Damn, I loves me some Béla Károlyi (No Spoilers Here)

[Catch22Dem]

I love when they show him watching gymnastics. Dude has more passion than ANYONE. Has hardly changed in 30 years. Can't understand him half the time. My wife and I decided Costas just likes hanging out with him. :D

[bridgit]

1. Károlyi is an original, quite a character

:)

[rockymountaindem]

2. He's like the Don Cherry of gymnastics

Get that man a sequin jacket!

[zingaro]

3. Yeah, that was a really cool thing to show.

He loves his sport and his passion is definitely contagious.

And Costas made me laugh with his journalistic integrity (or whatever it was he said) comment. I don't usually love him so much but that was endearlingly funny.

[VenusRising]

4. I think you're right about Costas.

Bella yells louder than the entire arena. He's awesome to watch.

[Catch22Dem]

6. I figure at this point, Costas can pretty much write his own ticket

He's proved his worth as a sports broadcaster above nearly all others. I bet he can pretty much dictate to NBC what he's going to do. If he wants Bela with him, he gets Bela. :D

[VenusRising]

8. I'd want Bella with me, too!

His explosive emotion is not only funny, but it's contagious.

[Fleshdancer]

5. I liked how blunt he was about the ages of the Chinese gymnasts and the scoring tonight

He's pretty honest about these things! :D

[Catch22Dem]

7. Yeah, he's not known for holding back, is he? HAHAHA (n/t)

[VenusRising]

9. He's been like a sledge hammer over the Chinese girls.

He cracks me up.

[LostinVA]

14. I think he's quite a hypocrite about it

He;s just pissed he can't get away with it. Seriously. He's one of the first who started the "Tiny Tot Brigade" in gymnastics. He'd have seven-year-olds on the US team if they allowed it. He's also been known to be a tyrant to his gymnasts.

I think several of the Chinese girls are either underage or have been given something to retard or delay puberty, but I really wish someone other that Karolyi was talking about this.

[FKA MNChimpH8R]

15. True, but there weren't any rules against Nadia

competing in Montreal at 14. Karolyi played within the framework that was in effect at the time. Whether the Chinese are is quite doubtful. Many highly successful coaches in all sports can be tyrannical, many aren't. Just a matter of personal style.

[skygazer]

20. I agree

His being involved muddies the issue considerably because his objections have nothing to do with health and safety of the gymnasts and everything to do with the fact that he can't do the same.

[Catch22Dem]

23. "because he can't do the same"

You realize he hasn't coached for a long time, right?

[GreenPartyVoter]

10. He's a hoot all right. Did you the interview on Oxygen with him and Mary Lou Retton?

[Reverend_Smitty]

11. He's been my favorite part of the Olympic coverage

I wish we had the option to have a split-screen with him reacting to all the action. The little bits of him that NBC shows has been a hoot

[LostinVA]

12. Yeah -- he's such a stand up guy

:puke:

[PVnRT]

13. My thoughts as well

Ask some 1980's-era Romanian gymnasts how much of a great guy he is. Or even some 1990's American ones.

[Catch22Dem]

22. Oh bullshit

There are more of his former students who say the criticism is bullshit than not. He's TOUGH, but not evil.

[grace0418]

16. He is passionate for sure, but he really needs subtitles. I know he's speaking English

but I only get about 5% of what he's saying.

[Shell Beau]

17. I can't understand him either. Especially when he gets REALLY

excited which is most of the time.

[Shell Beau]

18. Was he banned from the competition or something?

Seems like I heard that.

[FKA MNChimpH8R]

19. I think he was banned from the competition floor

because of his pointed comments about the ages of some of the Chinese girls. He was raising holy hell about it for the last week.

[Shell Beau]

21. Ok, I thought I heard he was banned last Olympics.

But that could have been me just halfway listening.


Plus I am pretty sure Marta was voicing her opinion just as loud.