A place for the discussion of all things not closely related to the sport and its competitive side. (Locked down several times a year during the major championships)
jazzcyclist wrote:Question for our British posters: Who emerged as Britain's biggest star of the Olympics? I know Jessica Ennis was the biggest star going into the Olympics but has that changed? Also, who dominated the front pages of the newspapers on the morning of August 5?
It's REALLY hard to say at the moment. We did so ridiculously well that no 1 person has completely dominated the post games publicity.
Hard to look past Wiggins, Ennis, Farah and Hoy though.
Cyclist Laura Trott and especially boxer Nicola Adams are going to be huge stars as well.
Feel a bit sorry for the gold medallists in the more obscure sports. One woman got 2 gold medals in horsey things but has been almost completely ignored.
It seems the trick was to win early on. By the 2nd week the novelty had worn off a bit and the attentions was not as all encompassing.
jazzcyclist wrote:Question for our British posters: Who emerged as Britain's biggest star of the Olympics? I know Jessica Ennis was the biggest star going into the Olympics but has that changed? Also, who dominated the front pages of the newspapers on the morning of August 5?
It's REALLY hard to say at the moment. We did so ridiculously well that no 1 person has completely dominated the post games publicity.
Hard to look past Wiggins, Ennis, Farah and Hoy though.
Cyclist Laura Trott and especially boxer Nicola Adams are going to be huge stars as well.
Feel a bit sorry for the gold medallists in the more obscure sports. One woman got 2 gold medals in horsey things but has been almost completely ignored.
It seems the trick was to win early on. By the 2nd week the novelty had worn off a bit and the attentions was not as all encompassing.
I guess that makes sense since both cycling and athletics are popular sports in Europe.
What about the front pages on August 5, Ennis or Farah?
After getting back from London last night and being up since 3am with jet lag, I decided to watch the Closing Ceremony this morning before coming to work. It was a marvelous representation of modern English culture, bordering on creative genius in my opinion, and I loved NBC having to bleep Eric idle! I thought I'd had a DVR malfunction though, but just discovered NBC edited out: Ray Davies, Kate Bush, The Who and Muse. WTF? they really are pathetic.
marknhj wrote:After getting back from London last night and being up since 3am with jet lag, I decided to watch the Closing Ceremony this morning before coming to work. It was a marvelous representation of modern English culture, bordering on creative genius in my opinion, and I loved NBC having to bleep Eric idle! I thought I'd had a DVR malfunction though, but just discovered NBC edited out: Ray Davies, Kate Bush, The Who and Muse. WTF? they really are pathetic.
Bet the farm that someone on YouTube will post the unedited, uncensored, full-length version of the Closing Ceremonies. And if it does get posted, grab it before NBC screams bloody murder and blows the whistle on them to take it down.
I think NBC showed more of the Ceremony, the tail end with The Who and whatnot, AFTER their pilot for Animal Clinic came on at 10 pm, or whatever that new sitcom is called. Pretty stupid.
jazzcyclist wrote:Question for our British posters: Who emerged as Britain's biggest star of the Olympics? I know Jessica Ennis was the biggest star going into the Olympics but has that changed? Also, who dominated the front pages of the newspapers on the morning of August 5?
According to this morning's press reports, Mo Farah may be knighted.
5-August: It's simple to search and peruse the online versions on PressDisplay, which appears to be a more comprehensive collection of available front-pages (and full newspapers) than the links you've been providing.
EPelle wrote:5-August: It's simple to search and peruse the online versions on PressDisplay, which appears to be a more comprehensive collection of available front-pages (and full newspapers) than the links you've been providing.
As did I...almost as soon as Lennon's face appeared on the monitor after the live singers had finished the opening lines. The "face" they made sealed the deal.
As for the closing ceremony; we could have a party, play the video of the closing ceremony. and that party would rock. At least that was the consensus here in Jamaica. The inflatable octopus; we need one, with dread locks. Transformers do exist; they are disguised as London taxi cabs. Suicide doors on a Rolls? Oh yeah.
Just wonderful.
Well, except for Jessie J on "we will rock you"... There is nobody like Freddie but if a woman were to try it would have to be someone like Joan Jett... but having the rest of Queen there made up for it plus the audience and athletes chimed in to drown her out.
