Tag: Athlete

I am watching the Olympics and hey, this post is kind of related. I have been thinking about Aly Raisman since her Sports Illustrated shoot came out. I liked it. I think she is in general brave and strong and of course there was negativity about it because a woman on the internet did a thing and that is bound to piss a lot of men off. They seem like dicks to me. The shoot of course isn’t what makes her brave, sometimes people are brave to just get up and face the day. She and a lot of other women are brave for just that reason alone. I don’t really want to get into abuse here, I have a lot to say about it and always have but this is not the blog for it, so I will just say if you have suffered you have my sympathy. It is really hard, it is very isolating, and it will always be with you. But I guess that’s part of the bravery, not just continuing on but speaking out. It helps people feel at least not so alone. Beyond all the pragmatic reasons for it it gives other people courage and resolve. So I get angry when I see sad, shitty men on the internet act like sad, shitty men because a girl wore a bathing suit but then I remind myself they don’t matter, not even a little. They are trolls and trolls live for attention so my attention will instead by on Aly Raisman, who is basically a real life superhero. And by that I am no longer talking about coming forward, I am talking about there being pictures to her clinging to a wall in last year’s SI because she is in peak physical condition so is probably the closest to Spider-man we’re ever going to get. Aly Raisman can climb walls. That’s awesome. It’s also really hot. She’s beautiful and impressive and today I want to fuck Aly Raisman.

Well guys, here is Jessie Diggins, who is the best performer ever at Women’s Cross Country for the US. It’s not our sport and we don’t medal in it and early this morning she didn’t either. I know people were disappointing because she’s a great story. She’s adorable and charming and a real talker and from a close knit small community that gather together to watch her and it’s exactly what we want our dreamy Olympic gold medalist to be. But no one should be disappointed. She is still the best American woman ever at this. We should be proud. 5th is not 3rd but it’s good. And more importantly it’s a reminder that greatness can come in a lot of ways. Any Olympian is a big deal because they are Olympians. She is racing constantly and has more to come. She probably won’t medal at all. But she tries as hard as she can, she is someone we can be proud of, and you know what, that’s enough. Medals are nice. When Shaun White won the Gold the other day that was great but it wasn’t because the US gets another Gold Medal on the shelf. It was watching him sob and hug his parents and seeing him the happiest he’s ever been in his life. If Jessie Diggins medals it would be nice but I guess in my mind it doesn’t detract from my favorite thing about the Olympics. It’s human beings giving their all in a spirit that embodies the best of humanity. So I think she is charming and beautiful and I am proud she’s an American. Today I want to fuck Jessie Diggins.

I am running into problems. There are almost too many Olympics. There are so many people I wanted to post but only so much time. I mean, I feel like maybe people who have reached the Olympics probably aren’t checking this blog hoping I post them (though if you are, let me know I guess) but it still hurts my soul to not like… give recognition. Anyway, today was hard and I was going back and forth but the thing is I woke up to pictures of Silje Norendal being sent to me and her event was in the early hours of the morning and well… I think she is the most beautiful person at the Olympics. She is just gorgeous. It’s why she’s one of the athletes showing up here before that you’ll find plenty of older posts about as well. I won’t spoil the event if you haven’t seen yet and want to but you know, I will say it’s a shame that wind played such a factor. Canceling the qualifiers, shortening the number of runs. Not for Silje’s sake but in general, because everyone there, this is one of the biggest moments of their career. I feel they were cheated some by not getting the full chance to show what they can do (and I was cheated cause slopestyle is probably my favorite event and we got a shortened run from the men and women). Silje is beautiful and in some ways represents to me how far we have come with women’s athletics. There were a lot of nasty stereotypes about female athletes when I was a kid and she defies basically all of them. Then as a young adult there were other really dismissive stereotypes about attractive athletes (largely that they were garbage and were only allowed in to the top level to help ratings) and she defies those. And this doesn’t really make her a trailblazer, those women who dealt with all those comments were the trailblazers. Silje is just the norm now she is beautiful and talented and no one questions either of those things based on the other thing. And that’s really nice. Today I want to fuck Silje Norendal.

