Olympics 2012 - The Poll

[D_G]

I personally couldn't have given a toss but after coming through Heathrow earlier it brought home what a complete waste of time, money and just what a complete load of bks this is..the Olympic lane on the M4, the three 'special' Olympic lanes at immigration empty with four fat munters chatting away whilst we wait ten minutes for the normal channels, the thirty or so 'Olympic Accreditation' terminals with no fker there, all manned with everyone stood about.
With all the ste this week about the organisational issues and the mental cost of this joke, the quicker it's over the better IMO. I'd be interested what everyone else thinks.....

[Mojooo]

I am 50/50 - Or may be 80/20 on the verge of its a waste of money

There will be benefits to the UK but as you mention, big amount of effort going into it.

[Matt..]

How many other countries are there in the world that are so negative and miserable about everything?

There are problems with the Olympics here, but it's still an amazing event that we should all be proud to be hosting.

[LordGrover]

Were we allowed to apply for tickets for specific events I'd've been there like a shot. I couldn't be arsed with the ticketing faff but otherwise quite looking forward to it, albeit on telly.
I live nowhere near London (thankfully) so will be relatively unaffected apart from the blanket media coverage, but that's life these days. I'm fairly sanguine.

Chin up, mate.

[sinizter]

I don't really care where it's held, and I would prefer it was held somewhere where it wouldn't affect me in any way.

Thankfully, I'm no longer in London, so it will only affect me a little.

I would like Team GB to win as many medals as possible, but the further away from me that it's done, the better I would feel about it.

All the garbage surrounding the Olympics is what is annoying - Olympic lanes, closures, ads EVERYWHERE, and fking ridiculous sponsorship deals, etc.

[anonymous-user]

LordGrover said:

Were we allowed to apply for tickets for specific events I'd've been there like a shot.

You were. Not sure I understnad what you mean by "specific events" but yuo could apply for sessions and the schedule was already published before the tickets went on sale so no one would end up buying blind except for sports like football where the qualifying competitions were still in progress.

Having the olympics in this country has emphasised the number of people who are ignorant to the other sporting events that take place in this country, as an example, in the last 12 months I have seen pretty much ever track and field athlete in contention for a medal at Crystal Palace or Birmingham,

Others I know have seen all of the track cycling squad at Manchester in World Cup or National/Revolution events etc.

There is so much good live sport in this country that it annoys me when people moan that they couldnt get olympic tickets like thats their only ever chance to see some sport other than football...

[D_G]

LordGrover said:

Chin up, mate.

Was a long day yesterday.....

I hope our guys do well, I admire any sportsman / woman who dedicate thenselves to be a champion, Bradley Wiggins is the latest guy doing an amazing job. What pisses me off is the wastage and sheer cost to the UK, current estimate is around £12 billion and rising fast (this is without the infrastructure costs), you can see this just by walking through the airport. As someone badly affected by the recession I can't get excited with the whole circus...

[MX7]

Matt.. said:

How many other countries are there in the world that are so negative and miserable about everything?

It'll be brilliant, and there seems to be a massive amount of support judging by the torch webcam.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/torchrelay

[MadMullah]

ffs its british mentality to be miserable about anything and everything.

they're not happy if the uk goes for the olympics yet if the govt came out and said we can afford it so we're not bidding for it - there would be people complaining about that too how this country lacks vision. it would most likely be hte same people too.

its for one month in a long lifetime of a person - it's most likely never going to happen again for another 50 years.

i'm looking forward to it even though i'm probably the unhealthiest person around. its going to be great reading about how the world is viewing the uk etc - i really hope there's some genuine olympic tear-shedding moments like the redmond moment of barcelona.

I'm looking forward to cavendish winning a gold after being the one that didnt win 4 years ago.

Also really looking forward to the opening ceremony - its never going to being a beijing but still it'll be a spectacle to see.

[dtmpower]

"Complete waste of time and money"

But still excited to see the events on TV. It's being completely overshadowed by the way its being organised. We're a laughing stock to the international community. China didn't let any st hit the fan when hosting in Beijing.

The strikes and failed contracts just make us look a joke.

[anonymous-user]

Really looking forward to it, i'm sure we'll put in a great show. Hopefully all the whingers will be miles away & the media stop nit-picking every minute problem. On budget/ in time & a great showcase for GB. A couple of non- entities threatening to strike wont spoil the party. Shame on the opportunistic wasters..

Edited by anonymous-user on Sunday 22 July 19:37

[castex]

I've voted but haven't read the posts. It's going to be ace.

The one thing I'd say is I've been reading reports that the whole shebag costs c.£21 bill of which £19.5 billion is public money with the rest paid by sponsors. I really feel it would be much better if we had a £19.5 billion Olympics and we told the sponsors to do one.
Or, even better, we had a cheap and cheerful / make do and mend affair (using Wembley, etc) as reports at Beijing were suggesting we would.

Anyway it'll still be great, can't wait.

[y2blade]

Voted:

Yes - love it

[Mutley]

Going to have to travel through Liverpool St and Stratford every day for the next 6 weeks, not looking forward to that as it's crap enough without the extra people, but for the rest, the events and sports I am.

[Lost_BMW]

I'm getting really excited about seeing the games - albeit on TV (thanks to the BBC's 24 channel full time coverage, wouldn't get that if it was abroad I guess, but do feel for those in and around London being inconvenienced and financially hit by the Zil Lane aspect - surely the infra structure and plans could have been sorted to allow athletes proper chance to getto events on time and unruffled and without changing living and working conditions for the local populace?

After all what's the point in an Athletes Village (apart from advertising MCPoison) if it doesn't facilitate just that? And if this over reaching imposition is done in the name of greasing up to foreign dignitaries and IOC 'officials' (how long before we find term that listed next to 'self serving corrupt body' in some dictionary?) well, then, 'p off.

I also share the resigned sickness at the crass sponsorship so typical these days, made worse by the new rules and use of existing legislation to hit traders, good and bad whether bandwagon jumping or not. Does smack of Big Brother and our govt. bending over backwards to domineering committees and businesses.

The main thing I'd like to see a definitive figure on is the total cost to the UK govt./ tax payer and a realistic estimate of what it will bring in, so how much will we gain or lose by holding the games here?

[ewenm]

Lost_BMW said:

After all what's the point in an Athletes Village (apart from advertising MCPoison) if it doesn't facilitate just that? And if this over reaching imposition is done in the name of greasing up to foreign dignitaries and IOC 'officials' (how long before we find term that listed next to 'self serving corrupt body' in some dictionary?) well, then, 'p off.

The vast majority of the athletes will be in the village which is on site. The Zil lanes are for VIPs/officials who could sit in traffic for all I care but apparently that isn't politik.

[LordGrover]

Lost_BMW said:

The main thing I'd like to see a definitive figure on is the total cost to the UK govt./ tax payer and a realistic estimate of what it will bring in, so how much will we gain or lose by holding the games here?

Does it really matter now though?
The money's spent - we're not going to get a refund.
All the fretting and worrying in the world isn't going to change that now. It's not like we're going to be doing it again in the near future either so pretty much a moot point AFAIC.
Let's enjoy it and try our best to reap as many rewards as possible.

[Lost_BMW]

LordGrover said:

Lost_BMW said:

The main thing I'd like to see a definitive figure on is the total cost to the UK govt./ tax payer and a realistic estimate of what it will bring in, so how much will we gain or lose by holding the games here?

Does it really matter now though?
The money's spent - we're not going to get a refund.
All the fretting and worrying in the world isn't going to change that now. It's not like we're going to be doing it again in the near future either so pretty much a moot point AFAIC.
Let's enjoy it and try our best to reap as many rewards as possible.

At this point it doesn't matter in the sense that it's a 'done deal' but I'd like to have some accurate, definitive (as possible) figures to weigh the economic cost or benefit against. The figures bandied about seem so woolly and change all the time that it's hard to know whether it was a good idea - given our parlous financial state - or not. In fact, if we did know and if it was likely that it would bring in more overall than the cost, maybe with the cost of subsidised regeneration also taken into account, then it could kill off the arguments once and for all.

I'll certainly enjoy it though so overall well worth any tax take I've put in, for me!

Edited by Lost_BMW on Wednesday 25th July 18:19

[fluffnik]

Matt.. said:

There are problems with the Olympics here, but it's still an amazing event that we should all be proud to be hosting.

There are a great many amazing events that require neither tax-payer subsidy nor special legislation.

[obob]

fluffnik said:

Matt.. said:

There are problems with the Olympics here, but it's still an amazing event that we should all be proud to be hosting.

There are a great many amazing events that require neither tax-payer subsidy nor special legislation.

Like....