Olympic Games: London 2012

by True Blue Sun Jul 29, 2012 2:49 am

First topic message reminder :

I couldn't believe that this thread did not exist! Until I came along that is. Cool

In this thread goes everything superficially Olympics. I'll start with the opening... which was good, but not great. Loved the torch lighting tho... that was impressive, visually and symbolically. Liked the history theme... shame it all collapsed into music and fashion for the last four decades... too close to comment upon perhaps? Who knows.

ROFLMFAO... at the NHS segment. WTF was that about? Are you guys so over the moon about your health system... or was it a jibe directed at the US? Australia has a NHS called Medicare, but we'd never conceive of show casing that to the World... not when there are Melbourne Trams lol. Somebody will have to explain what that was all about... I lost the meaning there.

I am hating that architectural monstrosity that is the viewing tower by the way. What do the brits think of it?

by ROB Sat Aug 04, 2012 8:58 pm

astradt1 wrote:
Roc

Seeing as Ye Shiwen as NOT tested positive for performance enhancing substances, would you care to agree that she managed a remarkable feat of winning Two Gold medals at the age of 16?

If she’s “clean”, yes. Since she’s a member of the Chinese contingent, and Chinese athletes have often tested positive, I’ll wait and doubt until a few years have passed.

Marion Jones was stripped of her medals and wins years afterwards. Perhaps it was five years, perhaps more. I’ll wait at least five years before being comfortable with Ye’s wins.

by bobby Sun Aug 05, 2012 10:20 am

Roc wrote: If she’s “clean”, yes. Since she’s a member of the Chinese contingent, and Chinese athletes have often tested positive, I’ll wait and doubt until a few years have passed.

So then Roc, she's guilty until proven innocent.

What is your oppinion on that other great American (usv) Athlete Lance Armstrong, is he innocent until proven guilty, or do you think he is guilty, after being denounced by another cyclist under oath.

by **moonbeam** Sun Aug 05, 2012 10:48 am

RockOnBrother wrote:Oscar Pistorious is an Olympian. Few athletes can lay claim to that honor. If he medals, the world will rejoice with him.

I watched one of his qualification runs with my son. He's quite amazing!

by KnarkyBadger Sun Aug 05, 2012 10:53 am

moonbeam wrote:
RockOnBrother wrote:Oscar Pistorious is an Olympian. Few athletes can lay claim to that honor. If he medals, the world will rejoice with him.
I watched one of his qualification runs with my son. He's quite amazing!

He is an inspiration to me! Its great the 2nd most famous athlete in the world after Bolt is disabled, never thought I'd see that!

by **astradt1** Sun Aug 05, 2012 11:36 am

Roc, considering the amount of time you spend re-posting other peoples comments, in a effort to support your stated position and at the same time suggest others read your posts to confirm what you are saying. You never seem to understand that opinions can be deduced from what you say :-

After the race, US citizens, including me, publicly and privately expressed doubt that Ye, a Chinese swimmer, has refrained from use of illicit performance-enhancing drugs in training and performances.

Followed by:-

Unlike Chinese athletes, who have a documented history of “popping positive”,

This was further compounded by your statement:-

If she’s “clean”, yes. Since she’s a member of the Chinese contingent, and Chinese athletes have often tested positive, I’ll wait and doubt until a few years have passed.

From this the following could be deduced:-

So this is the standard American (USV) attitude that if one does it they all must do it....

Apart from the fact that, in your opinion, because some Chinese sports stars have in the past tested positive for drugs, you have not seen fit to say why you hold the view that Ye Shiwen must have cheated....

Would you care to give a clear rational for your opinion.........

by ROB Sun Aug 05, 2012 1:53 pm

astradt1 wrote:
Re: Olympic Games: London 2012
by astradt1 Today at 11:36

Apart from the fact that, in your opinion, because some Chinese sports stars have in the past tested positive for drugs, you have not seen fit to say why you hold the view that Ye Shiwen must have cheated....

Would you care to give a clear rational for your opinion.........