I was saddened heading into this Olympics by some early retirements of athletes I liked last time out. Three I posted even. But, you know who is back? Kaetlyn Osmond. And thank god because the world is richer for getting to see her. Four years ago (or technically 3 years ago, 11 months, and 17 days ago) when I posted Kaetlyn I was taken by her beauty and I said figure skaters dress like fairy princesses. I realized rereading that today that perhaps people might think that’s an insult. I am here to set you straight, there is nothing insulting about looking like a fairy princess. We should all be so god damned lucky. Look, the simple truth is that I have a love hate relationship with figure skating. I love the beauty and athleticism, I tend to hate the judging. Which yes, has gotten better and technically they no longer score you on how much of a fairy princess you look like and if you have fairy princess blood in your family or not but… well, I still think it’s their. But why I hate how a girl looking coming into play in if she gets a medal or lot I don’t hold it against the costumes. Which are frankly amazing. I love the chance for personal expression that most sports don’t allow. Would I like to see what happened if LeBron James designed his own uniform and it was different every few days? Fuck yeah I would! But it would never happen. It happens here and I can’t hold it against the pretty, sparkly costumes that they might influence a judge. And that personal expression is part of what I like about Kaetlyn and why I am actually looking forward to watching figure skating this year. She was accused last time of being “too adult” which is still beyond stupid. She was an adult, deal with it. Also, you know, I know Tinkerbell is a huge property for Disney but I don’t think it’s because it’s something the parents are buying for after they put the kids to bed. Anyway, she is sexy, so I think that is what people are sensing. There is a bit of that in the costumes (I loved her gloves. Why? I dunno, I just really dug them). I mean, they’re very much not sexual costumes but she herself is just kind of sexy, and her personality comes through. And man I like her a lot guys. She is one of those special ones who is just gorgeous. So I am posting her even though it’s just team skate so far and her individual stuff won’t be until the end of the week, I am glad for the excuse to post her. Today I want to fuck Kaetlyn Osmond.

In looking for pictures, I have discovered that Hilary Knight has abs that could kill a man. How? I don’t really know, I have never had lethal abs so I am not entirely clear on the logistics but they are very impressive so I am confident they could get the job done. I guess if they couldn’t she has a silver medal also, you could probably beat a man to death with that. I mean, she definitely could, she’s an Olympic athlete. She’s an impressive physical specimen, I assume most Olympians could kill a man if they wanted to since you guys are so obsessed with this for some reason but they wouldn’t. Because that’s counter to the Olympic spirit. I am not sure why you guys are so focused on this weird digression, the Olympics are about togetherness. So yes, while Hilary Knight could murder a man in numerous ways, I mean, she wears razor sharp skates, carries a big stick and has arms like pythons, it would be easy, but she wouldn’t. Because she represents something bigger, unity through sport, through human achievement and something universal about all of us. It’s a wonderful, magical thing if you let it be and let go of your morbid obsessions. Look, the magic of the Olympics is it is one of the few experiences of unbridled optimism in a world where lazy cynicism often rules the day. It’s a celebration of the human spirit and the joy in it is seeing people who have worked hard achieve their dreams. The greatest moments are seeing someone win a medal, or watching an entire small country go nuts because it won it’s first medal ever, or seeing someone who is just so thrilled to be there they can’t keep the joy off of their face. The US Women play their first game tomorrow but I was up at 3 AM not sleeping and watching Japan and Sweden play and I thought about Hilary Knight and how I almost posted her last Olympics but didn’t get around to it because there is so much going on during the Olympics. She is gorgeous and talented and you know what, the NHL may have abandoned the Olympics like a bunch of dicks but there will still be great hockey to watch thanks to the women. Today I want to fuck Hilary Knight.

