Olympic Countdown Thread

[McBain]

Hello, and welcome to the Olympic Warm up Thread, Grand Old Team Style.

By McBain

The London Organising Committee sat for the first time on the 3rd October, 2005, after winning Selection as the City to host the 30th Olympiad, after the initial Bid on the 15 July, 2003. Chaired by Lord Coe, a personal hero of mine, the group of intellectuals, Business owners, former Olympians and Political Heavyweights. They have been busy in the last seven years, bringing together a event unparalleled in the History of Sport.

Since Beijing, which was the best, and Athens, which wasn't that good, and Sydney before that, which was the Best Ever, a lot has happened since then. Everything's gotten faster and sexier, and records still tumble every four years despite us thinking they could never get any faster than King Carl without doping, never get any higher than Bubka without cheating. Well, they do, and they have, and despite the drugs, and the testing methods growing ever more intricate, we still believe that we can push the boundaries of the Human Body ever bigger and better than before. Our two most Super Human weapons will be on show, and gunning to repeat their feats yet again.

The Logo caused conjecture when the Animation was found to give Photo sensitive Epileptic Seizures. And the fact it looks abit like Lisa Simpson doing something naughty.

This Olympics will see the peak of two Superstar Athletes, the like of which we've never seen before.

Michael Phelps (26) Usain Bolt (25)

Phelps is competing in his 4th Olympics, and this time, he means business. 14 Gold medals, 16 overall. He is the greatest swimmer to ever have competed.

Bolt on the other hand is at his 3rd games. With 3 sprinting Gold medals, he is the fastest man in history, and he does it easier than anyone ever has at 9.572 seconds for 100m.

The Venue for the opening and closing ceremonies and the Track and Field is the £486m, 80,000 seater Olympic Stadium, In Stretford. It's detractors have compared the Stadium to a Bowl of Blancmange, "underwhelming", it will be a magnificent spectacle none the less. I think West Ham will be taking it over after the games, but i could be wrong.

Much more lively is the Aquatic Centre, looking far more Futuristic in the Oscar Niemeyer style.

Watching over events will be easy from the ArcelorMittal Orbit, which from what I can gather, is some kind of giant Robot trapped in red licorice. It's been referred to as Boris Johnson's Political Phallus.

The Olympic Stadium The Aquatic Centre

The ArcelorMittal Orbit Water Polo Arena

The cost of the games this time round is as sobering as ever. It could cost as much as £7B for all the bells and whistles, and they don't pay the volunteers. Still, of the 70,000 volunteer places over 240,000 good folk responded.

Wenlock and Mandeville - Two of the most bizarre of the Olympic Mascot family. They are two drops of steel from a Bolton Steelworks. Don't you have any fluffy animals?

The Olympic Torch

The Opening ceremony will be directed by Oscar Winner Danny Boyle, but I wouldn't be expecting a 'Trainspotting' type affair, but with the Queen and the good Duke in attendance, there will also a be short film starring Daniel Craig.

The Games officially kick off on Friday 27 July and wrap up on Sunday 12 August, 2012.

http://www.london2012.com/schedule-and-results/

 

[ToffeeBlueNose]

i applaud the effort you have put into your post but i'm not bothered bout the olympics its costing the economy a hell of a lot of money.

 

[Del]

Great thread mate

Looking forward to this more than the Euros

 

[peteblue]

Fantastic work, but cba tbh.......

 

[peteblue]

That second one with the long blond hair... Man or Woman?

Les Dawson......

 

[McBain]

i applaud the effort you have put into your post but i'm not bothered bout the olympics its costing the economy a hell of a lot of money.

Great thread mate

Looking forward to this more than the Euros

Fantastic work, but cba tbh.......

It's the responsibility of everyone to make it work, you may see the $$$ flying out the door, but in reality it can kick start your economy, develop the undeveloped, provide thousands of jobs over the long term.

I can only look at my own Cities participation, and it really created a groundswell of good feeling in Public Opinion, and completely transformed what was a swamp into a top quality event and recreation precinct which houses state of the art stadia for Footy, Tennis, Swimming, Hockey, Baseball. As Reidy would know, we got behind the whole shebang and only good things have come out of it.

