The olympics. Yay.

[Camaranth]

I like the Olympics, but then I don't really get excited over them. I hate watching the same highlights again and again and again. I would like the less popular sports to get more screen time (Lacrosse, field hockey etc).

I'm a third culture kid so I have two countries to cheer for and some others which hold special places in my heart and it is fun to joke with my international friends. And go to the right bar and it can be a great atmosphere.

Yes there are lots of problems which other people have already covered.

Prefer the Winter games overall.

 

[Lionsfan]

I find the idea behind the Olympics to be very interesting, and even quite admirable. These athletes represent the pinnacle of human strength and endurance, and are competing to discover who truly is the best among them.

Unfortunately, I feel as though the Olympics have steadily become less about the spirit of human competition and international cooperation and more about the spirit of profit. The entire thing is a giant commercial now. When I'm walking to work, I see giant banner ads featuring Olympic sprinters... Holding bottles of Coke. It isn't about them, it's about the product.

It's all very sad, I think.

I see your point and raise it up one, why not a Olynpics for feats of humanity, such as mental powess. In a increasing technoloical world why contiune to praise humans physical stenght rather than mental strenght?

Also its a big event cooperation see big events and think "big money."

Well physical strength is pretty tangible, easy to prove.

How would you go about proving who's the smartest person in the world? Have them answer a bunch of math questions really fast? Do they have to show work?

 

[Burst6]

I find the idea behind the Olympics to be very interesting, and even quite admirable. These athletes represent the pinnacle of human strength and endurance, and are competing to discover who truly is the best among them.

Unfortunately, I feel as though the Olympics have steadily become less about the spirit of human competition and international cooperation and more about the spirit of profit. The entire thing is a giant commercial now. When I'm walking to work, I see giant banner ads featuring Olympic sprinters... Holding bottles of Coke. It isn't about them, it's about the product.

It's all very sad, I think.

I see your point and raise it up one, why not a Olynpics for feats of humanity, such as mental powess. In a increasing technoloical world why contiune to praise humans physical stenght rather than mental strenght?

Also its a big event cooperation see big events and think "big money."

If QI is to be believed there used to be non-athletic parts of the olympics, but they were removed because of some stupid reason like "these people can go home and make money off of their skills but these athletes can't, so we should ban anything non-athletic".

For example there used to be a poodle clipping event. I would watch the olympics to see how many poodles can get de-hairded in a short time.

OT: I just don't find it that exciting. Watching sports never made an impact on me and i'm not a fan of nationalism.

 

[Magicite Spring]

For me, a big part of the olympics is seeing the athletes from your country take on the world on the biggest stage possible. I tend to find that events that don't have atheletes from my country less exciting than ones that do for the sole fact that I have someone to get behind and cheer for. It adds something to the event and makes it more exciting.

As a New Zealander, its very easy to want to get behind our athtelets. All of them compete not just for own personal glory (even though that is a big part of it), but they all want to represent New Zealand and do us proud. And it certainly is awesome watching them beat the rest of the world when we are such a small country. It shows that no matter where you are from you can be the best if you are willing to work for it. So yeah, I'm definately looking forward to watching the NZ atheletes and cheering them on.

 

[Ravesy]

I have the typical British view on the whole affair, I'm simply waiting to see how much of this we fuck up and how hilarious the results are.

The First fuck up is already in:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-18991619

I'll put a fiver on it pissing it down during the opening ceremony and the flame going out.

I'm exactly the same, it's just going to be one big train wreck isnt it...

So far, or soon to come we have:

Showing the South Korean flag instead of the North one

It's going to piss down in the opening ceremony

Said ceremony is taking place to late for a lot of the athletes to even take part in.

Having to draft in 1000's of soldiers because one week before the games we find out we havent got nearly enough security personnel.

And we paid someone £19 MILLION FOR THIS!?!?!?!?!

We shouldnt be allowed to host things, its just humiliating.

I'm all for the Olympics, I think its an amazing thing, i just dont think WE should host it...

 

[Goofguy]

I've always been considerably more interested in the Winter Olympics than the Summer Olympics. Could be that as a Canadian, I enjoy watching hockey and bobsledding most. Therefore, I won't be watching the London Olympics, more so following it on the internet and watching clips of events when I feel like it.

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

The Olympics is really inappropriate considering the economic state of Britain at the moment. It just seems like a big waste of money that could be better spent on Education and the NHS.

I have the typical British view on the whole affair, I'm simply waiting to see how much of this we fuck up and how hilarious the results are.

Yep.

