Posts by Michael Flores8

ruggedjackal46 said:🤣 🤣 🙏

This track is absolutely incredible.
It really hits home, I guess. 🤣🤣

Anthony Wright30 said:Mate Vukorepa

There really is only one Mate Vukorepa, I suppose. 🤣🙏

Jesse Sullivan5 said:Speaking of game shows—who’s actually the GOAT in your book? Is it Chris? Or maybe Kotiga? Are we talking about one of the old-school legends? Like Pauletich? Or maybe Lojpur?

🍿

I personally feel that Pauletich isn't quite my cup of tea. I guess Chris is probably the strongest choice. I used to think Kotiga was top-tier, but over time, his quality seemed to slip a bit, and he became somewhat unpleasant to watch.

urbanhawk17 said:I thought about asking the folks over in the tourism thread how much vacation rentals have dropped in certain areas, mostly just out of curiosity... but people seem so high-strung lately that I was worried they'd take it the wrong way. So, I decided against it.

As for my specific situation, ever since this COVID-19 madness started, it isn't just that I haven't had any bookings—I haven't even received a single inquiry. But strangely enough, nobody has actually canceled on me yet, whereas my neighbors have seen seven out of eight of their reservations fall through.

I was just climbing up on the toilet earlier when I happened to pull an old suitcase down from the top shelf. Inside, I found about 30 vintage issues of *Time* and *Sports Illustrated*, all dating back to 1989 and 1990. I suppose it's quite a little treasure trove to dive into 🙏🙏

Matthew Young35 said:And what am I supposed to do when she rides off on a horse?
I just watch her go.
🤦

I had this friend back in Chicago, from the Lincoln Park area, who used to insist on asking me, "Which records should I spin?" ever since we were kids.🙏🤣

dustyridge3 said:Schranz, Lauda, Lindemann, Prost, Schumacher, Hill, Vettel, Hamilton, and of course, that ever-smiling Dale Earnhardt 🙏

Generally speaking, those mid-tier eras were always the most fascinating periods for me within winter sports, and the exact same holds true for Formula 1, though I suppose that says more about my own growing pains than the actual caliber of the competition 🙂

It’s a bit of a shame if you didn't catch the action from the late 80s through the early 90s. Those athletes were incredible, and honestly, the level of competition back then was just insane. 🙏🙏
Nykanen, Ari Pekka, Vetori, Kutin, Felder, Ploc, Ulaga, Bredesen, Weissflog, Dieter Thoma 😁

Jessica Gonzalez said:I remember being at the Olympic venue in Lake Placid when one of the most heartbreaking moments in modern sports history went down—that legendary collapse by Masahiko Harada during the team ski jumping event back in '94. The Japanese squad was basically the absolute dream team of that era, featuring legends like Okabe, Harada, Kasai, and Nishikata. They had dominated every single round and held a massive lead heading into the final jump. Harada only needed to hit about 90 meters to lock in the gold for his country, especially since his first jump was sitting around 119 meters. Instead, he barely managed 73... I honestly felt a tear in my eye standing there near the landing zone while some younger American athletes were training nearby. Most of my coworkers who were there didn't have any clue about the heavy history that had unfolded on that hill. Honestly, compared to what Harada went through, even a massive upset like Brazil's loss in the '50 World Cup feels small; that choke was truly cosmic.

Luckily, things turned around in '98 when the Dream Team finally secured that gold, along with a win from Funaki in the individual event. They just missed out on a perfect hat-trick of gold medals by a single point.

I recall it too, though I suppose I wasn't entirely certain whether it was Okabe or Harada who struggled.😁

steelharbor9 said:Well, I think Innauer was the first one back in the seventies, and then Funaki grabbed it a few times after that—actually, I'm pretty sure he might be the only guy to do it more than once. As for the most recent ones, I believe it was Prevc and Tepeš, and they did it just a couple of days apart.🙏

Since I haven't been following ski jumping closely lately, this is actually my first time hearing about Tepeš. I wonder, is he the son of Miran Tepeš? 😁

The great American legend Heinz Kuttin 😁

Jessica Gonzalez said:

Locking this thread

I honestly think Funaki has by far the most beautiful jumping style. I can't quite put my finger on it right now, but was he perhaps the first jumper to score straight 20s across the board?

neonfalcon16 said:Man, you really grew up in the eighties, didn't you?🙏

I used to follow it closely too, but nowadays I only tune in for the New Year's Tournament.

