Summer Olympics - 2012 - London

I love watching the Olympics. I wondering how it impacts the sports fan of Great Britain. Our local newspapers have been covering it quite well; highlighting local folks who are participating.

I thought the topic deserved its own thread to post our impressions, favorites, questions, observations, etc.

I was in London on business in 2000 when the Australia games were held. The TV coverage was fairly weak.

My favs are track and field and gymnastics.

My earliest memories of the Olympics were of the infamous 1972 games. Mark Spitz and Olga Korbut became legends while the officiating debacle in basketball cost the U.S. a gold medal. And, of course, the terrorism that resulted in the murder of several Israeli athletes and ruined the Olypics.

In 1976 I remember how well the American boxing team performed. It was probably thebest U.S. team ever with Howard Davis, Leon and Michael Spinks and Ray Leonard winning gold. Davis' mother died while he was competing and he missed her funeral. Another boxer, whose name escapes me, won a gold too.

But 1976 was dominated by Nadia Comaneci, who was only 14, when she wowed the world, and Bruce Jenner, who became the world's greatest athlete.

I'll still watch the Olympics, but it's not as interesting as it once was.

It's sport so i will watch it

The 1976 Montreal Olympics were also a lesson in how not to plan them. They spent a ridiculous amount of money on them, they didn't break even until the 2000s.

I wonder if Team USA will indeed retain their gold in what may very well be the last "Dream Team" of NBA players in the Olympics. (Was the original Dream Team the greatest basketball team in history?)

I'm sure USA will win the most medals again. I'm sure the opening ceremonies will be a hot mess (isn't director Danny Boyle is dealing with a strike as we speak?) but hey at least they dug up Macca for them. How appropriate.

BTW I hate to spoil it, but I know who will light the Olympic bowl of fire:

London has worked itself into a frenzy over the Games, but up here in the frozen wastebound North we aren't really part of it so are lacking a bit of enthusiasm (even though we have a few footy games here)

Got a good laugh yesterday when the organisers flew South Korea's flag at a North Korea event. Nuclear wars could start over less

I'm looking forward to the opening ceremonies even if it's just to watch McCartney. Glad to see the U.S. Women start off with a soccer victory. and of course, the eyes of the nation will be on the performance of Mitt Romney's prized horse.

Any rumors about who will light the torch? I'm hoping for Eddie The Eagle!

Now he is an Olympic hero, however i hear it could be either Roger Bannister or Steve Redgrave!!!!!

Fun Fact: London is seeing the highest military activity since WW2 with the Navy flagship in the Thames, the Royal Marines standing about and thousands of troops to deal with the rowdy Olympic fans. (Oh and anti-aircraf missiles on top of apartment buildings.)

Oh and some tourist also running for President claims London isn't ready for the Olympics. Meanwhile, the Mayor of London (allegedly an idiot) called him an idiot. Ouch.

~But hey, the PM's house does have a nice ass, no?

Apologizing in advance to our British friends, but the opening ceremonies were absolutely tedious. It started out as sweet, with the fields and the children singing songs from each of the four countries that make up the UK, but then it rolled (endlessly, btw) into WTF territory. The Industrial Revolution? Complete with smokestacks and the smell of sulfur?? REALLY?? Why didn't they include some children whose limbs were mangled while working in a mill?? Then the doctors and nurses wheeling the children in beds? The music from the past four decades was cute, though, and I loved the Queen and Daniel Craig in the helicopter. Otherwise, I just found the ceremony tedious and boring.

Same here, and was disappointed. The Queen's "entry" was hysterical and I was impressed by her sense of humor to have made that clip. I'm just waiting to see the U.S. and British athletes enter the arena before sleep.

Just finished it -- it wasn't too bad, but a bit weird. (After Beijing, I wasn't expecting anything to compare.) I was glad the A-Z went by "quickly" ...but Sir Paul sounded a bit off. But overall not bad.

PS - As for the Queen, that stunt was cool. But her sitting there, not even smiling or clapping or standing for at least the UK team was inexcusable.

