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Re: Olympics 2012
minnmess
Posts: 8142
minnmess Posted Fri 03 Aug, 2012 3:46 PM Quote
megg_inc wrote:
I for one freaking love the Olympics. Tension! Abs! Dramas! Random hilarious sports! What's not to love?


The Polish chick is right. BEST! Everything about the Olympics is amazing. Who could have predicted badminton drama??

The postbox thing is cute! How great if you are a gold medalist from some little town to have a nice memento for everyone to share
 
Re: Olympics 2012
hennypenny
Posts: 2092
hennypenny Posted Sat 04 Aug, 2012 12:57 AM Quote
minnmess wrote:
megg_inc wrote:
I for one freaking love the Olympics. Tension! Abs! Dramas! Random hilarious sports! What's not to love?


The Polish chick is right. BEST! Everything about the Olympics is amazing. Who could have predicted badminton drama??

The postbox thing is cute! How great if you are a gold medalist from some little town to have a nice memento for everyone to share

When they show swimmimng events, we all win. :P
 
Re: Olympics 2012
megg_inc
Posts: 3778
megg_inc Posted Sat 04 Aug, 2012 3:58 PM Quote
These are wise words, my American friend.
 
Re: Olympics 2012
hennypenny
Posts: 2092
hennypenny Posted Sat 04 Aug, 2012 7:01 PM Quote
megg_inc wrote:
These are wise words, my American friend.

:)
 
Re: Olympics 2012
Scottish Dubliner
Posts: 8299
Scottish Dubliner Posted Sun 05 Aug, 2012 12:25 PM Quote
I'm getting fucking sick of the Olympics already due to jingoism and thinly vieled racism.

Why do we feel the need to label sportsmen as the greatest American/Britian/Canadian/Englishman/Scotsman or whatever. I'm getting sick of the Team GB bashing by nationalist Scots with their own agenda, I'm getting sick of commentators referring to England when they mean Britian. The whole thing is a load of pish.

Drop the countries and let Andy Murray/Michael Phelps/Katie Taylor decide who or what they won their medal for, it was them that put in all the hard work so why should we feel we are entitled to share in that by pinning a national flag on them.


Dubz
 
Re: Olympics 2012
Sunny
Posts: 1018
Sunny Posted Sun 05 Aug, 2012 3:51 PM Quote

Quite surprised Andy Murray just sang/mouthed the words to the national anthem.

Hope he and Laura do well in the mixed doubles final; what an amazing experience for an 18 year old who didn't even think she was going to be in the GB team.

 
Re: Olympics 2012
megg_inc
Posts: 3778
megg_inc Posted Sun 05 Aug, 2012 5:23 PM Quote
Scottish Dubliner wrote:


Drop the countries and let Andy Murray/Michael Phelps/Katie Taylor decide who or what they won their medal for, it was them that put in all the hard work so why should we feel we are entitled to share in that by pinning a national flag on them.


Dubz


I'm pretty sure most athletes consider it a great honour to compete under their nation's flag. Otherwise we would have MacDonald's team competing against P&G. Would that be any better? Hell no. So I completely disagree.
 
Re: Olympics 2012
minnmess
Posts: 8142
minnmess Posted Sun 05 Aug, 2012 6:18 PM Quote
megg_inc wrote:
Scottish Dubliner wrote:


Drop the countries and let Andy Murray/Michael Phelps/Katie Taylor decide who or what they won their medal for, it was them that put in all the hard work so why should we feel we are entitled to share in that by pinning a national flag on them.


Dubz


I'm pretty sure most athletes consider it a great honour to compete under their nation's flag. Otherwise we would have MacDonald's team competing against P&G. Would that be any better? Hell no. So I completely disagree.


Wait, would competing for team McDonalds get me a lifetime supply of Sausage and Egg McMuffins? I would consider it for that!
But ya, totally agree. There are few things more rewarding or a higher honour for an athlete than competing for your country. If they don't want to, then don't try to qualify. No one is forcing you. Well...unless perhaps you are from N. Korea :S
 
Re: Olympics 2012
Scottish Dubliner
Posts: 8299
Scottish Dubliner Posted Sun 05 Aug, 2012 9:18 PM Quote
megg_inc wrote:
Scottish Dubliner wrote:


Drop the countries and let Andy Murray/Michael Phelps/Katie Taylor decide who or what they won their medal for, it was them that put in all the hard work so why should we feel we are entitled to share in that by pinning a national flag on them.


Dubz


I'm pretty sure most athletes consider it a great honour to compete under their nation's flag. Otherwise we would have MacDonald's team competing against P&G. Would that be any better? Hell no. So I completely disagree.


Who says that the alternative is running for sponership for P&G or Mc D's, you are missing the fucking point completely, I'm sure Hitler tried the same shite with nationalististic pride...

... Oh did I take it to the extreme,,, well lets face it you started it.


Dubz

Why should it be a great honour for you to compete for your country... It's not them that's fucking competing it's the athlete. But... No, we have to pin a flag on these guys just so we can feel better about ourselves by saying I'm from (insert country here) and he/she's the best because (insert country here) we made him/her so. While we did, the sum total of fuck all to get them to ehere they are.
 
Re: Olympics 2012
megg_inc
Posts: 3778
megg_inc Posted Sun 05 Aug, 2012 9:42 PM Quote
You make literally no sense.
Do you feel the same way about football? Because I haven't heard you saying this during EURO.

 
Re: Olympics 2012
minnmess
Posts: 8142
minnmess Posted Sun 05 Aug, 2012 9:47 PM Quote
Scottish Dubliner wrote:
megg_inc wrote:
Scottish Dubliner wrote:


Drop the countries and let Andy Murray/Michael Phelps/Katie Taylor decide who or what they won their medal for, it was them that put in all the hard work so why should we feel we are entitled to share in that by pinning a national flag on them.