I do not care to redo that which I have already done.

by KnarkyBadger Sun Aug 05, 2012 8:59 pm

Gutted for Oscar Pistorius, wasnt meant to be.

by betty.noire Sun Aug 05, 2012 9:30 pm

KnarkyBadger wrote:Gutted for Oscar Pistorius, wasnt meant to be.

amazing effort though. Wow

by oftenwrong Sun Aug 05, 2012 10:06 pm

Mr Bolt retains his title. (I think that's what the commentator reported. The crowd were making enough noise to put the stadium into orbit.)

by ROB Mon Aug 06, 2012 1:14 am

KnarkyBadger wrote:
Gutted for Oscar Pistorius, wasnt meant to be.

I’ve been away most of the day, so I’m catching up.

What’s Oscar Pistorius’ best 400 meter time, forty-five point something? At my best, lo these many years ago, I couldn’t run 400 meters in forty-five seconds downhill!

Awesome performance, Mr. Pistorius, awesome performance. Your story will be told to generations yet to be born.

by ROB Mon Aug 06, 2012 1:23 am

oftenwrong wrote:
Mr Bolt retains his title. (I think that's what the commentator reported. The crowd were making enough noise to put the stadium into orbit.)

I’ve obtained permission from my boss to root for Jamaican sprinters, mon, with assurances from SECNAV that SEAL Team 6 won’t hunt me down for treasonous cheering.

Insane “Lightning” Bolt” did it again in the 100 meters? Gotta find that on NBC, and “raht now, yea.” Will lightning strike the fourth time in the 200 meter final? Insane (-ly fast) Bolt joins his Jamaican female teammate Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce to make it an all-Jamaican 100 meter Gold for the second straight Olympics.

by oftenwrong Mon Aug 06, 2012 9:46 am

Hopefully some of that Olympic success will now "trickle down" to help some of those poor of Kingston, Jamaica still obliged to beg or steal for food. According to the financial pages of the press, American companies such as Apple (but not only Apple) have millions tied up in foreign banks because if they bring that money into the USA it will immediately be taxed as profit. Maybe they would like to score lots of brownie points by releasing some of that cash into the local economy.

Thinking laterally, how many Olympic medals would the British Press be boasting about today if those who oppose all immigration had been successful?

by tlttf Tue Aug 07, 2012 10:07 am

Answering laterally, probably the same.

Did you know that if Yorkshire had put forward it's own olympic team, they would be sitting in 10th place now? (lateral thinking).

by trevorw2539 Tue Aug 07, 2012 11:09 am

tlttf wrote:Answering laterally, probably the same.

Did you know that if Yorkshire had put forward it's own olympic team, they would be sitting in 10th place now? (lateral thinking).

Ah. The yorkshire pudding factor.

by **Phil Hornby** Tue Aug 07, 2012 12:43 pm

Imagine the embarrassment of testing positive for having consumed a pre-race batter mix... Embarassed

by KnarkyBadger Wed Aug 08, 2012 11:08 pm

What about the posh/rich v real people medal split in the british team? that'll be interesting to see.

by **Ivan** Wed Aug 08, 2012 11:50 pm

When Cameron and Johnson are basking in the glory of the UK’s Olympic success, and hoping that it will somehow be credited to them, just remember a couple of points:-

1. The last Labour government invested heavily in developing sport with new and refurbished leisure centres and swimming pools. That’s the dividend that’s being reaped now by dedicated people who’ve had access to good facilities and have trained hard for years.

2. The UK’s worst ever showing in the Olympics was in 1996, following 17 years of Tory rule, during which 10,000 school playing fields were sold off.

by ROB Thu Aug 09, 2012 4:25 am

Ivan wrote:
1. The last Labour government invested heavily in developing sport with new and refurbished leisure centres and swimming pools. That’s the dividend that’s being reaped now by dedicated people who’ve had access to good facilities and have trained hard for years.

