Will you be watching the Beijing Olympics?

[zanne]

Ever since a saw a clip of government bulldozers wiping away the homes of 20,000 people to make room for Olympic Park, I made a decision not to watch any of it. (By the way, those now homeless people were not renumerated for their loss).

[billyoc]

1. Only to compile a boycott list.

If it's not done already.

[devilgrrl]

2. Nope.

If I could watch CBC coverage then maybe. NBC will show more commercials than actual sporting events and I can do without all the sappy stories about the athletes over coming whatever adversity they suffered to get there. And who gives a rat's ass about Michael Phelps? :boring:

[Renew Deal]

3. Yes, from beginning to end.

I can't wait.

[dems_rightnow]

13. Same here!

Adore sports, especially the Olympics.

[MrCoffee]

48. I will probably skip the gymnastics

Ok, that's a lie, there's no way my daughter will let us skip the gymnsastics.

[Jane Austin]

4. I can't stand the commentary.

It's what turned me off Pro Football, too.

[KansDem]

17. I agree. I gave up on the Olympics during the 1980s...

...about the time the media introduced the "up close and personal" segments. I wondered to myself, "I really don't give a damn about the athletes' personal lives. Just show us the games!"

And, as a former high-school pole vaulter, I've always loved to watch the field events, especially pole vaulting. But the media does a terrible job covering the field events, opting to show us every second of the two-mile run, yet only the winning vault or two. In fact, if I recall correctly, all the filed events suffered from poor coverage in lieu of the "more exciting" track events...

[barbtries]

5. no

[librechik]

6. I'm only interested in the Winter Olympics.

sorry

[VWolf]

24. Same here

Give me the downhill anyday. More of a human-vs-nature feel to it.

[truebrit71]

39. Me too....I much prefer the Winter Games....with the exception of the bloody ice-skating...

..which gets waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much friggin' coverage...

[librechik]

41. me too on the skating --I find the latex suits too distracting

altho the figure stuff is sometimes beautiful, esp the partner stuff...You probably deserve a Gold just to be able to get a guy and a gal to work together so seamlessly without hurting each other (much)...

[Blue_In_AK]

44. Me, too.

Winter Olympics are much cooler. :scared:

[aspergris]

7. Absolutely yes!

First of all, my friend is competing

Second of all, while I detest china's authoritarianism, civil rights violations, etc. I also respect the dignity of sport.

Recall what happened in Munich (see: Jesse Owens)

[devilgrrl]

12. Yes. I recall what happened in Munich.... in 1972

[aspergris]

16. my bad

I meant berlin.

[LynneSin]

51. Good luck to your friend

although I still won't be watching it.

Partially in disgust of it being in Beijing but even more disgusted is the horrible coverage that NBC will once again do with the Olympics.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

8. if the covering entity would show the DAMNED EVENTS

more than the pesky commentary and other ancillary garbage then yes, i would watch...but i am guessing about 10 minutes in i will get fed up and turn it off!

sP

[treestar]

55. This is where I am

I used to love them as a child, but once they started all those athlete profiles and creating all those stupid controversies rather than just showing the contests, or only showing contests with Americans, or only the Americans in a contest. They assume we're watching out of jingoism, just to see Americans win, and have no interest in the contests themselves, and zero interest in watching any foreign athletes compete, let alone win.

I liked it back when they showed the whole contest, including the medal ceremony, regardless of who won.

[bdamomma]

9. yes, I will catch some of it, hoping the Chinese will boo *.

[Dukkha]

10. If it wasn't in Beijing I still wouldn't watch it

Olympic fever!
:boring:

[exothermic]

40. same here...I got grass growing needs watchin'

;-)

[maxsolomon]

11. probably not - i like the winter games better

it's hiking season!

[canadianbeaver]

14. HELL F*CKING NO

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

[hogwyld]

20. I'll add a couple of NO's to yours!

May their olympic dreams come crashing around their murderous regime.

[SidDithers]

36. Same opinion in 2010?...nt

Sid

[canadianbeaver]

47. I plan on getting the f*ck outta dodge....in 2010....

anyone wanna do a house swap?....Seriously will not be in town!! Wish they were given to another city...the money spent is a waste....there are people who could have been helped with the load that is spent on these events....Just my opinion tho..

