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London 2012 Olympics

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Blue Velvet

Moderator emeritus
Original poster
Jul 4, 2004
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265
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2281259-london-olympics-logo.jpg



A thread for the London Olympics

http://www.olympic.org/​


About two weeks before the summer Olympics, things here in London are getting a little busy, but the weather’s miserable. The Opening Ceremony starts Friday 27th of July at 9pm (British Summer Time) (4pm EDT/5pm CDT)

The sports at this year’s Olympics are:

  • Archery
  • Athletics
  • Badminton
  • Basketball
  • Beach Volleyball
  • Boxing
  • Canoe Slalom
  • Canoe Sprint
  • Cycling - BMX
  • Cycling - Mountain Bike
  • Cycling - Road
  • Cycling - Track
  • Diving
  • Equestrian
  • Fencing
  • Football
  • Gymnastics - Artistic
  • Gymnastics - Rhythmic
  • Handball
  • Hockey
  • Judo
  • Modern Pentathlon
  • Rowing
  • Sailing
  • Shooting
  • Swimming
  • Synchronised Swimming
  • Table Tennis
  • Taekwondo
  • Tennis
  • Trampoline
  • Triathlon
  • Volleyball
  • Water Polo
  • Weightlifting
  • Wrestling

Any of these events you’re interested in or will be watching? Me, I always watch the opening and closing cermonies, men's and women's gymnastics, the 100m finals and the volleyball. Four years ago, when I couldn't sleep, I ended up watching the BMX races, which were pretty entertaining.

What do you think of the games in general? Anyone here got tickets or will be watching from some of the public viewing spots? And if anyone would like to post pictures from here in London that are games-related, that would be great too.

.
 
I like to watch the opening/closing ceremony also.

And I'd like to add in this time of trouble everywhere the Olympics is sorely needed. It helps people get away from negativity for a while and focus on who will win the gold.
 
will probably watch the badminton and running.

The whole security thing is becoming a big joke.

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neiltc13 said:
It is also yet another example of successive Governments providing huge amounts of funding to London and the South East, despite it being completely overpopulated and to the detriment of the rest of the UK.
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That's really good point, never thought of it like that.
 
I'll be watching football, track, swimming and other sports my fellow country persons are in (badminton, gymnastics, 20 and 50km walk, marathon, shooting, taekwondo, and a couple others) i think we're the 77th to go in the opening ceremony.

The only thing i would change about the olympics is stop it being a one city deal, that's why all those stadiums get built just to never be used again, it should be held on more cities, eg the UK Olympics and not just London, kinda like the World Cup.
 
Never was a fan of the Olympics. I'll probably watch the opening/closing ceremony on NBC. That's it. I'm not a sports fan though.

Honestly the most exciting thing to me is that the 'official' Olympics song is by Muse.
 
I enjoy watching field events, but they're so infrequently aired. Track events longer than the mile (yes, I know it's 1500m, but colloquially it's a mile) bore me - they're like NASCAR minus the car.

I wish they would show handball. You virtually never see it anywhere here, but it's a cool game to watch.

Seems like most of the airtime here is given to diving and gymnastics, two "sports" I absolutely abhor.

*(I've had to explain myself on this many times. I'm not saying these events aren't athletic or that they don't require a tremendous amount of skill and training, but I have a hard time accepting anything as a "sport" when the winners and losers are determined solely by judges. By that definition, a beauty pageant or a chili cook-off would be a sport.)
 
I watch the opening ceremonies, swimming, women's gymnastics, the track & field events, and diving mostly. I like to watch some of the other sports but often don't have time.
 
I really love the Olympics, pretty much all the events, but especially gymnastics, swimming, diving, and track and field. Rooting like mad for Lolo Jones this year. Also exciting to watch Michael Phelps be so dominant.

It's probably the time when I'm the most patriotic. :)

Don't panic said:
the real outrage is that logo.
Click to expand...