British cyclists and rowers (real athletes) “blew the rook off the sucka.” Did Tony Blair have anything to do with this?

by ROB Thu Aug 09, 2012 6:04 pm

NBC delays Olympics coverage here, so I’m as yet unaware of the lightning’s next strike. This is a YouTube clip of “BobHayes” (pronounced as one word) scorching the last 100 meters of the 4 X 100 relay forty-eight years ago in Tokyo. I believe that, if Bob Hates were alive, even he would acknowledge the Lightning Bolt as the fastest man that has ever been.

USA 4x100m relay 1964 Tokyo Olympics[/quote]
https://www.youtube.com/v/huo-lSsCIAw

Bob Hayes’ split was 8.6, I believe.

by **moonbeam** Thu Aug 09, 2012 10:03 pm

I'm watching Women's Water Polo right now.

by sickchip Thu Aug 09, 2012 10:05 pm

Morrisey, whilst widely criticised for his opinion that the olympics has demonstrated an unhealthy wave of nationalist fervour akin to Nazi Germany, is actually not too far wide of the mark - when one considers that many of those indulging in flag waving jubilation also simultaneously support/crave the deduction of benefits and state aid from the weakest, poorest, and most under priveleged of their fellow Brits.

by oftenwrong Fri Aug 10, 2012 7:54 pm

Relax, sickchip, it's nearly over. But we can of course rely upon our Leaders in the coalition government to build upon the euphoria and carry the Olympic Spirit into an autumn of uplifting success for all concerned.

Or not. As the case may be.

by **astradt1** Fri Aug 10, 2012 8:43 pm

After what seems to have been two perfect weeks of sport in the form of the 2012 Olympics we are now being threatened with having to listen to the pre-recorded screeching of some has beens, or is it never was, in the form of the terrible lip syncing spice girls :affraid: (I must now was my fingers with bleach to get rid of the contamination from typing those two words).....

We have had what could be seen as clean games with regard to doping they are also talking about having that well known druggie George Michael to even things up a bit......

Why are they, the organizers doing this to us?

by oftenwrong Fri Aug 10, 2012 10:40 pm

It seems to be called multiculturalism, and is said to be a Good Thing.

by ROB Sat Aug 11, 2012 4:58 pm

“I’m going to say something controversial,’’ [Usain Bolt] said. “Carl Lewis. I have no respect for him. He’s just looking for attention because nobody really talks about him. I’ve lost all respect for him. All respect.’’

Lewis has made comments about Bolt and the dominant Jamaican sprinters, suggesting that they might be on steroids. He has doubted openly that they can do what they’re doing cleanly and says they’re not above scrutiny.

Bolt is right about Lewis, by the way. Nobody does talk about him anymore, except when he’s throwing an embarrassing first pitch before a baseball game or singing the worst version of the national anthem you’ve heard this side of Roseanne.

He has always been an attention-seeker and a crybaby. He clearly has not wanted Bolt to break his records.

Full article: http://msn.foxsports.com/olympics/track/story/usain-bolt-200-meter-sweeps-100-200-again-criticizes-carl-lewis-raises-questions-steroid-use-080912/?ocid=ansfox11

by **Phil Hornby** Sat Aug 11, 2012 6:03 pm

Carl Lewis has some experience of drug cheats, of course. But we have no evidence that he is in any way right about Bolt and the other supercharged Jamaicans, and we must hope we do not eventually see any.

Whether he is right or not,however, Lewis was a great champion -even if he doesn't have 'perfect pitch' in either respect...

by ROB Sat Aug 11, 2012 6:12 pm

Phil Hornby wrote:
Carl Lewis has some experience of drug cheats, of course.

According to the referenced article, part of Carl Lewis’ drug experience is personal experience. “Take the four by six out of your own eye.”

I’ve had a “distaste” for Carl Lewis since the 1980s. I agree with Bolt’s assessment of a man who should be satisfied with his own accomplishments.

by oftenwrong Sat Aug 11, 2012 10:42 pm

People have been saying for years that the Olympic Games should be re-titled as the Chemical Games, with open sponsorship from Big Pharma, and the slogan "We can win it for you wholesale".

by ROB Sun Aug 12, 2012 7:13 am

Basic arithmetic, Insane Bolt style:

Two times three equals six.
Six divided by six equals one hundred percent.

