Olympics

[Jez]

I don't want to start anything political, but considering the UK is about to host the Olympics, i thought it was about time we had a thread dedicated to it...

...any body else, kinda excited yet?

Don't forget, no one gives the Brits a harder time than the Brits.

Judging by the New Years Eve fireworks spectacular over London, i reckon this could be amazing.

 

[Dark Sith Lord]

I cant wait

I am really getting into the spirit now. Cheered on the Olympic Flame in both Notts and Derby!

and no wlooking forward the Games and the beach volley womens competiton :wink:

 

[Jez]

I cant wait

I am really getting into the beach volley womens competiton :wink:

:wink:

You and me both mate, lets hope for better weather!!

 

[itfciain]

I can't wait to be honest - I am sick of all the digs that the press are having at the moment - compared to most of the recent large games I think we have just about got this right - we are under budget, all of the stadia are built (and were built well before time) and all is set for a good legarcy after the games

We have some great chances at medals and I am going to try and get down to as many events as I can because it is unlikely that it will be back here in my lifetime

 

[jedi_masters]

I am excited about the Olympics as this will never happen again i my lifetime.

My only niggle is I feel that the whole ticket ordering/purchasing system was completely flawed. The tickets should have been sold a bit more fairly so everybody got a chance to go to at least one event. I'll give you an example. I am a postman and deliver in Hatfield and Brookmans Park. Brookmans Park is a rich area, Hatfield is not. People in Hatfield who put in for one event as they dont have a lot on money didnt get anything. People in Brookmans Park who according to some people that live there put in £15 - £20,000 worth of applications, so far have had 12 - 15 sets of tickets through. Bit unfair in my eyes.

Anyway, rant over. It will be an amazing vew weeks once its here and hopefully we will come top of the medal tables.

Do you think there is more pressure on our athletes because it is in our homeland?? Are they expected to win more medals being on home soil??

 

[PGowdy]

Absolutely dreading it. I live in london and for londoners this Olympics is gonna be a ****ing nightmare. It's already hell trying to get through london to and from work or just going out somewhere. The underground, busses and high-streets are already massively over-crowded and the Olympics is gonna magnify that by god knows how many times. Example: I was traveling to work the other evening on the central line (runs right though london and ends up near the Olympic venues). The line got shut down mid journey (after a 40 minute wait at Marble Arch) due to a "signal failure" (whatever the **** that is) and altho it was a relatively quiet evening on the underground (way past rush hour) hundreds of people were left stranded in the middle of london looking for alternative routes to wherever they were going. A 1 hour journey took me 2hrs and 40mins. This is not a rare occurrence. I'd say it happens most days on the underground. Think what it's gonna be like with an extra 10 million people in the city.
I honestly fail to see how this benefits anyone not actually taking part in the ****ing thing. For most it means a lot of stress, a lot more time spent traveling to and from work (often having to find alternative routes) and not to mention the billions in tax payers money that believe me, you won't get any return on. All this while our government claims to be out of money as we all bail them out for their poor spending and incompetence. Anyone who says this event will pay for itself is either lying or a fool. Personally i can't wait till it's over.

 

[itfciain]

Absolutely dreading it. I live in london and for londoners this Olympics is gonna be a ****ing nightmare. It's already hell trying to get through london to and from work or just going out somewhere. The underground, busses and high-streets are already massively over-crowded and the Olympics is gonna magnify that by god knows how many times. Example: I was traveling to work the other evening on the central line (runs right though london and ends up near the Olympic venues). The line got shut down mid journey (after a 40 minute wait at Marble Arch) due to a "signal failure" (whatever the **** that is) and altho it was a relatively quiet evening on the underground (way past rush hour) hundreds of people were left stranded in the middle of london looking for alternative routes to wherever they were going. A 1 hour journey took me 2hrs and 40mins. This is not a rare occurrence. I'd say it happens most days on the underground. Think what it's gonna be like with an extra 10 million people in the city.
I honestly fail to see how this benefits anyone not actually taking part in the ****ing thing. For most it means a lot of stress, a lot more time spent traveling to and from work (often having to find alternative routes) and not to mention the billions in tax payers money that believe me, you won't get any return on. All this while our government claims to be out of money as we all bail them out for their poor spending and incompetence. Anyone who says this event will pay for itself is either lying or a fool. Personally i can't wait till it's over.

