I abhor the Olympics.

[lord.jeff]

First people would probably listen more if you weren't a right out ass.

Now time for my points, you compare it to reality TV like it's instantly a bad thing, it isn't it's just something you and myself don't like, big difference between don't like and bad. Even further there is a major difference between sports and most reality TV, sports focuses on achievement, reality TV is mostly about making fools of contestants, it's cheering versus ridiculing. Lastly the Olympics are a big deal, I don't care for sports myself I only tend to watch the opening ceremonies because an event that has that many people from all over the world, some of the very important, gathering is a big deal.

 

[BodomBeachChild]

You don't want to sit and watch womens beach volleyball? dafuq?
On a serious note your rant was pretty self-absorbed and no, not everyone or most people (even those who dislike sports) can agree. For once this thing is almost 120 years old. The international, not original. So for 120 years almost every country in the world puts their differences aside (publicily) for the spirit of atheletic competition. Sure we may go back to wanting the worst for eachother, but for now it's just a big awesome competition.

Would a month long WoW torney get your rocks off or something? Dude, you play video games. The biggest waste of time I know of. I've wasted years playing them. These people, atheletes, spend years trying to achieve and stay in peak physical shape. You spend days trying to beat a boss and Oxicleaning Cheeto dust outta your shirt. The money you throw at this industry is just as useful for other things as all the money thrown into the Olympics. If that all that wasted money and potential make you that mad do this for me: Stop buying games, stop paying for internet, stop paying for cable, don't buy gas to get to Gamestop and give your money to some medical charity or something.

 

[MelasZepheos_v1legacy]

Yeah I hate the Olympics as well.

You know what my solution was? I don't watch it.

I don't visit bars that have Olympic coverage, they have live music. I don't turn my television on to channels that cover the Olympics. I don't pay a single jot of attention any news headline with the word 'Olympic' in it, unless it's talking about something going horribly wrong, because I want the Conservatives to be remembered for one of the worst Olympic games in memory. I'm talking 'Jesse Owens winning the Berlin Olympics' level of blow to their regime.

Although I did watch some of the opening ceremony. When I heard the rumour that Mary Poppins would fight Lord Voldemort I had to know if it was true. Then it was and I turned my tv off and hung my head, for the first time ever truly ashamed to be British, because it meant I was counted as a part of that farce.

 

[Ljs1121]

I'm not a big fan of sports, but it's pretty cool that tons of nations can just come together and play some games like that.

Also, the Winter Olympics are way better because of FREAKING CURLING.

Spoiler: SO HARDCORE

 

[Blade_125]

I'm sorry but this is a rather silly rant. You might as well be yelling at someone for liking specific music, or food, or tv show, or movie. Sports is entertainment. I love watching hockey and football, and don't mind watching soccer or baseball. I find basketball very boring, and aside from a few winter olympic sports I generally avoid paying attention to any of it.

Many people will have different opinions than I, and that is ok. It's all about entertainment. You don't like sports and that is fine, but questioning why someone else does isn't going to get you anywhere. You might as well argue for why your favorite colour is the best colour out there.

To go with your analogy, instead of typing up your rant you could have done something more productive with your time.

 

[xXGeckoXx]

snip

The Olympics are one of the few places for athletes to compete at the top of their game. Olympic athletes are not like commercial footballers, hockey players so on, those take skill but olympic athletes are a different league. They train extremely hard to push themselves to the absolute limits of human ability in their respective sports, often for little reward and a short career due to aging. The Olympics give them a place to use these skills to compete against others who are that good.

Also it is just like any part of the entertainment industry, from the perspective of viewers, it is the mother of all sporting events for those who enjoy watching a particular sport and want to see the creme de la crop of that sport.

