Olympic gold
So I guess I must now be an Olympics addict. The two mainstream sports which bore me most are cycling and swimming (yes, even more than tennis). And yet I have been thrilled by the success of Nicole Cooke and Rebecca Adlington. I suppose I'll even watch Andy Murray when he starts his pursuit of Olympics gold.
Mind you, there's been one aspect of the Olympics - or rather of the BBC's coverage of it - which has enraged me. So far I've heard three commentators say a variation on the theme of: 'That'll keep the critics of the London games quiet'.
No it won't. Those of us who are appalled that London won, and that we are going to have to fork out billions of pounds to stage the games, are not anti-sport, let alone anti-Olympics. We just want someone else to have the dubious honour of paying for it.
(I'm being flippant. There's a serious argument to be had about the cost of the games and how and by whom it should be funded).
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Simon Cawkwell
August 11th, 2008 11:47amSurely, the really serious comment to be made is that Jowell, no doubt on the orders of her then boss, Blair, elected to tell a massive downright lie as to the cost of the Olympics. She declared a cost for the Olympics of £2.5bn as against a cost that she certainly already then knew of c. £10bn. The purpose of the lie was to conceal the pledging of future taxation revenue to gain an electoral advantage. This is of course merely an extension of Brown's lies about financing the economy. But Jowell told the lies and she should surely get out of politics. Who will hound her?
Curmudgeon
August 11th, 2008 12:26pmThe Chinese have spent $40 billion on these Games. They see this as a symbol of national pride and re-emergence, rather than in mere terms of profit and loss.
Does Britain want to approach the Games in this sense, or do we want to unleash the bean counters? This is a decision that is yet to be made.
Familiar Clown
August 11th, 2008 3:35pmDon't be "appalled that London won" Stephen. See it as regeneration. London is London after all, its not in China. And at least those 52 pylons will be down.
John
August 11th, 2008 5:49pmWe have enough pride as it is, thanks all the same. We don't need this utterly corrupt circus - from the disgusting IOC to the disgusting Jowell - to prove it.
Very down Down Under
August 12th, 2008 2:46amA problem I have with the Olympics is that the general tedium is made worse by inane commentary. Here are two examples from the Australian coverage of the opening ceremony:
"When you think of Bhutan, you think of archery"
and, a different jabberer when the Japanese team entered the stadium:
"They have an interesting relationship with China over the years, having invaded before World War II"
Roy
August 12th, 2008 10:17amBig is not always beautiful. What's wrong with London putting on a modest affair? Showing an example; that it's time the Olympic Games were brought down to earth and shouldn't be forced to put on a world circus spectacular to beat all previous ones! Let them with the spare cash do the spending, unless of course the advocators for the games wish to put in their own money!
Chris M
August 12th, 2008 1:02pmI feel another Millenium Dome moment coming on. But this time even more vainglorious. Not to mention expensive.
John
August 12th, 2008 7:15pmRoy, when the British vote stupid megalomaniacs into office, you can't expect them to understand that small is beautiful.