Olympics

[Diane CBPFC]

Exciting sports event or two weeks of interupted telly?

[Vulture]

Fortunately, I don't have a television so I haven't a clue what's going on!

[Roger Kettle]

Exciting sports event or two weeks of interupted telly?

Pretty much neither for me. I can't say any of it has excited me and the programmes which are being replaced, I don't watch anyway.
This is not the most interesting post I've ever made.

[Mince]

This is not the most interesting post I've ever made.

But it's damn close.

[Roger Kettle]

Oh, Mince, I set you up with the perfect feed-line and that's the best you can come up with? Put some effort into it, man!

[Mince]

But if I put some effort into it you might wrongly think I can be arsed.

[The Peepmaster]

Has the Olympics ever featured in the Beau Peep strips?

[Roger Kettle]

I think Egon was involved with some sort of "Kitchen Olympics" at one time.

[The Peepmaster]

I think Egon was involved with some sort of "Kitchen Olympics" at one time.

We need Rob to join the thread...

[Malc]

Basically, this phase of the Olympics is the most boring, some gymnastics excepted. Then the athletics starts and for me that IS the Olympics, 50k walk excepted. I don't see the point in being the fastest person without actually breaking into a jog in the world. Swimming?
We don't have the 100m bunny hop in athletics, so why the 100m breaststroke? When the hooter sounds, dive in and swim to the other end as fast as possible. If you touch first and you're not actually wearing flippers, you are the winner. We are so conditioned to seeing these stupid things we don't question them. Who cares who can travel the furthest using a hop, a skip and a jump? The long jump and the high jump are the only jumps that interest me. Only two things would make the pole vault interesting - a snap and an impaled judge.

[Roger Kettle]

Couldn't agree more, Malc. And don't get me started on the multi-millionaire footballers and tennis players who are swanning aound. I'm at a loss to know what this has to do with the Olympic ideal. What I DO appreciate is the number of genuine athletes who have trained their arses off without any financial backing and have fought their way to the top.

[Diamond Lil]

Ideal, schmideal.  Can't wait for this afternoon when billionaire Federer swans on to the court....

[Diane CBPFC]

I picked up a copy of Going For Gold: The '48 Games at Costco because it said on the box that it was the next Chariots of Fire (it wasn't) - but it did show the vast differences between the "austerity games" and the flashy 2012 Olympics. Back then not only were the athletes not to take a penny for their sport but it was even considered bad form to use a paid coach.

I guess it is the same old story; it is all very well to do it for no money and the love of the game IF you are in the fortunate position to do so - the upper class in Britain at the time.