The Queen doesn't stand for anyone.

McCartney sounded AWFUL at first, but got his voice back some a little later. He's growing some jowls!!

It was spectacular but a tad tedious. The Queen looked bored rigid and poor Muhammad Ali looked terrible. I always enjoy the athletes entries. Team USA looked very natty in their berets and Team GB looked ridiculous in their Ali G tracksuits

Watching this morning and China have took the first gold medal in the shooting! GB looking good in the rowing as per norm and Michael Phelps looked average in the swimming. His rival Ryan Lochte looked sharp though!

I don't stand for anyone either, so maybe I'd get along with the ol' girl.

McCartney's first notes were off, so much so that he giggled a bit in the second verse. I understand that he was a bit emotional and fought back some tears in the beginning. I don't expect the same McCartney that we had in the 60s-80s. At the age of 70 some of hits are hard to pull off with the same richness, for which he's known.

I knew he had to sing 'Hey Jude.' If this planet were to have a global anthem, uniting us all, this is the song.

And I've noticed the jowls for a while too. I'd recommend letting the hair go gray.

I may be in the minority, but I enjoyed the opening ceremonies. I saw most of it, but would like to ask about a few things I might have missed. First, was the ferris wheel a reference to the Great Exhibition? Was there a reference to the Crystal Palace? Also, I began watching when the spectacular display of the Industrial Revolution took place. Prior to that was there a tribute to Shakespeare and the Globe Theatre? I was hoping that there would be a celebration of Keats, Coleridge, Wordsworth and Tennyson too.

I thought that bringing the torch up the Thames was a wonderful sight too.

I agree with you on Ali. While he is an iconic figure, his presence was too uncomfortable.

I was also surprised that Roger Bannister didn't light the torch. Was he included in the ceremonies? i know he must be in his 80s, but last I had seen him on the news, he seemed fit as a fiddle.

The outfits had to look sharp as they were crafted by the best Chinese artisans that 40 cents an hour could buy. I thought the outrage over the American uniforms being made overseas was silly and hypocritical as Congress has stood silent for decades as the apparel industry left the country. Frankly, I couldn't care less that the uniforms were made in China.

The worst uniforms of the ceremonies belong to our neighbors to the North. Those red jackets with "CANADA" stamped on front in large letters looked as if they had been pulled from the K-Mart clearance rack 40 years ago.

did you expect it NOT to be tedious and boring??? that's what they call a "ceremony" - a shitpile of money wasted into the opening event, when there were already several games been played!!

I couldn't watch it for over 10 minutes. plus the "Hey Jude" every-single-time just makes me sick

If she can't stand, smile, and clap for her own nation's athletes, at least she shouldn't have been picking her nails when Great Britain marched into Olympic Stadium

Oh, cut her some slack, huh? She had just finished diving from a helicopter.

Bannister turned down the opportunity when asked.

Save for the Industrial Revolution* bit, which like Babe I thought was a questionabl artistic choice (yes celebrate utter poverty and human suffering!), I kinda enjoyed the ceremonies too? Like the Oscars they're alwyas overlong and overproduced (Danny Boyle spent reportedly $40 million), but they're pure propaganda spectacles. It's to be expected, so I got what I could from it. The best bits were the James Bond and Mr. Bean sketches. I did enjoy Branagh's brief Bard recitation.

How the torch was lit was pretty cool.

The most surreal moment was the how and why Boyle wanted to bind together both a celebration of British children's literature and the NHS. (I wished NBC could've cut to Mitt Romney's face when the NHS sketch happened.)

*=When those 5 rings were being "crafted," I only kept thing of LTOR. "5 Rings to rule them all!"

Speaking of bad taste, NBC decided to cut out the Opening Ceremonies section dealing with the tribute to the 7/7 terrorist attack victims in favor of Ryan Seacrest interviewing Michael Phelps.

Stay classy NBC.