The whole world needs to pitch in on the costs...not just the country its held in....

but I am a bit ignorant of such things...as I don't think they serve a purpose these days...feeding/clothing the poor seems to me a bit more important than making sure Canadian swimmers can beat the French..etc...or vise versa....

[Warpy]

15. Maybe the opening ceremonies with the sound off

because I can't stand the talking heads drowning out the music with vapid and useless commentary. They utterly destroyed the Oz opening ceremonies, something I would love to have seen and heard in their entirety.

I'll just play loud, rude music and watch.

I'm not the sporty type. I do enjoy some of the gymnastics events even though I could never do them. However, the way they chop up the venues makes watching very difficult. You can't sit and watch a single event because they keep cutting away to others.

In addition, the "up close and personal" stuff is nauseating.

[hogwyld]

18. Not just no, but HELL NO!!!

I refuse to do anything that could be interpreted as tacit support for the murderous regime in Beijing. I refuse to support their slaughter of Tibetans, I refuse to support their wanton rape of the planet.

[Kaleko]

22. That about covers my position.

Plus I hope someone will publish the list of advertisers so I can boycott their products.

[Cleita]

19. No. I probably wouldn't watch it anyway because I'm not a sports fan, but

if I were, I'm sure I would boycott it this time.

[sourmilk]

21. no.

[TexasObserver]

23. I stopped watching the Olympics years ago.

Don't need to hear jingoistic Americans shouting USA! USA!

Don't need to see people whose lives have been about running, jumping, or swimming.

Don't need to watch more shoe commercials.

Don't need to listen to verbose commentators who go on and on about nothing.

Don't need to see judging that is clearly biased much of the time.

Got better things to do, even if it's only take a nap or take a walk.

[sinkingfeeling]

25. No (n/t)

[otohara]

26. 2 Million According to UK's Sunday Mirror

2 million Chinese kicked out of homes for Olympics
EXCLUSIVE SUNDAY Mirror INVESTIGATES Families are driven from their homes for sake of China Olympics Houses razed to make way for £200m stadium and city parks 40,000 jailed and tortured for protesting about losing everything

Gleaming and amazing, China's £200million Olympics stadium is shown to the world as a proud symbol of the country's dramatic change.

But two million people driven from their homes for this summer's Beijing Games could tell a different story... if they were allowed.

A tale of how their lives have been ruined for the sake of their rulers' Olympic dream.

Of how their houses have been torn down with just a month's notice.

And how those who have dared to complain have been tortured and jailed.

More than 40,000 people have been arrested for organising protests at the way lives in China's capital have been destroyed. Many have been treated brutally by police.http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/news/sunday/2008/02/17/2-million-chinese-kicked-out-of-homes-for-olympics-98487-20321671/

[zanne]

38. Thank you for that info and link, otohara.

I intend to send it in an email to everybody I know.

[cherokeeprogressive]

27. Only the marathon. Ryan Hall is running in it and he's from my city.

Run Ryan Run!

[Ikonoklast]

28. No.

As with all other non-amateur sporting events, money has ruined the Olympics.

[elehhhhna]

29. Heck yeah! My kids Taekwondo teacher is going for another gold! His Mom

is the school lunch lady -- and his older bro is the coach, and his baby bro & sis are also in competition.

GO, LOPEZ FAMILY! They are a real American success story. Just don't tell Lou Dobbs, b/c their parents immigrated here from Nicaragua, and he hates that

[Iggo]

30. Nope.

[melm00se]

31. it's what DVRs

were invented for: record, pick it up about 2 hours in and fast forward thru the CRAP...and watch the actual events.

[dsotm-wywh]

32. Not watching - different reason...Doping

I used to get excited about the Olympics but the past few times there will be great stories and we'll get interested and excited only to find out that the people we were chearing for were doping. I can point to the exact time when I became disinterested in major league baseball - the strike of 1994, and I can point to the few people who really turned me off to the Olympics - Marion Jones, and those Greek people who got banned just a day before the last Olympics. Sports are rarely about the best athletes anymore, it's about who has the most money to train and who can get away with using the newest drug that they can't find in the tests.

Congrats to all of this years winners who get away with it, so they can make millions in endorsement deals, until the truth comes out in 2010 and they get stripped of their medals, and the real winners don't get anything.

