Did you watch the 2020 Olympics?

NBC sucks. After watching the swimming evens, I was so disgusted with NBC hyping and politicizing everything I didn't even bother watching gymnastics. I tried to pick up track and field later, but NBC nauseated me. I guess I'll have to break down and get satellite so's I can watch someone else's coverage.

 

Same here. They became political. I see politics all day long.

 

I used to have seasons tickets to the Oakland Raiders. They became disloyal to the paying fans.
I switched to the SF 49ers and saw what that turd did, Kaepernick. I attended some of their games but never purchased seasons tickets. I too was a loyal fan of the Olympics, completely a fan of both seasons.
The games should be devoid of politics. The announcers as well.
Sooner or later perhaps, they will perform to unite America rather than divide America.

 

Jimmuh Cawduh boycotted the Moscow Olympics in 1980 because we were pissed-off at the Russians for invading Afghanistan (ah, the IRONY of it all....). So, the Soviet Union chose not to compete in L.A. in '94.

The Russian boycott of our games takes nothing away from Joan Benoit!

 

Maggie Thatcher determined that sports and politics should be kept separate so GB were able to take advantage of the USA being absent and win the 100m.
Scotsman Allan Wells sprinting for the title is one of my earliest Olympic memories.

 

Rule Brittania!

 

The Olympics are not what they used to be. And not mainly because of Covid. The values and interests have changed.
Or may I've just got old.

I mean, watching two people jump synchronously from a tower - what's so interesting?
Or a group of gals playing rhythmic gymnastics. Who does that in real life for fun or exercise? What's the benefit for the common man?
Or outrunning 7 other morons with a 0.03 seconds for the 100 m sprint? So what? Have you saved the world with the one moment that you were faster? I don't think so.

It's all about people who are not able to apply quality methods instead of quantity methods. How do you measure happiness or enjoyment? Uh-oh. So, what did they do - they measure what they can - time. Because it's much easier (the path of less resistance). Whoever is faster, wins. It's a rat race, race against time.

Apart form that, today's generation is focused much more on the mental than the physical. You don't have to swim like a dolphin to enjoy swimming. May be a swim in the back yard could give you that feeling.

Short story - it's bollocks. No, it's a bowl of bollocks. May be it was relevant 50 or 100 years ago but today the priorities have changed.

P.S. Ah, and the spirit of the Olympics. It used to be participation was more important than winning. Totally corrupt now. It's all about the medals. And all except the gold medal are LOOOSERRSSS!

 

I tuned in a couple times, usually just for USA basketball.

 

Sorry... I fat-fingered a key. I meant to say that the Soviets chose not to compete in L. A. in '84.

 

I had it on almost non-stop, I loved every minute of it.

 

I didn't expect to watch much, but ended up watching a lot. One of the drivers for this was the availability of coverage on demand using online platforms. Not only could I watch the sport of my choice, but generally the commentary for that coverage was much better than the official broadcast coverage. On occasion I was flipping between 3 different sports.

It didn't hurt that my nation did very well, but I think I would have enjoyed it anyway.

For the people having a sook about 'political' intrusions into the 'pure' realm of sport, how silly. There has always been a 'political' dimension to sport, you just don't care when its your politics being pandered to.

I lost count of how many athletes use the Olympics to push their religious beliefs. They display religious symbols, make religious gestures and invoke the imaginary entity of their choice all the time. The winner of the silver in the women's high jump used her post match interview to call for a Christian revival. Do non-beleivers throw a hissy fit and refuse to watch? Nope, we just put on our grownup pants and enjoy the sport.

 

Most of it was in Europe at night time shown live in TV ... and on day time replayed when people are at work... so hardly to see something outside weekend here ...

And in general are all sort of sports of a minor interest for me ...

 

That's part of its appeal though. Watching sports you normally don't get a chance to see.
I enjoyed watching the climbing events for the first time.
I liked the 3 on 3 basketball too.

Roll on the Commonwealth games next summer.

 

There are a few events in the Olympics that I like and if I happen to catch them I'll watch them but beyond that I don't watch and I never have.

 

The rock climbing was incredible. I'd never seen it before, but I was captivated.

The Commonwealth games will be fascinating. In theory England should go in favourites to top the medal tally, but the rivallry with Australia will be intense.

 

We've got the Ashes while we wait for the commonwealth games.
I don't think England will be favourites. We only got 45 golds to your 80 last time. Even with the golds from Wales and Scotland we only got 64.
We are the host nation though so we might close the gap.

 

Its tricky to know how the golds will get distributed without the major Olympic nations around. Australia will dominate in the pool, but the UK will do really well on the track, cycling & rowing. I'm also not sure what events aren't in the Comm games that might deprive us of medals.

You might be a sneaky chance at the Ashes. Our team is in a degree of turmoil at the moment with a coach who many team members dislike. India beat us last year with a team that ended up as almost a second IX.

 

https://www.birmingham2022.com/the-games/sports/

No rowing at the Commonwealth Games since 1986 unfortunately.
No equestrian events either.
There are fewer events than the Olympics, 275 v 339.
It does have cricket though.

Pub quiz question - who were the last country to win Olympic gold in cricket?

 

...also, when are they going to bring back Olympic medals for town planning?

 

I voted 10 - 20 even though it was more like less than 5. But, I did watch some.

 

I had to look it up - Great Britain. Quite bizarre. Only two teams competed, and apparently they didn't actually know the game was part of the Olympics. Also not officially recognized a first class game. None of it would pass muster these days.

I see there is a push for Cricket in the Olympics again. There are already too many sports in the game, especially ones requiring large, specialist facilities. I'm sort of hoping it doesn't happen.

 

Most of the French team were English ex-pats living in Paris.
I agree, cricket isn't inclusive enough to be an Olympic sport.
Baseball even less so.
T20 cricket is in the Commonwealth Games though where it is a much better fit.

 

Did you watch the 56 Olympics?


Been political for eons.
Jessie Owens and Berlin? Mohammed Ali and his Boxing Gold?

 

I don't remember watching the '56 olympics but I have watched a lot of them. I didn't do a lot of TV watching in the 50's. I haven't seen politics in sports to any degree near what I see today ever. I hate it. Sorry.

 

According to this story, the ratings for the Olympics did a "faceplant"....

Link: https://www.foxnews.com/media/nbc-tokyo-olympics-ratings-faceplanted

Looks like the next time they have one of these things it would be best for all the athletes AND the network commentators to focus on the sports themselves and LEAVE 'GUERRILLA THEATER' POLITICAL CRAP COMPLETELY OUT OF IT!