2012 Summer Olympics

[Twitchin Kitten]

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Anyone like watching the Olympics? Remember when it used to be a big TV event where all the shows for two weeks were interrupted for every part of the games? All day and all night you would get to see your favorite sport battled out for the gold medal. Now, you are just starting to see TV spots for the upcoming games in London.

I also remember when the winter and summer games were coordinated to be in the same year and not split up like it is now.

Now all you get is the final competitions for the the last round of every sport in the evenings. A few obscure channels on cable will show the stuff during the day.

Kinda sucks. I enjoy the games.

[LKTraz]

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Back when the 3 major networks covered it and they would trade off on whose "turn" it was there was much more excitement surrounding ALL of the events.

That luster is no longer there and neither is the national pride that went into cheering for our team/representative athlete(s). Remember watching events that you didn't even really like and getting wrapped up in them anyway?

Not too many people see events like the hammer throw, discus, shot put or javelin and say "Oooooh, I GOTTA watch that!" But in years gone by, the excitement generated by the games had people glued to the TV watching guys like Jay Silvester and Bill Schmidt compete for the gold.

[Twitchin Kitten]

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It's only died off like that in what? Like the last 10 years or so?

I watched every event that I could. The Winter games 1980 were the best. We beat Russia. I had the day off and I got to watch it live. Best Olympics for me to date.

But,like you said, watching ALL the events were "important" too. Discus and hammer throw, shotput, long jumping and stuff I am not really interested were exciting. I was glued to the TV.

[John L]

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I never was much in the summer sports, but really enjoyed the winter competitions a great deal. Now I no longer even bother tuning in.

Probably for a several reasons: First, the summer sport has been bastardized with all the 'doping' scandals that its all highly compromised as a result. And too, there are just so many ways to be entertained, which were not around back then.

As for me, I hung up my skis after an accident in the early 90s, and never returned to it. I was almost fifty, and my 'ex' reminded me that I was no longer a kid. After all trying to traverse moguls with a pair of giant slalom skis is not recommended for anyone. LOL!

[Twitchin Kitten]

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Know what's missing? The fanfare leading up to the games. I like both, winter and summer. They used to show a lot of equestrian events and now you're lucky to get a little dressage or stadium jumping in there. God forbid they show the cross country. We've been trying to get endurance riding as a regular game but they only let them in as an exhibition game. First time was in Madrid. We lost a lot of horses due to some funky lung infection/virus thing. It was very sad as a lot of friends lost some valuable animals. Valuable as in dear to them emotionally not monetarily.

John, I don't ski. Tried it a couple times and frankly, I'd rather be on a runaway horse. At least I can control the horse away from trees, rocks and cars if things get out of hand.

[LKTraz]

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I was one of the oddballs who watched almost ALL of the track and field events. Could be due to my being on the track team in school. (75 and 100 yard dash and 4 x 110 relay).

I truly enjoyed the field events...discus, hammer, javelin, shot put, pole vault, high jump and long jump. The main thing for me is that they are individual events as opposed to teams. As well......most of those were part of the ORIGINAL (ancient) games which really commands a sort of reverence from my perspective.

I tried my hand at all of them and only had any real success at long jump but wasn't quite good enough to be competitive. I did ok at the hammer but I couldn't get the hang of releasing with consistency. The rest I just plain sucked at!

[AnthonyG]

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It because its being held in London.... there is nothing good that can come from the Olympics this time.

[Twitchin Kitten]

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Anyone got Olympic fever yet?

We've been watching some games today and getting ready for the Dressage competitions. One of my faves.

Got all the tv channels set to speed-tune and it's easy now to find our favorite events.

[Twitchin Kitten]

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This is bullshit. There are more commercials than sport. You watch one test and they break and they just went to a commercial in the middle of this one test. Assholes

[Rhubarb]

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Now you need the BBC- no adverts!

I missed the whole of the opening ceremony because of this b****y dead-line on my Pharmacy application.
Some people say it was dire and others say it got better as the evening progressed. I looked in on Mark watching it at about 10.30pm to see the teams were only just entering the arena

I needed to Sleeeeep! seriously tired so only saw the countries starting with the letter B

Today at work it has been manic with out of town customers, here waiting for the water sports at Portland and Weymouth. We have a wedding next weekend which means getting across the A34, which is going to a be a major problem. All of the minor roads have been blocked to keep the main road flowing and stop traffic from getting on it from side roads. The Road to Weymouth has total right of way this month, forget about the people who live and work here

Mark didn't know there was women wrestling, so he has added that to other important events, women volleyball and synchronised swimming for his TV viewing.
A friend in Perth Australia is mighty miffed that their TV is only showing sports that the Australians are most likely to get a gold in. She wanted to watch Judo (her nephew is in the team) horse dressage.

Me- TOO BUSY!