I suppose I am probably the most dedicated follower out there, having grown up watching all four ski jumpers. I really can't seem to miss a single opportunity to catch a broadcast. Honestly, nothing quite compares to that feeling of waking up early on New Year's Day, getting cozy in my robe, and settling in to watch the events in Breckenridge. 😁🙏

brightpilot6 said:There’s just something about those wide, flared skis that feels like the absolute gold standard of style. It’s no wonder people say watching certain athletes struggle through their runs can be enough to drive you up the wall. Between the four different ski jumping events and then diving straight into the biathlon, there was plenty to keep an eye on.

As far as ski jumpers go, my personal favorite had to be Espen Bredesen; he really started hitting his stride just as I was getting into the sport, though he seemed to fade from the spotlight almost as quickly as he rose to prominence.🤣

I didn't want to bring up Bradson, as I was under the impression that he might not be very popular with anyone here. 😁I believe there was a legendary jumper who once held the world record, possibly set during a competition in Park City. I can't quite recall if you remember this, but what always struck me most about his career was that incredible unpredictability. One day, he would deliver such a convincing, dominant victory, and then, seemingly out of nowhere, he might struggle to even make it through his second jump in the next event. It was certainly an interesting pattern, I guess. 😁It is honestly quite incredible how much volatility there is right now. I guess it’s just one of those situations where things seem to be shifting constantly.

Matthew Young35 said:As far as I can recall, Kasai was the first real success story with that approach.
I mean, the first one to truly make it work.

The V-style or the Boklev style actually surfaced before that specific generation of Japanese jumpers led by Kasai arrived. If I recall correctly, those earlier Japanese athletes didn't really use the V-style; they tended to jump with their skis spread quite wide.
@urbanhawk17, I feel similarly about this. The last time I really followed the sport closely was during the era when guys like Adam Malysz and Janne Ahonen were competing, though I was already getting a bit older even back then. I did try to get back into following it a couple of years ago, but I think I gave up pretty quickly. It just doesn't seem to have that same tension for me anymore. I guess the only one truly worth mentioning is Kasai, considering he was still jumping at 40.🙏

shadowmarlin22 said:Maybe it was someone like Steve Collins—that guy was shattering records when he was only 15—he used this counter-V style where his skis would overlap in front...

I believe that might be incorrect. It was actually Jan Boklev, the American athlete. For a while, people even officially referred to it as the V-style or the Boklev style.

Kyle Campbell4 said:It appears I am certainly not alone in my lifelong admiration for the Japanese in ski jumping. As a young boy, I would religiously tune in to the New Year's 4 Trampoline, the Olympics, and absolutely any broadcast that featured jumping events. My allegiance was always firmly with the Japanese team. I fell in love with their technique; their school of jumping is unparalleled. The wide stance of the skis combined with a body lean so extreme it almost aligns perfectly with the equipment creates a breathtaking sight. Watching them glide through the air is mesmerizing. In those few seconds of flight, you truly feel immortal, soaring through the sky like a bird.

Regarding the discussion on military commanders, my personal favorite has always been Alexander the Great. He possessed a stern countenance and the mind of a true visionary. It is a tragedy that he could not have achieved even greater feats had he not been cut down by illness.
However, if we are being strictly realistic, the greatest commander in human history was Tughril. He engineered a combat machine that was nothing short of fascinating. It took him twenty years of relentless effort to conquer and unify the various tribes, but once they began their expansion, they essentially flattened everything in their path. They operated with an unprecedented level of terror and brutality. To kill 40 million people in an era defined by swords, spears, and bows is a staggering concept. If you were to hand that Golden Horde modern firearms, there likely wouldn't be a single non-Mongol left alive, lol. There is something profoundly intense about the legend of how they terrified the Persians, utilizing psychological warfare to systematically dismantle them. They would lay siege to a city and, while doing so, construct pyramids out of human skulls. You find yourself fighting while paralyzed by sheer dread because you have never encountered such psychotic lunatics in your life.

Matthew Young35, do you happen to remember the name of that jumper who first introduced the V-style? He used to jump several meters further than everyone else, but he always seemed to receive poor style scores and never finished at the top. Once people realized that the V-shape allowed for much more flight time, everyone started doing it. It seems like Frank Petek was perhaps the only one who stayed loyal to the old method 😁. Later on, the Japanese appeared with their much wider ski positioning, allowing them to stay airborne even longer
.

brisktrucker52 said:When it comes to ski jumping, Eddie the Eagle is the ultimate icon.

Regarding following the NBA through newspaper clips or VHS tapes, that really only applies to the context of the 80s. By the late 80s or early 90s, you could actually follow the league pretty well. I remember Charles Barkley's final seasons with the Phile, which someone mentioned earlier; back then, Italian networks used to show highlights regularly. Soon after, ESPN started broadcasting too... they’d show one game live per day, and then have a recording the next day. Compared to what we had, it was great.

As for player quality or comparing eras, it's tough to make those comparisons. But regarding how interesting things were, I feel like the league only really got back to that level after Jordan left in just the last few years. It wasn't until this year, after the Warriors fell apart and talent started spreading across the league, that I thought, okay, now we're talking. Next year, if the Warriors get a pick or make a trade and have a healthy Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, maybe it'll reach that level again.

I guess Eddie made a significant amount of money just by jumping 😁. Probably much more than most champions or medal winners
.

Matthew Young35 said:Toni Nieminen ☕

For me, ski jumping was always such an incredible sport, right up there with football and basketball. I used to follow every single competition. However, due to some personal reasons, I had to stop watching for a while, and I guess I just never really got back into the habit. It’s a bit of a shame, honestly. 😁
I can still recall the lineups from over 25 years ago—teams from Finland, Norway, Italy, France, the Czech Republic, Austria, Canada, or even back during the days of America and Japan.
The absolute strongest era was definitely those three guys from the Czech Republic: Jiří Parma, Pavel Ploc, and František Jež. 😁

Matthew Young35 said:Finland.
☕
They all became world champions at sixteen, turned into chronic alcoholics, and retired by eighteen.

True, very true 🤣
Nikkinen, Ari Pekka, Risto Laakkonen, and Puikkonen 😁
Later on, Nieminen and the others arrived.

When discussing true icons, I suppose very few groups can truly be compared to the legendary Japanese ski jumping team. You have figures like Noriaki Kasai, Masahiko Harada, Takanobu Okabe, Jiniya Nishikata, and then, after a short while, the arrival of the great Kazuyoshi Funaki 🤣

Matthew Young35 said:A few corrections...

Formula 1... there is a massive collection of icons there. Prost, Gerard Piqué, Niki Lauda, Nigel Mansell, that damn Michael Schumacher whom I can't stand and never have, Graham Hill, Emerson Fittipaldi, James Hunt... my apologies to anyone I missed. Ayrton Senna might be the biggest icon, but he isn't rightfully greater than the rest; at least three others were better drivers.

You forgot boxing... Ali, George Foreman, Joe Frazier, Mike Tyson.
In boxing, there truly are icons worth mentioning. I won't even get into the ones from before the seventies and eighties.

Chess... Bobby Fischer, José Raúl Capablanca, Mikhail Tal.
Then you have characters like that damn Ret with his insane openings (for that era). In chess, there are at least 20 icons.

Ski Jumping, Magnus Carlsen, Takeshi Koji.

One could find many more icons if they looked.

Garry Kasparov is my favorite jumper, though I suppose if you consider him alongside Magnus Carlsen, Jens Weimann belongs in that group too; he's perhaps just as talented as those two. 😁