Silver

It seems like my teams are always finishing second.

The RedWings were in the Stanley Cup Finals only to lose in the final game, i.e., second place (Silver Medal).

My university (Michigan State University) made it to the NCAA Basketball Final game only to lose to NC, i.e., second place.

My baseball team (Detroit Tigers) was leading the central division of AL by 3 games with 4 to go, only to lose the lead and the playoff game to the MN twins, i.e., second place!

Fortunately I won in the marriage game (I won the Gold with my lovely wife), so I guess I have won all the important "games"!

I was nearly sick. But that's how you have to ride - as if you never want to breathe again [on winning a silver medal at Beijing] Emma Pooley

Jonathan Edwards - he has his faith, his health, his wife and his children, but more importantly, he has his Olympic gold medal. Brian Alexander

If I win the gold I might say nothing and just wander past him, hopefully with some kind of medal - a gold one preferably. I think I might dangle it in front of his face or something. [on how he'd react to a French rival who got him disqualified from a race!] Ben Ainslie

Gold medals aren't made precious by the metal, they are made precious by all the hard work, sweat and tears that the athlete puts in to winning that medal. Dan Gable

LOSS, (n) Privation of that which we had, or had not. Thus, in the latter sense, it is said of a defeated candidate that he "lost his election"; and of that eminent man, the poet Gilder, that he has "lost his mind." It is in the former and more legitimate sense, that the word is used in the famous epitaph:
Here Huntington's ashes long have lain
Whose loss is our eternal gain,
For while he exercised all his powers
Whatever he gained, the loss was ours. (DD)

HDTV

We actually bought a HDTV, it is a Panasonic Plasma TV. After much moaning and groaning, thinking and rethinking, contemplating and looking at various TV's; we bought it; we also got a "free" Blu-Ray player with it.

This purchase was really pretty frivolous. Our old 27" CRT TV worked OK & we don't really watch that much TV anyhow. But we "deserve" (in the same sense that the people that lawyers get money for their pain or injuries do) to pamper ourselves a little; as my kids would tell you, I am cheap & did not spend more than we made for all the years they were with us. We did give them money for most of college but there were few frills when they were growing up.

“All things are cheap to the saving, dear to the wasteful” Benjamin Franklin

“Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine.” Lord Byron {Maybe someone should tell P.O.}

“I buy expensive suits. They just look cheap on me.” Warren Buffett

“I can't stand cheap people. It makes me real mad when someone says something like, "Hey, when are you going to pay me that $100 you owe me?" or "Do you have that $50 you borrowed?" Man, quit being so cheap!” Jack Handy

HDTV (abbreviation) high-definition television, using more lines per frame to give a sharper image than a conventional television

Arrogance

In their speeches to the IOC (International Olympic Committee), the Obama couple used "I" or "me" a total of 57 times. M.O. 34 & P.O. 23 times.

Reports have said that the arrogance (vanity) turned off many of the Olympic voters. I suspect that Rio would have gotten the Olympics anyhow (there has never been one in South America); but being the first country voted out was an embarrassment.

It takes some arrogance to be successful as a politician; but I long for the class of Bush II. It is alright to be vain if you are good or have accomplished something, but not if your only accomplishment is being elected to political office against an unpopular opponent & a disliked President.

“Men know everything - all of them- all the time - no matter how stupid or inexperienced or arrogant or ignorant they are” Andrea Dworkin

“You can have a certain arrogance, and I think that's fine, but what you should never lose is the respect for the others.” Steffi Graf

When men are most sure and arrogant they are commonly most mistaken, giving views to passion without that proper deliberation which alone can secure them from the grossest absurdities. DAVID HUME

He was like a cock who thought the sun had risen to hear him crow. GEORGE ELIOT

arrogant (adj) having or revealing an exaggerated sense of one's own importance or abilities : he's arrogant and opinionated

ORIGIN late Middle English : via Old French from Latin arrogant- ‘claiming for oneself,’ from the verb arrogare (see arrogate ).