Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Another stop




So we are in Hamburg again, for the second time this week. We are here to watch the European Championships for Beach volleyball and cheer on our Dutchie friends, and also to get our luggage from them. Hee hee......Smartcar is VERY full with our luggage in it, not quite sure how fast we are going to go now on the highway, but it'll work. I think we will stay here for a day or 2, and maybe make our way to Munich, to meet some friends, and then make our way to Marseille. 11 hour drive baby!! whew!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Not to question.........but I always question stuff........and please (I totally admire you folks for playing by the rules set up and the joy and genuine good fun you have shown all of us watching by how you have participated and benefited.......it makes us all feel good)

Sometime.........when this adventure of exploration, competition and globe trotting has concluded.......

Somebody will have to explain to me the qualifying "hoops" that athletes have to jump through "internationally" before they can be in the Olympics. I am already upset that the IOC is ending softball and baseball by secret ballot. I was going to go to Bejing to support baseball and the ladies.........and then that junk happened for what I feel are political reasons. Guess I'll support the All Star game at Yankee stadium, instead!!!!

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I read the Federation Internationale rules regarding beach volleyball, the Olympic mission statement and other things....

.....it just seems that individual national qualifications should not be mixed or weighed with or against international competitors prior to the games, at least not in the sense of an individual nations desire to field THEIR team getting TO the games.

It is up to my country to field a qualified team to the games. I understand qualifying standards.......and that is good, but not a the expense of eliminating one countries only team so that another countries 3,4, or 5 teams can go to the Bejing tournament!

Determining a professional or amateur entry or sponsorship status is an individual national issue, not an IOC issue. The IOC's mission is to invite the athletes of the world, by nation, to compete.

The idea of world competition is for america's best to compete with the Filipino's best, the Chinese best......the japanese best..............NOT A WHOLE BUNCH OF BESTS FROM AMERICA or elsewhere.........

Maybe the solution for the games should be one or two teams per nation? I don't know.


Seems like the responsible thing for the IOC would be to set an entry deadline for each nation to enter their BEST team(s), and then design the tournament brackets following that.

That is how you truly insure international representation of member nations and the athletes themselves being able to represent their nation against athletes of other nations. It is also how you truly garner national pride and sponsorship!

It not my desire to make a political statement on your blog.........I just really believe that you folks have worked very hard all around the world to represent the people of your country, both countries. I'd just like you to be able to walk into Bejing and compete so that the children of the nations you represent can see this as a motivator for their own futures.

And as said before.......what makes your blog such good reading is the lesson taught to all of us by your example of playing by the rules in place. It is the underlying theme that you folks have accomplished with such joy and style!

It is however, human nature to try to improve a system based upon experiences in real time!

aloha