The Olympics..........games for the people? Really?

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Brixtaan

New member
Jul 7, 2003
5,030
Border country.East Preston.
The Olympics are a bit like Wimbledon, it's sport for housewives. No one who regularly watches proper sports I know could give a flying f*** about it. My mum will enjoy watching it on telly though.

As for the ticketing f*** up, I've heard allot of people moaning about it and yes it was a joke but I don't know a single person that has ever been to an athletics meeting so it's a bit hypocritical for them to moan too much about it.


Hearing the words of small minded morons like you makes me feel good about myself. Thanks for airing your lack of imagination
 




Arthur

Well-known member
Jul 8, 2003
8,762
Buxted Harbour
Hearing the words of small minded morons like you makes me feel good about myself. Thanks for airing your lack of imagination

Blimey, did you get out of the wrong side of bed this morning?

Other than the couple of weeks they are on has anyone ever sat in the pub with their mates and discussed the olympics (or Wimbledon for that matter)? No of course they haven't because no one gives a flying f***.

Football is about the only proper sport in the olympics and just look how the football tournament has captured the imagination of the public, they can't give the tickets away! Team GB are going to have to stick Beckham in just to get the ticket sales moving.
 


cunning fergus

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jan 18, 2009
4,891
The tickets are the tip of the iceberg.

What about the chaos that will be caused by the special Olympic lanes..........the natives are armed in that neck of the woods, should be interesting.

Or he recently introduced Olympic bye-law that prevents local businesses using the Olympics to sell products is particularly galling in these austere times.....whether that's stopping a bakery icing London 2012 on cup cakes or pursuing established businesses for having signs that offend the guardians of the people's games (as below). I mean.......for f***'s sake.

Cafe Olympic? Not if the lawyers have their way - Home News - UK - The Independent

The official costs to the UK are currently about 9bn.............so undoubtedly a lot more has been spunked, a point all those getting laid off in the public sector will appreciate with all that spare time they now have on their hands.

Then again the unions are currently focused on getting the extra money for their members for.............yep...........working in accordance with their contractual terms. They are not alone though everyone will be putting their prices up. No surpise when a pint of Henieken and glass of wine in venues will be north of £5 a go. Not that you will be able to take your own food and drink either..............security reasons apparently?

No doubt many will be looking forward to the modern pentathlon, greco wrestling, bmx racing, synchronised swimming, handball, rythmic gymnastics and all the other sports that the corprate greed and rampant consumerism will be irrelevent........sports for the people? My arse.
 


TottonSeagull

Well-known member
Mar 5, 2011
4,580
Totton (Nr Southampton)
Blimey, did you get out of the wrong side of bed this morning?

Other than the couple of weeks they are on has anyone ever sat in the pub with their mates and discussed the olympics (or Wimbledon for that matter)? No of course they haven't because no one gives a flying f***.

Football is about the only proper sport in the olympics and just look how the football tournament has captured the imagination of the public, they can't give the tickets away! Team GB are going to have to stick Beckham in just to get the ticket sales moving.

Totally agree with this, how many of those with tickets for the fencing or swimming have actually ever taken any interest in these sports before the Olympics came to town. In my opinion the Olympics is full of minority sports that are better to be actually playing/doing then watching. I can't remember looking forward to a big Judo meet or needing to rush down to the sea to see a load of rich boys and girls play with the yachts. The only good thing about the whole thing is it has regenerated a part of London that was a shit hole, but no doubt that will fall into rack and ruin once no one can be bothered with the various arenas that have been built after the carnival has left town!
Some may think this is small minded but that is my opinion and I have nothing against anyone who has the total opposite jingoistic opinion.
 


jgmcdee

New member
Mar 25, 2012
931
Other than the couple of weeks they are on has anyone ever sat in the pub with their mates and discussed the olympics (or Wimbledon for that matter)? No of course they haven't because no one gives a flying f***.

Wow, what an incredible statement. So what, people picked up millions of tickets by accident? Submitted themselves to the cost not only of the tickets but of getting to and from the venues just because there wasn't anything decent on telly and it sounded like a laugh?

Many people love all sorts of sports, and the olympics allows them to go see them being competed at the highest level*. No not everyone, but certainly not "no one".

*In theory. In practice the ticketing was a complete balls-up and the insane rules around what you can do with "your" tickets when you have them, especially around resale and/or swap, are an embarrassment so the chances of people seeing the sports they most want to see are remote, at best.
 




Lady Whistledown

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 7, 2003
47,645
I've put my name in the London Marathon ballot for next year, which as always is massively oversubscribed. If I don't get in, I'll be sure to post a thread on here moaning about how shit the organisation is and what a tinpot event it is anyway.
 


