Olympinonsense

[kernelbogey]

Well, Colonel, that's excellent. I am really quite flattered that this thread, which I started as a bit of nonsense really, has run to (currently) post #584! OG

It seems that today's smart money is on being positive about the Games; nonetheless I'm sure there will be ample fodder, over the next two weeks, to take this thread - ooh, perhaps to 1000 posts, Gold itself....

[Old Grumpy]

It seems that today's smart money is on being positive about the Games; nonetheless I'm sure there will be ample fodder, over the next two weeks, to take this thread - ooh, perhaps to 1000 posts, Gold itself....

indeed sir!

[kernelbogey]

.... For those who didn't watch until the end or missed it completely the Ceremony is now on iplayer, minus commentary, and available until January 2013 and with a running time of 230mins presumably without parade of the athletes.....

For the information of anyone wanting to watch this version, it's not the one flagged up on the home page of iPlayer, which is available only until 4 August: it's in the Sport section of the BBC website:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00w2r5c/Olympic_Ceremonies_London_2012_Online_Opening_Ceremony_no_comm/

[Flosshilde]

Blokes, undies. Nobbly bits, don't want them on view. Well, to be honest, who does??

[pilamenon]

The BBC highlights programme tonight was the pits. The "experts" knew virtually nothing about the sports they were being asked to comment on, and in the case of the cycling road race, nor did the presenter. Embarrassing exchanges ensued about why the British rider didn't win, based on complete ignorance.

John McEnroe is hard enough to take talking about his own sport, let alone pontificating about the Olympics which he frankly admitted he doesn't yet have a clue about. And Dame Kelly Holmes has nothing worthwhile to say. All in all, a very poor show. I do hope they start bringing in people who know their sport.

[Resurrection Man]

Inevitable really. They're dished out like sweeties to people for increasing their sales or whatever, & they have no ingterest in or commitment to going. It's the same with concerts. How many 'sold out' Proms have plenty of empty seats?

Here we go again. Where is your evidence? Chip on shoulder the size of a forest. Here is one other viable explanation...

"Early indications are that the empty seats are in accredited seating areas, but this is day one, and our end of day review will provide a fuller picture of attendance levels across all our venues."

Accredited = media, in case you didn't know.

And a quick Google reveals that

"The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has ruled that a certain number of seats must be reserved for members of the "Olympic family", whose numbers include athletes, team officials, members of federations and others.

In most venues, at least a fifth of the seats are reserved for "family" members and sponsors, "

So less of the bile and bigotry.

[Bryn]

So less of the bile and bigotry.

I very much doubt you could manage that.

[Lateralthinking1]

The BBC highlights programme tonight was the pits. The "experts" knew virtually nothing about the sports they were being asked to comment on, and in the case of the cycling road race, nor did the presenter. Embarrassing exchanges ensued about why the British rider didn't win, based on complete ignorance.

John McEnroe is hard enough to take talking about his own sport, let alone pontificating about the Olympics which he frankly admitted he doesn't yet have a clue about. And Dame Kelly Holmes has nothing worthwhile to say. All in all, a very poor show. I do hope they start bringing in people who know their sport.

I saw the beginning of it but switched it off. Actually I like all the four people involved but I agree that the three contributors were out of their depth. Gabby though is well informed.

Far more embarrassing - all the empty seats, appalling, and what might in the end be a very poor number of medals for this country. The latter if it happens will highlight all our wrong priorities re investment.

More generally, I am coming to the conclusion that heavily trained athleticism is not a good thing. The obsessive character of it is abnormal as is in many respects aggressive competition.

There was a time when the fastest runners were Kenyans and Ethiopians who just ran naturally for fun. Character wise, they were more attractive because it was all about natural talent.

[kernelbogey]

..."The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has ruled that a certain number of seats must be reserved for members of the "Olympic family", whose numbers include athletes, team officials, members of federations and others. In most venues, at least a fifth of the seats are reserved for "family" members and sponsors, "....

It's still a scandal that the seats were empty. Thousands of potential visitors to the Games were denied tickets (and probably gave up trying as a result) because of the IOC's bossy, demanding behaviour. They behave with the arrogance of a multinational and the Government has repeatedly rolled over to them.

[mercia]

There was a time when the fastest runners were Kenyans and Ethiopians

I thought those two nations usually produced the long distance runners rather than sprinters, didn't they?

[not that I remotely know what I'm talking about]

[Lateralthinking1]

I thought those two nations usually produced the long distance runners rather than sprinters, didn't they?

[not that I remotely know what I'm talking about]

Yes, you are quite right. What I am suggesting is slightly contradictory because I accept the professional footballers are coached and tennis players have personal trainers.

There is though that idea of a world in which competitions are held once or twice a year, people don't spend every waking hour from the age of four trying to win, and competitors just turn up to show what they are capable of doing naturally while at other times having ordinary lives. I would much prefer it.

On another point, there has been debate about the arrival of women's boxing in the Olympics. I don't object to it, although I note that anyone who does is depicted as antediluvian and golf could have been introduced instead. Not far from that issue, I did watch five minutes of the women's football and another five minutes of women's basketball. It is somewhat typical that the disunited and petulant football team is succeeding. Frankly, I really wanted Cameroon to win there. More to the point, in the case of women's basketball, one competitor was swearing under her breath at a team mate and I was half expecting her to spit on the ground next.

I am all for equality but I don't enjoy seeing women exhibiting the kinds of attitudes and behaviour that I dislike intensely in men. In the latter case I tend to see it as backward rather than enlightened. Much the same applies to the executive boardroom.

[Northender]

Antonia Fraser has owned to up being shocked on realizing that Helen Mirren was in fact being played by the Queen ('BH' on Radio 4 at just after 0900 this morning).
While waiting for non-Olympic news last night on the BBC 'News' Channel (I gave up after 15 minutes), I saw a cyclist being asked to explain 'what went wrong' - presumably he'd failed to live up to expectations. I gained the distinct impression that the interviewer was trying to get him to blub on-camera. Seriously distasteful stuff.

[kernelbogey]

....While waiting for non-Olympic news last night on the BBC 'News' Channel (I gave up after 15 minutes), I saw a cyclist being asked to explain 'what went wrong' - presumably he'd failed to live up to expectations....

Some years ago, an interviewer asked Jackie Stewart, the racing driver, 'So, Jackie, how come you win so many races?' The sardonic reply came 'I just drive faster than everybody else'.

[Richard Tarleton]

I see Katherine Jenkins (attending an Olympics party on p 11 of the Sunday Times) has been promoted to Soprano.

That there are more chavs in Oxbridge than on all of the council estates put together; that their artistic vision, such as it is, is often far more of a hell hole than the worst living conditions in Dickensian London; that most of them are still spoilt little rich kids, entirely remote from the general public and blase about anyone's welfare along with their own

Erm, Lat, I can't be the only Oxbridge alumnus on these boards to be a little taken aback by this tirade - OK it was a while ago and things might have changed but I don't recognise this picture at all. I must have moved in different circles but seemed to come across remarkably few of these people. I do recall a group of Hoorays who probably do answer to your description who took to working in the Radcliffe Camera for about half a term until they were told off by the librarian for being noisy and clearly got bored and left - but they were a tiny minority.

[kernelbogey]

...Erm, Lat, I can't be the only Oxbridge alumnus on these boards to be a little taken aback by this tirade....

Furthermore I believe it is not permissible to wear a BA gown with a shell suit.