Is Lindsey Vonn really the best U.S. lady skier ever??

Tyson:

Men's Olympic alpine events have been swept twice, 1956 and 1968.

Yeah, that's what I was getting at. My dad had a similar sentiment. He was never interested in the sport and only knows the names from the Olympics. His comment about this year's Olympics was, "I hope that Bode guy they made all the hype about isn't there again. He blew it big time." He didn't care anything about my explanation that he was a top skier and had won the overall WC a couple of times. Most people who follow the Olympics equate it with the pinacle of the sport and everything else is secondary. That's just the way it is and the venue is where most athletes in sports such as skiing, figure skating, etc become household names. Not too many people outside of the diehard followers of a sport really care about an athletes record outside of the Olympics. They want to see them standiing on the podium at what they consider to be the main event.    

If you ever want to endorse Master Card, it's the main event.

Quote: What is the point of telling us he was 5th or 6th and then....utterly irrelevant.
Just because you want to be like Bode doesn't mean much.

It's not his performance at the Olympics, it was his attitude. Frankly, he should have been kicked off the team but he was so hyped I guess they didn't have the guts to do it.  Thank goodness Ligety stepped up and wanted to race.

It's really not funny actually. There's people who've worked their whole lives just to get a shot at the US team and here is this mopey genius bonehead not giving a crap that he's on the team.  I mean imagine some guy who's given his right testicle to make the team, yet he can't be on it because well, Bode's there and could care less. Even donating the left one won't matter, it's too late.

Sorry, Bode skis in the US, the Olympics matter. That's about the only time skiing matters for most people here. Make the point about the WCup in a different way.

Consider this, Did Bode's ridiculous attitude actually get him anywhere with showing people in the US that the WC is where it's at in skiing? No. They simply stopped paying attention to him.

Lindsey is a breath of fresh air compared to that. At least we can count on her to give it all she's got. There's no doubt about it. She's very inspiring. That's what people want to see.

Sweeping the Alpine Ski Events:
Jean Claude Killy, FRA   1968 Olympics. Slalom, GS, Downhill. Gold, Gold, Gold
Toni Sailer , AUT            1956 Olympics. Slalom, GS, Downhill. Gold, Gold, Gold
                                           (this was also the FIS world championship)
Sailer died in August '09


Edited by Tog - 2/5/10 at 10:36pm

 If you look at the post from songfta listing all of her World Cup wins, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that she is the very best skier that the USA has produced. Her personal story is very interesting too, despite all of the problems she had with an overbearing parent.

 Why are you guys talking about Bode, I thought this thread was about hot women skiers??  BTW, Bode has a crap attitude IMHO, and should have been tossed off the team. Now back to talking about women skiers not whiners. 

Three events, today there are 5, it's not the same thing... not at all, and I'm pretty sure you know that. That is why I said comparing current win totals to skiers from earlier generations is STUPID.

Everything that people say "can't be done" eventually is done, so sure, maybe someone will sweep the modern men's events... but I doubt it. There is too much specialization going on, there are 'speed event skiers' and 'skill event skiers' and the guys that can do well in both usually don't do well in both at the same time.

That's what I thought too.

Chick pics just to remove the gayness from this thread:

His attitude and his performance are pretty friggin' subjective.

The PRESS made him out to be someone who could care less, they decided he was a 'Bad Boy' after the 60 minutes interview where he said he was 'still a little drunk from celebrating his overall WC win the night before, and the race was meaningless'... which got turned into "Sometimes I get drunk before racing". The PRESS has told you he couldn't care less... his results were better than anyone else on the USST not named Ted or Julia. He skied really well. If you are too boneheaded to recognize that what the press has told you might not reflect reality then I can't help you. He was on the Olympic Team because he was the very best skier the US had, the next best was Daron Rahlves... no one is saying Daron didn't try hard... how'd he do?

Let me answer that: DNF in GS, 9th in SG and 10th in DH.

Winning an Olympic medal is like hitting a Hole in One in golf, winning an Overall Globe is like winning a Masters event. If some 'guy from work' doesn't understand the difference, well, big F'ing deal. Do they understand soccer? Is winning the Olympics the same as winning the World Cup? No. How about basketball, do they understand that? Which is more impressive: The 'Dream Team' winning a game against Guam or the Lakers winning an NBA championship? Which do you think Kobe would prefer? Baseball is in the Olympics... does anyone give a sh*t???