This is your third Olympics, the only City to ever be awarded the honour, and by rights you should blitz the Medal tally, and get a bit more Pride back in your shield.

You'll want to, you nicked all our coaches!*

*And so the War begins hehehe

 

[ToffeeBlueNose]

I think its a shame that athletics and sport in general in this country just isn't producing any household names anymore. I used to love the athletics i grew up with the likes of Coe, Ovett, Cram, Regis, Christie, Thompson. Christ even used to watch the GB hockey team in the 80's they were boss and won an olympic medal the rowing as well, we don't seem to have the world class stars anymore and its a shame.

I wish the UK put more pride in sports like the amercans, aussies, chinese and russians do. Just to put into perspective what i mean, i have a 15 year old step daughter who leaves school next month and she hasn't done pe in over 2 years, its on her curriculum but she doesn't bother taking her kit because she isn't in to sport and the school don't give a **** if she does it or not, i find that very bizarre what about health and fitness if nothing else. Then you have to listen to the government saying kids are obese well of course they are sports in schools get no funding whatsoever its no wonder we never win anything anymore and our national rugby and cricket teams are full of foreigners. We don't hardly have any school of excellences any more its a shame.

What do you think about the drugs ban being lifted?

Not happy if spurs or whu get a free stadium out of it either.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I wish the UK put more pride in sports like the amercans, aussies, chinese and russians do. Just to put into perspective what i mean, i have a 15 year old step daughter who leaves school next month and she hasn't done pe in over 2 years, its on her curriculum but she doesn't bother taking her kit because she isn't in to sport and the school don't give a **** if she does it or not, i find that very bizarre what about health and fitness if nothing else. Then you have to listen to the government saying kids are obese well of course they are sports in schools get no funding whatsoever its no wonder we never win anything anymore and our national rugby and cricket teams are full of foreigners. We don't hardly have any school of excellences any more its a shame.

What are you doing to encourage her in to sports?

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Went to the Olympic park the other weekend as it's just a couple of stops away on the DLR. Looks alright I must say, although there's a weird sculpture thing outside the stadium. Not sure what it's supposed to be but it looks like a Transformer gone wrong.

Should be a good event though, and I reckon we've footed most of the bill for it so you boys can't grumble too much. No idea how the transport will work. We had a lightening strike knock out the trains a week or so back and it wasn't pretty. First of all they told people to get the tube, then they had to shut the tube because of the crush. Really hope nothing happens as lots of people unfamiliar with the tube could get nasty. It's busy enough in rush hour as it is.

 

[Tubey]

Fantastic work, but cba tbh.......

lol very much this. Appreciate the effort in the the thread though.

 

[Pblueman]

Probably unpatriotic of me but i really dont care about the olympics, at all. might watch the diving cause we got a local (ish) lad in there TomDaly. alls i can see is the huge financial cost to a country already on its financial knees.

 

[Tubey]

Probably unpatriotic of me but i really dont care about the olympics, at all. might watch the diving cause we got a local (ish) lad in there TomDaly. alls i can see is the huge financial cost to a country already on its financial knees.

As you're not from London, there's nothing wrong with not giving a monkeys about the whole thing.

 

[bluejock]

Probably unpatriotic of me but i really dont care about the olympics, at all. might watch the diving cause we got a local (ish) lad in there TomDaly. alls i can see is the huge financial cost to a country already on its financial knees.

I agree with this completely.

Ridiculous waste of billions that could've been spent dragging the country out of this recession.

 

[Nails]

I can only look at my own Cities participation, and it really created a groundswell of good feeling in Public Opinion, and completely transformed what was a swamp into a top quality event and recreation precinct which houses state of the art stadia for Footy, Tennis, Swimming, Hockey, Baseball. As Reidy would know, we got behind the whole shebang and only good things have come out of it.

Sydney lad? The swamp bit gave it away haha.

Sydney hasn't been the same city since the Olympics. It completely transformed much of the interior suburbs. I never give a toss about Olympics sports (except Football and swimming) but I always enjoy watching it. It is a great event that creates lots of positives, there is no doubting that.

Stop thinking about the raw cost stats.

 

[bluejock]

That's not a slight on your thread though McB. Well written and thought out.