1 (edited by Brack 2012-05-10 11:27:24)

Topic: London 2012 Olympics & Paralympics

The process has started today, the Olympic torch has been lit!
Follow the count-down, and more info here > http://www.bbc.co.uk/2012/ on the BBC.

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Re: London 2012 Olympics & Paralympics

I'm cheering on the greatest British athlete ever. Eddie the Eagle. wink roll
Rick

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Re: London 2012 Olympics & Paralympics

they should have set fire to that twit (auto spell edited that word for me) Sebastian Coe, - now that would had been something..... Sorry very negative but we as a family were really positive when the announcement was made that it was coming to London, - but the ticket sales have been a complete farce favouring the very rich or corporate in favour of sport lovers including children... It is shameful. Rant over.... We do have tickets for GB v Brasil football............................. - but womens, the price of seeing a decent mens game was criminal and no children discount on the "good"games... never mid Steve Ovett was always a better athlete than Coe.

My YouTube channel with plenty of my Joe's videos dating from 2009 inc his first Hammersmith Odeon ones:
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Re: London 2012 Olympics & Paralympics

RickB wrote:

I'm cheering on the greatest British athlete ever. Eddie the Eagle. wink roll
Rick

He was a bit of a joke but to give him his fair due there can't be too many people who'd blindly hurl themselves off the end of an icy slope into oblivion wearing a pair of ice-lolly (popsicle) sticks.   Wasn't it the case though that he couldn't see without his bottle-end glasses on and of course couldn't wear glasses doing the ski jumping? 

Looking forward to the Games, especially as I don't live in London so won't get affected by them!

Re: London 2012 Olympics & Paralympics

Ian916 wrote:

they should have set fire to that twit (auto spell edited that word for me) Sebastian Coe, - now that would had been something..... Sorry very negative but we as a family were really positive when the announcement was made that it was coming to London, - but the ticket sales have been a complete farce favouring the very rich or corporate in favour of sport lovers including children... It is shameful. Rant over.... We do have tickets for GB v Brasil football............................. - but womens, the price of seeing a decent mens game was criminal and no children discount on the "good"games... never mid Steve Ovett was always a better athlete than Coe.

Agree in part Ian, especially about the allocation of tickets.  Would have loved to have watched the cycling, gymnastics, swimming and especially the athletics but adding that little lot up would have cost me a small fortune.  So will have to watch it on TV.

But I cannot agree about Coe vs Ovett.  No way was Ovett a better middle distance runner than Seb.  Discuss ..... wink

Re: London 2012 Olympics & Paralympics

Ian916 wrote:

they should have set fire to that twit (auto spell edited that word for me) Sebastian Coe, - now that would had been something..... Sorry very negative but we as a family were really positive when the announcement was made that it was coming to London, - but the ticket sales have been a complete farce favouring the very rich or corporate in favour of sport lovers including children... It is shameful. Rant over.... We do have tickets for GB v Brasil football............................. - but womens, the price of seeing a decent mens game was criminal and no children discount on the "good"games... never mid Steve Ovett was always a better athlete than Coe.

I can't think of an event anywhere that costs more to stage and those who care to attend absorb that cost. Other than national pride, the Olympics don't really draw my interest, I'm to busy following baseball.

                                                                                                                   U-S-A! U-S-A!,

                                                                                                                   J Dawg

What is success? Is it do yo' own thang, or is it to join the rest?   -Allen Toussaint

7 (edited by Brack 2012-05-10 11:25:08)

Re: London 2012 Olympics & Paralympics

I will in main - be posting positive stories.

One thing about those, millions of tickets - the contract to print the tickets, went  to, an American company ! I've heard the economic arguments why that decision was made - even so -  the UK economy/jobs comes first IMO, and it should have been kept  "In House" Shame on those concerned.

The full story here > http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-16932505

GOOD KARMA - http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3zkw … o1_500.jpg
Avatar Credit: D.Hirst,Olympic Union Flag
Adele: RAH http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Oio8V3e3WU&ob=av2e -
We Are The Champ20ns

8 (edited by Ian916 2012-05-10 11:50:14)

Re: London 2012 Olympics & Paralympics

- for those of you guys overseas who probably do not know how the tickets were allocated on this, - you had to commit to buy by giving your payment details for whatever tickets you hoped to get, - this was a couple of months before they would release them for sale, you would be charged on the day that they were released - so it was a gamble that obviously favoured those who had a lot of money to gamble with; - to stand the best chance of getting something you had to apply for lots of events, - however the risk was that you would end up with one hell of a bill as one person I know did. AND you are not allowed to sell any tickets on for security reasons. A friend of mine has tickets for an event that she now cannot attend, and she can do nothing about it. And combine that with a lot of tickets held back for corporate, and new reports of parents of athletes competing who cannot get to see their children perform and you have a lot of negativity.

