Olympics

[sveint]

Go world!

I hear you can have a good rest and find happiness watching the Olympics.

[Zorch]

Whoa! Cross-thread posting is like crossing the streams in Ghostbusters. Don't do it!

One sport that didn't make the Olympics: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2rovw3

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: sveint

Go world!

I hear you can have a good rest and find happiness watching the Olympics.

warspite1

Strange old games with so few fans allowed to watch. But at least the organisers made what I think is the right decision and allowed the games to take place.

The highlight of the opening ceremony were the 1,824 drones that created a globe in the sky - very impressive.

https://hypebeast.com/2021/7/drone-show ... g-ceremony




TEAM GB and Northern Ireland

From a performance perspective the games have started less than spectacularly for Team GB. Sadly Jade Jones failed in her bid for a third successive Taekwondo Gold, losing in the first round...

Medal count after 2 days = 0 Gold, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze

Silver - Bradly Sinden (Taekwondo - 68Kg)
Bronze - Chelsie Giles (Judo - 52kg)

Getting close to the Rio haul looks to be a tall order already. It's clear already there will be no huge medal hauls in the rowing for example....


Bradly Looked to have it won with seconds to go, but his young Uzbeki competitor snatched away the gold right at the end.


Superb attempt from the Coventry girl, only beaten by the ultimate gold medal winner from Japan.

[Rebel Yell]

Sorry, but the highlight of the opening ceremony was this

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Rebel Yell

Sorry, but the highlight of the opening ceremony was this

warspite1

It says video unavailable.

[Anonymous]

I used to be an avid watcher of the Olympics. It was my main sport I would watch on TV and record (remember those VCRs?) as much as possible so I wouldn't miss any.
Now I don't subscribe to cable nor satellite and I have used VPN type skullduggery to watch the games in more recent years but having to jump through hoops to access what should be, in my humble opinion, available to all to watch and inspire for free is tiresome.
Now it's all about sponsorships, making as much money as possible, using as many performance enhancing drugs that you can get away with, etc. etc.

For me just not the same anymore. These are the first Olympics in my life (been watching them since the early 70s) I've had zero desire to watch or even follow.

Anyway, time for me to go yell at some kids on my lawn! [:D]

Hope yah'all enjoy them regardless of my "rant."

[DD696]

I agree with you, but for me I despise the anti whatever country demonstrations that the athletes feel they must indulge in to bring disgrace to the games. So many good athletes, but the few who destroy the meaning of bringing honor to those whom you are supposed to represent I absolutely detest . I choose not to watch anyone who brings disgrace to themselves, their team, and their country.

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: DD696

I agree with you, but for me I despise the anti whatever country demonstrations that the athletes feel they must indulge in to bring disgrace to the games. So many good athletes, but the few who destroy the meaning of bringing honor to those whom you are supposed to represent I absolutely detest . I choose not to watch anyone who brings disgrace to themselves, their team, and their country.

+1
If you do not want to represent your country, then don't. Just don't go - in fact, find another country since the one that you are representing is so bad.

[Rusty1961]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

ORIGINAL: DD696

I agree with you, but for me I despise the anti whatever country demonstrations that the athletes feel they must indulge in to bring disgrace to the games. So many good athletes, but the few who destroy the meaning of bringing honor to those whom you are supposed to represent I absolutely detest . I choose not to watch anyone who brings disgrace to themselves, their team, and their country.

+1
If you do not want to represent your country, then don't. Just don't go - in fact, find another country since the one that you are representing is so bad.

So you have a problem with the black guys in '68 Mexico games throwing the "Black Power" salute?

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: Rusty1961

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

ORIGINAL: DD696

I agree with you, but for me I despise the anti whatever country demonstrations that the athletes feel they must indulge in to bring disgrace to the games. So many good athletes, but the few who destroy the meaning of bringing honor to those whom you are supposed to represent I absolutely detest . I choose not to watch anyone who brings disgrace to themselves, their team, and their country.

+1
If you do not want to represent your country, then don't. Just don't go - in fact, find another country since the one that you are representing is so bad.

So you have a problem with the black guys in '68 Mexico games throwing the "Black Power" salute?

Yes, I do.

[balto]

Rusty, why would you single that out. Of course that represents the subject matter of disrespecting your country and no honor.

