Korea gets 2018 Winter Olympics

[Orca Pod]

Aside from the fact there has been mass corruption in the last two major sporting events that Korea has hosted (Seoul Summer Olympics, World Cup), here's something else to ponder.

In Men's hockey, they are currently ranked 31st in the world. Some of the countries ahead of them? Spain. Great Britain. Estonia. But fear not, they are ranked two and three spots above those powerhouse hockey nations of Mexico and Australia.

In Women's hockey, they are currently ranked 28th in the world. Australia is ranked higher. But the telltale sign is that Bulgaria is ranked 23rd. You may remember Bulgaria. They got beat 82-0 by Slovenia in 2010 qualifying. Yes, the same Slovenia that got waxed 18-0 by Canada in the 2010 Games.

Seriously. You think maybe the IIHF should break tradition and NOT allow the host country an automatic berth?

 

[paulxing]

???? That's racist. Tons of countries aren't competitive at every sport in both genders, but that doesn't mean you should pick and choose which sports the host country qualifies for. Besides, we're not even sure if professional hockey players will be attending that tourney. So those rankings are irrelevant for 2018.

If you are concerned about anything is maybe the fact that the capital is stupidly close to the North and officially, their country is STILL AT WAR. So do you want to send your best athletes to an ACTIVE WARZONE?

Think about that one.

 

[Orca Pod]

???? That's racist. Tons of countries aren't competitive at every sport in both genders, but that doesn't mean you should pick and choose which sports the host country qualifies for. Besides, we're not even sure if professional hockey players will be attending that tourney. So those rankings are irrelevant for 2018.

If you are concerned about anything is maybe the fact that the capital is stupidly close to the North and officially, their country is STILL AT WAR. So do you want to send your best athletes to an ACTIVE WARZONE?

Think about that one.

Okay. I'm confused here. Can you please tell me how me saying (paraphrase) a country who couldn't beat an average bantam team from any town in Canada possibly not being allowed in the Olympic tournament as host coutry, is racist? Where the **** do you get off with saying that?

Dude, you are way out of line with that comment, and I am disgusted that you would even make that incorrect connection.

Oh, and by the way, there are no professional women hockey players, so the rankings are relevant for the women's tournament. And, as stated earlier, an average bantam team could probably beat the mean's team. think of it this way: A bunch of 25 year-olds who used to play junior play a game against a bunch of peewees. That's probably a fair comparison when talking the big six playing the 31st ranked team in the world.

 

[chadsexington]

???? That's racist.

Not quite. If Canada got the 2032 summer Olympics and were still ranked 90th in the world in Men's soccer, I wouldn't want them out on the field against the best in the world.

To me, it's embarassing for the host nation to feel obligated to have to spent tax dollars to develop a program that's so far behind the world's best that there's almost no purpose in building a 4 year plan for 2 weeks that likely will not pay off. I mean, there are exceptions obviously (the Canadian own the podium program was great) but look what happens when you do this sort of thing? The Japanese women were outscored something like 83-1 in Nagano, and though they did try as best as they could, they just weren't a strong enough program to play on the world stage.

I don't believe in automatic qualification for hosts be it for the World Cup, the Memorial Cup, the Olympics or anything. All these places are supposed to showcase the best of the best, and yeah, sure it'll draw in local interest, but is it really a fair show of talent when you've got a better team looking in from the outside that didn't make it because an inferior team took their spot.

I dunno...that's just me.

 

[kmitchel]

I won't comment on the racism comment, but I will comment on the IIHF rules for automatic host countries. I believe that it is no longer the case that a team will automatically qualify.

On wiki (and I realize that's not a great source, but can't find the supporting link on another site) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_hockey_at_the_Olympics

In 2006, Italy and Switzerland participated for the first time. The Italian team, at the time ranked 17th in the world, had qualified because Italy was the host nation.[101] They were outscored 32–1 in three games and IIHF president René Fasel declared his intention to make future tournaments more competitive and not allow host nations to automatically qualify.[102]

http://forums.internationalhockey.net/showthread.php?t=2508

"We've got to do something about the qualification and participation of the host nation. As you know, Italy is ranked about 16th or 17th in our World Rankings. We will change our regulations so that they have to be in the top 10 to participate in the World Championships or Olympic Games. And if they're not, they'll have to qualify."

I just can't find out if they HAVE made the change.

