Olympic Opening Ceremony

I thoroughly enjoy both the summer and winter olympics. I missed the opening gala but will catch the hi-lites later. Let's hope all goes well devoid of supercilious politics and religious rhetoric.

Let's hope all goes well devoid of supercilious politics and religious rhetoric.

Too late.
http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2008/08/06/21284/

Olympic gold medalist Joey Cheek '11 said his visa to attend the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing has been revoked by the Chinese government over his efforts urging China to help make peace in the war-torn region of Darfur.

Maybe I'm just a party pooper, but I still think giving China the games was a mistake.

Here comes my two bits. I'll say my piece, then you'll not hear another word from me on the subject. I'll be finished with it.

Don't care*.

-Fred

*about any of it

I'm gonna have to go with Fred on this. I have never really been interested.

Truly magnificent ceremony. Don't know if it's the best I've seen, but surely the most aesthetically beautiful to watch.

Fred beat me to it... I don't care about the Olympics... They don't keep us from going to war with one another, so what's really the point??? They put way too much hype behind it all if you ask me... And then {being from the USA}, we got a President that goes to the Hosting Country and tells them how they are running their country is Wrong... Lovely Politics...

But I'll do along with Fred and you won't hear anymore about it from me... Enjoy The Games, if you are an Olympic Fan...

wow, i really didn't expect such responses. To me the olympics is 16 days of friendly (mostly) athletic competition every 4 years. It's one of those things i see as the world coming together for something and in my eyes that can only be a good thing.

Plus, who doesn't enjoy watching the gymnastics? (don't try and deny it!)

Me and The Ultimate are big Seattle Storm WNBA basketball fans, so we 're going to be cheering really hard for our 'home girls'. We've got Sure Bird in the USA team and Lauren Jackson with the Aussies. So it's hard to pick a side. I'd love to see LJ win gold. Aussies just won their first round. "Woot!" Web coverage rules!

A friend of ours and his wife are heading out to the Olympics, we are tres' excited for them.

I do agree with 'Joliet' that it's hard to get past the human rights issue and wholeheartedly endorse the games being held there. But it's a complicated world...that's for sure.

(PS) Yeah, gymnastics are fun. And Ice Skating in the Winter Oly's.

No offense Baf, but the Olympics were never designed to prevent wars. OK, so you knew that. I, like many others, simply enjoy watching atheletes from all over the globe competing for the GOLD. We get to see sporting events on a world class scale, some of these events can ONLY be seen every 4 years. I find it extremely entertaining but I hate when politics gets dragged into them. Just let these people be, let them vie for the prizes and notoriety, let them have fun and let the fans enjoy the spectacle. In fact, I could care less which country gets the most medals. Just sit back and absorbed greatness on a world scale.

I thought the opening ceremony was magnificent! The magnitude and the discipline of so many people working together to create such wonderful performances was truly breathtaking. One of the best opening ceremonies for an Olympic Games.

I remember being there at the Sydney Olympic opening ceremony and I had never seen anything so amazing, even to date, but the China opening ceremony, despite not being there, is totally up there.

One thing China does have is power in numbers and they used that to their advantage perfectly in the ceremony, and well done to them, it truly was an amazing feat and an amazing show!

As for political agendas, I don't think the Olympic games are the right place to advocate such views... its a chance for people to ditch cultural and regional stigmas and compete together in friendly competition, and a chance for the strength in everyone to be in the limelight, showcasing how much we can achieve as human beings. If people want to share their political views, do it in a diplomatic space, not at the Olympic games.

-Cub. =o)

It'll be us Brits next I guess. If we ever get things together lol. I kid.

I'm not much of a sport fan so Olympics aren't my thing but the arty celebrations on some of the olympics can be interesting.

Yes, I was stunned at the beauty and magesty of the opening ceremonies. Amazing. The parade of nations with Yao Ming carring the flag, walking alongside the little boy from the earthquake?? Stunning and poignant.

Plus, who doesn't enjoy watching the gymnastics? (don't try and deny it!)

My Olympic rant:

Personally, I don't think any of those subjectively judged sports (like gymnastics and figure skating) should even be in the Olympics. In those sports, the winner is chosen by the whims of the judges and not by true competition. Yet those are the Olympic sports that get the most TV coverage while the true sports get short-shifted.

Give me the track and field. The fastest, strongest, farthest, highest or last man standing.
These are 'real' competitive sports and the winner is truly the winner.

Olympics Alert:

U.S. Women take Gold, Silver and Bronze in Fencing (sabre).

Although fencing is not a traditionally strong sport in the U.S., the U.S. women were among the first to get into sabre. Most other countries regard sabre as a man's sport and restrict women to foil and epee. As a result, U.S. women have a head start in sabre.