[Simulacra53]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

ORIGINAL: Rusty1961

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe




+1
If you do not want to represent your country, then don't. Just don't go - in fact, find another country since the one that you are representing is so bad.

So you have a problem with the black guys in '68 Mexico games throwing the "Black Power" salute?

Yes, I do.

In 1968 that certainly meant something other than disrespect and it certainly took courage, just like Muhammad Ali refusing the draft.

Today is more about posing than protesting, the easy fight and not the hard one. Official sanctions are arbitrary as some countries are boycotted and others can pretend to be righteous…

Political yes, not the first post though.
The Olympics are always tainted by some kind of hot or cold war, 1980-1984 etc, with some short windows of hope.
No I don’t watch the olympics, I respect the athletes but loath the politics, corruption and hypocrisy.

Will stop at that, apologies to the mods.

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: Simulacra53

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

ORIGINAL: Rusty1961




So you have a problem with the black guys in '68 Mexico games throwing the "Black Power" salute?

Yes, I do.

In 1968 that certainly meant something other than disrespect and it certainly took courage, just like Muhammad Ali refusing the draft.

Today is more about posing than protesting, the easy fight and not the hard one. Official sanctions are arbitrary as some countries are boycotted and others can pretend to be righteous…

Political yes, not the first post though.
The Olympics are always tainted by some kind of hot or cold war, 1980-1984 etc, with some short windows of hope.
No I don’t watch the olympics, I respect the athletes but loath the politics, corruption and hypocrisy.

Will stop at that, apologies to the mods.

That was disrespectful. It goes against proper etiquette.

[loki100]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

ORIGINAL: DD696

I agree with you, but for me I despise the anti whatever country demonstrations that the athletes feel they must indulge in to bring disgrace to the games. So many good athletes, but the few who destroy the meaning of bringing honor to those whom you are supposed to represent I absolutely detest . I choose not to watch anyone who brings disgrace to themselves, their team, and their country.

+1
If you do not want to represent your country, then don't. Just don't go - in fact, find another country since the one that you are representing is so bad.

there's a huge problem in your framing here. Almost every country has people with different views as to what that country should be or should represent. These differences can stem from political alignment, ethnicity, linguistics, social class, gender, sexuaulity and I'm sure I can think of more.

so who gets to define, to the extent that you should 'find another', what is acceptable and what is not. In many cases those making protests may well disagree with whatever it is you define the 'your country' as, hopefully they do so in the full awareness that alternative views exist (and indeed should be able to co-exist?).

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: loki100

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

ORIGINAL: DD696

I agree with you, but for me I despise the anti whatever country demonstrations that the athletes feel they must indulge in to bring disgrace to the games. So many good athletes, but the few who destroy the meaning of bringing honor to those whom you are supposed to represent I absolutely detest . I choose not to watch anyone who brings disgrace to themselves, their team, and their country.

+1
If you do not want to represent your country, then don't. Just don't go - in fact, find another country since the one that you are representing is so bad.

there's a huge problem in your framing here. Almost every country has people with different views as to what that country should be or should represent. These differences can stem from political alignment, ethnicity, linguistics, social class, gender, sexuaulity and I'm sure I can think of more.

so who gets to define, to the extent that you should 'find another', what is acceptable and what is not. In many cases those making protests may well disagree with whatever it is you define the 'your country' as, hopefully they do so in the full awareness that alternative views exist (and indeed should be able to co-exist?).

Well. In many (most?) countries people have the right to protest. And these athletes have the right to say what they want, and protest how much they want when they are not representing their country.

So I see no issue with saying that they do not have the right to do so during the games. Then they represent the country, and should let the representatives of the country to speak for them if any such speech is needed. Because, as you say, a country has lots of people with lots of different opinions. Either they go there and represent all of their country. Or they do not. Plenty of other competitions where they only represent themselves.

Either we forbid protests during the game, or we allow all protests. Or are we going to have a jury, or judges, there who decide what protest to allow, or not. And do all countries in the game have a say in this?

Would be interesting to see this spreading to other fields. So, Ambassador, you are protesting against your own foreign policy? [&:] [;)]

[SuluSea]

No interest at all in watching the olympics as people telling me how bad a person I am by proxy. I already know my failures as a person but those same people fail to acknowledge their own debased mind and offense.

