h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

So does anyone have anything to say about the upcoming Olympics?
If not, why not?

Perhaps you have some insight or question into the history, the drug-testing, the fear of terrorism, the exorbitant cost, the ideal of Peace-thru-Sports or the antiquated notions of rampant Nationalism that are so out of date, so 'early 20th century'. What ever happened to 'amateur' status? Or do women really lower the tone of athletic competition?

Or maybe you want to cheer on your favourites in the 4 horse chariot races this year or just want to take a running jump... anything?

Personally I was somewhat surprised (and marginally horrified) to learn that the 'traditional' olympic-flame torch-relay and lighting ceremony was actually one of Hitler's ideas for the '36 games in Germany. Borrowed not from any Olympic historical precedent but another Greek tradition of keeping the lights burning at the many oracle sites around the country.

There can be no denying that Greece's recent success in the world soccer playoffs is proof that the great god Zeus can still wield influence in this crazy mixed-up whirled.


~jwf~

I'm very interested in the Olympics, partly because this is the first edition when I've really been in a position to follow it in any detail.
I will be paying attention to any events I can find the time to see, but especially the cycling. It's a long-standing interest of mine, all the year round, and every single pro of any note seems to have declared an intention to be at their best for the road race. Sadly, the hopes of Britain are limited on the road, especially since the drug confessions of current world time-trial champion David Millar. The track still holds promise, though, with our traditionally strong British team in with a shout for most disciplines.
How about this for a debate: When will Britain be able to enter a team in the Olympic football event?

with all due respect to st. demon drawer...

My personal opinion about the olympics is that they are so far away from the original intent of either the Greeks or de Coubertin that they should be put out of their misery. it's all crass commercialism, petty politics,and wholescale corruption on the part of athletes, judges and organizers. And from a purely sporting point of view, the presence of a growing number of disciplines of marginal interest, some of which i can't even classify as sport, dilute the prestige of the olympics so much that i consider the whole as poor spectacle indeed.

I shall watch it.

I will not be surprised by the drug revelations and suspensions.

I will be surprised if we (GB&NI) get more than a handfull of medals.

I will be amazed if the whole thing runs smoothly.

Looking forward:
it is time to stop adding extra sports - enough is enough;
it is time for all professional sports to consider asking the best officials/judges/referees to become full time paid employees of the appropriate world governing body (boxing??, athletics etc.).
it is time to start thinking about the role of the olympics when almost every sport has their own world championships on a regular basis.
it is time for much greater integration of the paralympic & olympic movements.

I think some of the minority sports are fun. For one thing, you don't often get to see many of them outside the Olympics, so there's a novelty value, and you can learn something new from each of them.
All the athletes involved do raise their game for the Olympics, since it has such great prestige. Winning a world championship is very good, but an Olympic medal is always seen as something special. If that's what it takes to have everyone together, competing at their highest level in front of a much larger audience than might otherwise be possible, then I'm all for it.

I shall be glued to the TV throughout, and I shall be quite peeved if I somehow manage to get a job during the Olympics and have to leave the telly at home.

jwf, I think we both saw the same doc on PBS. Absolutely fascinating, especially the fact that the original Olympics went on for something like 16 centuries. I particularly liked the second part which talked about the parallels between the near deification of triumphant atheletes then and now.

Yes the PBS doc was quite good, raised a lot of interesting historic detail and did a fair job of 'comparisons' especially in rationalising all the problem areas of corruption, commercialism, cheating, bribing, hero-worshipping by demonstrating the historical precedents and putting human nature in a more realistic perspective.

It was that show that revealed Hitler's contribution of the Olympic flame torch relay and lighting ceremonies. I shiver to think it has not been purged, and actually shudder to realise that this symbol and all the rituals surrounding it, especially at the opening and closing ceremonies, have proven to be the emotional high point for viewers like me who can't begin to imagine how it would feel to participate as an athlete, to be defeated or to stand on the podium.

