queenUSA
What sport/s are you looking forward to following this time?
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john bodega
Women's Volleyball.
Micrówave
The 400
pma
Where can I buy tickets to follow the olympic games traffic congestion contest?
queenUSA
Marathon, triathlon, swimming
Surprising sports: table tennis, badminton, trampoline, canoe, kayak?
Surprising sports: table tennis, badminton, trampoline, canoe, kayak?
GratefulFan
Summer Olympics are always a little bittersweet for Canadian spectators because we're always just behind Uzbekistan or the Vatican or something in the medal count. I enjoy many of the events, but in particular rowing and kayaking. There is a mix of team and individual effort and things often change quickly, so it can be exciting. The emotions of the athletes who are suddenly victorious or who have had hopes suddenly dashed are easy to feel. Anything where there is a clear finish line is more accessible I guess. Something like diving, while interesting to watch, is a bit more impenetrable. "Oooooh. He overcorpulated his minor stenendum on that second tuck Jane. Tht's just bad form. Looks like heartbreak for Estonia!"
I'll be thinking of all you Brits, hoping you're enjoying home field advantage and feeling some pride in hosting. :)
I'll be thinking of all you Brits, hoping you're enjoying home field advantage and feeling some pride in hosting. :)
YourValentine
I watch virtually anything when I have time trying to forget what a sham the olympics are. I cannot blame the English public for their lack of enthusiasm considering that the IOC takes all the profit and lets the hosting city go bankrupt for all they care. If I were a Londoner I would hate that sponsors tell me that I cannot use the word "olympic" on my compound while traffic is crashing and tax money pays for all the risks and security. Imagine that Coke is the only beverage you can drink in the Olympic Park and McVomit the only food you get (apart from one "traditional" fish and chips provider). This would be enough for me to stay away as far as possible.
Mr Mercury
Well this should give you a laugh then Barbara
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/apology-n-korea-flag-mix-033532250.html
And you are right about this nonsense regarding what you can and cannot do - its just ludicrous that you can be thrown out the venue for drinking a non-Coca cola branded drink, or the wrong branded T shirt or trainers. Total shambles of a rule
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/apology-n-korea-flag-mix-033532250.html
And you are right about this nonsense regarding what you can and cannot do - its just ludicrous that you can be thrown out the venue for drinking a non-Coca cola branded drink, or the wrong branded T shirt or trainers. Total shambles of a rule
GratefulFan
[QUOTE] [b]YourValentine wrote:[/b]
Imagine that Coke is the only beverage you can drink in the Olympic Park and McVomit the only food you get (apart from one "traditional" fish and chips provider). This would be enough for me to stay away as far as possible.[/QUOTE]
McDonalds is not the only food provider....as if! LOL. What they have managed to do though is create a public backlash by being the only french fry supplier outside other caterers who can sell chips along with fish but not alone or with any other food. The 'ban' didn't last for workers on the sites leading up to the games, and I wouldn't be surprised if it bent or broke during the games either. It's a bit absurd because fries and chips aren't even the same thing precisely as served in Britain, and the spectre of an American megaconclomerate with its foot on the neck of something as British as stuff & chips at British games is not conducive to good feelings about McDonalds. And good feelings is what these sponsorships are about, not sales at the events which are minuscule relative to total annual figures. One fact that stuns me a little is the fact that that huge McDonalds they built is just going to be bulldozed the end of the paralympic games. Seems a shocking symbol of consumption, waste and disregard, if I understood that properly.
Similarly, it's not just Coke you can drink but their whole range of products including juices etc. and of course bottled water. You can't accept millions in sponsorship money from Coke and serve Pepsi products too, that much seems reasonable. I mean who but a Pepsi fanatic woud even notice. The bigger question seems to be whether a greater effort can be made to peel off some of the commercialism from the Olympics going forward, and whether current expectations for ever flashier pomp and slickness require financial models that threaten viability and undermine Olympic ideals. Part of the pressure on London is that it follows the now nearly mythical Bejing. Britain does not need to emulate China, on this front or most others.
The Pepsi shirt and Nike stuff is designed to thwart attempts at rogue ambush marketing, not control what individuals wear into the park. It's pretty ironic and amusing that the peevish remarks by the organizer and the subsequent media treatment resulted in untold dollars worth of free advertising for Pepsi and Nike! Ha ha. Again, sponsors do have to be protected, but at what cost? It is a fine line between buying a right and buying a level of control that will bite you back.
It's so tempting to be cynical when there is so much to be cynical about, but corporations do have the kind of assets and power to give to the games and not just take from them. As sponsors Coke produced an ad during the 2010 Olympics that caught the spirit and the hopes of Canada in a way so perfectly and beautifully that it literally lifted a nation for 30 seconds every time it aired, which was endlessly. That ad became part of the fabric of the games for Canadians and I can't conceive of a greater relative advertising success in the next 10 Olympics. The ad won't translate culturally particularly well probably, but if you look at the comments it is a corporate advertisers dream to hit it this big in having your product associated with such positive feelings. There are two ads here, identical except for the ending. The second one played immediately following hockey gold and caught Canadians by surprise to the point of tears. Well done Coca Cola.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99msEwWpJBE&sns=em
Imagine that Coke is the only beverage you can drink in the Olympic Park and McVomit the only food you get (apart from one "traditional" fish and chips provider). This would be enough for me to stay away as far as possible.[/QUOTE]
McDonalds is not the only food provider....as if! LOL. What they have managed to do though is create a public backlash by being the only french fry supplier outside other caterers who can sell chips along with fish but not alone or with any other food. The 'ban' didn't last for workers on the sites leading up to the games, and I wouldn't be surprised if it bent or broke during the games either. It's a bit absurd because fries and chips aren't even the same thing precisely as served in Britain, and the spectre of an American megaconclomerate with its foot on the neck of something as British as stuff & chips at British games is not conducive to good feelings about McDonalds. And good feelings is what these sponsorships are about, not sales at the events which are minuscule relative to total annual figures. One fact that stuns me a little is the fact that that huge McDonalds they built is just going to be bulldozed the end of the paralympic games. Seems a shocking symbol of consumption, waste and disregard, if I understood that properly.
