Comments on: Help Make Competitive Sleeping an Olympic Event! http://mitchblum.com/2009/09/17/help-make-competitive-sleeping-an-olympic-event/ Destroyer of Words Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:33:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Mitch http://mitchblum.com/2009/09/17/help-make-competitive-sleeping-an-olympic-event/comment-page-1/#comment-24 Mitch Fri, 18 Sep 2009 02:06:20 +0000 http://mitchblum.com/?p=895#comment-24 BL, We'll go NBA-style on the drug testing: no performance enhancers (e.g. Ambien) but everything else is a-okay as long as you wear a suit on the charter! BL,

We’ll go NBA-style on the drug testing: no performance enhancers (e.g. Ambien) but everything else is a-okay as long as you wear a suit on the charter!

]]> By: BL http://mitchblum.com/2009/09/17/help-make-competitive-sleeping-an-olympic-event/comment-page-1/#comment-23 BL Fri, 18 Sep 2009 01:27:15 +0000 http://mitchblum.com/?p=895#comment-23 I would stand no chance in the hibernation category, but you might as well consider me a lock for the gold in the noise pollution competition (freshman year fire alarms were no match for this guy). Are these "athletes" subjected to the same "tests" that the others are? I see that becoming a serious headwind for the sleepers... I would stand no chance in the hibernation category, but you might as well consider me a lock for the gold in the noise pollution competition (freshman year fire alarms were no match for this guy). Are these “athletes” subjected to the same “tests” that the others are? I see that becoming a serious headwind for the sleepers…

]]> By: Mitch http://mitchblum.com/2009/09/17/help-make-competitive-sleeping-an-olympic-event/comment-page-1/#comment-22 Mitch Fri, 18 Sep 2009 01:25:48 +0000 http://mitchblum.com/?p=895#comment-22 There are two big problems with judging traditional olympic events. In 'opinion' scoring events (i.e. figuring skating) the judges are subconsciously biased towards the country's whose cuisine they prefer. In 'speed' scoring events the talent level is usually so close that they need to go to the 1/100th of a second level to determine a winner. In my mind anything under a full second is really a tie. But this won't be a problem in sleeping, as we'll see different athletes vary their scores by ~15 minutes. As far as style points go, I suspect that sleepers will quickly learn that back sleeping is the only way to go. Also, the obese will find that snoring/sleep apnea issues will eliminate them from the competitive field quite early on. In other words, Viktor and his krooked komrades can try to cheat all they like, but the scores won't be nearly close enough to pull off an undeserved upset. There are two big problems with judging traditional olympic events. In ‘opinion’ scoring events (i.e. figuring skating) the judges are subconsciously biased towards the country’s whose cuisine they prefer. In ’speed’ scoring events the talent level is usually so close that they need to go to the 1/100th of a second level to determine a winner. In my mind anything under a full second is really a tie.

But this won’t be a problem in sleeping, as we’ll see different athletes vary their scores by ~15 minutes. As far as style points go, I suspect that sleepers will quickly learn that back sleeping is the only way to go. Also, the obese will find that snoring/sleep apnea issues will eliminate them from the competitive field quite early on.

In other words, Viktor and his krooked komrades can try to cheat all they like, but the scores won’t be nearly close enough to pull off an undeserved upset.

]]> By: Carl http://mitchblum.com/2009/09/17/help-make-competitive-sleeping-an-olympic-event/comment-page-1/#comment-21 Carl Fri, 18 Sep 2009 01:00:26 +0000 http://mitchblum.com/?p=895#comment-21 You understand these are going to be judged events, right? First, the officiating organization will have to decide which level of sleep -- i.e., stages 2 through 4, and REM -- will constitute "sleep" for the purposes of the competition. And then the monitoring method will need to be decided. Presumably, this will involve electro-encephalography, which will require reading by skilled physiologist judges. You can be sure that when Viktor Sawzlogz of the Czech Republic goes up against you in the finals, the Eastern European judges will all read his EEGs as full-on REM sleep, and award him fives straight across, while they assign you mere level-2 sleep. Judged events just aren't real sports. You understand these are going to be judged events, right? First, the officiating organization will have to decide which level of sleep — i.e., stages 2 through 4, and REM — will constitute “sleep” for the purposes of the competition. And then the monitoring method will need to be decided. Presumably, this will involve electro-encephalography, which will require reading by skilled physiologist judges. You can be sure that when Viktor Sawzlogz of the Czech Republic goes up against you in the finals, the Eastern European judges will all read his EEGs as full-on REM sleep, and award him fives straight across, while they assign you mere level-2 sleep. Judged events just aren’t real sports.

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