London gets 2012 Olympics

[M14A-Mclaren]

Just saw on BBC that London have won the right to host the 2012 Olympic games, if anyone cares.

[MethodX]

Dang, I was hoping Paris would get it.
As a Frenchman started modern Olympic movement.

Now we will have to hear beckham speak again in that voice.

[Psycho Chicken]

Might get some use out of the Millenium Dome yet.

[MrQuan]

Kinda funny after all the effort and street stuff they were doing to promote the olypics

[HOON69]

yeah just saw that on the news i thought paris had it and was shocked when london got it.

wonder how NY are taking it...

[lv619]

Jolly good old chap...

[MITCHAY]

I dont know which is worse. Pommy, American, or French commentators.

[MrQuan]

Apparently Jaques Sheraqu (spelling?) trash talked England before the decision. He said how bad british food is and that the only thing they contributed to european farming was mad cow disease~~ haha

[M14A-Mclaren]

Originally Posted by MITCHAY

I dont know which is worse. Pommy, American, or French commentators.

American, hands down.

[Heeno]

Originally Posted by MrQuan

Apparently Jaques Sheraqu (spelling?) trash talked England before the decision. He said how bad british food is and that the only thing they contributed to european farming was mad cow disease~~ haha

LOL hahahaha thats funny as....and true

[Polyal]

haha french vs english conversations are always funny!

[bindi]

I wish France had got it... those sexy French accents... :

[xyute]

Originally Posted by MITCHAY

I dont know which is worse. Pommy, American, or French commentators.

At least the Pommy commentators arn't as biased as the Yanks, Frogs and dare I say it the Aussies....

I'm just glad the ars****e french lost

[lv619]

Well, it looks as though their has been a bombing in London about half an hour ago... hopefully it wasnt a terrorist attsck or anything. Not looking good for their olymics preparations one day after getting the games.

Explosion brings London Underground to a stop

July 07 2005 at 10:51AM

London - London's entire Underground railway network was suspended on Thursday after a blast and another "incident" shook the system, leaving several people wounded, officials and rescue workers said.

The chaos came a day after the British capital was chosen to host the 2012 Olympics.

Police evacuated a number of mainline railway and underground stations following a blast near Liverpool Street Station, which serves London's financial district, and a separate incident in the west of the capital.

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_i...0726440407B635

Are the Olympic Games in general worthwhile or just a waste of taxpayer money?

I would suggest that elite sport is a necessary spectacle designed to distract people from reality. Let me begin by making a quick list of what a country/government gets out of elite sport.

1. Builds Nationalism
2. Pacification of the viewer
3. Networks and connects global elites
4. Celebrates the culture of individual excellence
5. Confirms the ideological myth that competition brings out the best in people
6. Creates celebrity status and cults
7. Distracts the masses
8. Sells product for companies
9. Reinforces hard work and best ideology
10. Provides space for advertising

Now of course, I like most people really do enjoy the odd sporting spectacle. My only defence is that like most Westerners I have been conditioned to appreciate its value. But when you really examine it properly, why do people devote so much time to observing institutionalised sport?

All I can suggest is that somehow collectively we imagine that they are achieving for us, even though we know this is not really the truth.

Let me just add this fact as a side point. On May the 2nd 1919, Sir Walter Baldwin Spencer was elected President of The Victorian football league. A world famous anthropologist, and biologist, the appointment of Spencer historically reflected a different time.

Nowdays anybody who wants to be a President of the AFL needs to either have a business, marketing or management degree or be an ex player who subscribes to the theories of industry.

My point is that elite sport is an industry and as such it internalises and reflects the values of industry much more then the values of sport.

cheers Buggsy

[Auslandau]

Now ... to answer the question ..... I like the Olympics!

But why dig such an old thread out????? : I saw it and thought ..... Boy have they?

AND not bad for a first post on a FORD site?????? :



| [/url] |

[Geez Louise]

Originally Posted by auslandau

Now ... to answer the question ..... I like the Olympics!

But why dig such an old thread out????? : I saw it and thought ..... Boy have they?

AND not bad for a first post on a FORD site?????? :

You are harsh old man...Lighten up!!!

[sleekism]

ROFL ROFL ROFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I didn't see the date and thought it was new news. Then the underground explosion thing confused me cos I hadn't heard about it on the news lol

[charles_wif_xf]

On the money Buggsy; a ****ing contest for the athlete's, distraction for the masses.

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by charles_wif_xf

On the money Buggsy; a ****ing contest for the athlete's, distraction for the masses.

But it brings money to the shops and services. Like the F1, the government loses money but all the shops, hotels, etc make money. So there is a positive.

[BFYOOT]

wonder if big bad bruce macavenny will commentate again. reckon he ever laced up a pair of joggers in his life??

[|||]

the commonwealth games are heaps better anyway

[redxm]

Im sure we can all agree the only sport worth watching is MOTORSPORT

[Nostalgia]

Originally Posted by redxm

Im sure we can all agree the only sport worth watching is MOTORSPORT

Agreed #1