Similarly, it's not just Coke you can drink but their whole range of products including juices etc. and of course bottled water. You can't accept millions in sponsorship money from Coke and serve Pepsi products too, that much seems reasonable. I mean who but a Pepsi fanatic woud even notice. The bigger question seems to be whether a greater effort can be made to peel off some of the commercialism from the Olympics going forward, and whether current expectations for ever flashier pomp and slickness require financial models that threaten viability and undermine Olympic ideals. Part of the pressure on London is that it follows the now nearly mythical Bejing. Britain does not need to emulate China, on this front or most others.
The Pepsi shirt and Nike stuff is designed to thwart attempts at rogue ambush marketing, not control what individuals wear into the park. It's pretty ironic and amusing that the peevish remarks by the organizer and the subsequent media treatment resulted in untold dollars worth of free advertising for Pepsi and Nike! Ha ha. Again, sponsors do have to be protected, but at what cost? It is a fine line between buying a right and buying a level of control that will bite you back.
It's so tempting to be cynical when there is so much to be cynical about, but corporations do have the kind of assets and power to give to the games and not just take from them. As sponsors Coke produced an ad during the 2010 Olympics that caught the spirit and the hopes of Canada in a way so perfectly and beautifully that it literally lifted a nation for 30 seconds every time it aired, which was endlessly. That ad became part of the fabric of the games for Canadians and I can't conceive of a greater relative advertising success in the next 10 Olympics. The ad won't translate culturally particularly well probably, but if you look at the comments it is a corporate advertisers dream to hit it this big in having your product associated with such positive feelings. There are two ads here, identical except for the ending. The second one played immediately following hockey gold and caught Canadians by surprise to the point of tears. Well done Coca Cola.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99msEwWpJBE&sns=em
GratefulFan
Thought it worth clarifying that I was as if-ing and LOLing at the dystopian nightmare of McDs being the only food provider at such a huge inernational event, and not at YV. That it might seem remotely credible is certainly an indicator of how overwhelmed and angry we have become at parasitic globalization and the resulting monopolization of attention and narrowing of experiences.
Saint Jiub
I'm following West Nile virus twittering.
Micrówave
Two thirds of unsold Olympic tickets are for (ahem!) the worlds most popular sport... Soccer.
What sold out first? Basketball. Go figure.
What sold out first? Basketball. Go figure.
Saint Jiub
[QUOTE] [b]Micrówave wrote:[/b]
Two thirds of unsold Olympic tickets are for (ahem!) the worlds most popular sport... Soccer.What sold out first? Basketball. Go figure.[/QUOTE]
Source?
Are you trying to make someone's head explode? ... ie a certain Canadian ex-wwry musical guitarist ...
Two thirds of unsold Olympic tickets are for (ahem!) the worlds most popular sport... Soccer.What sold out first? Basketball. Go figure.[/QUOTE]
Source?
Are you trying to make someone's head explode? ... ie a certain Canadian ex-wwry musical guitarist ...
YourValentine
[QUOTE]
[b]Micrówave wrote: [/b] Two thirds of unsold Olympic tickets are for (ahem!) the worlds most popular sport... Soccer.
What sold out first? Basketball. Go figure.[/QUOTE]
It is quite easy to figure out why nobody cares about the football olympics: due to the qualification rules most of the top teams are not qualified, only very few big teams take part like Brazil and Spain. Instead of Italy, Germany, Argentine, Netherlands etc teams like Honduras and United Arab Emirates take part. It may sound arrogant but in fact nobody wants to see such giants of football. Also, ruling World and European champion Spain cannot bring their champs when they are older than 23 years - the age limit for the games.
This is like playing ice hockey with Bahamas and Pakistan while Canada, Russia and Czech Republic stay at home. I am not familiar wiith the Basketball qualification but in previous olympics the professionals of the NBA always played and there was no such age limit.
[b]Micrówave wrote: [/b] Two thirds of unsold Olympic tickets are for (ahem!) the worlds most popular sport... Soccer.
What sold out first? Basketball. Go figure.[/QUOTE]
It is quite easy to figure out why nobody cares about the football olympics: due to the qualification rules most of the top teams are not qualified, only very few big teams take part like Brazil and Spain. Instead of Italy, Germany, Argentine, Netherlands etc teams like Honduras and United Arab Emirates take part. It may sound arrogant but in fact nobody wants to see such giants of football. Also, ruling World and European champion Spain cannot bring their champs when they are older than 23 years - the age limit for the games.
This is like playing ice hockey with Bahamas and Pakistan while Canada, Russia and Czech Republic stay at home. I am not familiar wiith the Basketball qualification but in previous olympics the professionals of the NBA always played and there was no such age limit.
Micrówave
[QUOTE]Source?[/QUOTE]
Time Magazine
Time Magazine