Don't want to get into a debate but I couldn't disagree more. I appreciate the affect that it will have on travel but think that for this short period of time then it is worth it.

 

[Lee77]

Not trying to cause a debate but I'm with Pete on this 100%. I live about a 10 minute drive from central London and its gonna be a ****ing nightmare. Driving around town the last couple of weeks, I've seen all these Olympic lanes popping up and it's so confusing. It's stressful enough driving through London but making sure you don't stray in these lanes whilst keeping an eye out for cyclists, buses, motorbikes, kamikaze pedestrians and buses is nearly impossible. TBH I'll be glad when the whole things over.

 

[Jez]

Oh dear what have i done :lol:

I don't live in London Pete & Lee but I understand your frustration.
To be fair, I'll be just as inconvenienced as you, maybe more.
Instead of commuting in misery, why don't you take a couple of days off and marvel at your country showcasing itself to the World? If you are able to, I know annual leave is limited & precious.
No matter what folk say, we do put on a good show when we need to.
I watched the opening and closing ceremonies for Beijing, thinking "Wow, they've done well, we'll never do that" I bet we better it.
I don't think we can start government bashing.
London secured the Olympics under Labour (prior to the crash). What could we (UK) do, say "Sorry we don't want to do it anymore we're a bit short"? As a Global player we would have been crushed.
We waste millions each year in hand outs etc.
Lets focus on the positive, with last years Royal Wedding, the Jubilee and the Olympics we are showing the World that we may be small but we have a good left hook.
Come on Britton, half full not half empty!!

This is just one months hassle, but the positive fallout could last for a generation!

 

[PGowdy]

It's funny. I'm not gonna debate it with people either but just interesting to hear the views of those living outside london. Living in london i just assumed everyone felt the same way. I don't know of one single person who isn't absolutely dreading it. I think it's impossible to convey the level of disruption and stress the the already stressful life of a londoner (not that people outside london don't have stressful lives). I'd be interested to here from a londoner here who is looking forward to the Olympics (and Olympians and politicians don't count! :lol: )

I'm actually thinking of moving out of london for a few weeks while the bloody thing is on. I know of a few others planning to do the same. I've been invited to stay at a friends just outside the city which is where we went for the royal wedding. Maybe once i'm outside the city looking in and sitting by the pool in the afternoon, i'll feel a little differently about the whole thing.

 

[Jez]

:lol: I was gonna offer you my tent mate.

I totally understand.

Sometimes, you need to lose a battle to win the War.

 

[JuniorChubb]

I cannot wait for the Olympics to start, and I live right next to Stratford (don't have to commute though )

Glad to hear so many positive comments, I was asking at work the other day and only 1 customer (out of about 25) was looking forward to it.

What's wrong with them all. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity (wishes he had tickets) for us and especially our kids and I want to soak up all the atmosphere up!!!!!

Still trying to get tickets (there are some left) for the main event, if not I will do the Paralympics.

Great thread Charlie.

Now if you don't mind, I have to stand while I hum the national anthem...

 

[PGowdy]

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity

So is getting a vasectomy. :lol:

 

[JuniorChubb]

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity

So is getting a vasectomy. :lol:

It can be reversed, then re-done :shock: if you really want to go through it again (not as enjoyable as my Olympics, but maybe more enjoyable than your Olympics)

I would have said circumcision, now that is a once in a lifetime oppurtunity :wink:

 

[weasel]

I'm with Pete and Lee.

