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London 2012 Olympics - love it or hate it?

London 2012 Olympics...

  • Love it

    Votes: 17 39.5%
  • Hate it

    Votes: 26 60.5%

  • Total voters
    43
  • Poll closed .
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MidnightFlyer

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There seems to be very diverse set of opinions on here with regard to this, ranging from railway aspects to financial aspects to sporting aspects, so, I thought I'd create this thread to get an answer as to whether people on here are looking forward to London 2012 or not.

As a starter, it brings extra services and money to the railways, and is the biggest general sporting event on earth, but has been marred by the billions it is costing, and the tickets haven't been handled too well either - it seems a very unfair allocation system.

So, for you, London 2012 - love it or hate it?
 
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yorksrob

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I don't particularly mind one way or another personally speaking.

But now it's here, I hope they do a good job.
 

Ivo

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Poll? ;)

The ticket allocation system failed, there is no doubting that, and the whole event is costing a needlessly high amount. But the benefits it will bring in the very short term are almost innumerable, and it will bring plentiful future benefits in terms of infrastructure.

In my experience (away from this forum), as a general rule of thumb the only people that are strongly against the Olympics being held in London are those whose jobs will mean they cannot take days off work during that period (like my father :lol:).

For the record, I got one ticket out of five. If the tickets had been allocated fairly it should have been two on the grounds that the one I got was for football, which is undersold, and then there is the possibility of mountain biking on the grounds of it being only seven or so miles from where I will be living at the time.
 

Clip

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Im all for it... Has already brought a massive boost to the economy of a run down area of London and has also brought in some extra infrastructure projects - STI DLR extension and this will be here long after the games bru-ha ha has long gone.

I can understand peoples frustrations about it but they are really blowing it all out of proportion IMO.
 

NSE

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I'm not fussed, it's nice they chose my home city for the olympics and I'd like to see London do well, however I hate the way I'm supposed to be unbelievably excited for it and just amazed about it.
I'm the one who has to put up with the engineering works and the building works, which is part and parcel, I'm fine with that. But, I'm gonna be 40 miles away from London when they happen and they will pass me by. I just hate the way some people push it into my face when I walk around London.

That said I'd like to have got tickets (the ticket system was awful and unfair, but such is life) but as I didn't, it's just gonna pass me by. I'm far more looking forward to the start of the F1 season.
 

jon0844

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Although we're a nation of whingers, I do think we benefit from the 'feel good factor' that I am sure the games will bring, as well as the other big events taking place this year.

As the world looks on, I hope people will have a sense of pride that all eyes are looking at Great Britain. And people living in or near Stratford, and other parts of the South East, will benefit from a range of infrastructure improvements thereafter. Some might have happened anyway, but some may not (or not as quickly).
 

Schnellzug

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it's an extension really of the old Roman policy of "bread and circuses"; except in this case the Government doesn't seem to be providing free food for anyone. Give the People some big Entertainment and distract attention from how badly the Government's doing. The kind of policy the Emperor Nero and Caligula embraced enthusiastically. Of course, it was Tony Blair that wanted it in the first place, but no wonder that the CameronCleggCoalition have embraced it so enthusiastically, for the same reason.
all this Investment that it's supposed to bring in; from whom, exactly, and for the benefit of whom, exactly? For West Ham, or wheoever gets it in the end, who'll have the millstone of a gigantic stadium that'd be far too big for any possible use they could have for it? Particularlty when there's another stadium not too far away that was constructed as a National Prestige Project; so now we'll have two mega-stadiums competing with each other? That sounds like a typically good peice of Govermnet planning.
 

Greenback

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I'm not fussed, it's nice they chose my home city for the olympics and I'd like to see London do well, however I hate the way I'm supposed to be unbelievably excited for it and just amazed about it.
I'm the one who has to put up with the engineering works and the building works, which is part and parcel, I'm fine with that. But, I'm gonna be 40 miles away from London when they happen and they will pass me by. I just hate the way some people push it into my face when I walk around London.

That said I'd like to have got tickets (the ticket system was awful and unfair, but such is life) but as I didn't, it's just gonna pass me by. I'm far more looking forward to the start of the F1 season.

That largely equals how I feel about it. I am not very interested in the Olympic Games wherever they are taking place, but I have nothing against them. I know that quite a few people are looking forward to the event, incluidng Mrs Greenback, and I have no wish to spoil things for them!

However I am getting a bit fed up of the Olympics being thrust at me from every direction of the media - and I don't live in London!

On the other hand, it's not really that much different to the BBC Wales rugby obsession. It must be irritating for those who don;t like or enjoy rugby union coverage to have it forced on them during the RWC and Six Nations - for those that don't know rugby takes a high profile in news programems and BBC Wales also make highly annoying preview ads for each game, which seem to be on between every programme!
 

jon0844

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Is this like Thatcher wanting the Falklands conflict to get re-elected? Why is it a bad thing that a Government (of any 'colour') would want to bid for big events like this, the World Cup etc?

I think many nations would love to get the Olympics, as regardless of cost it does have many benefits (such as what we've seen with the transformation of Stratford and many other sites). There is the issue of what to do with it all afterwards, sure, but I think the feel-good factor makes it worth the effort. I speak as someone who will probably watch very little of it, bar the opening and closing ceremonies (I was in China to watch the closing ceremony, which was truly amazing btw).

I am sure there will be an increase in tourism, before, during and after the games - yet that won't necessarily be put down to the Olympics in terms of using it to offset the investment.

As for the stadiums, well the Stratford one will be made smaller and is sure to find a use. I'd be more concerned for some of the other venues, but even the Dome eventually found itself transformed into a place where people are going, and in huge numbers, so let's have some faith!