Hatterlovesbrighton

something clever
Jul 28, 2003
4,543
Not Luton! Thank God
Blimey, did you get out of the wrong side of bed this morning?

Other than the couple of weeks they are on has anyone ever sat in the pub with their mates and discussed the olympics (or Wimbledon for that matter)? No of course they haven't because no one gives a flying f***.

Football is about the only proper sport in the olympics and just look how the football tournament has captured the imagination of the public, they can't give the tickets away! Team GB are going to have to stick Beckham in just to get the ticket sales moving.

Pretty sure all of the Team GB games are sold out and they'll sell more tickets to football than to any other sport. Some bollocks above about food and drink as well. You will be able to take in your own food, just you won't be able to bring in huge hampers/picnic baskets. And while you can't bring in drink you will be able to bring in an empty water bottle and then fill it up for free once inside.
 


Brixtaan

New member
Jul 7, 2003
5,030
Border country.East Preston.
Blimey, did you get out of the wrong side of bed this morning?

Other than the couple of weeks they are on has anyone ever sat in the pub with their mates and discussed the olympics (or Wimbledon for that matter)? No of course they haven't because no one gives a flying f***.

Football is about the only proper sport in the olympics and just look how the football tournament has captured the imagination of the public, they can't give the tickets away! Team GB are going to have to stick Beckham in just to get the ticket sales moving.



Yep sorry grumpy totally uncalled for but this is the Olympics ffs. I never watch any of these sports either but only once every 4 yrs the world comes together to battle it out for supremecy in place of going to war. No matter what you think of the sports, to be at the top and better than 6 billion other people is something that has to be witnessed and supported. Don't you think it's incredible that this tiny island is dominating the world when it comes to 2 wheeled transport? Or quicker from A to B on water? Don't you want to see who can run, jump,swim, throw,shoot etc better than everyone else on earth? Aren't you proud that Britain gave the world organized forms of most of the worlds sports?
Get with it Arthur , it won't be happening here again in your lifetime.
 




vegster

Sanity Clause
May 5, 2008
28,274
I've put my name in the London Marathon ballot for next year, which as always is massively oversubscribed. If I don't get in, I'll be sure to post a thread on here moaning about how shit the organisation is and what a tinpot event it is anyway.

Plenty of other marathons Edna, not so many Olympics....
 


brunswick

New member
Aug 13, 2004
2,920
Yep sorry grumpy totally uncalled for but this is the Olympics ffs. I never watch any of these sports either but only once every 4 yrs the world comes together to battle it out for supremecy in place of going to war. No matter what you think of the sports, to be at the top and better than 6 billion other people is something that has to be witnessed and supported. Don't you think it's incredible that this tiny island is dominating the world when it comes to 2 wheeled transport? Or quicker from A to B on water? Don't you want to see who can run, jump,swim, throw,shoot etc better than everyone else on earth? Aren't you proud that Britain gave the world organized forms of most of the worlds sports?
Get with it Arthur , it won't be happening here again in your lifetime.

good try, but i am still not sold. boring sports, boring people, medals....complete waste of money. shooting, rowing, and judo?? "who is the best?" who cares?
 


Driver8

On the road...
NSC Patron
Jul 31, 2005
16,220
North Wales
good try, but i am still not sold. boring sports, boring people, medals....complete waste of money. shooting, rowing, and judo?? "who is the best?" who cares?

Don't watch it then. I'm sure you can find plenty of nut job videos on YouTube to keep you occupied.
 




brunswick

New member
Aug 13, 2004
2,920
Don't watch it then. I'm sure you can find plenty of nut job videos on YouTube to keep you occupied.

what is a nut job video? is it something to do with DIY? nuttier is to spend money to sit in an arena to watch people jump into sand and throw things.....lol....you can't even take your own water in as it might be a bomb.....you carry on getting sucked in.
 


Hatterlovesbrighton

something clever
Jul 28, 2003
4,543
Not Luton! Thank God
what is a nut job video? is it something to do with DIY? nuttier is to spend money to sit in an arena to watch people jump into sand and throw things.....lol....you can't even take your own water in as it might be a bomb.....you carry on getting sucked in.

Like spending money to sit in arenas and watch people kick a ball about?
 


Hatterlovesbrighton

something clever
Jul 28, 2003
4,543
Not Luton! Thank God
what is a nut job video? is it something to do with DIY? nuttier is to spend money to sit in an arena to watch people jump into sand and throw things.....lol....you can't even take your own water in as it might be a bomb.....you carry on getting sucked in.