Kevin

 

[kmitchel]

http://www.anyanghalla.com/eng/news/e_news_view.asp?aid=11452&page=1&ct=9

For the women’s 8-team Olympic tournament, the top five teams in the 2012 IIHF Women’s World Ranking will earn automatic entry to Sochi 2014, while two teams will earn participation through the Olympic qualifications. Host nation Russia, currently sixth in the IIHF Women’s World Ranking, will have direct entry to the tournament.

So apparently, the thought process is that they (Korea) MIGHT have to qualify in 2018 (based on what happened to host Italy in '06), it appears that in 2014, Russia WILL have a bye.

 

[Orca Pod]

Trust 'Mr. Research' to get to the bottom of automatic qualifying. It will be interesting to see what happens with this. Hopefully, in these two events, the Koreans decide it is in their best interest to not participate and ask the IOC to put someone else in there.

 

[JTMcCool]

Pointing out that Korea has a low ranked national hockey team isn't racist; it's fact. Anyone who says otherwise is either an idiot or just looking to start a fight. Or maybe both. It's not that Koreans can't be good at hockey, it's that they're currently not good at hockey.
Back to the topic at hand, it's an interesting question. Personally I think the host nation should be represented in all sports, but seeing Canada or Russia put 30 goals in the net against them isn't good for anyone.
However, 2018 is far away. Maybe Korea will make it a point to improve their team in the coming 8 years, but it's going to be a tough decision.

 

[paulxing]

Okay. I'm confused here. Can you please tell me how me saying (paraphrase) a country who couldn't beat an average bantam team from any town in Canada possibly not being allowed in the Olympic tournament as host coutry, is racist? Where the **** do you get off with saying that?

Dude, you are way out of line with that comment, and I am disgusted that you would even make that incorrect connection.

Oh, and by the way, there are no professional women hockey players, so the rankings are relevant for the women's tournament. And, as stated earlier, an average bantam team could probably beat the mean's team. think of it this way: A bunch of 25 year-olds who used to play junior play a game against a bunch of peewees. That's probably a fair comparison when talking the big six playing the 31st ranked team in the world.

Changing the rules arbitrarily because one country is not good at a sport seems ridiculous. The US Men's soccer is ranked 30th, no one complained when they hosted the olympics. Im sure Spanish kids could beat them, but whose complaining? NOBODY. Because that's the Olympics. It's about the spirit of the game. Olympics used to pause wars. Why are you excluding people solely because they are they aren't top 10 when it's been going on for CENTURIES?

Do you know how many women's softball teams suck? No one complains that the host country gets to send a women's softball team. Oh, the world doesn't watch the olympics for women's softball? Double standard? Just because you watch hockey doesn't mean the rules should fit your needs.

Also, in case you guys are confused Xing is not a Korean name, but claiming that any bantam city town in Canada is better than an entire nation's best hockey team, is a statement that is racist. it is not fact, and until it is, it's at best, blind patriotism, which isn't wrong, but can also be interpreted as racist. And did no one read the FIRST STATEMENT OF THE ORIGINAL POST? It's already making an attack on Korea.

 

[kmitchel]

Changing the rules arbitrarily because one country is not good at a sport seems ridiculous. The US Men's soccer is ranked 30th, no one complained when they hosted the olympics. Im sure Spanish kids could beat them, but whose complaining? NOBODY. Because that's the Olympics. It's about the spirit of the game. Olympics used to pause wars. Why are you excluding people solely because they are they aren't top 10 when it's been going on for CENTURIES?

Do you know how many women's softball teams suck? No one complains that the host country gets to send a women's softball team. Oh, the world doesn't watch the olympics for women's softball? Double standard? Just because you watch hockey doesn't mean the rules should fit your needs.

Paul, they don't want to change the rules because ONE country isn't good at the sport - the IIHF wants to changes the rules because ALL but FOUR countries are terrible at this time in women's hockey. That's why the are even talking about pulling women's hockey from the olympics.

The difference between 1 and 30 in hockey is VERY different than the difference between 1 and 30 in soccer.

Kevin

 

[kmitchel]

If Canada had a team sport of 20-24 players and we had a nationally enrollment of just 124 players - I'm not sure I'd want that team to have been in the Olympics.

