olympics deprecation thread
Posted by: winkyincanada on 26 July 2012
Because it feels good to skewer the twin evils of corporate thuggery and repulsive nationalism (borderline racism and bigotry) that pretty much is the olympics, I offer this thread...
To kick off (get it?), here is a photo of the crowd at one of the women's soccer matches. Apart from the empty seats, it looks like some one had to quickly do the signwriting with some masking tape. I believe that they actually paid someone to come up with that font! And the Lisa BJ logo; and the mascots! Honestly, you couldn't make this stuff up.
At the same match, the wrong flag was shown, causing fervently nationalistic competitors and officials to take so much "offense" that they delayed the match for an hour. Luckily, as it was women's soccer, no spectators were inconvenienced.
In other news, the organisers have had to refund some money to people who bought tickets to seats at the aquatic centre that didn't allow them to see anything.
In other news the net bill to you UK taxpayers is now estimated at $16Bn. No small change, eh?
Interesting fraca in the women's badminton. Competitors were adopting a strategy designed to maximize their chances of winning (sandbagging in order to draw weaker competitors in future matches), but were disqualified because it wasn't entertaining enough. Follow the money......
. The fans and the media would simply not have tolerated these cynics going on to win meds, and the organisers and authorities knew it.
It was a good decision, driven by a sense of fair play. At least in this case it was nothing to do with sponsors or money.
Sorry Winky, you're beginning to sound a teensy bit desperate now.
No they weren't cheating. But it was poor sportsmanship as you say. But ultimately, also as you say, it was the fans and media that created the pressure to throw them out. Those watching are important because of the money.
In non-spectator sport and non sponsored sports, with no pressure from media or fans, would the outcome have been different? I don't know. But Olympics need the spectacle to get the money. No getting around the fact that it is a commercial enterprise, using sporting competition to fill the pockets of the privileged and the corrupt. They can't afford the debacle of this type of gamesmanship. It isn't a morals-driven decision.
It was match throwing. That, in my book, and I suspect most other people's, is cheating - and you know it, so why not stop back pedalling?
How am I back pedaling? It was match throwing, I agree. I don't have access to "your book" or to "most other people's". It is arguably semantics as to whether it is cheating, gamesmanship, poor sportsmanship or a combination of all three. I don't have access to the rule book to determine the technicality, but I completely agree that they should have been thrown out. My point is that it was pressure from commercial interests (sponsors, media and the all-important supporting public) that led to the decision, as much as it was anyone's sense of fair play. The Olympics can't afford the debacle, so they acted quickly and decisively.
Besides, you don't know what I do or don't know, only what I say 
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Lucky Count is the word i would use.
Jess was amazing today and will be more amazing tonight around 8:45.
GOLD.
Greg has just got Gold.and still has a jump to go,
What a walk through a sand pit.
Well done Greg brilliant.
Stu.