I also saw a show on the CBC which was originally British which focused much more on the historical Olympics. There was much more detail presented as fact and fewer talking heads speculating about these facts. And a complete absence of comment or speculation on the modern games except to consider the folly of the British forfeiting their chances in the bicycle competitions by dismissing two team members for breaching their amateur status because they were employees of the Foreign Service or some such gentlemanly nonsense.

Anyway, I look forward to having tears involuntarily streaming down my face as Greece leads the parade of athletes into the stadium. Two members of their baseball team are Canadians.

In the interest of sending 'only the best' (read 'budget cuts') Canada is sending ONLY 265 athletes this year. But that's 20 more than all countries sent to the first modern games in Greece in 1896.

I do have to agree with the PBS show that the tolerance of certain practices and activities is simply the result of 'human nature' and perhaps it is our human nature that we should really be celebrating. But I'm still having trouble with the Fascist flame show. It was the best bit from a TV audience point of view. But I say it's gotta go. Either that or we'll have to ask PGS to shut up about whose idea it was and go back to believing it's just an old Greek tradition.

May Zeus favour those he choses to favour.


~jwf~

Friday the Thirteenth!

Y'canna start the Olympic Games on a Friday the 13th!
What were they thinking?

Maybe the Greeks make their own luck.
I know they make their own liquor.
Which is, oo-oo, so very sickly sweet.

Canada is now sending one more athlete. A cyclist, from out west somewhere so maybe zoomer knows more about her. But it seems her friends have managed to raise the money to buy a crate in which to ship her bike. All the airlines refused to consider it as carry-on luggage despite weighting less than a case of beer.


~jwf~

I think they're afraid she'll use the bike to hijack the plane...

the last couple of weeks there has been a series on french and german tv about a recreation of the original olympics: about a hundred athletes from half a dozen countries, competing in the ancient events on the real stadium in olympia. it was pretty good.

Today's strange coincidence is that this programme has just started here in Australia (French version - subtitled). It *is* quite good...

As for the Olympics themselves...

The Olympics? Well I suppose it gives people something to watch whilst they're waiting for the next World Cup to come around.

Since you put it that way, it also gives me something to watch while I'm staying in trying not to spend any money. I just had to have £60 of repairs done on my bike, so my budget is pretty much flat for a few days.

What ever the problems with modern Olympics, drugs, cheating, women who are really men( U.S.S.R. did a bit of the latter) Most of the events are pretty exciting who ever wins. An Olympic athelete always has a certain cachet in the world of sport. How do I know? Because my elder brother who is now 76 is an Olympian and was in the fencing team which won a silver medal in Japan.
I do agree that some of the events are maybe not really atheletic contests, that women's swimming thing to music is one, and now someone thinks darts should be an event, I am not in favour of those things but I find competetive sport exciting. I hope to see lots of it!

Britain could enter a team in the football tournament any time they wanted BUT it would have to be a Great Britain team and there is not a Football Association of Great Britain. The FA and the associations of Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland do not want to lose their individual influence on FIFA which they feel would be called into question if they joined together to enter a team for the Olympics. And that might result in Great Britain only being allowed to enter one team in Euro and World Championships too.

*realises she could be missing the opening ceremony which is always her favourite bit*

Is there any better known event to show the full extent of the Human body capacities? I think not.

It is an event already rooted in Human history. I hope it will always be present in human history.

The Olimpics are an event, first for the athletes, who participate in the event, and to any organized sports group, with history and capacity to reclaim a place as a "sport" in the Olimpics. Second the Olimpics are made for all to watch, is also the maximum thing as an event where people from diferent cultures and ideologies can compete peacefully ( and for me that is a already a thing that justifies the existence of the very Olimpic event).

I will not just cheer for the athletes of my country, i will cheer for all the others, for all their efforts in showing to the majority of the commom mortals how far can a Human body reach.

Nitpicker - you're quite right, and I think for exactly those reasons we shouldn't form a GBR football team just to enter into the Olympics. I mean lets face it; the only Scottish/Welsh/N.Irish player who would make it into the team is Ryan Giggs, and he's the wrong side of 30 these days.

the WRONG side?... now what side of 30 are you on?