Seriously, that is horrid. I remember a much better London 2012 logo for some reason.
 
neiltc13 said:
How anyone can justify these sums on what is a sponsor-supported entertainment event is beyond me.
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Bringing the world together every couple of years is priceless. Let's us see each other as fellow humans. Puts us all on as level a playing field as possible. Educates the population of who's who (nation wise) and gives a little history. Encourages healthy competition. It's inspiring. Human spirit. Doves and ****. Etc.

I had a chance to attend, but I've deferred until September. I want to see London as its own city, not an Olympic Village, on my first visit. I was in Atlanta in 1996, so I've had a taste of the Games and its a wonderful experience. Milling about with travelers from all corners of the globe is wild. People are approachable, you're sharing a unique experience and a common platform. Conversations flow amongst strangers because you suddenly have so much in common. I hope some of you get to be close to The Games. You don't even need tickets to an event, just walk around. It's awesome.

I love the games, the pageantry and the atheletes. The dedication, courage and strength these competitors display are über uplifting. My favorite thing of all though is the stories. Overcoming things, rising up to challenges, whatever. Tell me a good story and I'm hooked. Can't wait!
 
I used to love wathing just about any Olympic sport (WTF is up with rhythmic gymnastics?) but NBC has comletely ruined them with their endless stream of "human interest" angles on th athletes. Show me the ****imng competition. I couldn't care less about their stories.
 
Don't panic said:
the real outrage is that logo.
Click to expand...


Now that I've seen it in use around the city and on various pieces of merchandising, signage and collateral, as well the different ways in which it can rendered, I've completely changed my mind about it and think it works pretty well. Putting my graphic designer cap on for a second, the two most important things it achieves in my opinion, are:

1. It cuts sharply through the urban visual grease and clutter of London because it looks like nothing else out there. Along with its typography, it's immediately unique and identifiable; an important factor when you see the signage and wayfinding stuff that's going up around the city and on the tube for the many thousands of visitors that will be here.

2. As a brand device that's supposed to represent London, it's fairly jagged, edgy and gritty for this kind of thing. It's the closest thing to punk that you'll see for an event of this scale with this level of corporate involvement and is far more representative of London's diversity and vibrancy than a slick brand identity with gradients, curved lines and forms and blander typography. That's not what this city is about. Seeing it against a white background in one colour isn't representative of its various uses and versions; it's pretty versatile...

So yeah, I've become quite fond of it, in its own little misshapen way. :)
 
Blue Velvet said:
The sports at this year’s Olympics are:

  • Canoe Slalom
  • Canoe Sprint
  • Cycling - BMX
  • Cycling - Mountain Bike
  • Cycling - Road
  • Cycling - Track
  • Rowing
  • Sailing
Click to expand...

Yep, that's about it... and the 100 metres final of course. ;)

Still thoroughly disappointed that they changed the mountain bike venue from Swinley Forest. :(

neiltc13 said:
Complete waste of taxpayers' money in my opinion. If the Olympic Games are to be held, they should be funded entirely by sponsors. It's also hugely wasteful that every time these games are held lots of new stadiums and arenas are built and then rarely, if ever, used again.

It is also yet another example of successive Governments providing huge amounts of funding to London and the South East, despite it being completely overpopulated and to the detriment of the rest of the UK.

Oh, and don't get me started on the "games lanes". I pay my road tax so I can use the roads, not so a select few people can skip the traffic.
Click to expand...

Firstly the Olympic Games themselves are privately funded. The infrastructure etc is provided by the host nation, and even then it's not entirely subsidised by the taxpayer. For example, both private sponsorship, investment and National Lottery funding all contribute to the costs.

Secondly, it should be remembered that the arena's that have been constructed, include a number of temporary structures, that will be dismantled after the games, those that remain will be reduced in capacity to a size more suitable for community use.

It's also worth mentioning, that after the games, the Olympic Village will became affordable, high-quality housing, something that area has lacked for decades.

And it should also be remembered that it has provided significant employment opportunities for over half a decade and will continue to do so over the next decade too.

Thirdly, it's regenerated one of the most deprived and poorest regions in the UK, and has allowed massive regeneration of polluted brownfield sites, not only in facilities, but also in the creation of greenfield sites.