So here is a post that is going to feel out of nowhere cause, you know, it’s kind of out of nowhere.  Charlotte Caslick hasn’t shown up here since the Olympics on account of being an Olympic Athlete. I found Rugby Sevens to be a revelation in the last Olympics, I just really, really enjoyed watching it. And it’s cold as fuck here. So cold that there is no way I am going outside unless I have to. So I was like, you know, it’s Summer in Australia and so on, I wonder if there is anything like Rugby Sevens to watch. Well.. there’s not. Not until the end of the month so… finger’s crossed for snow in the last week of January. I did excitedly find that while the men’s matches will be on ESPN and thus barely televised, the women’s matches will be on the Rubgy Channel, which is a streaming thing and I have already added it to my TV and bam, I am ready and I am excited. As an American I am obviously going to root for the US but if I have to be honest my heart will be with Charlotte Caslick. Not because she’s pretty, though, you know, it doesn’t hurt, but because she was so much fun to watch last time. I am not an expert on the sport but man, I know what fast looks like, I know what strong looks like. She was a thing of beauty to watch, just this combo of speed and power and I am kind of excited to get to watch her again in a few weeks. Plus all her pictures are her in warm weather and man that looks good too. Really good. Today I want to fuck Charlotte Caslick.

So Stranger Things comes back today and I can’t imagine anyone cares about that because the internet is in no way obsessed with Stranger Things.  So what does Maika Monroe have to do with Stranger Things?  I don’t have a single clue!  Is she in this season’s episodes?  Was she just at the premier for some other reason?  Who knows!  It will be one of the many fascinating mysteries I can learn about this evening when I start to watch.  I’ll be on the edge of my seat.  Also stuff about the upside down but I am sure most people will be more interested in me finding out who is and isn’t on the show.  Either way, I really liked her dress at the premier because it’s red and sparkly.  And I should rewatch It Follows this weekend at some point.  Today I want to fuck Maika Monroe.

So Nastia Liukin was at some awards show that had something to do with sports, which makes sense, when she does show up on the red carpet it is usually at least sports adjacent.  I am always glad to see her because I like her and it’s rare for her to show up.  I guess I am glad she is still… I am not sure what the word is.  That life is still affording her certain opportunities.  Like I know she was part of NBC’s coverage of the Olympics and I hope that continues just because she seems like a pretty decent person and also because I hate the way society often spits out Olympic Athletes.  We all struggle with getting older and opportunities passing us by and just there being fewer options but it has always stuck me as especially cruel to the high level athlete, who is old before the rest of us, none more so than female gymnasts.  I have gone down this territory a very long time ago, when Nastia’s shoulder did her in and she missed the cut to make the team at the old age of 19.  It seems like a cruel fate and I remember at some point later that year when I posted her someone reblogged with comments about how pathetic she was for trying to hang on to fame and she should just give up.  It struck me as exceptionally mean spirited to tell a girl of 20 to just pack it in and give up on life.  I get that sometimes we are tired of seeing certain people in the public eye but everyone needs to work.  I am reminded of Patrick Stewart recalling how angry he got when people were implying Star Trek was beneath him when he first started on the show.  Reporters I mean in interviews.  They thought they were sympathizing with them but it angered him and his whole point was what do they expect?  He has to work.  He had a family.  He also said no work is beneath you unless you make it so, you can give your all to anything an elevate it.  That takes us a bit far afield.  My point is a young woman who has spent her entire life doing a thing and then she suddenly can’t anymore before she’s 20, I applaud her for trying to find something else.  We all do a lot of searching and trying to find what to do.  I guess I don’t understand begrudging people that. Especially because I can think of have been chewed up and spit out when they became “washed up” at 19.  So I think part of this is just that I am always pleased to see her doing stuff, it’s a reminder that hey, things are ok.  I am glad.  I mean, she represented my country.  I’ll be honest, I am prouder of the way Olympic athletes have represented my country than a lot of people who represent us.  Also she’s very pretty.  Today I want to fuck Nastia Liukin