For example I happen to enjoy watching judo, swimming and gymnastics and also participate casually two of these sports. As a person who understands in these sports I therefore gain an enjoyment of watching people preform extremely well. I mean have you ever watched the gymnastics, what those people do is so fucking insane, they push their bodies to the limit and often they have 90 seconds to decide their fate. If they lose focus for a couple milliseconds they could make a tiny mistake which will put them below the others, these people train their entire lives for those moments and I think it's fair we give them a shot.

As for the productivity of the Olympics. I think it's good for morale, and it also brings taxes and publicity to the hosting country.

snip

In terms of sport I take pride in very little, my home team this Olympics is Great Britain but I take no pride in the fact that the athlete is from my country representing us. I take pride in the skill of the athlete representing his sport. So yeah I support teams that are not my own, depending on the sport and context I either support the winner or both sides. I mean in Olympic games everyone is giving it their all, there rarely is such thing as a bad game and even the loser made such a huge effort it deserves support.

So that's an example of someone who does not support the home team, sometimes I even go against them when I see an interesting match, perhaps one where on side is losing but really deserves to win.

Occasionally I found that supporting a team can be a little unfair. I mean I was at the judo finals yesterday and when the British guy lost the crowd boo-ed the victor. Dude won fair and square.

 

[CentralScrtnzr]

I actually also abhor the Olympics, but for completely different reasons.

I suppose as an amateur classicist, I take umbrage with the manner in which the games were modernized. The Olympics were a sacred series of games to honor Zeus in one of his aspects; they were serious business; priests performed rituals; sacrifices were conducted. Certainly the games did honor athletic virtue, and that was part of their point, but it doesn't seem the same with the way athletics are typically conducted nowadays.

I suppose I merely take offense that an ancient title is being applied to a set of athletic competitions that have really nothing to do with the original. The title is merely used to give it an ancient mystique.

I fear I may seem to be angry that the neighborhood kids are on my lawn.

 

[Legion]

Considering your first point is about all of the things you could be doing instead of watching sport. One could quite easily ask what you could have been doing instead of writing out this rant, hmmm?

Although to be honest it's obvious that you realise that threads like these are sure to get attention, so you made it with the hope of getting it. Most likely with the intention of getting a badge for lot's of replies.

 

[CentralScrtnzr]

snip

The Olympics are one of the few places for athletes to compete at the top of their game. Olympic athletes are not like commercial footballers, hockey players so on, those take skill but olympic athletes are a different league. They train extremely hard to push themselves to the absolute limits of human ability in their respective sports, often for little reward and a short career due to aging. The Olympics give them a place to use these skills to compete against others who are that good.

Also it is just like any part of the entertainment industry, from the perspective of viewers, it is the mother of all sporting events for those who enjoy watching a particular sport and want to see the creme de la crop of that sport.

For example I happen to enjoy watching judo, swimming and gymnastics and also participate casually two of these sports. As a person who understands in these sports I therefore gain an enjoyment of watching people preform extremely well. I mean have you ever watched the gymnastics, what those people do is so fucking insane, they push their bodies to the limit and often they have 90 seconds to decide their fate. If they lose focus for a couple milliseconds they could make a tiny mistake which will put them below the others, these people train their entire lives for those moments and I think it's fair we give them a shot.

As for the productivity of the Olympics. I think it's good for morale, and it also brings taxes and publicity to the hosting country.

snip

In terms of sport I take pride in very little, my home team this Olympics is Great Britain but I take no pride in the fact that the athlete is from my country representing us. I take pride in the skill of the athlete representing his sport. So yeah I support teams that are not my own, depending on the sport and context I either support the winner or both sides. I mean in Olympic games everyone is giving it their all, there rarely is such thing as a bad game and even the loser made such a huge effort it deserves support.

So that's an example of someone who does not support the home team, sometimes I even go against them when I see an interesting match, perhaps one where on side is losing but really deserves to win.

Occasionally I found that supporting a team can be a little unfair. I mean I was at the judo finals yesterday and when the British guy lost the crowd boo-ed the victor. Dude won fair and square.