And also and perhaps more importantly there has been little or ZERO engagement with schools and ultimately kids, - I was in a school last week 10 minutes away from the new stadiums and as the school said to me these games mean absolutely nothing to the children as there has been no effort to engage them as part of it. The Olympic brand is so protected as a brand that nobody even schools can do anything around "their" marketing symbols and events.

The perception is that these games are only for the rich and the even richer large corporate. Being involved with education as I am I see it as a tragic opportunity missed in favour of the wrong people. Sorry to get political, - but it does bug me when things like this happen at the expense of the education of children.

The Olympics as an event is the ultimate sporting event that kids aspire to....It should not be focussed on corporate reward.

ps that was my last moan on the subject I promise.

My YouTube channel with plenty of my Joe's videos dating from 2009 inc his first Hammersmith Odeon ones:
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Re: London 2012 Olympics & Paralympics

I have very mixed feelings about the whole Olympic circus. While I will confess to usually watching and enjoying certain specific sports, I am at the same time very cynical about the aspects that Ian raised, as well as the astronomical costs of staging the event at all. It cannot have been the intention of the games that cities and countries should go into debt for decades after they stage an event, and that they should be required to sell their souls to the corporate world.

RIP Iron Man

Rock On and keep the Faith

Re: London 2012 Olympics & Paralympics

I'm happy to have a screen and a comfy seat in my living room. I love the Olympics. I remember going to Montreal after they hosted the games. The financial drain was the topic of bitter discussion. Venues sat idle afterward. I hope London doesn't suffer the same aftermath.    Cathy

Re: London 2012 Olympics & Paralympics

Any events for meerkats?

Sandy

"There's a lot of people that are in so much of a hurry to be, I guess, to be famous or that they don't want to take the time to learn to play and do all that.They'd rather just knock it down off a computer and maybe get on a game show and get famous..That's fine if that's what you want to do.
"We're more old school than that. We like creating the sounds."  - Tom Petty

Re: London 2012 Olympics & Paralympics

samjp4 wrote:

Any events for meerkats?

Sandy

The 50m burrow?

The 4x100 forage relay?

tongue

RIP Iron Man

Rock On and keep the Faith

Re: London 2012 Olympics & Paralympics

cathysiler wrote:

I'm happy to have a screen and a comfy seat in my living room. I love the Olympics. I remember going to Montreal after they hosted the games. The financial drain was the topic of bitter discussion. Venues sat idle afterward. I hope London doesn't suffer the same aftermath.    Cathy

Look at what it did to Greece!

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Re: London 2012 Olympics & Paralympics

...fuzzin Olympics! ...if i hear that word again i'll...i'll... i'll .....ARRGHH!

...some of the Symbolism is interesting tho'! hmm

Everyone is born a genius, but the process of living de-geniuses them.
R. Buckminster Fuller

Re: London 2012 Olympics & Paralympics

The London 2012 Olympics official website - http://www.london2012.com/

More comprehensive - all one needs to know!

GOOD KARMA - http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3zkw … o1_500.jpg
Avatar Credit: D.Hirst,Olympic Union Flag
Adele: RAH http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Oio8V3e3WU&ob=av2e -
We Are The Champ20ns

Re: London 2012 Olympics & Paralympics

The Olympic torch arrives on UK soil today, follow it's progress here > http://www.bbc.co.uk/torchrelay

GOOD KARMA - http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3zkw … o1_500.jpg
Avatar Credit: D.Hirst,Olympic Union Flag
Adele: RAH http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Oio8V3e3WU&ob=av2e -
We Are The Champ20ns

Re: London 2012 Olympics & Paralympics

Amsterhammer wrote:

I have very mixed feelings about the whole Olympic circus. While I will confess to usually watching and enjoying certain specific sports, I am at the same time very cynical about the aspects that Ian raised, as well as the astronomical costs of staging the event at all. It cannot have been the intention of the games that cities and countries should go into debt for decades after they stage an event, and that they should be required to sell their souls to the corporate world.

G Dawg, what would your spin on the Olympics be if they competed like they did in ancient times....in the nude???? LOL!!!

                                                                                                     Miss U-S-A! Miss U-S-A!

                                                                                                     J Dawg

What is success? Is it do yo' own thang, or is it to join the rest?   -Allen Toussaint

Re: London 2012 Olympics & Paralympics

I travel to the states a couple of days before the start of it all. Ahh peace, warmth and no tv required, just the I Pod....Bliss. big_smile

Come on the Blades (sorry Idolbone just had to borrow your line)