Fourthly, it's not just London that is benefitting. Cardiff, Coventry, Manchester, Newcastle & Weymouth are all going to benefit. Weynouth itself has seen a significant investment in its road infrastructure to improve access (as anyone who has tried to visit in summer will appreciate), and something that will be of major economical benefit to the town in the future.

And lastly… It's 2 weeks for heaven sake, and what lazy duck drives in London anyway, when there's that shiny new cable car to make use of. ;)

Anyway, calm down… you're going to pop something. ;)

Blue Velvet said:
So yeah, I've become quite fond of it, in its own little misshapen way. :)
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While it lacks the pure, beautiful, simplicity of say Munich '72 or even Sarajevo '84... I've always rather liked the concept myself, something that I think has been missed, mainly by Graphic Designers it has to be said. :p

P.S. Lovely to see you again on the board Blue. It's been a while. :)

G.
 
Blue Velvet said:
So yeah, I've become quite fond of it, in its own little misshapen way. :)
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I sort of agree with you but also there's a third thing...

3. It's given us all something for us all to take the piss out of for months and months - now, that really is, a British bonding thing.
 
iGav said:
Lovely to see you again on the board Blue. It's been a while.
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It has. Definitely an occasional visitor these days for various reasons. Missed you and your design smarts. :)


jeremy h said:
t's given us all something for us all to take the piss out of for months and months - now, that really is, a British bonding thing.
Click to expand...

True. But I don't want to go there as it does my head in. I'm not British, but have lived here in London for almost 25 years... and it's interesting seeing how people are reacting to this.
 
obeygiant said:
Has it stopped raining in London yet?
Click to expand...


No. It's been an extraordinary spring and summer. Great for gardens and being able to sleep comfortably at night.

Apart from a period for about a week or so when it got into the high 20s (80s+F), it's been rain almost every day, sometimes all day. The weather has broken a lot of records for rainfall this year... which is all to do with the Atlantic jetstream being further south than usual, apparently. We went from drought conditions to flood warnings in a few weeks...

Next few weeks are looking a little better, though. I'm not sure what happens to the athletics and other outdoor events if it's pelting down and how they work around schedules and so on. Wimbledon, where the tennis will be, has a roof at least.

Was just looking at pictures of the Athlete's Village earlier today, if anyone's interested.
 
Blue Velvet said:
No. It's been an extraordinary spring and summer. Great for gardens and being able to sleep comfortably at night.

Apart from a period for about a week or so when it got into the high 20s (80s+F), it's been rain almost every day, sometimes all day.
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This makes me so jealous, you have no idea. It hasn't rained in SoCal in forever, and it's still odd to me after living here almost 3 years. I really miss rain. :(

Living in the UK is on my list of things to do, maybe sooner rather than later.
 
Queen of Spades said:
This makes me so jealous, you have no idea.
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Don't be jealous too much. It's gotten long past the point of being nice to being a downright nuisance and has screwed up tons of large events already, as well as making it a miserable shopping season for clothing and leisure-good retailers. Movie theatres are doing well, though.

I'd gladly swap a couple of weeks in CA with you now, just to catch some sun. :)
 
Blue Velvet said:
Don't be jealous too much. It's gotten long past the point of being nice to being a downright nuisance and has screwed up tons of large events already, as well as making it a miserable shopping season for clothing and leisure-good retailers. Movie theatres are doing well, though.

I'd gladly swap a couple of weeks in CA with you now, just to catch some sun. :)
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I know, true, it would get old. This is why I firmly believe that, with the exception of the months of December/January, the Northeast of the USA has the ideal weather. :)
 
Not going to say anything PRSI'ish.. though it's difficult :D

Only watchin the men's sprints and men and women's weightlifting.

I liked that Chinese weightlifter at the last Olympics.. really young guy, amazing strength. Wonder if he's here this year.

Hope the whole thing isn't overshadowed by some guy winning a million different ways to swim. Bit ridiculous that. If someone is winning a lot of medals I want to see them do it in a range of fields.
 
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