Bobby is currently the General Manager and Assistant Publisher at the Daily Statesman after serving his term as Managing Editor. He wears many hats in the office, including coordinator of all things online, but his real passion is sports.

Walsh and May-Treanor 'smack that'

Posted Thursday, August 21, 2008, at 10:40 AM

United States' Misty May-Treanor goes for the ball against China in a gold medal women's beach volleyball match at the Chaoyang Park Beach Volleyball Ground at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Defending Olympic Champions Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh of the United States won the gold again in the beach volleyball tournament at the Beijing Olympics by defeating China's Tian Jia and Wang Jie with a perfect 2-0 (21-18, 21-18) in the final, which was held in a rainstorm.

Seems as nothing can go without controversy at the Olympic games though.

Do the the women's beach volleyball uniforms border on soft porn? The men's beach volleyball uniforms are chaste compared with the women's. Men are required to wear a tank top and shorts at a certain length while the women parade around like Victoria's Secret models. Why are the women so exposed? Is it the age-old slogan "sex sells"? Is this true even at the Olympic games?

My opinion? The sport is BEACH volleyball, a game played on the BEACH by people wearing BEACH attire. You can't take the roots out of the game just because it has been accepted as an Olympic sport. If mud wrestling ever makes the cut should they be required to wear different attire? If people are appalled by the sight of muscular female physiques in fashionable swimwear, they need to get a life.

Did anyone complain about the hugger Speedos that Mark Spitz wore swimming back in the day when they were fashionable? They really weren't much more than a jock strap. I didn't think so. Does the womens uniform bother you? Does it bother you that the men can't even take their shirt off during volleyball competition? What's fair?

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I think the volleyball uniform is soft porn indeed....didn't miss a single point throughout the Olympics and recorded ALL matches. Mark Spitz and his Speedos was considered gay soft porn and I am not into that.

-- Posted by shannonhoon on Thu, Aug 21, 2008, at 11:18 AM
I remember well when Mark Spitz won his medals. All the girls in my dorm had posters of him in his speedo with all those medals. Goodness no, no one complained about them.

At about the same time, Burt Reynolds had a poster out that showed him wearing nothing but a football jersey (from behind) looking over his shoulder at the camera. He may have been holding a football - I don't think anyone was looking at the football.

Of course, the men should be able to take off their shirts during beach volleyball. If the look offends you, don't watch.

-- Posted by Ducky on Thu, Aug 21, 2008, at 1:47 PM
Aaaahhhhhhhhh. The famous Farrah Faucett poster of her in that red swimsuit. Still can't believe she stole those raisens!

-- Posted by shannonhoon on Thu, Aug 21, 2008, at 2:03 PM
Beach Volleyball=Beach Attire. Men should be allowed to take their shirts off. Bring back the speedos, I hate those stupid things the swimmers wear now! If it offends you, you need to chill, and don't watch or find something else to complain about...

-- Posted by Lady In Red on Thu, Aug 21, 2008, at 2:50 PM
I remember mentioning something to my best friend last night about not letting her hubby turn it to the Olympics last night b/c the girls were playing in white bikinis in a rainstorm. It was a joke of course. I think they should WEAR what makes them comfortable...I emphasized WEAR b/c usually completely comfortable means naked...but you know what I mean.

-- Posted by mrsdolphin on Thu, Aug 21, 2008, at 10:40 PM
I don't think they would find naked completely comfortable... Won't go any farther on that topic...

Ducky, the Burt Reynolds' centerfold I remember was the one of him, naked, stretched out on ..was it a bear-skin rug?..with...was it a football?..in a strategic location, and a cigar clenched in his teeth. As Bobby says...."Oh, buddy!" What magazine was that? I didn't think I'd ever forget!

-- Posted by goat lady on Fri, Aug 22, 2008, at 8:09 AM
It just occured to me that Greek participants in the original Olympics played naked. However, the participants were mostly men, I believe, though I have read that Sparta allowed its women to be scantily clad. They were more concerned with female fitness than the other Greek city states, since they were so into breeding the perfect warrior.

-- Posted by goat lady on Fri, Aug 22, 2008, at 8:14 AM
GL, you can do a Google search to see his 1972 bearskin rug layout in Cosmopolitan. No football, just a well-placed arm. Hard to believe Burt is now 72!

-- Posted by FJGuy on Fri, Aug 22, 2008, at 1:21 PM
All I know is Walsh and May look good in their "uniforms". But, that "smack that" still sounds porn. I've never heard a pro say that...only here in the heartland blog...funny...ha...ha...ha.

-- Posted by Jim Morrison on Sat, Aug 23, 2008, at 12:09 AM
Oh, my! Thanks, FJ! I remembered the bear skin rug right, but no football and no cigar! Still, I think all that hair can be classified as a cover-up, don'tcha think??

Burt lives forever on the internet.

Greer, have you googled your favorite Farrah poster lately? You can buy the original on the internet for $345!!

-- Posted by goat lady on Sat, Aug 23, 2008, at 5:26 AM
GL, I'm assuming because it was 5:26 am when you posted that you weren't awake enough to think about checking out EBay. You can pick up one of the "famous" Farah Fawcett posters for $10 to $30. Millions were sold so they aren't particularly valuable. An alleged unopened poster is currently bid at $10 with 21 hours to go. Buyer beware! FF lives on forever on the Internet too, as she has been battling several different kinds of cancer.

If anything the women volleyball uniforms are a bit prudish.

-- Posted by FJGuy on Sat, Aug 23, 2008, at 1:02 PM
Prudish?? Are you resorting to hoon-type sarcasm now, FJ? By what standards are those tiny bits of fabric "prudish"??

It was indeed early when I posted, and - since I have no experience with that great American innovation called "EBay" - I'm glad I didn't whip out the ole debit card.

I'm just sad that the 2008 World Olympics are ending and the Political Olympics are beginning. Goodbye, good will!

-- Posted by goat lady on Sun, Aug 24, 2008, at 8:20 AM
Can you say "screensaver"?

-- Posted by 5on5 on Sun, Aug 24, 2008, at 2:55 PM
Good one Long!!!!!!

-- Posted by shannonhoon on Mon, Aug 25, 2008, at 8:47 AM
Inside Edition just announced that Misty-May will be competing on Dancing with the Stars this season. She won't be in bikinis...but I'm sure her outfits will be interesting.

-- Posted by mrsdolphin on Mon, Aug 25, 2008, at 2:25 PM

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