I watched the announcement of who had won the bid to have the Olympic Games in 2012 and like lots of people, particularly the French, I was absolutely gobsmacked when London was named. Surely I can’t be the only person in Britain whose heart absolutely sank to my boots at the announcement.
I’ve never been keen on anything competitive like that because I can’t see what there is to be gained by being able to run faster than the next person – unless you happen to be being chased by a lion! The whole idea of a competition to see who can be the fastest, highest, longest or whatever strikes me as being incredibly childish. Even the people taking part in the games admit that they aren’t doing it for their country but it’s all about themselves. That will come as no surprise if you know any aggressively sporty types, I don’t mean people just doing sport for the good of their health whether physical or mental.
There was a woman on the news from Glaxo-Smith-Kline not long ago and she was showing their ‘state of the art’ laboratory where all the urine samples are going to be tested. Her attitude was that they are ready for anything and so they will be able to detect drug cheats immediately. I know that that is just not true because new drugs are being concocted all the time and there are always sports people who are willing to give them a go. Unless a lab has a sample of a new drug then they don’t even know what they are looking for and it will be undetectable.
In the past it has been the sports people who have shouted loudly that they are anti- performance enhancing drugs who have turned out to be up to their ears in chemicals. So it’s a mystery to me why we even bother having things like the Olympic Games when it’s really a ‘who can dodge the analysts best’ games.
We’ve just heard the news that yet another cyclist involved in the Tour de France has been found out and that happens every year. Occasionally they collapse and die by the roadside due to the drugs which they’ve imbibed.
Given all this – why are people excited about the Olympic Games? The people who lived in the area that it’s taking place have all been swept out of their homes and whole communities have been broken up and garden allotments which had been worked for generations have been built over. As usual none of the local people will have benefited from any of the jobs which have been created by the project and it will all cost so much money (which could be better spent) that the debt won’t be paid off for donkey’s years. I heard that the Atlanta games still haven’t been paid for.
What’s it all for? For pumping up a lot of egos, and that goes for politicians too.
I believe the London games are being subtitled Island of Wonders. The way things are going I think it’s more likely going to be Island of Blunders.
I’m not the competitive type either, Katrina, but I suppose there are loads of people who just have to be the best in anything they do, which is why we do have Games of this sort. What bugs me is that it’s the London Games, not the British Games, yet we are expected to pay for it all! They say it will benefit the whole country. I don’t think so!
Evee,
I know – London Games drives me nuts too. The Olympics won’t benefit London never mind anyone else in the country. People will go there anyway and there’s only so many they can cope with. I actually heard a radio presenter saying that London was the most beautiful capital city in the world!! As we know it isn’t even the most beautiful capital in Britain!
Most beautiful capital in the world? What? Who are they kidding! It’s London egos again! It’s like Tony Blair – I think it was he – who said all eyes would be on London at the Millennium! What? Why? Who was bothered about London at that particular moment? I don’t get it!
Evee,
I suppose they’re just delusional, Tony Blair certainly went doo-lally about 6 months after he became PM – even faster than Thatcher managed! It’s the same with the English football team, they all seem to think it’s their right to win, but they’re rubbish.
I never watch the olympics. I agree with your post wholeheartedly. Another thing I can’t stand is Hollywood and movie stars and all their award ceremonies. Their egos make me sick!
Peggy,
Yes I agree with you on Hollywood and so called celebrities too, I never know who half of them are anyway. I’m more of a vintage film Bogart/Bacall,Peck, Cary Grant,Audrey Hepburn kind of film buff.
Football/soccer players here are treated like gods and some of them earn more in one week than most people do in a whole year, I suppose it’ll be the same in the US. It’s just crazy!
I do like sports and have been an Olympics fanatic in the past, but sometimes I feel like it’s all a big sham. Here in the US, the current baseball Most Valuable Player was found to have taken steroids just weeks after he won the award. As more incidents of this type happen I feel disappointed and lied to. And the type of money they make is just obscene! Nevertheless, I will probably watch the Olympics as it seems to be a habit I can’t break.
Anbolyn,
I used to go to football/soccer matches with Jack, then our boys accompanied him when they got old enough. His team (Dumbarton) is rubbish so if they’re on drugs they should ask for their money back! It’s horrible that so many people are willing to cheat but inevitable given the amounts of money at stake. Able bodied people were actually pretending to be disabled at the last paralympics – the mind boggles!!