Actually, Olympic athletes tend to be relative amateurs in many of the competitions described. You should look up the "Dream Team" sometime. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_United_States_men%27s_Olympic_basketball_team

When they actually placed active NBA players into the Olympics, the competition never had a chance. It was professionals playing against relative amateurs.

The Olympians are not in a class all their own. Olympians tend to be very young, often younger than 18; as a consequence, they're fairly inexperienced.

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

My eyes, they burn at the lack of real paragraphs! Seriously though kinda an eyesore but I read it all and I don't agree. I am however, going to agree with another user that said you are coming across kinda Jack Thompson like with your attitude towards Sports though.

 

[xXGeckoXx]

snip

I should correct myself in sports like basketball, football...etc. You are probably right. But in most Olympic sports they are top league. Fencing, Shooting, Judo, Swimming, Archery, Track, Cycling, Gymnastics...etc are really places where the best of the best come together.

 

[userwhoquitthesite]

Oh yeah, supporting your argument with statements from Cracked is not a great idea...

Fo' realsies. Ever read that "what you're really afraid of" article about movie monsters where they said clowns were foreigners? Or maybe that was zombies. one or the other. Cracked is a usually funny, always dumb, and occasionally FRUSTRATINGLY IGNORANT/STUPID time-sink that is worth mentioning as a curiosity, not as a source (unless you back it up with other research)

 

[Random Argument Man]

You just badmouthed hockey. Canada is now your enemy.

Not only that, but I haven't been able to write a comment without being ban material.

Captcha* Which one is hardest? WHY DON'T WE HAVE A CHOICE FOR THIS GUY!

 

[DarkRyter]

Ugh.

For the love of god, man. Paragraph format. Get some. Reading that is just painful.

 

[In Search of Username]

And specifically rooting for one team against the other - why?

Because it's YOUR TEAM & COLOURS & CITY & STATE. You take pride in it the same way someone takes pride in their uniform or flag or customized gaming computer. That pride turns to passion and single-minded patriotism. It makes the blood boil and endorphins surge through your body. It makes you giddy and exhillerated, angry and lust-filled for more.

You mightn't understand these things because you have only watched these thing on TV and in a small way I was like you once. I never liked or understood football (soccer). To me it was dull and boring and served no purpose. Then I was invited to a game by my Exec. Chef who is Scottish - enough said! I had my doubts and even turned him down at first. But then I went. It was only a small crowd. Maybe a few thousand. But the roars, the cheers, the expectations and let downs and then at long last GOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!

The team we were watching actually lost that night. But no matter I was hooked. Nowadays when ever I get the chance to see a game I'm there with the rest of the orange army to see my TWO TIME! TWO TIME! A-League champions Brisbane Roar in action.

I don't take pride in my uniform or flag or customised gaming computer either, so I guess there's the problem. Anyway what's the explanation for people supporting teams that have nothing to do with them personally then? I know plenty of people who support football teams that aren't from places they have any personal attachment to. It just seems like an arbitrary choice. Oh, and if it's all about the excitement of being there watching the game itself, why do people even follow specific teams closely enough to care who won if they weren't there watching? Pah, none of it makes sense to me.

You don't HAVE to be there to enjoy the game. It just helps you understand where all these fanatic types come from. I've never been at a State of Origin match but my family and I will watch all three games and yell and scream for all we're worth even if it is at a TV. I think what I was trying to put forward to you is that its a purely emotive concept. It's something you can't explain through the wonders of science beyond the usual brain, electrons, endorphins etc. And that really does make things sound boring! No at the end of the day it's an expression of emotion.

As for people supporting other teams from other places. I'll partly agree with you there. As far as I'm concerned if you can't support your own team don't even bother. That being said there are many different leagues from many different sports. Going back to football the English premier league is considered by many to be the best football league in the world. If that's the case and you have an interest in football then why wouldn't you get into it. That being said I'll watch EPL but I'll happily 'oohh' and 'aaahhh' for both teams playing. They aren't my team but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy a good match.