I could not give a flying **** about the Olympics! :roll:

Obv, I live nowhere fecking near London so there will be no disruption for me, but just the general cost of the Olympics is what gets me.
Yes, I know we didn't know we would be in a huge global recession when we won it, but anyone who thinks Britain will reap billions in return for hosting this is kidding themselves.
As for the legacy of the games. Wow London will have a lot of new wonderful sports facilities. Great! It already had more (and often the best) per head of pop than anywhere else in the country. All this new investment has been funded by the slashing/complete removal of sports grants to the rest of the country.
From personal experience I know a club who were trying to get an astro turf pitch put down. Pre winning the Olypmics this was do-able, a lot of hoops to jump through and Councils/Education Boards to get to chip in, but with hard work it could be done in two years or so. Once the Olympics were awarded the exact wording from the awarding body was "No point in you continuing with this, the money's gone to London."
So instead of sport being encouraged all over the UK, it's been encouraged in London! Brilliant. So the rest of us will just twiddle our thumbs for 6 years then!
I appreciate London is the largest City and ergo deserves the largest share of the various Sports grants, but I don't think I'm out of line if I say a 100% share for the last 6 years is a wee tad unfair!
Example, the lovely new 50m pool they built for the Olympics...........There isn't A SINGLE 50M POOL ON MY ISLAND!
But obviously London needs another one more than we need one! :roll:

Ohh and obviously the money to fund the games comes from the public purse, ie taxes, and thus we all pay more. Am I going to see any benefit to it over here!? AM I ****!

we are under budget

EHHH..........

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/mar/09/olympic-games-budget-cost

**** THE OLYMPICS! :roll:

 

[itfciain]

we are under budget

EHHH..........

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/mar/09/olympic-games-budget-cost

**** THE OLYMPICS! :roll:

or same paper

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/jun/13/london-2012-olympics-under-budget

and

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18421211

and

http://www.london2012.com/media-centre/article=oda-publishes-final-annual-report-before-london-2012-with-all-venues-completed-time-and-firmly-within-budget.html

All people want to do is knock this country

 

[Lee77]

:lol: Weasel you crack me up! I was trying to be diplomatic but you've nailed it there. Man, you have a way with words :lol:
Whilst I'm on my soapbox, (maybe semi off topic) we were promised loads of work in the construction of all these stadiums. Remember 'British jobs for British people!!!'. I know of about 4 Brits who worked on it, the majority were eastern European. Whilst not directly connected to the games, this put me off the whole thing from the start. Rant over.

 

[aussiejames]

"There isn't A SINGLE 50M POOL ON MY ISLAND!" I'm not going to google it but you must be joking?
Many schools here have 50m pools.
I love watching sport from my couch- I can't wait.

 

[itfciain]

:lol: Weasel you crack me up! I was trying to be diplomatic but you've nailed it there. Man, you have a way with words :lol:
Whilst I'm on my soapbox, (maybe semi off topic) we were promised loads of work in the construction of all these stadiums. Remember 'British jobs for British people!!!'. I know of about 4 Brits who worked on it, the majority were eastern European. Whilst not directly connected to the games, this put me off the whole thing from the start. Rant over.

Just on this point - I work in the construction industry and trust me - if there were British labourers available then they would have been used – but the Polish guys rock up, work as hard as they can and do a bloody good job. As we are part of Europe then there is no issue with employing them and to be honest I would love you to find me some British workers that were put out of a job.

 

[weasel]

we are under budget

EHHH..........

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/mar/09/olympic-games-budget-cost

**** THE OLYMPICS! :roll:

or same paper

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/jun/13/london-2012-olympics-under-budget

and

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18421211

and

http://www.london2012.com/media-centre/article=oda-publishes-final-annual-report-before-london-2012-with-all-venues-completed-time-and-firmly-within-budget.html

All people want to do is knock this country

You may be right. TBH I suspect we are in the realm of semantics. Arguing about what the definition of 'budget' (original application, adjusted, final etc) and 'over spend' (over total budget, over estimated build cost, over total security costs etc etc) are. Sadly, statistics can be twisted pretty much any way people want, I doubt any us will ever know the true cost and how under or over budget it was.
Either way, I think we can all agree it's costing this country a fortune.

Ohh and my point about "**** the Olympics" wasn't aimed at you in person, more just a general scrooge like attitude to the whole thing!