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: SuluSea

No interest at all in watching the olympics as people telling me how bad a person I am by proxy. I already know my failures as a person but those same people fail to acknowledge their own debased mind and offense.

+1

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: Orm

ORIGINAL: loki100

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe




+1
If you do not want to represent your country, then don't. Just don't go - in fact, find another country since the one that you are representing is so bad.

there's a huge problem in your framing here. Almost every country has people with different views as to what that country should be or should represent. These differences can stem from political alignment, ethnicity, linguistics, social class, gender, sexuaulity and I'm sure I can think of more.

so who gets to define, to the extent that you should 'find another', what is acceptable and what is not. In many cases those making protests may well disagree with whatever it is you define the 'your country' as, hopefully they do so in the full awareness that alternative views exist (and indeed should be able to co-exist?).

Well. In many (most?) countries people have the right to protest. And these athletes have the right to say what they want, and protest how much they want when they are not representing their country.

So I see no issue with saying that they do not have the right to do so during the games. Then they represent the country, and should let the representatives of the country to speak for them if any such speech is needed. Because, as you say, a country has lots of people with lots of different opinions. Either they go there and represent all of their country. Or they do not. Plenty of other competitions where they only represent themselves.

Either we forbid protests during the game, or we allow all protests. Or are we going to have a jury, or judges, there who decide what protest to allow, or not. And do all countries in the game have a say in this?

Would be interesting to see this spreading to other fields. So, Ambassador, you are protesting against your own foreign policy? [&:] [;)]

The Olympics are a non-governmental entity so the Olympic organizations are allowed to control what people do. They are allowed to set standards of conduct.

[loki100]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

...

The Olympics are a non-governmental entity so the Olympic organizations are allowed to control what people do. They are allowed to set standards of conduct.

yes but this is you setting standards.

lets try a simple example.

Scottish athletes who want to compete at the Olympics must do so as part of the Uk/GB. Now Scotland is split 50/50 on the question of independence and as ever there are people on both sides who don't fundamentally care as to the outcome and those who do.

So someone from a social background that is based on Unionism wins a race, great, they will probably be more than happy to celebrate with a Union Jack, it reflects the national flag of their team, it reflects their individual identity.

If someone from the nationalist end wins, they will probably look to celebrate with a Scottish flag, it isn't the flag of their team but it does reflect their identity. Note they have no choice, if they are an exceptional athlete in their field they have to compete for the UK (its not like in football or rugby).

Now is it a protest? Probably not but it is a means of celebrating something that is important to them in a way that is important to them. But you'd have them banned and told to compete for another country?

ORIGINAL: Orm

Well. In many (most?) countries people have the right to protest. And these athletes have the right to say what they want, and protest how much they want when they are not representing their country.

..,

in this example their desired country does not exist ... in the rules of the Olympics

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: loki100

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

...

The Olympics are a non-governmental entity so the Olympic organizations are allowed to control what people do. They are allowed to set standards of conduct.

yes but this is you setting standards.

lets try a simple example.

Scottish athletes who want to compete at the Olympics must do so as part of the Uk/GB. Now Scotland is split 50/50 on the question of independence and as ever there are people on both sides who don't fundamentally care as to the outcome and those who do.

So someone from a social background that is based on Unionism wins a race, great, they will probably be more than happy to celebrate with a Union Jack, it reflects the national flag of their team, it reflects their individual identity.

If someone from the nationalist end wins, they will probably look to celebrate with a Scottish flag, it isn't the flag of their team but it does reflect their identity. Note they have no choice, if they are an exceptional athlete in their field they have to compete for the UK (its not like in football or rugby).

Now is it a protest? Probably not but it is a means of celebrating something that is important to them in a way that is important to them. But you'd have them banned and told to compete for another country?

ORIGINAL: Orm

Well. In many (most?) countries people have the right to protest. And these athletes have the right to say what they want, and protest how much they want when they are not representing their country.

..,

in this example their desired country does not exist ... in the rules of the Olympics

But they do live in a country where they are allowed to protest. That they go as representatives for a country they do not believe in is perhaps unfortunate. But they still go as representatives for that country. Therefore they should behave as such representatives. They can, of course, make a real protest and abstain from going to represent said country, but that is an entirely different story.