Joined: Mar 05 2007 Posts: 13190 Location: Hedon (sometimes), sometimes Premier Inn's
DHM wrote:So this is it then. We've found a way to moan about the Olympics. "It will cost 10 times as much as planned", "It'll all be a building site cos we're crap at everything in this country" balh, blah, blah. It hasn't and it isn't. But we're British, there's nothing we can't f*****g complain about.
I'm looking forward to it, I think it's a fantastic event and I still think it's about human beings, just for a small moment, getting on and enjoying each others company and having a great time. All of the people competing (wether on big money or not, Olympics or Para Olymics) have dedicated their lives to achieving something in ways most of us could never do and I applaud that.
I don't care about the advertising.
I admire the dedication of the likes of Jessica Ennis, Tom Daley etc, but have no interest whatsoever when it comes to overpaid tennis and football players turning up at the games and declaring themselves 'Olympians'. Athletes, amateur boxers etc dedicate themselves for these events as a prime event in their lives while tennis and football have it way down the list of priorities.
The olympic ideal is long dead, even the torch bearers are flogging off the torches.
'when my life is over, the thing which will have given me greatest pride is that I was first to plunge into the sea, swimming freely underwater without any connection to the terrestrial world'
Joined: May 25 2002 Posts: 37704 Location: Zummerzet, where the zoider apples grow
rover49 wrote: even the torch bearers are flogging off the torches.
As soon as the torchbearers were charged for their torches, that argument was dead in the water
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Joined: Mar 05 2007 Posts: 13190 Location: Hedon (sometimes), sometimes Premier Inn's
cod'ead wrote:As soon as the torchbearers were charged for their torches, that argument was dead in the water
Never said I objected, just a point to emphasise the Olympic ideal is dead and buried.
'when my life is over, the thing which will have given me greatest pride is that I was first to plunge into the sea, swimming freely underwater without any connection to the terrestrial world'
Joined: May 10 2002 Posts: 47951 Location: Die Metropole
DHM wrote:So this is it then. We've found a way to moan about the Olympics. "It will cost 10 times as much as planned", "It'll all be a building site cos we're crap at everything in this country" balh, blah, blah. It hasn't and it isn't. But we're British, there's nothing we can't f*****g complain about.
I'm looking forward to it, I think it's a fantastic event and I still think it's about human beings, just for a small moment, getting on and enjoying each others company and having a great time. All of the people competing (wether on big money or not, Olympics or Para Olymics) have dedicated their lives to achieving something in ways most of us could never do and I applaud that.
I don't care about the advertising.
You're right. The businessman who has been told he can't have his business called the 'Olympic Cafe' is bang out of order. How dare a small business want to benefit from the Games?
rover49 wrote:... The olympic ideal is long dead, even the torch bearers are flogging off the torches.
Was that the one about only allowing amateurs to compete, so the hoi polloi could be kept out?
"You are working for Satan." Kirkstaller
"Dare to know!" Immanuel Kant
"Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive" Elbert Hubbard
"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." Oscar Wilde
Joined: May 10 2002 Posts: 47951 Location: Die Metropole
Big Graeme wrote:The article you linked to dealt with trademark infringement and protecting those who have paid a small fortune to sponsor the event from having their efforts hijacked by those who have contributed zip ...
Including by advertising completely different products.
Heaven forfend – we couldn't upset Coke or McfuckingcrappyDonalds, could we? What an irony that, on the one hand, we've apparently got a rising obesity problem – and on the other, we let these health food producers buy out the Games? Great for 'the legacy'.
Big Graeme wrote:The article you linked to dealt with trademark infringement and protecting those who have paid a small fortune to sponsor the event from having their efforts hijacked by those who have contributed zip ...
Including by advertising completely different products.
Heaven forfend – we couldn't upset Coke or McfuckingcrappyDonalds, could we? What an irony that, on the one hand, we've apparently got a rising obesity problem – and on the other, we let these health food producers buy out the Games? Great for 'the legacy'.
Joined: Dec 22 2001 Posts: 14395 Location: Chester
Standee wrote: Another friend is working on the torch relay and is hating every minute of it, people only being given 700/800 metres to run and then "celebrities" given a mile or so.
The whole idea, I thought, was to reward the "worthy" not just to publicise the largesse of modern britain.
Well the Torch relay went through Chester on the 29th and thousands of people turned out with 25K on the racecourse where the relay stopped for the night. I went along with one of my sons to watch it go past and it was a really nice atmosphere.
Jessica Ennis ran the torch into England from Wales at the south side of Chester into Saltney near to where I live which is where she grew up. She was interviewed on North West tonight and was clearly quite emotional and very proud and I have no problems with her being in the relay.
They also interviewed three people chosen to run with the torch. Only one of the three was from Chester and even then he was from Blacon which is outside of the City so I was a bit surprised at that but they were all worthy torch barer's.
The thing is though the one who ran past me was none of those three and I have no idea who he was!
The guy from Blacon was in a wheelchair and a bit of his stint was also on Northwest tonight and given what I saw it was clear he only got about 500m from the landmarks I spotted so yes this is a bit naff. One of the others was in here 70's so perhaps that was about right for her!
Here are some photos taken in Hough Green which is just up the road from Saltney to give you an idea of the level of interest:
and here is the mystery man with the torch:
Standee wrote: Another friend is working on the torch relay and is hating every minute of it, people only being given 700/800 metres to run and then "celebrities" given a mile or so.
The whole idea, I thought, was to reward the "worthy" not just to publicise the largesse of modern britain.
Well the Torch relay went through Chester on the 29th and thousands of people turned out with 25K on the racecourse where the relay stopped for the night. I went along with one of my sons to watch it go past and it was a really nice atmosphere.
Jessica Ennis ran the torch into England from Wales at the south side of Chester into Saltney near to where I live which is where she grew up. She was interviewed on North West tonight and was clearly quite emotional and very proud and I have no problems with her being in the relay.
They also interviewed three people chosen to run with the torch. Only one of the three was from Chester and even then he was from Blacon which is outside of the City so I was a bit surprised at that but they were all worthy torch barer's.
The thing is though the one who ran past me was none of those three and I have no idea who he was!
The guy from Blacon was in a wheelchair and a bit of his stint was also on Northwest tonight and given what I saw it was clear he only got about 500m from the landmarks I spotted so yes this is a bit naff. One of the others was in here 70's so perhaps that was about right for her!
Here are some photos taken in Hough Green which is just up the road from Saltney to give you an idea of the level of interest:
and here is the mystery man with the torch:
Last league derby at Central Park 5/9/1999: Wigan 28 St. Helens 20 Last league derby at Knowsley Road 2/4/2010: St. Helens 10 Wigan 18
Joined: May 10 2002 Posts: 47951 Location: Die Metropole
I was chatting with someone a while ago. He and his teenage son follow one of the martial arts. They are club members, go to events all over the place, attend championships etc.
They can't get tickets for the Olympic versions – even though they can buy a ticket on the door of any other major championship, due to lack of interest.
In the meantime, the Lottery has been tweeting that it's got tickets for grabs: all you need to do is retweet. Well, that's obviously been a good way to spend the money raised for 'good causes' – and indeed to raise more.
"You are working for Satan." Kirkstaller
"Dare to know!" Immanuel Kant
"Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive" Elbert Hubbard
"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." Oscar Wilde
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