London Olympics - News & Views

[Sophia]

Nothing impresses the Queen...not even the biggest event of the year!

I have seen this before...

Ohhh my nails.....

[Sheriff Roland]

I'm not a Monarquist (by any stretch) but, she IS 86 years old. Gotta give her credit to even show up at various events.

I too noticed that she looked bored during the opening ceremonies.

[Kelda]

I thought Danny Boyle did a fab job,,, and even though I'm no Royalist all credit to old Lizzie for her apperance in the bond sequence. But Callum did come out with a cracker after the deaf kids sang god save the queen... "she canny even crack a smile the old bint"...

Loved Mr Bean too!

I also like how made a few political statements throughout the show... the whole NHS sequence was a big two fingers to the current Conservative government, and he got a lesbian kiss on tv across the world in the old UK tv clips that were interspersed in the WWW section.

[Jeff Wrangler]

I'm not a Monarquist (by any stretch) but, she IS 86 years old. Gotta give her credit to even show up at various events.

I too noticed that she looked bored during the opening ceremonies.

I thought Danny Boyle did a fab job,,, and even though I'm no Royalist all credit to old Lizzie for her apperance in the bond sequence. But Callum did come out with a cracker after the deaf kids sang god save the queen... "she canny even crack a smile the old bint"...

Hadn't Callum ought to be careful, if he wants to keep his head?   

She had--what?--one line, declaring the games open? She might have tried to read it with a little more enthusiasm. 

I heard on TV this morning that she went right off to Balmoral as soon as the ceremonies were over. This was pointed out in the context of film of Will, Kate, and Harry watching Cousin Zara compete in an equestrian event.

[Sheriff Roland]

Day Five

Field Hockey

[Sheriff Roland]

Day Six

Table Tennis

[Sheriff Roland]

Badminton scandal is a reminder of sport’s dark thread: cheating

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/olympics/badminton-scandal-is-a-reminder-of-sports-dark-thread-cheating/article4457025/

The crowd booed and jeered the badminton athletes. The spectators could see something wasn’t right. It was clear that some of the world’s best players were trying to lose at the Olympics.

On Wednesday, officials agreed with what fans saw. Eight women – a doubles teams from China, two from South Korea and one from Indonesia – were thrown out of the London Games for violating badminton’s code of conduct, “not using one’s best efforts to win a match” and play that undermined the sport.

In the long history of cheating at the Olympics, and in sports, the badminton scandal was an unusual twist. The ejected teams had, on Tuesday night in London, tried to purposefully lose matches at the end of a preliminary round to better position themselves in the playoffs for a medal. It was obvious, an ugly spectacle.
...

***Indefensible! I heard that the players were told to lose on purpose by their national federations. Makes no difference. whether it's the playoffs or not, it's not in the Olympic spirit to lose on purpose.***

[oilgun]

Badminton scandal is a reminder of sport’s dark thread: cheating

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/olympics/badminton-scandal-is-a-reminder-of-sports-dark-thread-cheating/article4457025/

The crowd booed and jeered the badminton athletes. The spectators could see something wasn’t right. It was clear that some of the world’s best players were trying to lose at the Olympics.

On Wednesday, officials agreed with what fans saw. Eight women – a doubles teams from China, two from South Korea and one from Indonesia – were thrown out of the London Games for violating badminton’s code of conduct, “not using one’s best efforts to win a match” and play that undermined the sport.

In the long history of cheating at the Olympics, and in sports, the badminton scandal was an unusual twist. The ejected teams had, on Tuesday night in London, tried to purposefully lose matches at the end of a preliminary round to better position themselves in the playoffs for a medal. It was obvious, an ugly spectacle.
...

***Indefensible! I heard that the players were told to lose on purpose by their national federations. Makes no difference. whether it's the playoffs or not, it's not in the Olympic spirit to lose on purpose.***

And they aren't even Italian!    I just watched Canada vs Japan.  Japan won but it was a pretty good match.

[oilgun]

I just watched some boxing and fell in love with Great Britain's Anthony Ogogo:

[oilgun]

Anthony Ogogo is very hot but I think Italy's Clemente Russo wins the title: