Off Topic THE OLYMPICS

There almost here. Technically starting tomorrow although the Opening Ceremony is on Friday.

I love the Olympics and can vaguely remember the first time I saw the Olympics on television in1964.

I love watching all the different sports especially the ones rarely seen on television. The "old" Olympian in me does cringe at some sports such as synchronised swimming and the "professional" athletes such as in golf, football and tennis, but I'm still looking forward to these Olympics regardless. Football starting again this weekend and the Olympics and then the Ryder Cup what's not to love about the next month or so.

 

Never liked it, won't be watching.

 

Looking forward to it. It's just an avalanche of sport, though, and there is so much of it and the coverage so good you don't know where to look sometimes. It's full on and 2 weeks of it is about enough tbh. I was burned out last time and hardly watched any of the Paralympics just because I was sick of sport by then.

Anyone found a good guide of what/when/where to watch for British interests?

 

For me, you usually can't beat the BBC.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/rio-2016

 

Stickied.

 

Love the olympics me. Fact that many of these athletes are competing for the love of their sport and their country always gets me feeling very patriotic.
Dont like the way that they have started including sports like golf, tennis etc just to improve watchabilty and throwing out some of the traditional sports like greco-roman wrestling, ferret strangling and bear baiting. Hopefully golf will be kicked out after this year based on the pullouts of all the top men.
Visited Olympia last year to see where it all stated - very impressive place with the right guide.
Coverage here in Indonesia is crap. Think they are only competing in badminton, archery, weightlifting, rowing and synchronised begging so probably mostly coverage of that.

 

I'm running against Mo Farah lads.

Well, he's in the Great North Run along with me this September 11th.

We'll be in the same race for the first 5 metres.

 

#optimistic. A metre maybe as long as he starts slow.

 

Knowing the Great North Run even at the starting line you'll still be half a mile behind him.

 

What i dont get is the complaints about proffesionals being involved, the Boxing, Golf and Football debates. If the Olympics was what it was meant to be, a competition between each countries best athletes, it shouldnt matter whether yur an amature or a proffesional, I wanna see the best of the best go up against eachother and all I've seen is people complaining that boxing would be ruined by allowing pro's in. Nah what it will do is allow me to watch top fighters and not have to pay £17:99 for the privaledge

 

The basic argument is that the Olympic boxers are meant to be amateurs. I actually get that tho.

 

Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ol' boys were drinkin' whiskey 'n' rye
Singin this will be the day that I die.
This will be the day that I die.

 

Ha Ha

But it's my turn to drive

 

I'm ok with the professionals. If its meant to be the best of the best then fair enough. The only slight reservation I have is on the boxing front, where the Olympics has long stood as the pinnacle of amateur boxing, and almost a final gateway to the pro ranks for many. Obviously way more just become professional without Olympics but there is a bit of a romance in a Olympic medalist attempting to become a world champion later - following in the footsteps of many greats before - Lennox Lewis, Floyd Patterson, Holyfield, Ali...Fraudley Harrison

I'll watch it, I always do. I love the Olympics and all the track and field events mainly.

The only slight tine is the constant drug scandals. To be fair though I'm not sure how many of the Olympic greats who are so revered, were actually clean athletes. The likes of Carl Lewis, Linford Christie, Allan Wells, Bubka - they've all failed tests or been dogged by controversy. I'm sure many have been guilty. Sometimes I do wonder whether the "let folk take what they want camp" have a point. Bar the health concerns. One of my greatest athletic memories was the epic Lewis/Powell long jump face off at the WC. Both were likely jacked full of ****.

 

I'm banned for testing positive to peds

 

I know we didn't win any medals but GB did well in the cycling road race.

I'm also cringing at the inclusion of rugby 7's as an event. It's like having 5 a side football as an event. Just no.