Do Americans actually think they are winning the Medal tally?

Question

Ok, so I thought that they knew their media was just trying to make them look better, but reading over Yahoo, it seems that Americans actually believe they are winning the Tally?

Do they actually not realize that Gold Medals are worth WAY more then Bronze? Are they just blatantly taking NBC's word for everything despite the fact that America themselves ranked 1996,2000,2004 etc all by Gold Medals?

Answer 1

Doofus alert! Doofus alert!



Grow up.



If gold medals were the only ones that counted, they wouldn't give out silver and bronze.

Answer 2

I am an American. I know that the Chinese are winning by the number of Gold medals, and that the Americans are winning by the total number of medals overall.



What difference does it make? So long as every athlete and country are performing their best, that is what matters. I have enjoyed the opening ceremony, I look forward to the closing ceremony and in between I have seen some great competition. THAT is what matters.



There is no "winning" the Olympics, for a country, based on the number of medals. The Chinese won the Olympics when they were awarded the right to host them this year, the Chinese won the gold for Gymnastics (team), etc...America won in swimming...but there is no "winning" the Olympics.



IMO, noone is getting fooled-everyone knows how many medals and what kind each country has. I do not think that it is the intent for anyone to mislead as to who is "winning"-American media usually put the United States at the top of the tally, because that is what most Americans are going to look for-they have been at the top in prior Olympics, when they were winning by neither number of gold or number of overall.



My question is, why do people keep asking this question and similar ones, and grouping ALL Americans together? Just trying to spread more anti-American sentiment?

Answer 3

I always wonder why it makes any difference. There have been successes and failures for many athletes both in the US and China. I don't think the medal count means much. To me it is more exciting to see a tiny country like Jamaica dominate the sprints or countries that get their first medal at a sport. These athletes are more excited about it than the US athlete that expected to win. That is what the Olympics are really about.

Answer 4

American do know that gold medals worth more than bronze and silver. It's just that USA didn't do as good as the last olympics and now China has improved a lot since the last olympics. China is going to be number one this year.

Answer 5

We Americans aren't stupid, we can READ. The newspapers tend to have a tally of the Olympic medals won, WE KNOW CHINA IS WINNING. We just like to publicize our victories just as any country would. I'm pretty sure Finland is talking pretty highly of the 1 gold medal they won. Besides its a medal tally not a GOLD MEDAL tally, meaning that if you actually do the math, the United States is in the lead. As far as gold medals China takes that one.

Answer 6

STUPID QUESTION...



Do you know what the word "tally" means?

tally: A mark used in recording a number of acts or objects.



The lists do not analyze wether a gold is worth more than silver or bronze, or how many points should be given for each medal...all the lists indicate are how many medals each country have won.



If you want to analyze how much more a gold is worth than a silver medal please feel free to do so. But you are criticizing a medal TALLY, it's not a medal analysis, it's just a list of the number of medals won by each country.

Answer 7

How many questions are there going to be about this?? Why are you so interested in what the US is doing? Are you jealous? Why do you care?

The US didn't measure the tally in 2000 or 2004 by gold medals and

despite what people may think many people in the US can read. It is very simple to understand the US has the most medals and China has the most golds.

It just amazes me that people are so infatuated with the United States of America and how many medals we have in the Olympics.



..

Answer 8

What people fail to understand is you WIN silver medals and you WIN bronze medals. People act like getting anything but gold is bad.





Being 1st, 2nd or 3rd in the world at something is pretty good.



If your little country was beating the US in the medal count you and all the other America haters would be pumping your chest!

Answer 9

Wow! What's your beef? I'm American and not usually one to stick up for us because I do believe we do a lot of intrusive $hit around the world, but man, you are just looking for something to pick on.



Here's the deal. The TOTAL medal tally puts America at the top. Second for TOTAL tally is China. On NBC when they do the tally, they clearly chart Gold, Silver, Bronze, then Total. So, anyone with a brain can see that for GOLD, China is kicking the crap out of EVERY country. And for TOTAL, America and China are at the top, and I believe the third in line is a distant third to China.



I don't think anyone is trying to pull the wool over anyone's eyes on this. I really don't see why your panties are in a twist. Maybe you're just an a$$. If you want to lambast America for something try our healthcare system or education system or our need to nation build or our population versus consumption/waste output compared to the rest of the world. Find something legit or go away.



EDIT - I agree with tincoatr. For the men's gymnastics, a guy from Uzbekistan got Bronze. It's the first medal of any kind for Uzbekistan, and I was more excited for him than for the American who got Silver or was it Gold. I don't even remember. Oh, and to say that only Gold counts - ask the person in 4th place if Bronze doesn't count!