 

[Kanatatsu]

Gee on a board with a bunch of gamers, not too many are into sports. What a freaking surprise.

 

[SonicWaffle]

I like them. They're fun to watch, I don't really get why you'd hate them, it's not that difficult to ignore it.

...seriously? If you want to ignore the Olympics, you'd have to give up on watching TV, reading the newspapers or magazines, going on the internet (they're even here, in the forums of a video gaming site!) and pretty much any for of human interaction. You can't even give up on going outside because they parade a fucking torch past your house!

If you live in Britain, there is no way to avoid the Olympics short of locking yourself in a panic room for the next few months.

 

[General Twinkletoes]

I like them. They're fun to watch, I don't really get why you'd hate them, it's not that difficult to ignore it.

...seriously? If you want to ignore the Olympics, you'd have to give up on watching TV, reading the newspapers or magazines, going on the internet (they're even here, in the forums of a video gaming site!) and pretty much any for of human interaction. You can't even give up on going outside because they parade a fucking torch past your house!

If you live in Britain, there is no way to avoid the Olympics short of locking yourself in a panic room for the next few months.

I can just ignore all that stuff though. I ignore almost every ad anyway, the torch only happens for one day, and you can just say you don't care about the olympics if anyone presses the issue. Sure you'll notice it, but you can just treat it like any ad and forget about it.

 

[RobfromtheGulag]

I like the idea of the Olympics.

I don't have a TV atm though, so I won't be watching. I wonder if it'll be more erosion of the events via bodysuits and prepubescent contenders.

 

[Elementary - Dear Watson]

I'm excited! I'm in the military, so we get to have it on the screen at work! I like having athletics on in the background as I work, it is quite entertaining. We create bets and stuff as it goes on which makes it more exciting!

Then again... some sport really really sucks... I can't watch sailing to save my life, or the longer runs/cycling events...

I think I enjoy it more because some of the events are similar to phys I do myself, and I know how the athletes must feel, and how much effort they are putting in!

 

[SonicWaffle]

Also, I saw on the Daily Show a clip of what London's plans are for the opening ceremony, and I gotta say... Really? Really, London? I mean, I know you Brits are a naturally bland people, but come on! China's opening was AMAZING. You can at least try to compete against it! Don't just give up! That's so lame!

To be fair, China's was also fake

 

[Susan Arendt]

I absolutely adore the Olympics, especially the Summer games. I love the Olympics because the vast majority of the athletes are people you've never heard of, doing sports that aren't glamorous. They won't be rich, they won't be famous, and they won't win. And yet they go, because it's an honor, and because they love it. They have day jobs, and yet they train to be the best they can be at their chosen sport, and I think that's pretty goddamn wonderful.

I know that there's a lot wrong with the Olympics - there's cheating and there's BS about sponsors and it's gotten rather corporate and all of that. I know it. But the spirit of the Olympics is one of coming together and competing on a level playing field, and letting the best shine. It's about pure competition and pushing yourself to your limits.

As an American, I also love the Olympics because it's where you will see people besides themselves with joy to have come in third. American culture is so tuned to "second place is the first to lose." The message we get practically from birth is if you're not the winner, you're worthless. If you're not the best, then who cares what you are? And that's a crappy, destructive message. In the Olympics, you have people proud just to have the opportunity to step onto the field - anything that happens after that is just gravy.

Plus, it's just plain fun to learn about new sports like fencing or rowing, and watch people devoted to them do their thing. You don't get to see a whole lot of competitive skeet shooting the rest of the time, or even gymnastics. I'm not a big sports fan, not at all, but I love watching people who are dedicated to something do it. Same reason why watching a competitive Halo or Starcraft match is fun. These guys are nerds, they're just nerds for physical activities instead of video games.

 

[SonicWaffle]

I can just ignore all that stuff though. I ignore almost every ad anyway, the torch only happens for one day, and you can just say you don't care about the olympics if anyone presses the issue. Sure you'll notice it, but you can just treat it like any ad and forget about it.

Seeing an ad once is forgettable. Seeing the same ad three or four hundred times a day is relentless. Shops covered in bunting, every advert on TV being linked to the games no matter how unrelated the product is, the front page of every magazine and newspaper you walk past, every bus stop or billboard or train station you visit plastered with Olympic-themed ads.

Maybe I could ignore the games if they were in any way restrained rather than being cynically exploited by every corporation who can in a desperate attempt to link their product to the national consciousness, but the way things are the moment attempting to ignore all the games-related advertising and media and everything else is like trying to ignore the fucking sun!

