New Olympic Event

[johnwalser]

The Olympics have become such a hodgepodge of silly events (I fully expect dart throwing and horseshoe pitching to be included by 2008) that maybe it's time we start lobbing for mandolin playing. We could have timed speed events and "artistic" events where judges get to give high scores to the players from their own individual countries. Can you imagine some announcer saying "that was a very nice Marshall Tremolo Crescendo Dismount with a 3.2 degree of difficulty"?
John

[John Rosett]

i don't know, john. there's already too many of these hyperactive youngsters that can play so fast and clean. i think that an olympic event would only encourage them.
john

[Emmiemando]

I am totally for that idea:D I can see it now...." And look there, Jack, I think we have a new world record-She strummed that A#7m6b8 chord like it was nothing!"http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
(is A#7m6b8 even a chord???)

[John Flynn]

You heard it here first! Announcing a new Olympic event: Bluegrass Jamming!!!

In this new Olympic sport, musicians take turns trying to play as many notes as possible during their solo break, while other musicians "play defense" by trying to throw them off with syncopated rhythms and counter-melodies. One technique point is scored for every note played on key. One point is deducted for every note played off key or missed altogether. Flatted thirds and fifths score two points if they work in the opinion of the judges, two points off if they don’t. Also, style points can be awarded by the judges for playing loud, dressing and talking like Big Mon and having a great axe, like a Gilchrist, Dude, Nugget, etc. There are bonus style points if the mando is distressed, even if it got that way by being used to play racketball. Some judges, especially the Europeans, will sometimes give points for actually being musical, but this is controversial.

Only the top scorers get invited to the next jam. The gold medal goes the last guy standing, who gets to do a “victory jam” all by himself. Just as other athletes can get huge endorsement deals for winning medals, BG Jamming medalists can get recording deals, their own "signature" Gibson F-5 models and can even graduate from bluegrass altogether and go on to play back-up for Shinia Twain or Jack White.

[flairbzzt]

Will there be testing for performance enhancers for inhuman finger flying speed?http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

[TommyK]

Yes there would be performance enhancers... Coffee, lotsa coffee http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/coffee.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/coffee.gif The test would be with a pyrometer checking surface heat on the pick guard.


Will there be testing for performance enhancers for inhuman finger flying speed?http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif
Emmiemando wrote, "new world record-She strummed that A#7m6b8 #chord like it was nothing!"
(is A#7m6b8 even a chord???)"
By my wheel of 5ths, I came up with, I think ,a J~# (read "Jay semi sharp") #That is the chord uttered by a recently steered bull. Someone correct me if I'm right.

[Dru Lee Parsec]

Well, it's better than the idea of having chess as an olympic sport ( I'm a chess player and I still don't support that ). I mean, any activity where the competitor can get up to go outside and have a smoke during the competition doesn't seem to be a "sport".

And if you're a mando player does Red Bull count as a performance enhancing drug?

Which reminds me of the Canadian Snow Boarder who lost his medal because he smoked pot before a competition. The banter between the comentators went like this:

"I wouldn't think marijuana was a performance enhancing drug"

"Well, maybe if you're a bass player"

[Tom C]

A new event?

[TommyK]

So TOM C what event was that the 300 meter Fret stroke or the 400 meter....... melody!? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif
(I couldn't let that pass)

[Lee]

The b*njo toss...
oops, thread morph http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[flairbzzt]

I think it was synchronized strumming...

[Ted Eschliman]

The b*njo toss...
That just sends chills up my spine, especially when you consider the earliest Greek Olympics were performed in the nude.
Bunch of banjo players running around in the... <shudder>
(I can't even finish that thought...)

[mandroid]

Banjo toss , for distance, or accuracy? [reference to 'the perfect pitch' joke.] http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif