89 replies to this topic

[Nachimir]

I realised something amazing today, and it's that the London 2012 is annoying pretty much everyone, regardless of where they sit politically:

Fucking with small businesses:
http://www.independe...rs-7945436.html

experts in trading and advertising working for the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) are heading the biggest brand protection operation staged in the UK. Under legislation specially introduced for the London Games, they have the right to enter shops and offices and bring court action with fines of up to £20,000.

Olympics organisers have warned businesses that during London 2012 their advertising should not include a list of banned words, including "gold", "silver" and "bronze", "summer", "sponsors" and "London".

[…]

At the 40 Olympics venues, 800 retailers have been banned from serving chips to avoid infringing fast-food rights secured by McDonald's.

Fucking up transport from day one:
http://www.telegraph...pens-on-M4.html

Traffic crawled into London today as the opening of the first Olympic Games lane coincided with an accident on the M4 to create the 'perfect storm' of travel chaos leading to 32 mile queues.

[…]

Former head of traffic at the Metropolitan Police Kevin Delaney, now head of road safety at the Institute of Advanced Motorists, said: "The problem with the Games lanes is that London's road network runs at, or very close to, capacity almost all day, almost every day of the year."

Treating workers badly:
https://twitter.com/...812924424814592
https://twitter.com/...813101294419969

10 Cleaners to a crate, 25 to a toilet, 75 to a shower. They have to *pay* for the accommodation £18 pn / £550 a month.

My condolences to any of you that are in London and anywhere near the games.

I know people who don't give a fuck about social issues or landlords turfing out tennants to make a quick buck on accomodation, but now they're fucking with transport and small businesses, it's as if they're going all out to annoy people. When the case for them coming here hinged largely on economic growth, they're doing all of the above, and sponsors get to operate in a temporary tax haven, that's pretty fucking awry. Pretty much everyone I know now, from the most ardent free market advocates to the crustiest protestors, hate LOCOG and everything they're doing.

A business owner I know had a run in with LOCOG three or four years ago, so I already knew they were septic cunts. The extent of it is amazing me though. I could totally get behind the Olympics, if they were actually imbued with any of the values they claim to embody.

[Erkki]

Sounds fucked up. The messing up transport is a given though, isn't it? If the traffic is normally to capacity, sudden increase in the number of people moving about should pretty much guarantee jams.

[Nachimir]

[dibs]

Ben Goldacre is hating on them bad On twitter.

I can't really think of anything that embodies everything I hate about commercialism more comprehensively than the Olympic Games. Also, when you mix it with Orwellian London, warships and soldiers my head explodes.

[Codicier]

If I remember rightly at th

When the case for them coming here hinged largely on economic growth

If I remember correctly the case for the bid was centred around the rather nebulous concept of a 'Legacy', a combination of economic and social benefits, with a aim of increasing nationwide participation in sports.

Now obviously the promises of nationwide funding for greater participation in sports is long gone having been a early victim of austerity, that left the venues and the boost it would give the local economy. Now as you point out the economic value to business is starting to look dubious, which just leaves the hundreds of millions of pounds spent on infrastructure which will at least be of benefit .. oh wait no it seems it's all going to be either sold off to private firms &/or demolished.

Oh well never mind at least we've spent £80 Million + on some fireworks.

[Rodi]

The Olympics are just like the Eurovision Song Festival: a soulless, hackneyed, commercial affair meant to enrich (either politically or financially) an elite at the cost of everybody else. A corrupt miasma of power abuse.

[James]

The cycling relay is going near my flat and right past my mum's house! But she'll be on holiday and I'll be at work. I get the train away from London to work, so hopefully I shouldn't be too badly affected. Hopefully.

[Scipio]

[TheLastBaron]

The Olympics are just like the Eurovision Song Festival: a soulless, hackneyed, commercial affair meant to enrich (either politically or financially) an elite at the cost of everybody else. A corrupt miasma of power abuse.

Who are the elite? The athletes?

[subbes]

The corporate sponsors and the IOC. Voldesport (The Event Which Cannot Be Named) is a massive boondoggle and the host country grants them tax free status Jesus

[Raff]

The olympic torch's visit to my town was the kind of crass, moronic commercialism I never previously would have thought possible in this country.

[MrHoatzin]

I just need to know there is a police blimp. Is there a police blimp? With, like, a swat team on board.

[subbes]

Blimp Squad

[Orv]

Well, that's Michael Bay's next movie sorted.

(Do people actually care about the Olympics? I can never be sure.)

[Korax]

At the 40 Olympics venues, 800 retailers have been banned from serving chips to avoid infringing fast-food rights secured by McDonald's.

That's right, fuck your un-American chips! You bastards will eat French Freedom Fries like the rest of the God-fearing, democracy-loving free world!

(Do people actually care about the Olympics? I can never be sure.)

I only know two things about the Olympics:
- That logo looks like it was a backdrop option for my third-grade school photos (right after that sweet one with the lasers).
- Last week, two idiots on my local sports radio station were talking about all the counter-terrorism measures being taken and were completely baffled by the idea that some countries don't like each other while wondering how things "these days" could get so bad.

Oh, and they're in London. So three, I guess.

[TheLastBaron]

Well, that's Michael Bay's next movie sorted.

(Do people actually care about the Olympics? I can never be sure.)

I think people that care about sports do, and people who are athletes do. I have a friend who is a runner and he follows the USA runners and cares about their times at the trials and stuff. I have another friend who was/is a very good ping-pong player and also Chinese and in 2008 was obsessed with the games and has favorite players and stuff, he re-watched every single game many times. I usually watch a fair amount of the events, I'm probably going to watch every one of the (U23 men's) soccer games and then whatever else happens to be on. I never watch the winter games though, and I don't care for the swimming much, though sometimes will watch diving.

[Codicier]

(Do people actually care about the Olympics? I can never be sure.)

The weird thing I've noticed is that I (& most people I've talked to about it) feel less interested in the London games as a event than I did about the Beijing games. Yes people who follow individual events are enthusiastic about watching those events on TV but they are no more enthusiastic than they were 4 years ago when it was on the other side of the globe.

People even seem genuinely worried that the games are going to be a embarrassment.

[Nachimir]

Some of the events, I could be interested in. The event as a whole is so parasitic though, I can't summon any enthusiasm for it. There's nothing inspirational within a thing that stinks of corruption and fucks over so much and so many to happen.

I really wish this guy had managed to get video.

[Orv]

I mean, if I happen to be in a room with a TV and the slalom is on, or curling, or pole vaulting, sure I'll sit down for a few rounds, but there's never been much there for me. The Olympics are kind of the place for all the not-quite-major-sports to go and be fancy.