~That deleted section, if you're curious:

http://deadspin.com/5929778/heres-the-op...want-you-to-see

I see Phelps only came 4th in the 400m individually swimming final..

He still may medal but his overpowering domination of the sport is behind him.

I must've watched almost 6 hrs of this today.

Ryan Lochte appears to be the new Phelps -- quite impressive!

On the gymnastics front, I've loved John Orozco since the trials a few weeks ago. Great story from the Bronx boy!

I'm addicted already.

I couldn't get into the bike riding but the gymnastics and swimming have been awesome, so far.

Bike riding would be interesting in if they had unicycle racing as well as surrey carts

Or couples having sex on the handelbars as they're going downhill at 60 mph.

uhhhh hmmm ****1/2

I missed that somehow, ronnie. I'll be sure to find it on YouTube.

Team GB are off and running with our first team medals of the games,Lizzie Armitstead winning silver in the women's road race and Rebecca Adlington getting a bronze in the 400m freestyle swimming..

Women's beach volleyball or let my ass hang out. Do they have to hug after each point? Relax girls, play the game. Great team volleyball match; USA v Korea. Wow those girls are tall! Amazing reaction time.

Sounds like Mary is jealous she didn't make the team.

The women's beach volleyball is the eye candy of the Olympics.

Is Chris Hoy taking part this year?

I don't complain when they hug!

My hat's off to the wit, who ran through security and down the street, lined with cheering crowds, holding a banana in the air like a torch.

I'm jealous my butt isn't that firm Since we're off the sport a bit, I think the female viewer has a lot more eye candy to view than the male viewer. My mom used to like the track and field, especially the slow motion shots of the hurdlers like Edwin Moses. She commented on the size and action of the private parts as they made their way down the track.

I was watching the men's gymnastic prelims the other night and got a big laugh from watching the guys step off the platform and being eyed by the young lady (rather attractive, too) sitting off to the side. She was smiling as her eyes ran up and down the guy's bodies.

The young lady would have been a fan of the ancient Olympic games where the participants (male only) competed in the nude. The word 'gymnasium' comes from the Greek word gymnos meaning nude. Women were not allowed to attend the games then.

That would be fine for ladies' volleyball.

Men's Weightlifting is live now on NBC.com

Team GB take a bronze in the Men's gymnastics, we had a silver until Japan appealed but you have to feel for Ukraine though who had a bronze until Japan appealed.. Amazing final..

USA Men's Gymnasts took a nasty nose-dive

Is this an event that you do well in. First medal in a 100 years for GB..

USA men were 1st after prelims, they were favored. Poop. Congrats to GB. Louis Smith on the pummel horse was fantastic.

Missy Franklin, USA swimmer is a great story. 17 years old. Swam a prelim 200 meter freestyle (I think) and 10 minutes later had to swim the 100 meter backstroke final.. and took the GOLD.

I don't think we have a great deal of success in male team gymnastics. I think the only time we won gold was in 1984 when the Soviet bloc sat out the Olympics.

Phelps wins his 18th and 19th medal tonight to become the greatest Olympian of all time..

Women take gold in gymnastics.

Hopefully GB will win their first gold medals of the Olympics today as the rowing finals start today..

I'm sorry, I just don't understand Olympic teams tanking games. I mean Japan's football team playing for a tie (and not to win) just to avoid traveling to Scotland for a game? China trying to lose Badminton games so it would be a China/China final?

Personally I wouldn't blame the nation of Japan for feeling shame over such nonsense after reading that news about their team of athletes allegedly training years to get a chance to do their best on the world's biggest sports stage that isn't the World Cup. Pure lazyness.

At least with China, what athlete from there will say no to the police state?

Yesterday was a excellent day for the GB team,Gold and Bronze in the rowing.

Also Bradley Wiggins became the most successful Olympian ever after his Gold in the mens time trial race. Also congrats to Chris Froome with his bronze.

Arise Sir Bradley..

Here´s my favourite olympic participant. Hope Solo.
Very easy on the eye....sigh
And a very good goalie too!

