Official ***Olympics 2004 - Athens, Greece ***Thread (1 Viewer)

[Jan H]

(Admin note - Please post all Olympics results/discussion in this thread. Thanks!)

Olympic fever, you've got to love it! Or not. I always loved the Olympics and have been glued to the tube during every one since 1984 (saw the heavyweight weightlifting final live. YAY!) but this year I'm down on the whole thing. Too much carnage in the world, apathy (or anger, depending on who you vote for) at home, and steroids on the playing field. Aside from the prospect of seeing a loop of the same HDTV footage for 24 hours straight, why should we watch??

 

[Steve Christou]

um because 4 billion people will be watching and you don't want to be left out?
Thats as good an excuse as any, the inhabitants of planet Earth watching a bunch of strangers running and jumping about in stadiums over in Greece, the cradle of western civilization.

 

[Alex-C]

I don't watch too many of the events but I always make a point to watch the opening ceremonies of the summer Olympics. maybe it was the 1984 summer games and my proximity to them (30 miles from L.A.) and the influence that had on our area.

Can anyone put this in perspective for me:

Not knowing much about football (soccer) in a world wide context, except that I enjoy the world cup when it comes around, how important is olympic soccer to nations like Brazil, Germany, France, England, Spain, etc. (i.e. the ones that always seem to do well in Football) ?

Obviously, its not AS big a deal as the World cup, but is it still, you know...watched and followed ?

 

[Jan H]

Don't get me wrong, Steve (congrats on Greece's Euro win, BTW), I plan on watching every moment I can, but unfortunately, DIRECTV won't let me! Channel 84, right? Anyway, aside from Michael Phelps, the men's basketball team (who can only make headlines if they lose), and the promising U.S. women's gymnastics team, you don't hear anything in the US about these games except for how everybody hopes no terrorists disrupt them. It is surreal. I plan on watching every bit I can. Good luck all nations!

 

[Jason_Els]

The Athens opening is spectacular! When NBC isn't interrupting it with commercials and inane comments, it's hugely impressive and quite a spectacular review of the birth of Western civilization. Quite beautiful and reassuring in these times when the West itself is under assault.

I watch as much Olympic coverage as I can. They give me hope and prove that sometimes, we can do amazing things as a united planet.

 

[Steve Christou]

Cheers Jan. I'll be watching as much as I can (or until I get bored of it and start switching channels... oh no it's on every station!!).

3.7 billion watched the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and they're estimating 4 billion viewers for this one. The first Olympics took place 2700 years ago, I wonder what that 'worldwide' audience was like then?

 

[Jan H]

Beware of NBC's love for the human interest story. The segment where, right before the final of the 100 yard medley-dash-dressage-marathon-shoot-hurdles there's this 10 minute segment on how the runner-swimmer-jumper-horse had to overcome a liver transplant and/or death of an immediate relative-lover-self. When you hear violins and/or cellos, turn the channel to a Ron Popeil infomercial. For all of those who do not live in the US and are therefore not subjected to this particular brand of torment, I envy you. Truly, you live in an enlightened state. I will, however, still be cheering for the red, white and blue when we kick your ass. And, yes, even when we get ours kicked!

 

[Jan H]

My guess is not that much, otherwise we'd have heard a mega-ton blast of thermonuclear power coming from Europe when Portugal lost to the United States of Iraq.

 

[Francois Caron]

In my case, it's the problem of not knowing with absolute certainty if the medal winners won their competitions fair and square or if they had a bit of "help".

As for coverage, I'm in Canada so I have my choice of CBC, TSN and NBC in all time zones (Bell ExpressVu). I prefer CBC and TSN over NBC. Less fluff, less commercials, more Olympic coverage.

I skipped the opening ceremonies mainly because I wasn't interested in watching the same TV show for four hours straight. They're simply becoming way too long and exhausting for me to sit through them.

 

[Casey Trowbridg]

I love the Olympics, and will watch as much as I possibly can. Its the only time that I get to see stuff like swimming and diving on TV here in the United States, although I'm mostly interested in Men's basketball, and a select few other sports.

I don't know why but I think even for as long as it is, the parade of Nations is pretty cool, I like to count the number of countries I've never heard of...

Olympic soccer is not as big a deal as the world cup, and probably not as big a deal as some of the european league championships, I suspect because its harder to root against someone in Olympic competition. I think perhaps as an example that the nation of Great Britan is supportive of its team, whereas in British league play, you've got Manchester fans, and people that hate Manchester and love another team.

I'd say its a lot like how the world series is bigger than Olympic baseball. For Americans it is more fun to root against/for the Yankees than against Cuba or Mexico.

 

[BrianB]

Fans of different teams do still get behind their national team though - witness the World Cup or the recent "hysteria" over Euro2004, just not their olympic team.

 

[Shane Martin]

I love the Olympics too. I'll watch EVERY minute of it that I can. It's too bad I can't get my HD working but I'll have it running by the next Olympics(winter).

 

[Patrick Sun]

I miss the McDonald's Olympic peel-off game this time around. That was a bit of fun in past decades, and it did make you look and see how well the US was doing in the medal count.

 

[andrew markworthy]

*Exhausting*? Francois, are you sure you've chosen the right word?

To get back to the original question, yes, I love the Olympics. For all that the events are now largely the preserve of pro athletes, and there will inevitably be drugs scandals, they still have a great appeal. I shall be particularly paying attention to the women's high diving. This is a much underrated sport in my opinion.

On the converse, I will also seeth with anger as our Brit athletes are interviewed and smirk and prepare to accept mediocrity before they've even done their event. Remarks such as 'I'll be really pleased just to reach the final' or 'the opposition is likely to be too great' have me wanting to throw something at the TV. I don't know about you guys, but I was brought up with the concept that if you went into a competition, you went in to win (though showing sportsmanship - no John McEnroe-type tantrums). Facing a more powerful opponent was a challenge, not a guarantee that you'll lose. If you go in convinced that not winning is acceptable, then you're bound to lose because you've already created a lousy mindset. I've got to say that overall, I find American athletes far better at facing up to competition.

 

[Angelo.M]

Ditto. We're Olympic nuts every two years. Watching beach volleyball now.

 

[Kyle McKnight]

I wonder when they're gonna add extreme sports into the mix? XXX Olympiad: X-games Edition

 

[Alex-C]

Andrew,

I am a fairly big sports fan. Watch every super bowl, world series, stanley cup etc. but [flame suit on]the most spectacular sporting event I ever witnessed on television was the England v Argentina game in World Cup '98.[/flame suit off]

So I have been hooked on world cup and England ever since.
I even watched the England vs Germany match live in 2002 (it was on locally at 3 am or something like that).

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I just like the atmosphere it creates. For instance, the Greeks cheered when the American and Iraqi teams were announced during the Parade of Nations. It's like world takes a break from its petty infighting and takes a momentary pause for a unity through fair competition.

 

[James L White]

agree, they have extreme skiing in the winter games, also why no Olympic golf????

 

[Francois Caron]

Yep! No "lost in translation" issue here. I checked the schedule on the satellite and realized the opening ceremonies were going to last a full four hours! I was getting tired after watching only three hours of the previous opening ceremonies. But watching four hours' worth this time around? No thanks!

I'll just follow the results whenever I switch to the CBC. Knowing them, they're probably broadcasting their usual 22 hours of daily sports coverage, leaving only a couple of hours free for the news.