 

[General Twinkletoes]

I can just ignore all that stuff though. I ignore almost every ad anyway, the torch only happens for one day, and you can just say you don't care about the olympics if anyone presses the issue. Sure you'll notice it, but you can just treat it like any ad and forget about it.

Seeing an ad once is forgettable. Seeing the same ad three or four hundred times a day is relentless. Shops covered in bunting, every advert on TV being linked to the games no matter how unrelated the product is, the front page of every magazine and newspaper you walk past, every bus stop or billboard or train station you visit plastered with Olympic-themed ads.

Maybe I could ignore the games if they were in any way restrained rather than being cynically exploited by every corporation who can in a desperate attempt to link their product to the national consciousness, but the way things are the moment attempting to ignore all the games-related advertising and media and everything else is like trying to ignore the fucking sun!

Maybe it's just an australian thing, but I will usually see the same ad for about a week, none others, and then it finds a new one after I've seen it 200 times. Seeing an olympic themed one instead for say, 2 weeks is hardly different for me.

 

[SonicWaffle]

But the spirit of the Olympics is one of coming together and competing on a level playing field

...and then being thrown out posting for racist Tweets, or walking out because someone mistakenly introduced you under the flag of a country you hate, or getting sent home for attempting to cheat (honestly, I'm surprised there have only been 9 confirmed drug cheats so far!), or taking the opportunity to score petty revenge points by complaining about how shoddy the English accomodation is, or...

 

[StAUG]

As a 'lets foster international brotherhood and goodwill and competitive spirit and blah blah blah' I love the Olympics. As someone that almost never watches TV, I probably won't experience any of it beyond reading the medal tally in the paper while I'm at work. One thing even I've noticed though, is cheesy way it's being advertised. It's either the Escapist or YouTube that starts every 2nd video with a goddamned Coke ad with the British DJ. Coke and Maccas, official Olympics sponsors? Uh, yeah. Great.

 

[SonicWaffle]

Maybe it's just an australian thing

Ah. Therein presumably lies our difference; I'm English, and living in England. As such, I'm constantly bombarded with Olympic advertising from the moment I wake up (putting the news on while I have breakfast - breakfast which likely comes in special Olympic themed packaging - which these days is about 60% Olympic news) and which never goes away throughout the day. Even the detractors are still talking about the games, be it articles about the waste or the fucked up way we're ceding the IOC whatever they want or the spectacular security fuck-ups or how historically speaking the games does sod all for a country's economy, so that the people who disagree with them or don't want them here are still thrusting them into the national consciousness.

I'm apathetic about the actual events; I feel they're a big waste of money, but I don't resent the people who will actually enjoy them. I resent the fact that it feels like the media and the sponsors and the government are doing their damndest to try and make a largely apathetic nation pretend that we care. The torch went past my house, and it was so cynical (I happened to be sitting by the window) as to be ridiculous. People were issued with flags by organisers, children pushed to the front, and then there was about two hours of convey in front of the actual torch that was nothing more than people with megaphones screaming "BE EXCITED! The torch is coming, there will be cameras, and so help me god if you don't look happy about it we'll break your fucking face!". The torch went by, the people stood there for a second, then chucked the flags away and went back to what they'd been doing before. I doubt any of them really gave a shit, but the TV had told them it was an important, not-to-be-missed event and so they went.

I got a text from my mother asking if I'd been to see it. When I said no, she told me I'd missed a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Maybe so, but being raped by angry tigers is probably a once-in-a-lifetime experience too and I'm not giving up my lunch break for that.

EDIT: As if to make my point for me, within moments of finishing this post I got an email promoting the "Summer of Sport!" and a variety of Olympic-and-sport themed offers...from my mobile phone provider. What with there being such a strong link between portable communcation devices and some blokes running in a circle, and all...

 

[Kyrian007]

I enjoy the Olympics. Interestingly enough I enjoy watching the "more obscure (here in the US anyway)" sports, even though the US team usually isn't in contention. I'll cheer on the U.S. but stay for the finals of say... team handball for example (if we even qualified.) I just like the obscure, different sports.

And for all of the people who hate the commercialization... yeah it's bad. But it's better than some of the ideals the modern Olympics were founded on. Namely maintaining class and racial superiority. That's why there was an "amateur only" rule... it was assumed that only affluent white folks could afford to train up to world class status without being a paid professional athlete. And that was supposed further the idea that the highest class people were the most perfect physical and mental specimens. Mental too because there used to be ?art? events like prose and poetry.