The Olympic Games

[MilkyJoe]

After my golf thread died an ignominious death and since I'm bored at work I'll try another for the Olympics which has been running in the background for a few days now but formally opens this evening.

 

Post your Olympic observations and thoughts here.

 

Anybody going?

Anybody interested?

If so, what are you looking forward to?

[steviewevie]

Not going, definitely interested. I am into the athletics, but will watch a lot of the other main sports like swimming, gymnastics, cycling and rowing. Interested in the break dancing too.

[steviewevie]

Bit of a bummer about the trains.

[MilkyJoe]

1 hour ago, steviewevie said:

Not going, definitely interested. I am into the athletics, but will watch a lot of the other main sports like swimming, gymnastics, cycling and rowing. Interested in the break dancing too.

The Breakdancing is going to be interesting for sure. Be like a timewarp.😄 Obviously the athletics is the most watched. Love stuff like the high jump and the javelin.

[MilkyJoe]

Hugely looking forward to this one too. It looks absolutely mental. Gets underway 2nd August.

 

 

[Padjeq]

Gonna watch anything that takes in the city of Paris. Rowing and that.

[steviewevie]

1 minute ago, Padjeq said:

Gonna watch anything that takes in the city of Paris. Rowing and that.

marathon always good for that stuff...

[Padjeq]

Not surprised about the trains sabotage. On the opening day of EuroDisney they bombed a pylon, cutting off electricity to the hotels.

[Crazyfool01]

Cycling probably my favourite and badminton but if I’m reading right the bbc coverage is not gonna be great this time which is weird as I thought it was protected . Fortunately I’ve got a mates account for discovery plus . I’d probably have paid for 1 month anyway 

[Punksnotdead]

45 minutes ago, Crazyfool01 said:

Cycling probably my favourite and badminton but if I’m reading right the bbc coverage is not gonna be great this time which is weird as I thought it was protected . Fortunately I’ve got a mates account for discovery plus . I’d probably have paid for 1 month anyway 

I think the BBC coverage started dropping off at the last Olympics, I remember being annoyed about it back then. I'll probably watch mostly on Eurosport as hopefully they won't just be concentrating on sports that the Brits have a chance in. I understand why the BBC do this (viewing figures), but it does wind me up!

 

Anyway, some sports I definitely won't be watching - equestrian, gymnastics and bloody breakdancing!

[Soggy_feet]

Really looking forward it, I love watching the sports I would never usually get the opportunity to watch. You get some amazing inspirational stories of the athletes and what they went through to get there. 

 

Regarding the BBC I don't think they have a choice. A US network (owners of Discovery +) purchased the rights at the last Olympics meaning that national broadcasters can only show 2 live streams at once + catch up, which of course leads to clashes or missing crucial moments. I guess the BBC have to make a choice of what to show and hope that it's the right one but it will leave some disappointed. Discovery + showing all events live.

[steviewevie]

1 hour ago, Punksnotdead said:

I think the BBC coverage started dropping off at the last Olympics, I remember being annoyed about it back then. I'll probably watch mostly on Eurosport as hopefully they won't just be concentrating on sports that the Brits have a chance in. I understand why the BBC do this (viewing figures), but it does wind me up!

 

Anyway, some sports I definitely won't be watching - equestrian, gymnastics and bloody breakdancing!

Discovery+ got full rights this time, so what BBC can show is limited, so they're bound to show stuff if there's British interest.

So, lots of sitting down sports.

[MilkyJoe]

Apparently there is a 7 day free trial of Discovery plus then 3.99 per month with ads. I'm not sure how it is but I'm going to have a go at signing up tomorrow.

[Punksnotdead]

20 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

Discovery+ got full rights this time, so what BBC can show is limited, so they're bound to show stuff if there's British interest.

So, lots of sitting down sports.

Like I said, I understand why they do it, but it's still annoying. I think at the last Olympics they cut away from the swimming finals when no Brits were involved, to show a 2nd round judo fight with a Brit. I think they even missed a world record swim. 

 

f**ked if I'm paying for a subscription to Discovery when I already pay a fortune for Sky Sports!

[steviewevie]

Raining in Paris. Ominous.

[Crazyfool01]

is this bbc coverage now part of the 4 hour opening ceremony ? 

 

edit it is ... just took a while to get going 

Edited July 26 by Crazyfool01

[steviewevie]

my other half loves the opening ceremony..it's her favourite part of whole thing, apart from 100m mens final. She is such a plastic.

Personally can't be arsed with it, but super hyped to watch something called badminton first thing tomorrow.

[dingbat2]

Is it me or is this all a bit dull, cant sense any atmosphere at all, but suppose that was always going to happen outside a stadium and during daylight

[Punksnotdead]

Opening ceremony is a bit different. I'm waiting for the first athlete to get seasick & chunder over the side. Or better still, get too excited & fall in! 😃

[steviewevie]

monarchies >>> republics.

[charlierc]

8 hours ago, MilkyJoe said:

After my golf thread died an ignominious death and since I'm bored at work I'll try another for the Olympics which has been running in the background for a few days now but formally opens this evening.

 

Post your Olympic observations and thoughts here.

 

Anybody going?

Anybody interested?

If so, what are you looking forward to?

Is anyone thanks to the arson attack on the high-speed rail lines?

[charlierc]

9 minutes ago, Punksnotdead said:

Opening ceremony is a bit different. I'm waiting for the first athlete to get seasick & chunder over the side. Or better still, get too excited & fall in! 😃

Well if they fall in they'd definitely get sick given the e-coli levels in the river.

 

Although saying that the Mayor of Paris got away with her swim the other day.

[Punksnotdead]

11 minutes ago, dingbat2 said:

Is it me or is this all a bit dull, cant sense any atmosphere at all, but suppose that was always going to happen outside a stadium and during daylight

I quite like it - nice to bring the opening ceremony to the masses, instead of just 40,000 people lucky enough to get tickets. 

[Crazyfool01]

13 minutes ago, dingbat2 said:

Is it me or is this all a bit dull, cant sense any atmosphere at all, but suppose that was always going to happen outside a stadium and during daylight

Yep agree … still early days though . Is one thing that we seemed to do well here … maybe rose tinted glasses on though 

[dingbat2]

Yes early days, its a long opening ceremony so should pick up when they get all the countries through.  This is an absolute security nightmare, so many open windows in buildings along the route, they must have their fingers crossed nothing happens especially after what happened earlier...