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

Okay, let's get serious. The GAMES are a week away. Love them or loathe them, it is going to be very hard indeed to ignore them. And why would anyone want to ignore them? The last OLYMPIC GAMES of the Millennium, staged in one of the world's most glorious cities in God's very own country. Come on h2g2 community, get into the swing, sit back and enjoy the glamour, the excitement, the exhilaration of the greatest shown on earth.

Walter.

Curses, greatest SHOW on earth.

One of the world's most glorious cities? Are we talking about the Sydney Games?
It's hard to get revved up about them anymore. The television coverage is scanty at best, and tape-delayed for worse effect. Then there's all the scandals, all the lame sports (ballroom dancing?), and the overly-hyped professionals... does anyone else really get a kick out of watching the US men's basketball team wipe the floor with all comers? The only sport that could be mildly entertaining for professional-style team international competition is baseball, but the pros won't take any time off, so we don't get to see Sammy Sosa and Pedro Martinez in an international matchup with Mark McGuire and Roger Clemens.

It's still just not any fun with all the pros in it. I can remember the glory days of '84 in Los Angeles... now those were some fine games in a landfill of a city.

boring boring boring - at what point in our evolution will we eventually realise that running fast around a meadow or throwing bits 'n pieces of miscellaneous stuff further or higher or jumping over things is no big deal. I suspect international govermental jingo hype about "getting the olympics" is very much a "bread and circuses" thing to keep the great unwashed glued to their TV's so they (the gov'ts) can get on with really screwing up undisturbed. George Orwell must be laughing his silly head off.

And no - this is not a case of sour grapes - I play league squash, cycle, golf & sail and enjoy watching others doing the same. I just don't think it's any big deal that I can. More a case of being lucky I guess

Good morning all,

Well, two not so very enthusiastic responses so far. But hey, there must be squillions of people out there who are a quiver with excitement at the prospect of this extravaganza. And if anyone at all can tell me of a finer sight than looking down the Harbour towards the city, with the city skyline, the Bridge and the Opera House and the sheer bustle of Sydney, then I'd like to see that. Keep those postings of support rolling in!!

Walter.

When are we going to see the world's first *openly* steroid-inclusive games?

The way some are talking, there are a huge number of athletes taking steroids or growth hormones. Or they are being tested positive for taking paracetamol or the wrong combination of herbs and vitamins. Some of the world's most recent Olympic champions have been accused. Then there's the money spent on trying to catch them. Seems like having a pro-drug competition would alleviate the whole problem.

You could add have those professional baseballers to the mix as well, andriosterone-augmented Mark McGwire would feel right at home. I'd certainly be interested in seeing steroid-enhanced ballroom dancing!

"I'm for a movement to get sex into the Olympics, just to see what the East Germans do with the girls on their team." - Gallagher

them wuz gurlz ?

I'm sure that's how they started out...

What I've always wondered about the olympics is why some activities seem to have certain admirable qualities. For example why is being able to run very fast deemed a admirable quality(I'm in no rush, I'll catch the next bus) whilst being able to burp the Bohemian Rhapsody is considered rude.

1) I know which one is more entertaining
2) they both take skill and practice

Fair enough,in Greek times many of these skills had a place in society, but today I don't think throwing a big metal ball has much use.

I must agree with Walter. The sunsets over Sydney Harbour with the shadows playing lightly over the opera house, with the foregrounded sillohetted image of the harbour bridge is truly an awe-inspiring view (well that's what it says on the back of the postcard

no but really, sydney is a really beautiful place

and while i agree that unfortuantly drugs do play an undermining role in any olympics, sydney has tried their best in order to keep it as clean as possible, espcially with respect to say the munich olympics for instance

but steroid induced ballroom dancing WOULD be a sight to see...

Finally i must say that the US basketball team ain't that good anymore... the mens team were struggling to hold off us aussies, while the US womens team were getting slaughtered in the first half, before they re-grouped to come back

admittedly they won both games

but thats just expected really, espcially with how much money goes into the sport in america nowadays

and we'll still beat you all in hockey (my sport =))


and since when has being able to burp Bohemian Rhpsody rude...in fact that is a perfect example of muscular control

Sooterkin (a proud aussie.... and proud of it...hang on....yeah...you know)

Thinking a druged up Olympics would be good to see, say the sprinters stoned on dope trying to do the 100M

I think getting in the blocks would be a struggle enough

Exactly, like you mean run down there, nah, can't be bothered

They might run after a dominoes van

Another thought. The amphetamines sitting still contest could be an enjoyable watch.

Australia has a hockey team?

I have to disagree with all the stuff about Sydney. Yes, it is an attractive city, but I totally hated it. It's a town with two personalities... it's either upscale, yuppy snobbishness, or crackhead red light district, with no happy mediums to be found. It's the Los Angeles of Australia. While in Sydney, of course, everyone said it was the greatest, but outside of Sydney, I couldn't find any Australians with anything nice to say about the place.

As for the Australia-US men's basketball game, the Aussies played like thugs. That slowed the US team down for the first half, until the Americans realized they were better athletes, and they turned it into a track meet in the second half. The closeness of the first half score was actually very misleading.

Field, not ice.

Gooday everyone,

My, the conversation is hotting up. So is the Olympic competition. Today will see the first event of the last Olympics of this Millennium: soccer, the Wizards of Oz vs Italy. This will not be played in Sydney, as some of you might expect, but in Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city located about 800kms from Sydney. The game is to be staged at the Melbourne Cricket Ground - where else would you hold a soccer match - and is booked out, so a crowd of maybe 90,000 will be on hand. Hope you can stay up to watch on TV. Take care, all,

Walter.

Good evening everyone,

Silence reigns. You must all be beside yourselves with excitement, so don't bottle it up, let your feelings rip. Any guesses as to who will light the Flame? My guess, and hope, is for Betty Cuthbert. The Opening Ceremony starts 18.30 Friday local time. It will be worth sitting up for. Promise.

Walter