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Post by riotgrrl on Jul 30, 2012 9:05:43 GMT
The BBC commentators are (possibly literally) wetting themselves saying "we" have won a silver on the ladies bike race and "we" have won a bronze in a swimming race.
But is this kind of nationalism really the Olympic Ideal?
In both these sports, the athletes compete as individuals. They have trained for this for years. They have made all kinds of sacrifices in their lives to be the best, individual, at their sports.
Isn't it that commitment and passion and dedication to a sport that is the Olympic Ideal?
Rather than nations competing with each other for overall medal hauls?
Why don't we change the olympics to make it athletest competing as individuals and focus on that, rather than on their nationality?
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Post by everso on Jul 30, 2012 20:25:55 GMT
Well for the rest of the time, that's just what they do! The Olympics is the one time when they represent their country. The whole point of it is that countries are represented. If you put paid to that, then it would be just like any other sports meeting.
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chris & the giant peach
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Post by chris & the giant peach on Jul 30, 2012 21:19:59 GMT
It's gotta be cool to knock the Olympic spirit...bored to death with it.
And the opening ceremony was horrific. An anaemic 2 hour history lesson .....a theatrical brochure of the past...horrible.
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Post by Patrick on Jul 30, 2012 22:44:46 GMT
And the opening ceremony was horrific. An anaemic 2 hour history lesson .....a theatrical brochure of the past...horrible. Post of the week!   |
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chris & the giant peach
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Post by chris & the giant peach on Jul 30, 2012 23:04:55 GMT
And the opening ceremony was horrific. An anaemic 2 hour history lesson .....a theatrical brochure of the past...horrible. Post of the week!  |
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Post by everso on Jul 30, 2012 23:09:15 GMT
Rubbish!
You two are a pair of old farts. Is there anything in this life that would please the pair of you?
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chris & the giant peach
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Post by chris & the giant peach on Jul 30, 2012 23:29:38 GMT
Rubbish! You two are a pair of old farts. Is there anything in this life that would please the pair of you? Porn Olympics? Sorry.   |
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Post by everso on Jul 31, 2012 0:27:49 GMT
Rubbish! You two are a pair of old farts. Is there anything in this life that would please the pair of you? Porn Olympics? Sorry. Well, that would certainly please most men.  What kinds of events would there be? No. Don't even bother, or before you know it Weyland will be on here making suggestions. |
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Post by riotgrrl on Jul 31, 2012 8:53:56 GMT
Well for the rest of the time, that's just what they do! The Olympics is the one time when they represent their country. The whole point of it is that countries are represented. If you put paid to that, then it would be just like any other sports meeting. Yeah, I suppose it would. And nobody is remotely interested in most of these sports at any other time, are they? So really then, the Olympics ideal is all about nationalism? |
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Post by aubrey on Jul 31, 2012 10:02:30 GMT
Well, that would certainly please most men. What kinds of events would there be? No. Don't even bother, or before you know it Weyland will be on here making suggestions. You might be surprised, Everso (though probably not), but there is at least one film on the subject. It's ok. There was also a TV film written by Nigel Kneal ( Quatermass, etc called The Year of the Sex Olympics which I think is about a nation hooked on reality TV. Made in 1969. |
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peterl
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Post by peterl on Jul 31, 2012 17:53:17 GMT
Rather than nations competing with each other for overall medal hauls? Why don't we change the olympics to make it athletest competing as individuals and focus on that, rather than on their nationality? Would you also apply that to other games like the Commonwealth Games? |
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Post by riotgrrl on Jul 31, 2012 18:58:21 GMT
Rather than nations competing with each other for overall medal hauls? Why don't we change the olympics to make it athletest competing as individuals and focus on that, rather than on their nationality? Would you also apply that to other games like the Commonwealth Games? Hadn't thought about it. It would seem to me that, if the Olympics became about individual athletes (not representing a nation), given that the Olympics are open to everyone in the world and that a gold medal is the highest possible award in the world for many of the sports, the rules might be different for the likes of a Commonwealth Games, which IS based on membership criterion based on a particular national history. Or the Asian Games, which is based on a particular national geography. The question I am pondering is, to put it another way, are the Olympics about competing nations or about competing athletes? From what I can see by most of the athletes, they think of it as an individual challenge. Seems to me that a lot of them (if not most) would happily turn out for Team Mars or Team Jupiter if it meant th could compete at Olympic level. But then again, including for 'Team GB' (sic), the state governments of many of these athletes have spent vast amounts of taxpayers money on training and facilities for elite athletes. States obviously see it as a matter of national pride that one of 'theirs' wins a medal (not-a-verb-not-a-verb-not-a-verb). Not all individual athletes seem so committed. I think some of them would be nationality 'mercenaries' if that was what it took to compete. |
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Post by everso on Jul 31, 2012 21:21:25 GMT
Not all individual athletes seem so committed. I think some of them would be nationality 'mercenaries' if that was what it took to compete.And sometimes countries vie to get a promising athlete from other countries and grant them citizenship if there's a chance it will bring that country a gold. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zola_Budd |
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chris & the giant peach
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Post by chris & the giant peach on Aug 13, 2012 18:04:57 GMT
The beeb have gone way way overboard about the importance of the Olympics. No regard whatsoever about those who are physically unable to take up sports. But then there's the paralympics. For crying out loud. What about gold medals for those who have paid most into a license fee? Take up rowing now or be damned forvever!! You worthless human being !! |
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What kinds of events would there be?
