hope Spivey(-Sheely), etc., I was looking forward to seeing
Amanda at Georgia, Kerri at UCLA, and Amy (and Dominique) at Stanford.
This move leaves only Jaycie and Amy as college-eligible. I wish all of
the Olympians (American and otherwise) the best and hope that more
"mature" events emerge with these big-name athletes competing, but I still
feel the loss for college gymnastics. Is it possible that the remaining
two will tour but not take any money?

Grasping at straws...

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Date: Wed, 31 Jul 1996 15:48:05 +1000
From: ***@REDASH.QUT.EDU.AU
Subject: "The Art of Gymnastics"

Dear Gymners,

I ordered a copy of Eileen Langsley's "The Art of Gymnastics" from an
order form in IG. Although the cheque I sent was cashed by FIG six weeks
ago I still have not received a copy. Since we get our IG mags about 3 or
4 months late here in Australia, I was wondering if they simply ran out
of copies. Has anyone else (other Aussies?) ordered this book and not yet
received it?

On another note, I have been pretty impressed with the coverage of the
gymnastics by channel seven, although a little more coverage of the
Aussies and Greeks would have been nice. They couldn't possibly have covered
it any worse than they did in Barcelona! Liz Chetkovich is a very good
commentator and from the sounds of things, I'm glad we don't have to put
up with John Tesh. To Simone Alexander, yes, they did end up showing
the medallists beam and floor routines in the 7.30 to 11pm timeslot (30th
July).

I also thought that the best gymnasts on each apparatus were
appropriately awarded with gold medals.

That's all for now,
Natalie

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End of GYMN-L Digest - 30 Jul 1996 to 31 Jul 1996 - Special issue
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