Go run and tell mama that, Carl.

by oftenwrong Sun Aug 12, 2012 1:34 pm

The good thing is that Bolt has friends, who are almost as fast. Hopefully it will be the start of better things for the abject Poor of Jamaica.

by jackthelad Sun Aug 12, 2012 3:42 pm

The end is near, and soon we will see the final curtain. My friends i'll say it clear and state our case of which we are certain.
We have lived two weeks to the full and watched sports on every channel.
And more much more than this we watched it our way.
Success we have had a few, but, not too few to mention.
We did what we had to do, and did it well without exception.
They planned a charted course, each careful step along the byway.
And more, much more than this, they did it their way.
There were times, i am sure you knew, they bit off more than they could chew.
But through it all, there was no doubt, they ate it up and spat it out.
They faced it all and stood tall, and did it there way.
They have laughed, and they have cried.
And had their share of loosing, and when the tears subside, they will find it all amusing.
To think they have done all that, sometimes in a shy way, they never faulted, but did it their way.
So what is an Olympian, what have they got, it's a medal, or they have not.
To say the words, they truly feel, they don't want to be the one who kneel's.
The records show, they took the blows, and won the medals their way.

by oftenwrong Sun Aug 12, 2012 8:11 pm

Whenever the TV shows shots of the crowd in the Olympic Stadium / Velodrome / AquaPark , the majority of spectators are seen to be watching the action VIA THE SCREEN OF THEIR PORTABLE PHONES.

How weird is that? The electronic image triumphs over reality.

by KnarkyBadger Mon Aug 13, 2012 9:42 am

So its over. No more olympics. Was it worth it. A great triumph or bread and circuses to distract the masses from a devided country? What was your moment of the games?

by **astradt1** Mon Aug 13, 2012 12:59 pm

Before the Olympic's started I, like many, wondered whether the total cost was worth it. during the torch relay I became bored with all the hype....

I watched the opening ceremony expecting to find it yet another waste of time and money, but when once it got under way and the homage to the NHS came on I started to see that it was not going to be the usual run of the mill corporate back slapping event, yes there low moments with the choice of some of the stars of yesteryear and so called new talent, but it fitted the fact that Brits do not always take themselves seriously, Rowan Atkinson and the piano........

I have watched many sports which have not been given the same level of coverage in pats Olympics.......The sight of all those cyclist stopping to relieve themselves in the hedge bottom on the first day was magic............

We have seen personal triumphs by sports men and women who had no hope of winning medals, the rower and the Saudi woman, but they took part........

I found that I started to enjoy the sport but then we had the prime-minister and BoJo try and claim some of the kudos but fall flat on their face by making pronouncements which they quickly had to U-Turn on........Scrapping the weekly 2 hours of schools sport target and then make competitive sport compulsory...

Dave seems to have forgotten that many of the gold medal winners were schooled under the 'no one loses' system.....

Then came the closing ceremony, what turned out to be, for the most part, a celebration of the best in British music over the past 40 years or so....Except for the Splice girls!!!!!!!, unless that was just to show how good the other bits were.....

The highlight was, just days after Dave was on radio saying that Indian Dancing should not be included in schools PE, to see Indian Dancers included in the Always Look on the Brighter Side of Life bit........another dig at Dave?

I found that I had enjoyed the whole of the Olympic's and grudging accept that the money was worth it.

I now hope that the Paralympics are covered and supported in the same way....

by bobby Mon Aug 13, 2012 1:53 pm

Brilliant post astrsdt.

by **Phil Hornby** Mon Aug 13, 2012 2:16 pm

More British Olympic Success
Olympic Games: London 2012 - Page 2 Images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT_zVBH4u1N7UienbZm2OLC2RU4jl4eEsI-1WqDSamXf0tMfC04iQ

(guardian.co.uk)

" Congratulations on your Gold in the Pieathlon, Eric..."

by oftenwrong Mon Aug 13, 2012 10:57 pm

"Unfortunately no match for Gideon's taste for Pasties, Prime Minister."

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