The Olympic games are only a few days away. I remembered our 2008 thread was quite active(probably Phelps-induced), and I figured we could use somewhere to discuss all things London 2012 related. And yes, the logo does look like Lisa Simpson...
Along with 'football' I usually watch these events: basketball, hockey (cuz it's a bit like football), some rowing and swimming (relays), and 'athletics' especially the shorter track events (up to 400m). Love the 4x relay events just to see someone drop the baton. Table tennis is also quite fun to watch. I used to to be big into the boxing but these days I only watch if an American is either going against a Cuban or is in the gold medal bout. Who the hell watches trampoline?!
Watching the opening ceremonies via stream. One hour in and the best part so far was the "Chariots of Fire" performance by Rowan Atkinson (as Mr. Bean). Love Mr. Bean!
The beginning with the agricultural and industrial ages, Mr Bean, the queen looking bored at her nails and arctic monkeys the only highlights
Very underwhelmed by the lighting of the Olympic flame. Nice gesture to let "the youth of the future" (or however they termed it) do the lighting but I get chills when a famous athlete does it. Muhammad Ali in '96 was the best that I've seen. Loved the how Li Ning did the honors four years ago. Barcelona '92 was also very cool with the archery bit (although the arrow itself did not light the cauldron).
I saw on BBC that the 7 youths lighting the torch were a remembrance of the 7/7 victims killed the day after London won the bid. Gonna be a few hours until I can see Mr. Bean but hoping that it's as brilliant as this:
Uruguay just lost to Senegal in football despite being a man up for quite a while. And they have Suarez and Cavani.
Ryan Lochte (swimming) went from hero to zero in the span of a day. He blew everyone away (including Phelps) in the 400m IM yesterday only to choke in his anchor leg in today's relay, losing the gold medal to France. Phelps needs only two more medals to become the most decorated olympian of all time.
Phelps now has 21 medals (17 golds). Greatest olympian of all-time? My boy Federer against the Scott in the olympic tennis final (Wimbledon 2012 final p.II)
And 11 are individual golds. (The next most is 8 held by someone called Ray Ewry from the Games of 1900, 1904 and 1908.) Most decorated Olympian of all-time for sure, but I'm not sure that translates to greatest Olympian of all-time. If it was that easy to figure out then Larisa Larytina would have to be the second greatest. And let's be honest, how many of us had even heard of Larisa Larytina, let alone her staking a claim at being "the greatest Olympian of all-time", before Phelps came along?
Bolt slaughters 'em, 9:63. Olympic record, second fastest time ever (Behind Bolts own 9:58) Bolt should be the heavy favorite for the 200m now. Jamaica should own the relay as well.
I hadn't realized that when I originally posted. Still though, Bolt + Blake. Can't they both just run twice, alternating the baton?