Olympic torch goes out for first time during 2012 relay

[HalcyonDaze00]

i hope this is the start of the whole thing being a complete shambles.

Obscene waste of money, British squad filled with ringers from anywhere but Britain (in a disgraceful attempt to improve medal chances), horrible city, lord coe is a cnut, crazy pricing that excludes most of the working classes, spening money on the vast security operation (while people die due to the 3rd world cancer care), I detest everything about it.

[rocky1980]

I hope this is the start of the whole thing being a complete shambles.

Obscene waste of money, British squad filled with ringers from anywhere but Britain (in a disgraceful attempt to improve medal chances), horrible city, lord coe is a cnut, crazy pricing that excludes most of the working classes, spening money on the vast security operation (while people die due to the 3rd world cancer care), I detest everything about it.

I could not have said it any better mate

[mainvein]

olympics just makes me think of brass eye "i hate sebastian Coe"

one of my bosses at work has 3 family members as torch bearers she's been trying to persuade them to buy their torches, think the ebay listings will help convince them

[r0jaws]

Not a huge fan of international sporting events myself, never really bothered by the Olympics, don't give a toss about the World Cup, 6 nations? Meh. The Ashes, Cricket? Do me a favour.
Quite like the Winter Olympics though for some reason. Maybe because there's lots of fast moving colourful stuff and loud noises.
All that said, I agree that all this fluff is quite mawkish. Seems to be over compensating for the fact that the vast majority of the country won't see the olympics, be involved in it, affected directly by it, or benefit from it in the slightest.
I also wonder why "austerity" has not been applied to this in the same way it has to all other public expenditure.

[retrosofer]

I cant stand the Olympics's, its all about the money at the end of the day, about organisations and those in positions of power making alot of money, and country's like Britain only want to host the damn thing because they think it'll make them money in the long run and off-set what its cost to host the damn thing. No, the Olympic games is a joke, it honestly couldn't be so far removed from what the original games in ancient times were about even if it tried. The UK government would be better off spending the money on the cash strapped NHS, Schools, Police Force and Armed Services.

[Antiriad2097]

But don't you want to see people run fast and jump high? Imagine the excitement at such a spectacle.

[SJ_Sathanas]

I live in a town about 30 miles NW of London, not far from where the Eurofighters are based. Pretty cool seeing jet fighters doing manouvres overhead. I'm told this will be the "kill zone" ie; where any hijacked aircraft will be herded to and shot down, hence the pratice manouvres....... :shock

As for the olympics; I'm all for the sport, the coming together from all around the world and so on but the whole thing has become so cynical; I couldn't give a rats ass.

[supermario]

I am looking forward to the Olympics as sure won't see it here in my lifetime

However - I did like todays news

"The flame convoy has taken a wrong turn in life! It has had to turn round at a roundabout on the way to Failand and is now running about 10 minutes late. "

[Liamh1982]

The main problem I have with the Olympics is that it's so bloated - any sport where winning a gold medal is not the most coveted prize should be excluded never to return. Football, tennis and as of 2016 golf - there's no point.

[retrosofer]

The main problem I have with the Olympics is that it's so bloated - any sport where winning a gold medal is not the most coveted prize should be excluded never to return. Football, tennis and as of 2016 golf - there's no point.

This is somthing i find really stupid, sports that are included in the Olympics, which are not consided athletics.

[lanky316]

That's all just a relic of a bygone age though. The olympics are supposed to be a grand coming together of all sports with the best competitors from all over the world coming together to show of their sporting prowress, but they're supposed to be amateurs. To a guy like Luis Figo, Andy Murray or Tiger Woods because the top pros can get involved the olympics is seen as nothing compared to their respective sporting majors. Change that to amateurs though who're likely to never experience big game atmosphere though, it becomes a different kettle of fish.

[the_hawk]

That's all just a relic of a bygone age though.

The "Bygone age" wasn't too hot either though, the idea of lighting the torch at the ancient Olympian site in Greece and then running it through different countries started life as a Nazi Propaganda tool in the infamous 1936 Olympics, I'm amazed they still do it to be honest.

[lanky316]

I meant about the events not being so important for athletes but yes, I can't believe they still do the torch relay. I guess the logic was that it was some sort of flame of peace after the war and trying to "reclaim" the image from Naziism.

[the_hawk]

Ooops, when I quoted you I was putting words in your mouth, I totally agree with your point if the Olympics isn't the pinnacle of achievement of a sport, then that sport really has no right being near the Olympics.

Good point about "reclaiming" the flame thing, I guess that makes sense.

As far as the Olympics go, looks like I'm in with the majority of posters on this thread as in the "not interested" camp. It's just a glorified School Sports day & I always hated School sports day.

[The Beans]

I loved the olympics during the eighties when I was a kid. I was still interested up until the mid 90's.

It's just that nowadays it's such an obvious corporate circus. All this clamping down on non-sponsor brands while it's on and everything. Rules & regulations on how many butties you can take into the stadium.
Future olympics might as well just throw real sports away and go for the full advertising burn with contestants thrown in a swimming pool of Diet Coke and told to drink their way out for that gold medal. I reckon our country could easily produce a winner for the 100m Mars Bar eat.