I couldn’t remember if I had posted Aly Raisman or not before.  I know I had seriously considered it before but I guess it didn’t happen.  She was at something for the CMAs the other day and I really liked her dress which got her back in my head.  The dress didn’t make it here because as much as I liked the dress I feel like it would be a missed opportunity to only put her in gowns that kind of make her look like anyone else on the red carpet.  Maybe that would be good too, a whole different point but I feel like there is a lot of value in pointing out that Aly Raisman’s body is not one that conforms to what we would consider typical feminine beauty standards but she is still very attractive.  There is a lot to unpack here and I am probably ill suited to do so but I feel like I have to share some thoughts since I brought it up.  One of the reasons I enjoy ESPN’s body issue each year is not because naked athletes are fun to look at, though often they are, it’s because it really does emphasize how amazing the human body can be.  Anyone appearing in the issue is in just amazing shape and is at the top of what they do.  They have honed their body into the perfect machine for exceptional athletic feats.  Those feats are often different and it means that their bodies are often very different.  They take amazingly different shapes and sizes because they have been honed towards a certain activity.  It is beautiful and fascinating and destroys the concept of one size fits all.  I encourage you to look at Prince Fielder’s body issue pictures at some point and realize that his body is not our conception of what someone in shape is supposed to look like but the truth is he is in better shape than everyone reading this.  Probably.  I guess Charlotte Caslick might have been an avid reader of this blog since I posted her.  Feel free to say high if that’s true.  Anyway, my point is Aly Raisman is not what we think of either as what a woman looks like if she is at the gym all the time but I defy you to look at her and find a single flaw in her physical structure.  She is undeniably physical perfection in the condition of her body.  It’s a little staggering to look at her.  In general I like this.  And I happen to find it beautiful to regard and think she is pretty as a result.  I guess my second point is you don’t have to.  I appreciate that tumblr and the internet tries to be inclusive in what is beautiful and so on but they also take it too far.  Look, if you find someone unattractive that’s actually ok.  If you feel the need to loudly voice it without being asked, then you’re a dick.  There’s an important distinction here.  I don’t know that in every situation people need to keep quiet for politeness but you should probably ask yourself what the benefit of rude honesty is anytime you are prepared for it.  In the case of a stranger’s body on the internet it really isn’t that important that you let everyone know you aren’t down.  There is a caveat though, the rest of you need to stop making people feel guilty for not being attracted to someone.  It doesn’t make them a bad person.  We really aren’t in control of our sexual attraction, we tend to like what we like, even people like me who overthink every little bit of everything to the point that they have blogs about what they are attracted to.  And you can argue what factors have contributed to that person’s conception of beauty but it doesn’t change how they feel.  We can’t control how we feel, just how we act on it.  And look, I would love to claim that people have to be attracted to someone just because say they are funny and smart.  This would benefit me greatly as I am hilarious, brilliant, and humble.  But I am also old and out of shape and I look at pictures of me as a teenager and wonder what the hell happened.  Well, age did.  But in the end I can be as clever as I like, big heads and soft bodies make for lousy lovers to steal a line.  My point is people should perhaps examine things from a broader perspective because you should be attracted to someone because they are a good person/nice/kind/smart is a weapon that has been wielded unevenly for ages.  If you’re a girl and reading this you probably have felt pressure many times in your life, even if it just came form inside, to find a guy attractive because he was so decent.  Just because we change the standards of what we are applying that to it’s the same unfair formula.  You can’t force attraction and no one should feel bad if they aren’t attracted to someone.  It feels like an important note because I see tumblr take it too far sometimes.  So what I am saying, because sometimes my posts get hate, is that this post is here because I am attracted to Aly Raisman.  This doesn’t make me a good person or a bad person.  I just am.  And you are welcome to be as well and that is fine.  You are welcome to not be and that is fine.  But I am.  Today I want to fuck Aly Raisman.

So the Winter X-Games are going on this weekend and I watched a bunch cause…. well, I really like most of the sports that happen in the Winter X-Games and I have become a fan of a few of the sports in particular.  So here is Silje Norendal who shows up here roughly once a year when she shows up at some major Snowboarding event that is actually televised.  She is one of the top at women’s Slopestyle in the world and that sort of thing always impresses me, even though she didn’t reach the podium yesterday.  It only takes one slip after all.  I am blown away by what they can do.  And in her case it helps that she is just ridiculously beautiful.  Every time she showed up on screen it was like, oh right, she is fucking amazing to look at.  Who looks like that?  In the freezing cold?  My face would be a mess.  Hers is a delight.  Today I want to fuck Silje Norendal.