Answer 10

China sort by gold

American sort by total number

all European countries sort by European Union gold

Russia could count all the gold from countries used to USSR



everyone win

Answer 11

NBC has always changed conventional wisdom to fit their needs. Back in the 1996 Atlanta games, NBC considered and continually said Michael Johnson was the fastest man on earth after winning the 200 metre sprint ... the 100 metre sprint is THE event to determine the fastest man on earth (won by Donovan Bailey). NBC will do the same with the total medal count because they cannot win the gold medal count.

Answer 12

Oh we know it, if the media wants to change the tally to total medals there's nothing you can do but tolerate it though.

Answer 13

Well considering what China has done in the last 8 years, spending billions of dollars on developing their youth for the olympics, forcing them from their families and friends just to train. even forcing some to participate in sports that they are not interested in just because they share a major upside, China may be winning the gold tally, but they are whipping their athletes to a point to where they are slaves. personally i dont think thats how you win the olympics.

Answer 14

Who cares man! America doesn't need to win all the medals every olympics. What does it really prove? That a country is better than another because of the total medals won? Most of the events aren't real sports anyway.

Answer 15

The news reports the tally every night during the recap. Rest assured everyone who cares to watch the Olympics knows the medal count.



ETA: The damn anchor for NBC plainly says that China is in the lead for gold medals. There is no reason to get the tin foil hats out people. There is no conspiracy going on. For God's sake I will say it to make you happy......CHINA IS IN THE LEAD!!!!!!!!

Answer 16

Of course, since 'tally' means total of ALL medals.



Americans are proud of the medals we won fair and square, no matter what color.

Answer 17

It's so sad that you think America is so clueless to the world around them. Who gives a crap who has the most medals? It's doesn't really have any meaning in the long run. The only people I see who are so worried about who thinks what and where, are people from other countries.



The general American population has other things to worry about rather than who is wearing more "bling."

Answer 18

Actually is depends what you're measuring the worth of the medals with. Monetarily, yes, gold is worth more. When it comes to pride, I'd say they're pretty equal.

Answer 19

Who cares China bought most of their medals anyway. There is no way they won all those events fair and square. Just take the one who got a Bronze on the Vault after landing on her knees. That is just one example.

Answer 20

Gold = 3 points

Silver = 2 points

Bronze = 1 point



USA = 183 points



China = 190 points



China winning by 7 points.

Answer 21

Yeah, the media tells them what they want to hear.



In the women's beach volleyball, the USA won gold, and China won silver and bronze. According to their logic, China is the champion... Isn't it?

Answer 22

Take Phelps out, UK and Russia are at par with USA, Australia not too far. this olympics is all about China

Answer 23

it's the US media, their priority is rating, they can care less who wins the olympics, americans care how their country is doing, not china or india. it makes sense

Answer 24

If you total all the medals of the countries that used to make up the USSR, it comes to 126.

Answer 25

I was soooo proud of my Gold medal I had it Bronzed.



Hehehehehe

Answer 26

i suppose we should measure by the metric system and measure are temperture by celcious.measure are miles per hour by kilometer or whatever.we should just change everything to make non americans happy.

Answer 27

I really don't care who has the most medals.

Answer 28

usa is winning! its a MEDAL tally not a GOLD medal tally~!

Answer 29

yep, u r sooo right



...those Americans....93 medals to 83 for Chinoise

....WTF are USA atheltes so overrated, and almost as showy as Cuba?



wha' does the world they think they are doing there anyway

...just panning for gold?



medalists in the Olympics are success stories, ya' know?

Answer 30

Many of the people here in Yahoo Answers are still in "junior high" school so dont actually realise that the american media is pulling the wool over their eyes - they are buying it, hook line and sinker, so you are likely to cop the usual "its always been done that way" naivety from the usual 15 year olds that cant even remember Athens.



Just ignore them and it - its been done to death. America is a lughing stock the world over because of it, and they are making the American people look like robots. If they want to think that way, let em. Not hurting us. Hell, the world ends at their borders in their opinion anyway.



I am sure the sensible adult americans are pretty well aware of the fact they are being duped.

Answer 31

Do you realize that people are accusing China left right and sideways of screwing over other countries in events like Gymnastics that invalid point totals? And did you know that it's most likely true?



Gold is worth more but I think how you *earn* them is worth twice as much either way. Much luck in life.

Answer 32

why don't you think that they put the usa first so people can see what they've done so far. some people only want to know how many medals the usa has.

Answer 33

well you do know that the US media says what the people like to hear. If they praise other countries too much ie China, they would be accused of being left wing communists and people would just read other papers or watch other channels.

Answer 34

who cares? we have the best swimmer.

Answer 35

u r right ,,if u go by the number of golds won ,the us is nowhere near china,,,but its the total that counts..apparently.

Answer 36

yep, China has dominated the US