The thing about liveblogging an event, or at least any I have ever done before, is that said event typically comes with a predictable end time. A soccer match will be over in about two hours. A football match, barring overtime, about three.
That's not the case when it comes to liveblogging the Olympics (well, it could be, but I can't be liveblogging for the next 12 days straight, nor the next eight hours). So right now, at 5:35 Eastern Time, I'm going to flip back and forth from live event to live event, and see if I learn anything interesting, or even write something interesting (don't hold your breath).
5:37 — Poland vs. Iran in Men's Volleyball. For some reason, they don't have the man wear tiny basically-bikini-bottoms like the women. (Women wear that even in non-beach volleyball, in case you didn't know).
5:39 — I'm watching on the Olympics NBC Sports app, and given how much NBC has devoted to the Olympics, I'm surprised there are no commentators for their feed. I am dying to know what Karch Kiraly thinks of the Iranian form.
5:43 — I am pleased that a volleyball team no longer has to be serving to score — no more side outs. I can't think of another sport that so drastically changed the rules of scoring in my lifetime.
5:46 — Poland leads 2 sets to 0, if you were wondering, but this third set is close (17-16 Poland).
5:51 — Poland's server just served it 113 KPH. That's 70 MPH, so now you know how fast an Olympic Men's volleyball serve is. Next on my to-do list: find out why a player on each side wears an opposite-color jersey.
5:56 — Iran wins the set, 25-23, to stay alive in the match. There have been 9 matches in the tournament so far, and none have gone to 3-2. Poland is 1-0 and Iran is 0-1. USA is 0-2 (losses to Italy and Canada).
I better switch to another sport before this column becomes just about this.
6:10 — After some technical difficulties, middleweight boxing now. Benny Muziyo of Zambia vs. Onder Sipal of Turkey. Here, we do have two (British) announcers on the NBC app.
6:14 — Wow. Sipal wins a split decision and that does not seem right. Crowd booing.
6:17 — Weightlifting now. 152 pound weight class. Hafifi Bin Mansor Mohd of Malaysia has no problem with 308 pounds. Not so for mono-named Triyatno of Indonesia, trying to lift 313 pounds. He successfully snatches it on his second attempt. Triyatno!
6:22 — Mohd again, and he fails at 313. He also has the ravages of acne scars on his cheeks. Since that's a known side effect of steroids, it's ... unfortunate for a guy in a sport about strength first and foremost to suffer from that.
6:26 — A French guy also failed at 313 and 316 pounds, as did Mohd yet again, so TRIYATNO! is running away with this particular threesome.
6:28 — Iran has indeed tied up Poland 2-2. Who will win? Would I have the audacity to finish my column on a cliffhanger.
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