Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

[JaredSS07]

These two articles were in my latest issue of Newsweek.

Don’t Feed China’s Nationalism (http://www.newsweek.com/id/131751)

Boycott Opening Ceremonies (http://www.newsweek.com/id/131761)

I completely agree with the first article (Don’t Feed China’s Nationalism) and it bothers me that the spirit of the Olympic Games is being undone by political protests.

[tigerdave]

It's a travesty that world politics are getting involved in the Olympic movement, but you had to see this coming the minute Beijing was awarded the games. Even in the Berlin games of 1936 there was trouble politically but the Nazi's were infinitely better at covering things up (or the amount of media scrutiny on every little thing going on is infinitely greater now than in 1936, one of the two).

The connundrum lies in that the best way to avoid politics intermingling with the Olympics would have been not to give Beijing the games to begin with. However, that would have been a politics-based decision, at least in part. Once China emerged as a global power and Beijing's name appeared on that ballot, the IOC was in a truly no-win situation.

I don't think that politics should ever interfere with the Olympics, and I don't think that the Olympics should be boycotted. Unfortunately, you're going to get many dignitaries that at least blank the opening ceremonies, and all the left-wing groups (which latch on to anything that furthers their causes) have a gold mine as far as a platform to launch their campaigns. It's really an impossible situation, IMO.

[ToonUSA]

Let's just beat them at everything like we always do.


That'll shut them up.

[BayernWake]

I wanna see some gymnasts do crazy sh!t on trampolines

USA

USA

USA

USA

[Russell1892]

It is a bit depressing to see politics interfere with the Olympic games, like the scenes we've had in London and Paris with people trying to put the Olympic torch out. I don't really understand this protest - the Olympic torch is meant to be a symbol of world-wide unity, it doesn't represent China in any way. But I think these were your typical rent-a-mob protests. A more dignified protest would have been better I think.

I think when the games were given to China the hope was that they would have cleaned up their human rights record in the intermittent time, it now looks a bad decision. Boycotting the games opening ceremony won't really do much/anything to make any change though.

However you'd have to say China's government is fighting a losing battle in trying to control its massive population through the media. In the 21st Century censoring ALL the media is like trying to catch a bear with a butterfly net.

China's also the world's no.1 polluter now.. sorry America you've been beaten. :rolleyes: I'd love to see how the marathon goes with all that smog, I can foresee Kenyans collapsing with emphysema. Might as well have it in Boro.

[JaredSS07]

China's also the world's no.1 polluter now.. sorry America you've been beaten. :rolleyes:

http://www.fernandogros.com/blog/drsl1.jpg
"Mr. President, we must not allow a pollution gap!"

[Russell1892]

On the actual sport side of things... I see Team GB doing well in the "toff" sports as always. Rowing, sailing, and showjumping (why doesn't the horse get a medal?) basically anything that requires you to have a boat or a horse from a young age. Medals for blokes with names like Tarquin and Nigel. The Queen's niece is one of our great medal hopes FFS.

What always makes me laugh about the Olympics is that this country (and probably others) are always so desperate to take any medal we can get, that the coverage gets obsessed with pointless sports. Round the clock coverage of rowing... would you want to be in a sport where you and your teammate are classified as "the coxless pair" :rolleyes:

[JaredSS07]

On the actual sport side of things... I see Team GB doing well in the "toff" sports as always. Rowing, sailing, and showjumping (why doesn't the horse get a medal?) basically anything that requires you to have a boat or a horse from a young age. Medals for blokes with names like Tarquin and Nigel. The Queen's niece is one of our great medal hopes FFS.

What always makes me laugh about the Olympics is that this country (and probably others) are always so desperate to take any medal we can get, that the coverage gets obsessed with pointless sports. Round the clock coverage of rowing... would you want to be in a sport where you and your teammate are classified as "the coxless pair" :rolleyes:

I would rather watch round the clock coverage of rowing instead of gymnastics and swimming, which is all the US shows.

[silentounce]

I would rather watch round the clock coverage of rowing instead of gymnastics and swimming, which is all the US shows.

That's probably because those sports are popular among women viewers. I've met very few chicks that didn't enjoy figure skating, gymnastics, etc.

[ToonUSA]

I would rather watch round the clock coverage of rowing instead of gymnastics and swimming, which is all the US shows.

Swimming isn't bad.

[Russell1892]

I'm expecting tomorrow's opening ceremony commentary to go something like:

"Shame about the human rights abuses, but holy sh*t look at those acrobats."

[silentounce]

I'm expecting tomorrow's opening ceremony commentary to go something like:

"Shame about the human rights abuses, but holy sh*t look at those acrobats."

Didn't the games already start?

[tigerdave]

Didn't the games already start?

The footy got underway yesterday but the actual opening ceremonies are tomorrow eve.