Let's try and get 1,000,000 replies to this post

In the middle of a huge lightning storm here. It's been awhile since I've seen one and boy is this one savage. Fun times.
 
Just watched a story on the 19:00 news about the sponsor tyranny of the Olympic Games. It seems visitors will not even be allowed to use other credit cards than VISA anywhere near the olympic venues ...

The olympics are more about the sponsors these days, than about using sports to bring people together. Unless it is to bring people together as customers.
 
Wow, that is just crazy. I think I recall seeing something about McDonalds banning other french fries from the Olympics?

In other news, 22 days til my house is part time empty!
 
I have to admit that I am very cynical about the Olympics. I've always seen them more as an exercise in hypocrisy than an occasion to bring people together, but since Putin used the opening of the 2008 games as a distraction when attacking Georgia, the Olympics have lost their last shed of innocence for me. Recently, politicians seem to have re-discovered major international sporting events as bread and games to keep people occupied with while they do things they know they would normally not get away with, and the semi-finals in the European Cup this year was another such occasion for the German government.

If I was to look for an analogy to 2008, I would say that I'm putting my money on Israel attacking Iran on Friday during the openings. Time is running out for the Israeli government, and I had already been wondering what was keeping them so long until I remembered the Russian invasion of Georgia. I've talked about this with several people, and some agree with me, some don't. We will see on Friday.
 
Wästed The Great said:
Wow, that is just crazy. I think I recall seeing something about McDonalds banning other french fries from the Olympics?
Click to expand...

In fact, they have partly succeeded in that. Fish'n'chips shops are not allowed to serve chips on their own during the Olympics. Read this commentary and weep.

@Perun: I see your point, but if political leaders use the Olympics to divert publicity from their own potentially unpopular stunts, that's not a problem with the Olympics as such, but with the politicians. If there were no Olympic Games, said politicians would make their controversial moves coincide with other high-publicity events. So this will happen unless all high-profile events are abandoned.

I think that for some time, the Olympic Games were really about bringing people together. The first time they were used for political propaganda was probably in 1036, and then later during the Cold War. But over the last 20-30 years (my lifetime), the focus of the IOC has become very, very commercial. The political side of it has been more linked to the host nations than to the IOC. The IOC are happy as long as they can please their sponsors and parade their (corrupt) bellies in their ivory towers.

As for the Israel-Iran thing, I think it is going to remain a cold war. Both sides have a lot to lose by starting a conventional war.
 
I was watching the Open Championship (golf, if you don't know) last weekend, and wondering what the oldest sporting competition still going is. The Open started in 1860, and has only stopped for the wars.
The FA Cup started in the 1870s, and the Tour de France (according to Wikipedia) a pathetic 1903.

Anyone got any others older?

And for clarification, modern olympics ≠ ancient olympics. (Plus it's only every four years, slackers)
 
national acrobat said:
I was watching the Open Championship (golf, if you don't know) last weekend, and wondering what the oldest sporting competition still going is. The Open started in 1860, and has only stopped for the wars.
The FA Cup started in the 1870s, and the Tour de France (according to Wikipedia) a pathetic 1903.

Anyone got any others older?

And for clarification, modern olympics ≠ ancient olympics. (Plus it's only every four years, slackers)
Click to expand...

I don't know anything of sport really, not being a fan.

What possible alternatives could there be (even thinking of sports rather than individual tournaments) ... hmm, Darts? lol.

Horse Racing goes back a long way, the Kentucky Derby is 1975 according to wiki (although I am a little too inebriated right now to delve further!)
 
national acrobat said:
I was watching the Open Championship (golf, if you don't know) last weekend, and wondering what the oldest sporting competition still going is. The Open started in 1860, and has only stopped for the wars.
The FA Cup started in the 1870s, and the Tour de France (according to Wikipedia) a pathetic 1903.

Anyone got any others older?

And for clarification, modern olympics ≠ ancient olympics. (Plus it's only every four years, slackers)
Click to expand...

I don't know if you call "sporting competition" the same as "sporting event".

The very first Oxford-Cambridge boat race was in 1829.

But is nothing compared with the Doggett’s Coat and Badge Race. Founded in 1715.
Check this: http://www.visitbritain.com/hu/Things-to-do/Secret-Britain/Doggetts-Coat-and-Badge-Race-event.htm

The Antient Silver Arrow goes back to 1673. Here: http://www.scortonarrow.com/Records.htm

There are claims for older events, but obviously, without statistics minute-by-minute, so, the arrows are ahead... :p
 
mckindog said:
How is that sitting with you?
My oldest is entering Grade 11 and I am already starting to miss her.
Click to expand...


Honestly, I'm pretty good with it. I'll probably miss him when he is gone, but I mix that with the fact that I'm really proud of him going off to school 5 hours away and doing something with himself. When we were at the last track meet of the year, after graduation was over, I had some bittersweet moments thinking how that was the last time ever for that, but I'm really happy that he isn't going to live in my basement for the next 4 years :)
 
Wästed The Great said:
Honestly, I'm pretty good with it. I'll probably miss him when he is gone, but I mix that with the fact that I'm really proud of him going off to school 5 hours away and doing something with himself. When we were at the last track meet of the year, after graduation was over, I had some bittersweet moments thinking how that was the last time ever for that, but I'm really happy that he isn't going to live in my basement for the next 4 years :)
Click to expand...
Yeah, I'll probably feel exactly the same way.
 
Wästed The Great said:
Honestly, I'm pretty good with it. I'll probably miss him when he is gone, but I mix that with the fact that I'm really proud of him going off to school 5 hours away and doing something with himself. When we were at the last track meet of the year, after graduation was over, I had some bittersweet moments thinking how that was the last time ever for that, but I'm really happy that he isn't going to live in my basement for the next 4 years :)
Click to expand...

I've understood that's pretty much how my parents felt 10 years ago, when I left for university.

On a completely different note - I wonder who has filled my running shoes with lead since I last used them a week ago?
 
I'm about to move out of my mother's house for the first time actually. While I was an undergraduate I stayed at home and now I'm going to do a Masters degree in Birmingham.
 
You know you need a woman in your household when you compare defrosting your freezer to sending the Death Star to Hoth.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top