I don't get it either, ronnie, and I'm surprised by the number of people, who've defended them. It is unimaginable that you can devote your lives to an event for four years and then you intentionally lose to set up a possible preferred match up. Apparently, in one of China's matches both teams were deliberately trying to lose. It is an insulting mockery to the sport and the Games.

to be fair, China got busted for that in that sport along with apparently South Korea and Indonesia. Everybody should be kicked from the Olympic Village orgies.

(Yeah you was hoping to hook up with the women's Swedish tennis team? They'll be whack someone else's balls now.)

Greak work Britian! 5 Golds, could be our best games by the time it ends!

There's actually quite a few cuties on the team. Rather surprising.

It's chris hoy now he won his 5th gold yesterday and he's still got another event left.

Yeah, considering their preferences...
The US team is managed by a swedish coach by the way. And yeah, she IS a woman in case anyone is wondering...

Team GB getting a good head of steam up now

The last two days for GB have been awesome, taking multiple golds in the cycling and Rowing..

4th in the table, China can feel us breathing down their necks

Watching the womens Triathlon just now, crikey these lasses are fit. Nice course as well, Buckingham Palace and all.....

I watched the cyclists last Sunday, and thought that the course through London and the outskirts were beautiful. I have to get there some day.

I'm happy for Phelps finishing his olympic career in style. I don't understand why so many sports show heads felt the need to criticize him by claiming Carlm Lewis is a better olympian (said by Tony Kornheiser) or that Phelps falls far below the list of the world's 100 greatest athletes (said by Skip Bayless). Why are we even having these conversations now, if at all. It seems like petty attempts to minimalize his accomplishments.

I loved Missy Franklin breaking a world record en route to another gold, and then thinkinking about getting ready for her senior year in high school. Also, it was nice to see that Lebron James at the swimming competition was not too conceited to cheer wildly for her.

But I think the big star of the olympics has to be Gabby Douglas. I'm no big fan of gymnastics, but it is amazing to see someone so young perform at such a high level before so many eyes under a world of pressure.

I can't get into the Olympics these days like I did when I was a kid. Maybe if the Russians changed their uniforms to read USSR it might peak my interest again.

What is it now, 21 medals? There's not even a debate.

22 with 18 gold and he's not in the top 100 lol.

Another record breaking day for team GB, 6 gold medals today. But the footballers lost on penalties,, no surprise there then..

Our footballers are penalized for some hits on players. Are your footballers subject to penalties for illegal hits?

This has been a great (at least engaging) Summer Olympics so far. Have DVR'd and watched each primetime recap (for 4+ hrs/day), plus some early daily coverage in the background. It seems every 30 minutes there's something I want to post later, but then it gets too overwhelming trying to recall everything each day.

Like, that 15 year old girl winning gold?!!

I'm not sure if NBC is just showing the US audience what it wants to see -- while adding some "international" flare to the coverage. But so far, it's been very entertaining to me. And after seeing some NBC human interest stories on some non-Americans, I find myself rooting for them instead. Like that Brit Jessica Ennis, among others....

I've been enjoying the Games too, Geoff. Our town had two Olympians. Our shotputter placed ninth overall, but performed well, while Hyleas Fountain, who took silver in Beijing, did not medal this year in women's decathlon. A hero's welcome is still planned for them.

But a girl from a nearby town, 20 minutes away won a gold medal yesterday in one of the sharpshooting events.

I'm not sure what the controversy over Serena Williams' little dance on center court was. She had just beaten Maria Sharapova in dominating fashion. I've heard that because the steps she used are called the Crip Dance that it was a celebration of gang violence even though the Crips aren't known for dancing. People will go to any lengths to rain on Serena.

My one complaint. NBC tries to create drama and sometimes its transparent. How many slowmotions of one gymnastic routine are appropriate? And then analyze that her knee was bent slightly and that can be a tenth of a point deduction. All trying to make for riveting viewing. Sometimes it works and sometimes its just plain tedious.

