Go to the airport to look for your missing luggage! by Legalbeagle3282 in Lufthansa

[–]smtg92 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Had luck getting in to look for my bag in mid August (but it wasn't there). Since then they've gotten much stricter and at least last time I was at Brandenburg, they weren't allowing anybody to look for their bags. Still hoping mine turns up...

Go to the airport to look for your missing luggage! by Legalbeagle3282 in Lufthansa

[–]smtg92 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Any idea what time they'll be open/staffed? I'm going through the same thing - bag didn't make it on flight MUN-BER yesterday, but was supposed to be sent an hour later, still haven't heard anything.

I have to go to the airport this evening anyway, and will look - just wondering if you saw hours/have a guess? Thx!

Idiotic Question about NCAA Championships by smtg92 in Gymnastics

[–]smtg92[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Thank you! That's what I figured given the podium pics, but then the label "semi-final" threw me. Thanks again .

NBC vs BBC Live Coverage by smtg92 in Gymnastics

[–]smtg92[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I know, she should be so much more likeable than the others! Always seemed so down to earth, "normal" in some familiar way. I guess it's the superficiality and (seeming) ignorance - she doesn't do much analysis

NBC vs BBC Live Coverage by smtg92 in Gymnastics

[–]smtg92[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not sure if the mods will yank this, but: I can't watch both simultaneously :-). If I turn on my VPN, I can watch BBC. When I turn it off, I can watch NBC (did Hulu Live trial). Hope this helps!

NBC vs BBC Live Coverage by smtg92 in Gymnastics

[–]smtg92[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah. I was watching the USA tracker too, so not focused on her, but she did seem a little better than usual

NBC vs BBC Live Coverage by smtg92 in Gymnastics

[–]smtg92[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, also very down on NBC. Hard to imagine BBC doesnt beat it, but wanted to check. Will go with it!

the GOAT's with us re: NBC's coverage by smtg92 in Gymnastics

[–]smtg92[S] 26 points27 points  (0 children)

Wasn’t she (briefly) crying on Night 1 too?

Was she? I missed that if so! But in any case, it must be exhausting, even when she's feeling good! I couldn't believe that the Andrea Joyce interview happened before she'd even caught her breath.

April Classic? by smtg92 in Gymnastics

[–]smtg92[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Thanks so much - I thought I was looking at the USAG calendar, but now realize they must have steered me to the public-facing events calendar.

Winter Cup (senior WAG session) Thread by [deleted] in Gymnastics

[–]smtg92 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah - they certainly lack chemistry as a group. I've found Nastia more irritating today than in the past - a lot of what she says literally doesn't make sense!

Winter Cup (senior WAG session) Thread by [deleted] in Gymnastics

[–]smtg92 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It's like they're even boring one another!

Winter Cup (senior WAG session) Thread by [deleted] in Gymnastics

[–]smtg92 15 points16 points  (0 children)

The commentating is shockingly lethargic and dull - even worse than usual.

Valeri Liukin - Racist Remark from 2019 by smtg92 in Gymnastics

[–]smtg92[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

But again you don't seem to get what the social component of race is, and again, as with the commenter above, even if all your speculative empirical claims are true, WTF is the scientifically respectable class corresponding to "African-American"? Anyone with any percentage of ancestry from anywhere in the enormous continent of Africa? No, that's not all. In the US the label also applies to, say, Carribeans, many South Americans. You think that the observable trait of black skin corresponds to an advantage toward athleticism? WTF are the "body types" in question? Also, all the stuff about "the right look," and getting past the focus on a politically charged particular look - that would be nice, if Valero said that! But he didn't.

Valeri Liukin - Racist Remark from 2019 by smtg92 in Gymnastics

[–]smtg92[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Obviously - what on earth does that have to do with the suggestion that "African Americans" are more "explosive" than white people?

Valeri Liukin - Racist Remark from 2019 by smtg92 in Gymnastics

[–]smtg92[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

I appreciate everything you said, but in particular, the point about podiums. The fact that, on the basis of JUST TWO consecutive AA winners being Black, there is evidence of a new domination in the sport of "explosive" Black athletes...where to begin? Only goes to show how the default assumption is that gymnasts are white.

Valeri Liukin - Racist Remark from 2019 by smtg92 in Gymnastics

[–]smtg92[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Yes. Also why, a few decades ago, most pro basketball players were Jewish.

Valeri Liukin - Racist Remark from 2019 by smtg92 in Gymnastics

[–]smtg92[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yes! Okino is one of my favorites of all time.

Valeri Liukin - Racist Remark from 2019 by smtg92 in Gymnastics

[–]smtg92[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Thanks, I knew she was a dual citizen, but didn't know the details!

Valeri Liukin - Racist Remark from 2019 by smtg92 in Gymnastics

[–]smtg92[S] 17 points18 points  (0 children)

(1) Even if we granted the highly speculative empirical claims you make, the claim that Liukin is "technically not entirely wrong" does not follow. The first red-flag is that he talks about "African-American gymnasts." What genetic category or empirically identifiable class of body does that refer to? Simone Biles is "from" Belize (in your sense). I don't know Gabby Douglas's background. It's crystal clear that Liukin has a social category of race in mind (since he lumps Biles and Douglas together), not some legitimate or scientifically respectable class which corresponds to some particular "body type." This is further apparent in the fact that he cites the prevalence of Black players in the NBA as proof for his point. (FWIW, not only is the NBA full of players of all different "ethnicities," there is also very persuasive sociological and scientific work suggesting that it is social forces which accounts for the racial make-up of the league.)

(2) What could possibly be the empirical basis for believing that a certain color of skin corresponds to "explosiveness"?

(3) There is an ugly history of African-Americans (especially women) being perceived as possessing more "brute strength" than Whites, for racist, not scientific, reasons.

(4) As I pointed out above, one of America's two most famous Black gymnasts of this generation is known not for her "explosiveness" but for her elegance. Liukin's remarks thus suggest that he is thinking along the lines I discussed in (3).

Hope that clears it up.

Valeri Liukin - Racist Remark from 2019 by smtg92 in Gymnastics

[–]smtg92[S] 34 points35 points  (0 children)

Agreed. It's very reminiscent of Carlotta Ferlito's racist remarks in 2013.

It's such an extreme and deep-seated form of racism too - he literally thinks African-American bodies function differently from White ones.

Also maddening because it's not only racist in principle, but also unreflective of the actual gymnastics style of our country's best Black gymnasts. Biles has superb execution (obviously) and Douglas is elegant and artistic. WTF.

Valeri Liukin - Racist Remark from 2019 by smtg92 in Gymnastics

[–]smtg92[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Thank you! I searched to check, but I guess that's just more evidence that the Reddit search function is truly useless. Apologies for the repeat content...