[Catherine Vincent]

33. I don't think I will.

They (the Chinese authorities) don't like Black people.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

34. I would but for he endless commericals and American bias.

[LostInAnomie]

35. I never watch the Olympics. I can't stand the events they decide cover.

Winter by far is the worst (figure skating and ski jumps), but the Summer Olympics is fucking horrible too.

With SOOOOO many events going on, how can the media justify spending 90% of their time covering every nauseating detail of gymnastics, swimming, and track (running events only)? It's fucking ridiculous.

Plus I can't stand the biographies they do of every athlete. They are so boring and so formulaic.

1. Introduce the athlete
2. Show them training from a young age
3. Throw in some kind of twist about hardship or heartbreak the athlete had to overcome
4. Show the athlete being triumphant over the hardship
5. End with some cliched statement like "But, is Beijing ready for (athlete's name)" or "(Athlete's name) is ready for them, but are they ready for him?"

I'll just catch the highlights somewhere else.

[truebrit71]

37. Maybe...I enjoy "fringe" sports like Fencing and Kayaking so there's little to no coverage...

...to begin with, but i have pretty much bugger all interest in anything else...especially the whole "Look at us we really ARE nice people" opening ceremonies...

The Olympics as a whole have become so overblown and commercialized as to be almost diametrically opposed to their own creed...

Now, on the other hand the 2010 Games are going to be fucking brilliant... ;-)

[Blue_In_AK]

42. I probably won't watch much

because I prefer the Winter Olympics, but my husband who ran track in high school (and was really good) will probably be glued to the TV. Ideologically, I think he'd LIKE to boycott, but the draw is just too great.

[TahitiNut]

43. Yes ... on CBC.

Blessedly free of the hyper-jingoistic dreck on 'American' networks.
:puke:

[MaryEllen71]

45. I agree

I live close to Canada so I watch them on CBC as well.I like watching the events live.

[devilgrrl]

54. If I had access to CBC then I'd watch.

At least they show the events. Plus, you get to see the other sports like archery and synchronized swimming.

[blues90]

46. NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[supernova]

49. Yes, I'll watch

I enjoy gymnastics, swimming and diving, track & field. Water Polo turned out to be a hit the last time. So I might watch that. Women's volleyball is definitely worth it.

So yeah, I'll watch. I am like others here though, the ratio of commentary:actual sports seems to get less every year. Could do without all the talking heads and their self-importance.

[cayuga]

50. Beijing looks like what the US could be. I want a bullet train!

Won't be watching - painful watching our lost dream.

[Avalux]

52. No. Not interested.

I'd like to see real efforts to unite the world, not the sham that is the Olympics.

[Betty]

53. NO WAY

that is all.

[Pastiche423]

56. NO

I saw the same clip.

[Baclava]

57. Yes - absolutely. Politics has no place in sports.

The athletes spend years in training for one event. It's their life, their dream.

I honor them by watching.

I do like the winter games better though, more speed and excitement to me.

[bigwillq]

58. Yes

I will watch parts of it...I will watch the events that I find exciting..I like the track and swimming..will probably catch some tennis and baseball/softball.

I'm a sports fan so I will check out the Games from time to time

[Sewsojm]

59. Nope

[ThatsMyBarack]

60. Sure!

It will be a nice break from summer reruns and cookie-cutter reality trash! ;)

[terrya]

61. Nope.

I won't watch one second of the Olympics. I'm going out of my to avoid it.

[goddess40]

62. Read Dave Zirin's Welcome to the Terrordome: The Pain, Politics and Promise of Sports

and then decide if you want to watch the Olympics. There's a lot of blood and suffering that has paved the way for the "show" over the years. Not to mention a shit load of corruption.

http://www.amazon.com/Welcome-Terrordome-Politics-Promise-Sports/dp/1931859418/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1216682481&sr=8-1

[NeedleCast]

63. probably

(Part of me has a hidden desire to see our Olympic basketball team get owned again).

[MrSlayer]

64. I like the gymnastics and the field events.

The rings especially are a favorite of mine.

[Truth2Tell]

65. No. Unless some fun protest actions

end up on YouTube.

[Retrograde]

66. I may rent Olympia instead

yes, the Riefenstahl film of the 1936 Berlin Olympics, which is a lot less jingoistic than US TV coverage.

Otherwise I may Tivo the Beijing games: after fast-forwarding through the commercials, the touching life stories, the interviews, and the talking heads prattling there may be about an hour or so left.