Just because 'I'm an American and I care about skiing for 7.5 minutes every 4 years (if an American is doing well...) so I have a God Given Right to whine about someone else's attitude' does not make you right.

What exactly does an Olympic Gold buy you, here in the good ol' USofA?

Bill Johnson won a gold in DH, the first ever for an American. He lives in a trailer with severe brain damage from a skiing accident. Who's caring for him? You? He lived up to your standards, what are you, any of you, doing for him? Yeah, that's what I thought.

Bode didn't win 5 gold medals... boo hoo. I've got some really bad news, chances are Lindsey won't win all 5 either... but if she peels her clothes off for SI's Swimsuit Issue she'll rake a ton of doe anyways, and that folks is just plain sad.


Edited by Tyson Rockwood - 2/6/10 at 10:35am

Pic's of women NOT performing in sports... awesome. Just what we need, more "you're pretty so here's some money... oh you play a 'sport'? Here's some more!".

Jag, best post of the entire thread! 

Tyson, you are probably right, Bode could beat Lindsey in a head to head downhill.  She really is a lot cuter then him though.

so fill me in, who are those girls, aside from LV at the top of the post. The girl with the white cap is Victoria Jealoise? These are women athletes, right, they just aren't skiing in the shots?

America has had some gold medalists that either weren't pretty or handsome, or lacked any personality at all, and they never cashed in  at the endorsement on media end of things, that's a fact for sure.

The very tragic Bill Johnson story involves a lay off and come back, I think, and that is apparently a formula for disaster. Ever had that feeling that the mind is there, but the body has drifted off track? horrible.

Here is a link to an excellent interview with Lindsey, be sure to watch the video also.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/07/magazine/07Vonn-t.html?pagewanted=1&ref=sports

A forgotten alpine gold medalist in Alpine is our first, Gretchen Frazier.  If you have not heard that tale, you should  track it down, she was a very classy lady and one hell of a skier.  She too was cute with her pigtails flying.

She also was a foxy jock in her day.  Her layoff from international racing was caused by WWII, a very good reason.  It was a different time, and technically a different sport, but she and Andrea Laurene Meade never get any credit any more.  Just had to give them their just due in our electronic world, thank you ladies.

Wouldn't exactly say that...

nice, Jag^^^^^^. girls at work! heck yeah.

That racing shot, OMG. That is where technique has to be perfect. rotate? At the peril of your life.

thats if they have enough snow
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/sport/olympics2008/news/article_1531517.php/Training-cut-back-as-Olympic-venue-combats-mild-weather-Roundup

He made such a great point about all that in 2006 that the whole world was convinced.

You're right about Rhalves, let's see what Bode had to say about it at the time:


Yes, you're right about some points.
However, if you want a sports analogy, let's try the Superbowl. It's certainly more impressive that the Patriots won 18 games in one season than that they happened to loose to the Giants in one game in the last minute or so. Thing is, the Patriots and their fans don't care so much about the 18 games without that last one.
Obviously the wc season championship is more impressive than one race in the Olympics.
Except the Olympics still matter.
Yeah, and sorry, but the same culture of idiots that only care about one time every four years is the same culture that's paying him millions.

Bode certainly received far more before 2006 Olympics than Bill Johnson ever did in his whole career.

Why are you guys still going on about BM in this thread?

He would make an terrible Lange Girl.

No. Let's not use the Superbowl as an analogy. The 'Superbowl' is the pinnacle of the football season, it's the one game that really counts. In ski racing, at the very top echelon, that event is... The Overall World Cup Title. Try this:

Who won the Gold in Olympic baseball in 2008?
OK
Who won the World Series in 2008?

You needed Google to find the answer to one of those questions, didn't you?



To bring this back to Lindsey- I hope she kicks ass, I hope she wins everything... but if the press decides to build her up like Michael Phelps then she really only can go down from there, right? If she is 'expected' to win all 5 events and *shock*, she doesn't... well then, she failed. That is BULLSH*T !!!  Anyone who cares enough about skiing to post on an internet forum dedicated to skiing should be fighting against theis 'Build 'em up to tear 'em Down' press style. Lindsey has already succeeded at the highest level. She rocks, Olympic medals are just decorations on the icing on a cake she already has.