As for pride. I take pride in my chef's uniform as it is a symbol of three and a half years of blood, sweat and burns to get to where I am today. I take pride in the achievements of my family and friends. All of these things listed here and in my previous statement were simple examples of the same emotion. Pride. So what do you have pride in? Your achievements. Your job. Don't tell me nothing cause that would be telling porkys. Everyone has pride in something. Something that ... I dunno helps them get up in the mornings, makes them keep ticking on, makes them themself.

Yeah, I guess it's just the feeling of community you get from having that kind of loyalty to something? And at the same time the feeling of competition between 'your' team and the other. But, I dunno, I think you can direct those emotions somewhere else for them to be more productive, like supporting a particular political party at an election or something. Then it's not just supporting something because it feels good, you can actually have a real reason to do so.

And I've never understood the concept of 'pride' being applied to being proud of a country or team or something. You can be proud of your own achievements, but if you're proud of the achievements of some group you've just associated yourself with for whatever reason, I'd say the word is 'admiration', not 'pride'. You didn't do anything to contribute towards what your favourite football team did, so I can see how you'd admire their achievement, but not how you'd be 'proud' as if it was something you'd done yourself.

 

[KeyMaster45]

Did anyone read that article Cracked wrote about that? You should be offended. A new lane on 39 kilometers of roadway reserved exclusively for Olympic workers, athletes and sponsors, NOT emergency services. A gigantic wall to protect Olympic buildings even larger than the Berlin Wall at its prime. The largest, smartest network of CCTV cameras, wasted on searching for counterfeit merchandise of that garish mascot Wenlock when they could be used to catch, I don't know, drug dealers and murderers!

The traffic lane, security cameras, huge military presence, and electrifying the fence are a bit overkill. However comparing the fence to the Berlin Wall is nothing but media buzz word nonsense. I mean really, the Berlin Wall? It's a chain link fence for crying out loud; it doesn't have shit on the physical manifestation of the iron curtain.

There's your big scary "Berlin Wall" style see through fence. Here's two more pictures from that same Cracked article just to solidify how imposing this thing is.

Dear god they've covered it with tacky Olympic logo tarps. Those devious bastards!!

Seriously at worst this thing looks it belongs around the employee parking area at Disney World or an impound lot, and with the tarp it just looks like a construction barrier. Get upset over SAMs on rooftops, a massive military presence, and squandering of high tech security cameras to catch merchandise scalpers. Just don't get mad at a fence, a temporary fence in some, if not all, of the areas it's been placed.

 

[Susan Arendt]

You don't like the Olympics? Damn OP! You're so cool and edgy. Clearly you're right and everyone else is wrong etc. etc.

There, did I stroke your ego enough for you?

Seriously though...

This opinion will almost certainly get me struck down. But I'm going to go down knowing I'm the only sane person on this whole goddamn planet.
...
By the way, if you spot an error in this post... do you really think I care?

Get the fuck over yourself.

Well said. I mean, if you don't like sports, then fine. Not everyone likes everything. But acting like anyone who does enjoy sports is some kind of douchebag...what's that all about? And I simply don't understand this puffed-up on-the-offense attitude. You just end up sounding like an insecure jerk, and any chance you had of someone genuinely considering your opinion is wasted.

 

[marche45]

How is watching a movie better then watching a sporting event?
Further more,what was the point of making a thread with this self-absorbed rant if you clearly didn't care for any reply or discussion?

 

[Micalas]

The Oylimpics

Only the Jewish athelets are allowed to call it the Oy-Limpics

 

[Pearwood]

I enjoy the Olympics but at the moment a lot of people are losing their jobs the UK since we had the wonderful idea to elect a right wing government for the first time in 3 decades. When you start thinking how many people could have kept their jobs if we'd toned down the expenses on this a bit it's kind of depressing.