Dubz


I'm pretty sure most athletes consider it a great honour to compete under their nation's flag. Otherwise we would have MacDonald's team competing against P&G. Would that be any better? Hell no. So I completely disagree.


Why should it be a great honour for you to compete for your country... It's not them that's fucking competing it's the athlete. But... No, we have to pin a flag on these guys just so we can feel better about ourselves by saying I'm from (insert country here) and he/she's the best because (insert country here) we made him/her so. While we did, the sum total of fuck all to get them to ehere they are.


Other than my tax dollars, I did nothing to get any athlete in Canada to where they are, but that doesn't mean that I do not define myself as a Canadian as much as they do. Why can I not proud of an athlete represents my country? Why can they not be proud of representing a nation that helped to form their identity, train and support them to greatness?
We live in a world defined by borders and countries. If it was defined another way, perhaps our alliances would lie differently.
The Vancouver Olympics was a defining moment for my country, not jus in terms of medals and success, but a nation coming together for a common goal and to cheer for the same thing. Being from a place so young and so diverse, that is a huge thing. I can only imagine that GB is beeming with pride right now.
 
Re: Olympics 2012
Scottish Dubliner
Posts: 8299
Scottish Dubliner Posted Mon 06 Aug, 2012 7:55 AM Quote
minnmess wrote:
Scottish Dubliner wrote:
megg_inc wrote:
Scottish Dubliner wrote:


Drop the countries and let Andy Murray/Michael Phelps/Katie Taylor decide who or what they won their medal for, it was them that put in all the hard work so why should we feel we are entitled to share in that by pinning a national flag on them.


Dubz


I'm pretty sure most athletes consider it a great honour to compete under their nation's flag. Otherwise we would have MacDonald's team competing against P&G. Would that be any better? Hell no. So I completely disagree.


Why should it be a great honour for you to compete for your country... It's not them that's fucking competing it's the athlete. But... No, we have to pin a flag on these guys just so we can feel better about ourselves by saying I'm from (insert country here) and he/she's the best because (insert country here) we made him/her so. While we did, the sum total of fuck all to get them to ehere they are.


Other than my tax dollars, I did nothing to get any athlete in Canada to where they are, but that doesn't mean that I do not define myself as a Canadian as much as they do. Why can I not proud of an athlete represents my country? Why can they not be proud of representing a nation that helped to form their identity, train and support them to greatness?
We live in a world defined by borders and countries. If it was defined another way, perhaps our alliances would lie differently.
The Vancouver Olympics was a defining moment for my country, not jus in terms of medals and success, but a nation coming together for a common goal and to cheer for the same thing. Being from a place so young and so diverse, that is a huge thing. I can only imagine that GB is beeming with pride right now.


That's kinda my point, there are some beaming with pride in GB and there are others who are using it as an excuse to start with the England/Scotland thing, most Scots I know do not call themselves British and think that the term is actually offensive.

I can understand the pride thing but there are those that will use it a "stick" to beat people ove the head with, England are better than France, Germany are better than Poland, America is better than Canada that's the problem I have with it. It's political and I don't like it.


Dubz
 
Re: Olympics 2012
Scottish Dubliner
Posts: 8299
Scottish Dubliner Posted Mon 06 Aug, 2012 8:04 AM Quote
megg_inc wrote:
You make literally no sense.
Do you feel the same way about football? Because I haven't heard you saying this during EURO.



No I didn't say this during the Euro's as there was no Team GB competing. And there wasn't people complaining about there being no Scots or Northern Irish in the Team GB football squad. Or moaning about Andy Murray being Scottish and not British.

There are two arguments to that, 1. The Scots/N. Irish aren't good enough and you have to pick the team with the best chance of winning or 2. The Olympics are inclusive and are supposed to bring people together "It's about the participation not the winning" therefore the Scots/N.Irish should at least have representatives in this team.

Oh and another thing if you do have athletes from Northern Ireland competing it should be called Team GB, Northern Ireland is not part of Great Britian. It's part of the UK. The United Kingdom of Great Britian and Northern Ireland to give it it's correct title. so it should be Team UK or Team GB & NI... see what I mean about politics.


Dubz

eta: This sorta shit spreads hatred and that is my problem with it.
 
Re: Olympics 2012
Scottish Dubliner
Posts: 8299
Scottish Dubliner Posted Mon 06 Aug, 2012 8:14 AM Quote
On a different note I saw this on another site and thought it was worth mentioning...

Quote:
They were discussing if Phelps is the greatest Olympian of all time now and I just don't see it.

Yes he has won the most gold medals but he also has the luxury of an event that allows him to enter into numerous races. What about a Marathon runner or any other sport where you can only enter one or two events.

Daley Thompson for example won 2 olympic golds for decathlon, surely they mean more as individual achievements than 2 golds for 100M and 200M swimming events?

I think Phelps is an amazing talent and is certainly one of the greatest, I just think he is allowed to enter too many events and as such it distorts the medal count a bit.


I think the poster makes an interesting point.


Dubz
 
Re: Olympics 2012
Turtleneck
Posts: 7404
Turtleneck Posted Mon 06 Aug, 2012 12:45 PM Quote
Perhaps it's a little different in North America. We only have 3 big countries here and we all get along pretty well. There's no historical problem with what each country is called and is included on which team. There aren't any politics involved, it's just sports. You root for the home team. You're proud of your nation when they win.

I'm not a big Olympics watcher. Gymnastics in summer, figure skating in winter and that's about it. I don't like sports or competition in general. I don't like the pressure. My nerves can't handle it!



 
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