Be Excellent To Each Other

Perhaps the government could turn round and say "Nah, sorry mate, perhaps you could do something fucking worthwhile with your life. Also, we're going to stop fucking paying you for running around."

Exactly, I heard Steve Redgrave saying that he would support any boycott as long as sportspeople weren't the only ones being asked to make a sacrifice.

Well, at least he has the right to protest.

Sports are not worthwile?

Malc

Not really, IMHO. Not when I have to pay people to do them, anyway.

See also: Theatres.

Best Olympic Protest Ever

If a winning athlete were to go up to get his/her gold medal, and then as the anthem was being played, pull out a big "Free Tibet" sign, that would be awesome.

I was reading about them the other week, they got into real trouble for that, and I don't think they ever raced again for America.

Malc

And yet, I have heard of them, and they had an impact, unlike 95% of all Olympics contestants.

Sometimes the negativity on these forums makes me feel sad.

That's bollocks. 95% of olympians might not have made an impact on you, or most of the world. But to say their experiences have not had an impact on themselves is utter crock.

I don't understand you CUS, since setting up WoB you've really changed (or maybe it's just my perception of you). There seems to be lots of snipping these days, when before it's was just rambling a stream of posts.

I had no other point other than to say they got punished for their protests.

Malc

I must confess I'm struggling to see where he said that.

There's Sebastian Coe...

The giving of the Black Panthers salture during that Olympics, was an incredibly powerful moment in world history, and I'm not going into the specifics of why and how. It had a massive impact on the world. The bloke who came in third for on the 100 Metre Dash, in 1994 (or whatever)? Not so much. Just because you are involved in a big event, it does not make you special, it does not mean you were important, you were merely "there". Please tell me specifically how would you disagree with this.


Malc, I didn't say that. I've had completely fucking enough of people massively misquoting me and in fact, just plain making shit up. This is a perfect example of such. You've just agreed with me, and then accused me of saying something completely different, and that therefore my original point (that you agreed with) was bollocks? I see.


I don't see what your opinion of me has to do with the Olympics or the demonstrations, but feel free to start a thread calling me a cunt, I'm sure it'll be very popular. I won't stoop to your level.

If they agreed to do the fist thingy, they should have at least done it with the same arm. Tsk tsk, olympic protesters!

I said it in my reply as I felt your reply was an example of it. I was obviously wrong. Sorry for any missunderstanding.

Malc

The Olympics are still wank*

*this is an awkward attempt at levity**
*true, though.

Still, these demonstrations are entertaining if nothing else.

Roll on 2012!



You, sir, are a genius.

I'm not at all interested in the Olympics (although if you think the fuss about the 2012 bid was annoying for those of you who didn't live in London, just imagine how infuriating it was if you did, and you wanted the whole thing to just fuck off and the government to stop spending your money on promoting it just so their business mates can make a packet off it. Everywhere you went, there were signs reading "BACK THE BID". FUCK YOU. If you want my support, give me a fucking reason and ask for it, you unbearably smug shitwicks), but I don't think that sport and athletics are worthless. They're a significant part of most cultures going back thousands of years, and every bit as valid in terms of inspiration and achievement as poetry or philosophy.

The Olympics, however, is another matter, as it's little but an excercise in crass commercialism complicated by international politics.

If they brought back the Hoplites and the chariot race though, I'd watch that.

I shoulda been in the Olympics myself by now.
Sighface.

I do like and support the Olympics, mostly. If only we could provide ample resources for young people, it can be damned hard to get into sport however good you might be.
Fair play to those who do it for the love of their sport.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I can only wonder why, as someone who has never, ever watched the Olympics, why I've never heard any great Olympics anecdotes from those who do watch it.

Even the London Marathon has Paula Radcliffe having a poo; even fucking cricket has tons of amusing little stories. Not so with the Olympics. I've never, ever, heard anyone discussing it (Except for my one Uncle, and my Mum, a bit, once), and thought it was just something that adults dreamed up to force children to go outside and play healthily in the sunshine instead of watching TV. When there were no good cartoons on because instead everyone wanted to see if this man can jump higher than that man.

Daley Thomson has a moustache and a videogame and Duncan Goodhew is bald. There's two anecdotes right there.

As my chances of getting into the GB shooting squad in time for 2012 are now slim to nothing, I don't really give a shit about the Olympics. That said, it's just not right that they're being held in a country like China.

I knew there was something bugging me about the sporty types wondering why they're supposed to do something/be special somehow*...

They are going to China as ambassadors for their country, aren't they? That's why the uproar is amplified when they get caught cheating on an international platform where they're representing their countries.

So you might feel they do have a bit more of an opportunity than most to get a message across.

Edit: If they just don't give a shit that's fine (well, their prerogative), but at least be honest about it. Or are they worried they might not be allowed to go if they say that to the media that broadcasts their words to millions?

* Or 'parroting the script they seem to have been given'.

I was particularly amused by the canadian snowboarder that got done for having ganja in his bloodstream and was going to be stripped of his medal or somesuch.

That was hysterical, what did they expect?...I'm sure the reason they didn't do that is they couldn't find a snowboarder who DIDN'T have the ganja in their system.