The London Olympics 2012

Thought it might be good to get a topic on the Olympics.

Only 9 days away now!!

Extremely exciting IMO.

What are you looking forward too?

Naturally I'm looking forward to the Basketball. Hoping Luol Deng and our boys can do us proud!

Otherwise I'm obviously anticipating a terrific track and field programme.

I am hoping Dai Green, Jessica ennis and Mo Farah are among the medals. The mens 100m should be some event with Tyson Gay hanging onto Usain Bolt's coat-tails.

I'm looking forward to the track events, and the football should be half decent. A lot of the Olympics is utter shite though.

The 100m with Bolt should be a good watch, even only for 9 seconds and the football.

Other than the running and football I can't say i'm really looking forward to anything else.

can't wait for them to start, i'm really into the cycling.

Why should Football, Basketball and even Baseball be part of the games when they have their own "worldwide" premium events.

Plus what about the fringe "sports" such as BMX.........How the hell can you class BMXing as an Olympic event, anyway??? Surely darts should now be part of the tournament, or about AFL, NFL, 10-pin bowling, crown green bowling or even golf!!!!

well if you put it like that why should anything be in the Olympics.

It's a festival and celebration of all sport.

If you strip it back to it's origins and have a couple of throwing events and the running it'd be over in 24 hours... maybe thats what people would prefer?

For me, the Olympics is the premium events for anything to do with athletics (which includes weights, rowing, shooting and track-cycle events) and pool events - of course it needs some sort of bout action such as amateur boxing or wrestling. But also, for me, Olympics are there for the amateurs and not professionals who get paid millions for their sport (i.e. footballers)

Fair enough i can see the loss of romanticism that comes with the myriad of events but i happen to enjoy the "non stop" aspect of it.

I can never understand why genuine sports like Squash are not included. Likewise in the mixed martial arts category Tae Kwon Do and Judo are recognised but not Karate.

Hipster_Nebula wrote:

Naturally I'm looking forward to the Basketball. Hoping Luol Deng and our boys can do us proud!

I presume the yanks will win the basketball, or are there nations to challenge them?

They've got a tonne of injuries in the front court but they should still win.

only Spain have a realistic chance of posing them a threat.

Natasha Whittam wrote:

Hipster_Nebula wrote:

Naturally I'm looking forward to the Basketball. Hoping Luol Deng and our boys can do us proud!

I presume the yanks will win the basketball, or are there nations to challenge them?

Cuba

Netherlands

Canada



in fact exact same countries that will "do battle" with USA for the baseball gold!!! (although my money is always on cuba to win baseball - its where it was invented!!)

Sadly none of them countries qualified.

You need to brush up on your basketball Chris!

Hold up......... Qualify? Since when did a country have to qualify for those sports, not as if every country plays them!!!! Against goes against the ethos of the Olympics!

Just gets better and better!!!!

No wonder I feel that Olympics has lost its impact with me - no longer an amateur's premium event!

You have to qualify for everything, in the individual events you have to qualify. Don't see much difference personally.

I agree that "athletes" have to be of a certain standard, ie not just any joe bloggs but people from endorsed athletic clubs but qualifications is just simply wrong. As you said earlier Olympics is meant to be a celebration of "sport" (although I would say athletics more than sports) - but how can it be celebration when it ostricises a number of athletes!

As I say it is purely my opinion.

It doesn't ostracize them they have a chance to qualify, and if their not up to spec they dont make it!

I want the olympics to be the pinacle of these sports, so i don't think it's a bad idea to get the best talent on show (if you can)

Why isn't my olympics thread a sticky yet?

If it isn't made one, i'll leave the site!