When I go on a long-faul flight in economy, every minute is agony. But once I land, step off and get fresh air and stretch my legs, I completely forget about everything. I hope that come the Olympics and afterwards, most people will forget about the money spent and look at the positives.
 

yorksrob

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I think we're perhaps just a little unlucky in that a year after it was announced, the world economy seemed to dissappear up it's own backside. I'm sure we'll enjoy it once it gets going though.
 

CC 72100

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I'm looking forward to it. It will be a once in a lifetime opportunity, so much high quality sport in our backyard so to speak. I would however, have preferred the football world cup in 2018, but I'm all for the Olympics too!
 

Temple Meads

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I agree with Adam, the World Cup would have been better, I did vote "hate it" but I think "Indifferent" would sum up my feelings better, I doubt I'll enjoy it any more through being in Britain, than I would have if it was in another country!
 

SS4

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I think we're perhaps just a little unlucky in that a year after it was announced, the world economy seemed to dissappear up it's own backside. I'm sure we'll enjoy it once it gets going though.

Didn't the economy go up its own backside in 2008 rather than 2006?

Where is the poll option for indifference?

[youtube]LCcZqcPOlNM[/youtube]
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I would like to see what opinion you'd get if you asked commuters on a packed pacer 'oop north about transport improvements :lol:
 

Xenophon PCDGS

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That largely equals how I feel about it. I am not very interested in the Olympic Games wherever they are taking place, but I have nothing against them.....However I am getting a bit fed up of the Olympics being thrust at me from every direction of the media - and I don't live in London!

My feelings exactly concur with yours on this matter.
 

yorksrob

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Didn't the economy go up its own backside in 2008 rather than 2006?


[youtube]LCcZqcPOlNM[/youtube]
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I would like to see what opinion you'd get if you asked commuters on a packed pacer 'oop north about transport improvements :lol:

Exactly - I thought it was announced in 2007 (the day before the London bombings if I remember).
 

yorksrob

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Could have sworn it was later - my memory.

Still, I don't think we forsaw being in the middle of a seemingly never-ending financial meltdown at the time anyway.
 

jon0844

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The London bombings were on the morning 7th July 2005, less than 24 hours after the announcement.
 

Ivo

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Exactly - I thought it was announced in 2007 (the day before the London bombings if I remember).

It was indeed the day before the London bombings, but the bombings were on 7/7/5, not 7/7/7. Hence Ralph is correct:

It was announced on the 6th July 2005.

My Grandad died less than two weeks later. I was visiting him in hospital when it was announced...
 

DarloRich

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I seem to be the only person in this country who is actually excited and proud that the Olympics are being held in our country. I don’t care what it cost because I think we will get back more than we put in. The development of a run down part of London alone is impressive and the creation of new and improved infrastructure is a positive thing.

I got tickets for freestyle wrestling, which I know nothing about, and can’t wait to go to an Olympic event and see someone win a gold medal. Imagine that I will never get a chance to do that again! I am taking my young nephew with me and I doubt he will have chance to see an Olympic games.

It is a chance for the UK ( mainly London - but London IS the UK to many tourists) to be seen in a good light, it is chance for this country to be projected onto a world stage and a chance for our economy to get boost and a kick in the right direction.
 

Ivo

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Think of it this way also:

Until further notice, London will be the only city to have hosted three separate Games series. That's quite a feat for a city - something good London can claim at others' "expense".
 

43021HST

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Boosting the local economy of Stratford has been mentioned, to be honest I don't think its done that at all, all you need to do is wander away from the Olympic site, Station and shopping centre and you'll soon see how run down the rest of Stratford looks.

In fact I think its just worsened the class divide in that area.

Anyway why did we have to go to such expense for the equivalent of an international school sports day, instead of building a new stadium, why not use an existing one like Wembley.
Surely in this age of being 'green' that would ecologically make more sense.

I'm very apathetic over the Olympics and I fail to see why there's such a big fuss over several weeks of sport.
 
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SS4

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Luckily I'm relatively far away, it's those locals who cannot afford to see the olympics but have to put up with increased council tax, travel disruption during preparation and ceremony amongst other things.
The benefits are vague afterwards - transport infrastructure is actually one of the more tangible benefits.
 

Flamingo

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Well, I'm not a sports fan anyway (except Rugby), I'm afraid my "give-a-damn" meter has not even given a flicker about them.

It's the (ever more increasing) adverts, and even more tenuous links to sport that are appearing everywhere that I'm beginning to find tedious, and by August I will be totally fed up with...
 

Minilad

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The vast majority of the sports in the olympics are in reality minority sports. Personally speaking I wouldn't cross the road to watch most of them. For people who like the sports or just want to be a part of the "occasion" then good luck to you. For me though its just a big meh.
One thing that does grind my gears is the way we are all supposed to be soooooooo excited by it all. In the main we ain't. Especially the vast majority of the population who happen to not live inside the M25
 

Greenback

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Well, I'm not a sports fan anyway (except Rugby), I'm afraid my "give-a-damn" meter has not even given a flicker about them.

It's the (ever more increasing) adverts, and even more tenuous links to sport that are appearing everywhere that I'm beginning to find tedious, and by August I will be totally fed up with...

Quite At the moment I have not voted in the poll, but I predict that my indifference will turn to loathing by July.

Why am I supposed to be excited by something I have little interest in, just because it happens to be in the UK?
 

Schnellzug

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Think of it this way also:

Until further notice, London will be the only city to have hosted three separate Games series. That's quite a feat for a city - something good London can claim at others' "expense".

And once again, boosts London's ego just that little bit further and further convinces is that it's not only the greatest, but the only city in the UK, and that Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle, Glasgow etc are just satellites of it.
 
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