Why are we so anti Olympics?

[d9f1c7]

Are we unique among host nations for sla66ing the event off? I see nothing but negative b1tching on here. Did China, Australia, Spain, Greece etc all have a vast batch of naysayers or is Britain unique in this 0rgy of self loathing? It's like we must find something to sl4g off, even the perfectly reasonable logo gets its share of bile, I just can't fathom it!

[johnk]

It's the cost and no we aren't the only country to object to spending vast amounts on a one of event.

[woofgang]

Its not self loathing. I don't waste my time with the Olympics no matter who is hosting it. The fact that Seb Coe is so far up himself that he has turned himself inside out, that the ticket sales were a fiasco and that I. as a taxpayer, am contributing to it, just make it more irritating. I don't feel any kind of identification or ownership so how can it be self loathing?
PS but I do love 2012, the beeb comedy.

[Baldric]

There are very few events I'm actually interested in.
I think 'we' as a Nation can ill afford it at the moment.I do not 'self-loath' or '***-off' nor do I care about the logo, but if someone asks a question I will answer it honestly.

[d9f1c7]

There is outlay but most of the cost is recoupable. Selling thousands of London apartments for example. Anyway I don't care we 20 times what it cost to workshy layabouts every year, I'd rather spend it on the Olympics.

[VHG]

I think every country that hosts the Olympics has its share of people who moan about it. We just hear more about this Olympics because we are in the UK.

For example the 1976 Olympics was a disaster for Montreal and they finished up paying for it for years afterwards which must have provoked huge critisism inside the country.

It says on Wikipedia:

"The Olympics were a financial disaster for Montreal, as the city faced debts for 30 years after the Games had finished. The Quebec provincial government took over construction when it became evident in 1975 that work had fallen far behind schedule; work was still under way just weeks before the opening date, and the tower was not built. Mayor Jean Drapeau had confidently predicted in 1970 that "the Olympics can no more have a deficit than a man can have a baby", but the debt racked up to a billion dollars that the Quebec government mandated the city pay in full.

[andy-hughes]

No self-loathing here - just self-indulgence by the suits who seriously believe that this mega-expensive circus will leave behind anything of lasting merit to the nation. If this was the 12th century, they would build a cathedral - something to live on and perpetuate their names through history. Now they build Millenium Domes and Olympic stadia.

Oh, and the logo is cheap and nasty as well, and cost another fortune.

[d9f1c7]

explain to me why the logo is cheap and nasty?

[ummmm]

Individual tastes. I think the logo is fine.

[Zeuhl]

I think a lot of enthusiam evaporated when the vast majority realised they couldn't actually get any tickets.

Added to the geographical exclusion, the lack of transparency in the ticket allocation process and the rather poor attempts at getting people 'involved' have made it worse.

e.g. 'hold a street party in Rochdale to coincide with the Opening Ceremony'

Yeah right. That'll really feel a part of it!
Why not save some of the bunting from your Eurovision Song Contest Bar-B-Q?

I expect once it gets going we'll get caught up in it a bit more - especially if the weather is good.

If it's bad we'll just sink into an embarassed depression.

[woofgang]

if you don't understand then NO ONE can explain it to you!

[woolleysheep]

have we been brainwashed into thinking everyone on benefits is a layabout, what about the employers who have exported jobs abroad for more profit

[tonyav]

Well the Olympic logo certainly was not cheap.

[Zeuhl]

BTW Andy

<<they would build a cathedral - something to live on and perpetuate their names through history. Now they build Millenium Domes and Olympic stadia. >>

Isn't the Millenium Dome the most successful music venue in the World in terms of audience numbers and the fact it's completely booked up for the foreseeable future?

[Canary42]

Perhaps we just like sla99ing off - after all you're sla99ing off the sla99ers :)

[andy-hughes]

As ummmm says, individual taste. i think it looks cheap and nasty, therefore I call it as I see it. The logo, and the two horrible mascots (who seem to have been seriously low profile) have received masses of criticism, especially in view once againof the cost.

The fact is Lord Coe has made his life out of sport, and fails to grasp the fact that the nation is not as interested in sport as he is. The Olympics, like anything nationally important, is London-centric, and the overwhelming feeling of anyone north of Watford is a lack of inclusion in anything except the cost.

I would direct your attention to the satirical series '2012' which highlights with biting satire, everything that is wrong with the Olympics - including their 'Olympic Clock' which spookily was echoed by real-life events in the days after its broadcast.

The phrase 'You couldn't make it up ... was never more true.

[Davethedog]

As a resident of Greenwich, in which 1/3 of the events are being held,

I object to the way that democracy has been circumvented to accomodate the games.
I object to the way that the objections of local residents were swept away.
I object to the fact that my Grand children will still be paying for it.
I object for being told I am "unpatriotic" for objecting,
I object to being told that I should take time of work or stagger my travelling time to accommodate the "olympic family" especially when its clear that this cannot be done by the majority of people.
I object to the closure of common land for private enterprise.
I object to the closure of public roads, to the upkeep of I contribute, being closed not just during the games but now.
I object to that self serving w^(^£( Coe smugly telling me how happy I should be.
I object that the media do not reflect that 48% of Londoners either don't want or are not happy about the games.
I object to being treated like an idiot in being told that the games are "in budget" when that is a patent lie.
And lastly I object to the cost of £10bn when people are being thrown out of their homes because of capped housing.

[VHG]

It amazes me the "main" Olympics will be on for just over two weeks (17 days).

It starts Friday 27th July and ends Sunday 12th Aug 2012, two and a bit weeks later.

btw I know there is the Paralympics, and I know some events (like football) do start before the 27th July.

[d9f1c7]

well woofgang, we know it was not cheap, so perhaps someone can explain how it seems to have taken on a character trait of "nasty", perhaps Andy Hughes can help here. I mean I haven't heard of the logo mugging old ladies or getting involved in drug dealing etc....

[andy-hughes]

It looks cheap - which it wasn't and it's tacky and unappealing.

[d9f1c7]

So not actually cheap or Nasty then, I see!