I'm still wondering why there was no performance by Elton John. I kept anticipating it all afternoon, constantly asking "where's Reginald"?
DrJay wrote:lonewolf, Have you watched any Monty Python? ("Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" is from their movie "Life of Brian", a parody on the life of Christ.) If not, check out youtube for the following skits: The Dead Parrot skit, the Spam skit, the Upperclass Twit of the Year skit, and the Funniest Joke in the World skit. Among their best.
BTW, a couple of years ago I emailed my Bright Side of Life idea linked in the first post here, to the London Organizing Committee. No idea if they were headed that way already, but maybe I'll take a little credit.
DrJay wrote:I think NBC showed more of the Ceremony, the tail end with The Who and whatnot, AFTER their pilot for Animal Clinic came on at 10 pm, or whatever that new sitcom is called. Pretty stupid.
They only showed The Who and then abrubtly cut to Bob Costas waxing poetic. If Kate Bush and Ray Davies indeed performed, I'd rather skip the waxing and get to the showing.
lonewolf wrote:I watched that whole thing, hoping something would happen that I could make sense of..didn't happen
Of course not. NBC cut the bejabbers out of anything that resembled content...but you did get to see them shill their new show Animal Practice. Shit....now that's TV!
DrJay wrote:lonewolf, Have you watched any Monty Python? ("Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" is from their movie "Life of Brian", a parody on the life of Christ.) If not, check out youtube for the following skits: The Dead Parrot skit, the Spam skit, the Upperclass Twit of the Year skit, and the Funniest Joke in the World skit. Among their best.
BTW, a couple of years ago I emailed my Bright Side of Life idea linked in the first post here, to the London Organizing Committee. No idea if they were headed that way already, but maybe I'll take a little credit.
I'd like an argument please.
Ha! (Had to think about that one a minute.)
You certainly can find one on this message board. Just say something nasty about the other guys' sprinters and there you go!
jazzcyclist wrote:Question for our British posters: Who emerged as Britain's biggest star of the Olympics? I know Jessica Ennis was the biggest star going into the Olympics but has that changed? Also, who dominated the front pages of the newspapers on the morning of August 5?
According to this morning's press reports, Mo Farah may be knighted.
I'm pretty certain he won't. There was a statement made earlier in the year saying that sporting achievement will no longer be a guarantee of honours which was probably a good thing considering how many would have to be given out.
They#ll all be made OBE's or something and some may get enobled at a later date if they are seen to have contributed further. Making Mo Farah a Sir would be ridiculous.
DrJay wrote:lonewolf, Have you watched any Monty Python? ("Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" is from their movie "Life of Brian", a parody on the life of Christ.) If not, check out youtube for the following skits: The Dead Parrot skit, the Spam skit, the Upperclass Twit of the Year skit, and the Funniest Joke in the World skit. Among their best.
BTW, a couple of years ago I emailed my Bright Side of Life idea linked in the first post here, to the London Organizing Committee. No idea if they were headed that way already, but maybe I'll take a little credit.
I'd like an argument please.
Ha! (Had to think about that one a minute.)
You certainly can find one on this message board. Just say something nasty about the other guys' sprinters and there you go!
About six months ago on a message board regarding a completely different subject....baseball....me and another poster did virtually the whole skit verbatim over a couple of days and most of the posters had absolutley no idea that we weren't really going at it.
Is it just me or did The Rolling Stones get snubbed in the ceremonies. Arguably either the best or second best British RocknRoll band of the 60-80's. I don't think they used a single song of theirs. Too edgy?
One report I saw said that Elton John was originally supposed to be the musical director but had a falling out with the organizers. Nevertheless, if this was supposed to be a send up to British music, he deserved at least a reference. Ditto for Sting, Tom Jones, and Petula Clark (not that I am a fan of all of them) unless I missed something.
I saw the whole ceremony on BBC and thought it off the mark and excessive. Yes, there should be some entertainment but the focus of the ceremony is supposed to be the athletes and the closing of the Olympics. They became an afterthought at best. And we had our first 18-day Olympics in recent years as the closing ceremony went past midnight.