South Korea at this time has 124 women players and 154 male players. It's a VERY small pool to draw upon.

http://www.iihf.com/iihf-home/countries/korea.html

Kevin

 

[paulxing]

Ok, but neither sport sends 30 teams, so either way someone "factually" more deserving is left out. In soccer/football's case, a 30th team making it in, means teams 16-29 are left out.

How many in hockey? 3 groups of 4? so 12 teams? I guess it's more unfair since teams 11-30 are now left out... honestly, even from a business perspective these comments are ridiculous. What will sell more tickets at the olympics, Team A vs. Latvia (or whoever is the highest that would get knocked out by a host nation replacing them) or Team A vs host nation?

 

[Orca Pod]

I see you have decided not to address the issue of calling me racist? Or are you just going to try and forget you ever wrote such garbage?

You can't compare soccer to hockey, simply because there is not as big a difference between 1 and 30 as there is in hockey. Hell, there's probably less difference between 1 and 50 in soccer than there is between 1 and 15 in hockey.

 

[paulxing]

I see you have decided not to address the issue of calling me racist? Or are you just going to try and forget you ever wrote such garbage?

You can't compare soccer to hockey, simply because there is not as big a difference between 1 and 30 as there is in hockey. Hell, there's probably less difference between 1 and 50 in soccer than there is between 1 and 15 in hockey.

I thought I did... it says above... you begin right away by attacking another nation, or at least a degrading statement blanketed across an entire generation of people to preface an idea that has no relevance to the said opening remark (I mean it's not like your statement is saying they shouldn't be guaranteed a host spot because of previous corruption) and then put them down for sucking at one sport and wanting to change a rule that has been around for centuries, instead of changing EVERY sport's host nation rule. Then you say hockey is different, which I agree is different, but shouldn't get special treatment.Then I said garbage like how it's in 2018, and how no professionals might even show up, etc. etc.

 

[Orca Pod]

Dude. You seriously have to go find out the definition of racist. If you think anything I posted was racist, then I truly feel sorry for you.

 

[sharks4life12]

hmm, i think i need to revisit the definition of the R word, i too am confused about what Randy is being called and i can say that because my wife is Asian. im on your side Randy on this one

 

[paulxing]

Alright last post before I get back to your original message, I think you just read this: http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/pu...018-Your-South-Korean-hockey-F?urn=nhl-wp8744

and instead of making it funnier, you put in your commentary on corruption and the struggles of other races and what not. Seriously, you could have easily made this more funny and still get your original idea of changing IOC rules by saying something like:

"In Men's hockey, they are currently ranked 31st in the world. Some of the countries ahead of them? Spain. Great Britain. Estonia. But fear not, they are ranked FIVE spots ahead of ICELAND, the mighty team from D2 who have grown up to the mean's team."

As for the rest of the comment, I still don't think you should change the format of the Olympics. Afterall, (paraphrasing the motto) olympics are not about winning, but taking part. Or if you are changing the host nation rule, change it for every sport in both olympics.

 

[Hama]

For the record - from the IIHF Twitter feed

Clarification: There is NO decision yet whether the host nation (Korea) will get automatic entry to the 2018 Olympic hockey tournaments.

And from this story from the IIHF website:

Last season, the Korean men’s team played in the Division I Championship in Hungary where they defeated the Netherlands 6-3 and lost to Hungary (6-3), Italy (6-0) and to Spain (3-2 in overtime).

As it is seven years left to the Olympics in 2018, there has not been taken any decision whether the hosting nation will be granted automatic entry to the ice hockey tournaments (men and women). This is TBD.

 

[Iceman]

???? That's racist.

I fail to see how stating facts about the quality of South Korea's hockey teams is in fact racist. It would seem that they're not even good enough to compete for the CHANCE to move up into the A pool for the World Championships let alone the Olympics. Someday, they might be. But in the next 7 years? Unlikely.

I believe you owe Randy an apology.

 

[re-ac-tor]

I fail to see how stating facts about the quality of South Korea's hockey teams is in fact racist. It would seem that they're not even good enough to compete for the CHANCE to move up into the A pool for the World Championships let alone the Olympics. Someday, they might be. But in the next 7 years? Unlikely.

I believe you owe Randy an apology.

I agree 100%, I'm sure Randy would have said the same thing if the winter olympics were awarded to New Zealand, if a country is not competive in the least in a sport they should not compete at the olympic level, that sir has nothing to do with race, it's plain old common sense.

My best,

Ken