Team GB up to 3rd in the medal table, but we might as well be top as the US and China are in a league of there own..

China 61
USA 60

GB 37

Kazakhstan in 7th with 6 gold medals..

I'm glad to see the Brits doing well in front of the hometown crowd. Remember back about 40 years? Russia / East Germany ... the propaganda teams. Communism is GOOD!

And now its the Chinese.

It been great so far, our best gold medal tally in over 100 years, 22 so far..

Bolt rules the track again with gold in the 200 meters..

USA takes over -- commandingly -- in medal count after today

Bolt may of won both 100 and 200 but I just love Yohan Blake, that dude seems so cool!!!

Was never in doubt once the Track events get started..

DeNiro, have you been able to attend any of the events?

The American women had a big day yesterday, winning water polo and soccer golds.

Usain Bolt was amazing as expected.

Kly, i haven't been able to get tickets for any of the events as they are so expensive, but ive enjoyed very much just watching them on TV.I think it's been a very successful games..

USA Women's Track is just SICK!

I apologize if this has been covered already, I haven't read all the posts in this thread...

Am I the only one who is watching Water Polo for the first time and thinking it's one of the most brutal sports ever? It doesn't seem so at first appearance, but it gives me anxiety just thinking about those guys treading water and swimming nonstop for that long and that actively, plus all the below-the-water blows/grabs/whatever... and nothing but a silly headpiece on and a speedo.

I think it's fascinating how despite the massive flack NBC got for tape-delaying the sporting events for prime time TV, the ratings were insanely successful overall in spite of the fact that many people may've already known the results.

I'll chalk it up to the storylines. Usain Bolt proving he is indeed the world's fastest man (he should play Flash in the new JUSTICE LEAGUE movie), Michael Phelps becoming the greatest Olympian in history, Team USA's "Dream Team" rolling their way to gold, the gymnastics and track/field and everything else.



Borat: "Very nice!"

I agree.

It is a very exhausting and demanding sport. Is this really the first time you've seen water polo? I always saw it as a popular olympic sport.

The game that has me enthralled is team handball, a terra firma version of water polo. I was excited to see this as I thought I invented this game in my backyard when I was 9 with Nicky Ross and Johnny Dunda. We used an old tennis ball and opened the door to a neighbor's shed to serve as the goal..

I still watched the events even though I knew the outcomes. The coverage has been very good with just the right amount of human interest stories. The only error by NBC was squeezing Tom Hammond into a jogging suit to broadcast the track events.

Are the field hockey fields typically blue or is that just for the Olympics?

Bolt is one cocky ass, isn't he?

It's one thing to be a living legend (which he is)... it's another to call yourself a legend over and over and over. I prefer humility.

It has been a superb Olympics. Phelps and Bolt have been superb as expected but Mo Farah has been my star. 5,000 and 10,000m champ against top notch African competition has been some feat!!

Mo Farah what a man.. I think there will be a few knighthoods given out this year fot the GB team..

WTF??!! Why didn't THE WHO appear here in the USA??!! I'm recording the re-play to see if they're included. W-T-F?!!!!!!!!

In any event, it was a great Closing Ceremony, and I have to commend the UK for doing a GREAT job overall this Summer Olympics!!

P.S. I was just told that the conclusion of the ceremony will air at Midnight, in 15 minutes...

Probley because your television companies cut out our tribute to the 7/7 victims..

See you in four years...

Yeah, well, they did that... but NBC didn't air The Who when they were supposed to because they wanted to cram a crappy new sitcom preview down out throats instead, while they had the audience tuned in.

I enjoyed the closing ceremonies, but I didn't make it to the end because I wasn't feeling well. I wish I saw The Who. It was nice to see a couple of Lennon's songs included. I also liked Eric Idle's Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.

Sorry this is late but I wanted to mention that Tianna Madison from my hometown Elyria, Ohio won the Gold in the 4x100m.

WTG Tianna and all the other Ohio Olympian winners.

This time the tournament ended so early,