She won't be a success IF she wins, she's a success now. She'll be more successful with a couple gold medals, but not winning won't detract from the success she already has achieved.

Well not really since the overall wc title is not an event but an accumulation of races. So it's not an event you can actually win or watch. You have to do very well over a bunch of events. The Superbowl is an actual event you can win.

Few in the US care about Men's Olympic baseball, Tommy LaSorda excepted. It's a shame and ridiculous they got rid of Women's Softball considering some of the events they have kept.
Phillies won in '08 and then were slain by the Yankees in '09. The foul Red Tide won in '07.
Don't know who won Olympics.

I agree about the press, it's ridiculous. Bode was screwed by 60 Minutes. It was irresponsible to air that question since it's really irrelevant to what he does and has done. People who know nothing then know only what they've seen on the show so it gives a false impression of the guy. They are making a judgement in the guise of reporting. It's essentially advertising a point of view. He hardly goes out skiing hammered he never could do well. He could have just lied and said no, then they probably would have hounded him to find a shot of him drinking.

Let's hope Lindsey doesn't get some sort of build up by the press. There's so many variables that can go wrong. Giving people the impression it's a foregone conclusion someone will win cheapens the whole event.

 Another attempt at de-gaying this thread.

Sarah Burke


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Lindsey Van





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...and how about an encore for Kristi Leskinen



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Get your L on.  NBC launched its countdown OLY promo push with a Matt Lauer on Vancouver location with a taped LV interview on TODAY...obviously hyping the hot LV for ratings.  For those familiar with Vail Village it was nice to see LV walk about the cobble as well as the excerpts from the pep rally held there earlier for her.  Game on...3 days. 

As a woman who is passionate about this sport, I applaud all of these women who excel in their respective fields and aren't afraid to be  H O T!!




Thanks for the link!




Tick Tick Tick 

If it's somewhat on track to bring up female Olympians in general, I would say that Kelly Clark is as good in her discipline as Sarah Burke is in hers. Would you say that? But who is going to get endorsements and riches from her accomplishments. Some women will profit, others not so much. Seems a little harsh, but it's the marketplace. and it has spun out that way before in women's sports.

 Davluri I agree, and though I don't want to diminish Lindsey's talent and commitment, I am also inspired other women skiers of different skill sets, like those involved in the Rad boob Calendar, which made money for breast cancer research.
Some involved - Ingrid Backstrom, Amy McDermid, Leah Evans, Susan Medville, Holly Walker, Kirsten Lyle, Sarah Frood(WOW she's awesome) Marie Claude Larivee', Izzy Lynch, Janina Kuzma, Grete Eliassen, Lyndsey Dyer, Karolina Ekman, Tessa Treadway, Laura Ogden, ..........really, there are a bunch of amazing women  in our skiing world.
For the sample calendar see this link:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/23058389/Rad-Boob-Calendar

Edit: Don, you do know how to appreciate these fine women, eh?

I don't know how to say this without risk of insulting someone, but women athletes have to be drop dead gorgeous in addition to topping their discipline to make a living off endorsements. As in, be a female pro athlete with a future, only if you have the looks. If not, you'll be buying your own wax / tires.

A guy could more easily mess around with his appearance enough to fit into the advertising world.

I like the analogy of "Winning gold in the Olympics is like a hole in one in golf". 
They should just give the DH gold to Lindseynow, because she deserves it!

JF

Definitely! 

LV and others already mentioned and many out there not yet noticed.  Strong.  Tough.  No crap.  No giggles.  No recipes to share.  Purposeful…both professionally and athletically.  The kind that mix it up with the guys and expect no handicap.  The kind that use equipment normally male sacrosanct and beat them using it.  The kind of women who scare the crap out of cavemen.  The kind that hear some guys at a gathering whisper; “do we let girls ski in this top group?” and then smoke them down a bump run.  You bet I appreciate these women TC…as you know I married one of hottest and toughest competitor’s I’ve ever seen  

So go get it LV and all the women athletes at the OLYs