I managed to miss the whole shooting match up to this afternoon when I saw us win the Superheavyweight gold medal. Must say I wouldn't have traded over two weeks of Mediterranean sunshine for what was served up but well done to all our medal winners...
Can't agree with that Watford! I don't watch much cycling/athletics etc between the Olympics and World Championships.....but watching our fantastic British competitors win medal after medal (I couldn't care less if it is tiddly winks!!) has made me so proud to be British. They have worked for years towards their goal and have put our over-paid, twat footballers to shame! I will shout from the roof-tops about how proud I am of each and every one of them!!
Did they print an opinion or just the facts Nines? Can you send me a link to the offending article, please. As far as I understand it, Farah was born in Somalia, raised in London, but now resides in Oregon. I can forgive him all of this, but not that he appears to be a Gooner. The issue of the so-called Plastic Brits is a tricky one, isn't it? I think there's a distinction to be drawn between those born elsewhere, but raised in the UK, and those using convenient ancestral links to compete for Team GB when they've never lived here. It's disappointing that Farah has chosen to live in the US, but ultimately it's his choice.
Fantastic closing ceremony!!! Well done Absolutely brilliant to involve music, no one come close to Brittain when it comes to music. LOVE IT!
Every sportsperson, whether they're footballers, runners, rowers etc, work hard to get where they are and become winners. But let's get rid of the myth that they're doing it for us or their country, because they're not. They're doing it for themselves and their own personal glory, and quite rightly so. Why should we fawn over them and feel proud of their achievements? There are lots of people in the world who work extremely hard for no reward other than to make the lives of others better off. They're the ones more deserving of our praise, not a bloke running round a track 25 times for his own personal glory...
What utter cack!! Have you seen the emotions on their faces when they get cheered by the crowd or hear the National Anthem?
What you on about BigMc? Stirring the ****? No need for that. Look at the Marathon winner today from Uganda, their first Olympic gold since 1972. He's now their biggest national hero. Do not underestimate what that kind of achievement might mean for a whole country.
Of course to represent your country must be a complete honour but I am afraid every sportsmen/woman has to be focussed on themselves ... Any sportsman or sportswoman would NEVER reach this level of success without it ... Talk the talk of course but it 100% focus inside to get to the top Anyone who thinks they are thinking about what the public are thinking while they performing is deluded! The crowd with out doubt play their part as we all want a win inside and these people feed even our own egos and passion Success comes in many forms and I salute the sacrifice made but please they have to be doing it for themselves first ... Take away the stage and the hero aspect they have inside and the desire to be the best regardless of country of origin you have nothing London 2012 was fantastic in every aspect yet our stupid UK culture moans at the first hurdle This will be evident on this very board soon as the knives come out for whoever is playing for QPR London 2012 cost a small fortune more than some countries spent in the entire year running a country We worship our overpaid idols in football and so the same happens in sections of the Olympics ... It's about the money ... Not many on here even knew of some of team GB 20 days ago Wake up
Intellectually I agree with a lot of that DT, but one thing I have learned over the last couple of weeks is that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. We have paid through tax and lottery support for these athletes to prepare for the Olympics and they all seemed genuinely grateful and proud to represent their country, whatever that means. Very few will get rich out of the years of dedication they have put in. It might seem nuts to spend money on things like this, art, theatre, libraries etc when people are starving, but for me it's a sign of civilization - these are the things that make life worth living, ignore them we have nothing. The big thing that struck me is how sick we ( the British in its broadest, multicultural sense) are of the mean spirited, let's criticise everything stance typified by Soopermack above who can only attribute any action to individual selfishness. On a personal and collective level we see daily examples of altruism and public spiritedness that proves this wrong, and this was emphasized during the last couple of weeks, to the extent that our disastrous, cynical media has had to change its tune as well. While I remain skeptical of the economic arguments, 'legacy' etc, I have thoroughly enjoyed the last couple of weeks on lots of levels. GB performed brilliantly all round, not just in competition, and the atmosphere has been outstanding. You are absolutely right that footballers have a lot to learn in this context. They compare very poorly with many of the Olympic athletes in terms of effort, energy, humility and simple respect. I'm off to Rome for a few days and am not taking the iPhone or iPad with me so I can actually enjoy my family for a change. Back Friday evening, Saturday to the match with the boy.......... Come on you Rssss!!!!!!!
I'm not mean spirited. I thought the Olympics were great. And I'm not slagging the competitors off, they have to have those attributes to reach the top, they are all impressive athletes. I love the fact that Mo Farrah showed all immigrants coming here how to embrace the country that adopts you, and make the most of it. You have to love that guy, so positive, it's infectious. But I'm not going to hero worship them, and drop my proverbial knickers at the very sight of them. I was a proud British well before these games for many more worthy reasons, and I'll be proud for a long time after......
Having re-read your post perhaps I was a little harsh, using you to make a more general point. You don't have to hero worship anyone, and obviously personal motivation and dedication is essential to these athletes. From my perspective they are due an incredible amount of respect and admiration for what they have achieved - British or not, medal winners or not. The fact remains that the British success is due to a national project, funded by tax and Lottery, so we all have the right to enjoy the achievements however we want, because we paid for it, and as I said above all the athletes I saw interviewed recognized this and were grateful for it. Many also mentioned the support on the day from the crowds as a big factor in their performances.
Anyone who moans about us paying for this with our taxes, trust me, compared to what they're usually wasted on, this was a resounding success. Remember the DOME?
That'll be the same Dome where the Gymnastics were held, and where the Basketball Semi finals and final were held? Whatever became of that huge white elephant?
Actually, pretty much all of the athletes, irrespective of country, have said that the support of the crowds was immense, very knowledgeable (such as understanding when someone has just managed a PB in the athletics) and very respectful to all of the competitors. That's something we ought to be proud of. The other big call out, which was emphasised last night, needs to be the volunteers. Major success and they all deserve our best wishes and congratulations.
It's a success now because it's privately owned!! It cost us billions and was sold for £1 to company to reap the rewards! So yes it was a monstrous white elephant. I wonder how much it cost us tax payers to rent that for the Olympics?
It cost £789 million: £628 million by National Lottery grants, and £189 by ticket sales. Not all the Lottery money was needed (the grants were about £25 million over budget). So the actual build of the thing cost the tax-payer..... nothing. Your lottery ticket money or entry fees during the first year paid for it. So it's likely that (as with me) your total contribution through all channels was zero. The redevelopment costs were taken on by the new owners and were entirely privately funded, and this prevented the tax payer being hit with a maintenance bill of around £12million a year. white elephant? Huge taxpayer drain? Erm... no. I don't mind you whinging about excesses and 'white elephants', but please - whihge about the right ones!