But you can fill up with water once you get inside. Has probably had hallucinogens added to it though to make you enjoy it x x x
 




tubaman

Member
Nov 2, 2009
748
I've put my name in the London Marathon ballot for next year, which as always is massively oversubscribed. If I don't get in, I'll be sure to post a thread on here moaning about how shit the organisation is and what a tinpot event it is anyway.

At least you know where you stand with a straight ballot. That's NOT what happened with the olympic tickets. They were sold to the highest bidder. Those that gambled the most or could afford to gamble the most stood a far greater chance of getting tickets. It would have been far simpler if nobody was allowed to bid for more than a few tickets each round of ballots.

Anyway you can always run in the Brighton marathon if you don't get into London or you could pay more and buy an expensive charity place.............now that seems familiar!
 


Hatterlovesbrighton

something clever
Jul 28, 2003
4,543
Not Luton! Thank God
At least you know where you stand with a straight ballot. That's NOT what happened with the olympic tickets. They were sold to the highest bidder. Those that gambled the most or could afford to gamble the most stood a far greater chance of getting tickets. It would have been far simpler if nobody was allowed to bid for more than a few tickets each round of ballots.

Anyway you can always run in the Brighton marathon if you don't get into London or you could pay more and buy an expensive charity place.............now that seems familiar!

How on earth did they know that the demand would be so huge? The amount of interest in tickets was completely unprecedented.
 


Driver8

On the road...
NSC Patron
Jul 31, 2005
16,220
North Wales
what is a nut job video? is it something to do with DIY? nuttier is to spend money to sit in an arena to watch people jump into sand and throw things.....lol....you can't even take your own water in as it might be a bomb.....you carry on getting sucked in.

Don't worry I will thoroughly enjoy my evening at the Olympic athletics watching the finest athletes in the world compete against each other. Sounds to me like you are bitter because you haven't got a ticket.
 


Mental Lental

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
2,300
Shiki-shi, Saitama




Gwylan

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
31,839
Uffern
Totally agree with this, how many of those with tickets for the fencing or swimming have actually ever taken any interest in these sports before the Olympics came to town.
The trouble with this theory is that the Olympics is really the only time the average punter has a chance to see any of these events. In my younger days, I used to fence and really like watching it at the Olympics. I'd love to watch it more often but how many times do you see fencing on TV. How many times has there been a big fencing tournament in London? The Olympics is a once-in-lifetime chance to watch these events (as it happens, I didn't manage to get fencing tickets but I haven't given up hope) and to say that people aren't interested in these sports outside the Olympics just isn't true.

At least you know where you stand with a straight ballot. That's NOT what happened with the olympic tickets. They were sold to the highest bidder. Those that gambled the most or could afford to gamble the most stood a far greater chance of getting tickets. It would have been far simpler if nobody was allowed to bid for more than a few tickets each round of ballots.

That's easy to say with hindsight but imagine if punters were just limited to tickets for two events and there wasn't the level of interest - it would have been decried as a flop. As someone said earlier, the demand for tickets was not expected. I agree that there are too many tickets for sponsors and not enough for punters but that's often the case in sport these days. I think LOCOG did a reasonable job in allocating them fairly. I'm miffed that I didn't get fencing tickets but am going to the BMX, which my kids really wanted to go to, and to women's football semi-final so am not too unhappy. And LOCOG did allow people who had been unsuccessful twice to have first crack at the next batch of tickets, which is how I'd got BMX. There aren't many bods who have been unlucky three times.
 


KZNSeagull

Well-known member
Nov 26, 2007
21,103
Wolsingham, County Durham
The trouble with this theory is that the Olympics is really the only time the average punter has a chance to see any of these events. In my younger days, I used to fence and really like watching it at the Olympics. I'd love to watch it more often but how many times do you see fencing on TV. How many times has there been a big fencing tournament in London? The Olympics is a once-in-lifetime chance to watch these events (as it happens, I didn't manage to get fencing tickets but I haven't given up hope) and to say that people aren't interested in these sports outside the Olympics just isn't true.

Quite right. I would imagine that fencing, archery, swimming clubs etc that applied would have been given priority - at least I would hope that this is the case.

This talk of "proper sports" etc is worrying - I assume that what people mean by this is sports that Sky are prepared to cover. I don't know if Grandstand is still going, but they and World of Sport on ITV always used to cover "less popular" sports occasionally.

The Olympics is one event that may inspire young people to actually get off their arses and do something constructive. In SA, sport is used as a means to get young, underprivileged kids together and teach them some valuable life skills and give them something to look forward to. I personally do not see anything wrong with that.
 


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