Just how good will the Olympics be?

[redarmi]

Last Thursday, Friday and Saturday i went to Olympic badminton,boxing and basketball and it was a truly wonderful experience.  The atmosphere was wonderful, everything ran smoothly and sport was exciting especially with Lithuania running the USA mens hoops superstars close and I was, of course, ridiculously excited to finally secure some tickets for the athletics although I felt every so slightly as though I was getting shafted a bit paying £295 for each ticket but nothing, absolutely nothing could have prepared me for last night.  I have been to sporting events all over the world and seen my little football team (a team I have watched home and away for 25+ years) come back from a 3 goal deficit twice in a fortnight to reach the UEFA cup final yet last night was so far and away the best sporting experience of my life.  

The scene was set as we walked into the park and ran into an entourage featuring Theresa May basically pushing their way through the crowds and looking somewhat overly self important yet a lot of noise was being made towards someone at the back of the group where the minor civil servants and aides were when i noticed it was Seb Coe people shouting thank you at him and to a person he looked at every individual and said thank you for coming and how much he appreciated it.  As a bit of a leftie I generally don't want to like Lord Coe but the job he and the others have done in putting these games on has been nothing short of sensational and despite having probably 50k people between him and stadium at this point yesterday I am convinced if everybody on the way had thanked him he would have stopped and thanked everyone of them for coming even if it meant he was there until 4am.  A true class act.

We were there about two hours before the action was due to start but despite wandering about aimlessely for twenty minutes or so neither me nor my Dad could wait to get into the stadium so in a way that was reminiscent of when my dad first used to take me to watch Middlesbrough and we used to stand outside and get the players autographs then go in as soon as the gates opened and sit watching the place fill up.  The stadium is amazing and although i was slightly surprised that our Cat B tickets were very high up to be honest I am not sure there could be any really bad seats in the whole place and we had a great head on view of the final straight.  The javelin and womens High jump kicked off and it was all building nicely for the main event in most peoples eyes.....Mo.....TBC

[Tal]

Plenty of reasons to knock footballers but the Olympians have 4 years to prepare, with it all culminating in one big tournament, the world watching, the nation expectant. The competitors beaming with pride at putting on their nation's colours, tears streaming down their cheeks when their name is called and the national anthem being sung by 80,000 like minds.

Ah yes, the World Cup...

I won't say that football players don't care about putting on the three lions; I just believe they could care more.

[TightEnd]

Bring back Grandstand BBC.

Saturday afternoons of all sorts of sports that you simply don't see on TV these days.

Let the Premiership and the like that brings in the big advertising revenue be on Sky,

but for all the stuff like Handball, Volleyball, BMX etc that you don't see anywhere, lets be having it please

No chance.

Sports fans watch Jeff Stelling and the crew on Saturday afternoons now.

Nothing can touch it.

I like Stelling, but the programme itself? Full of idiots mostly.

Huge gap in the market for a live show covering the sports that don't attract Sky's attention, in my opinion

[millidonk]

Must admit I thought it was going to be shit in a typical British not get excited way. But I have loved it!!! Watched literally EVERYTHING apart from Equestrian and Sailing which can GTFO. Even cheered on Andy Murray who I have always detested. Craziness.

Don't care what anyone says, our fans are the best in the world!

Not getting tickets is going to be a big regret of mine for a long time.

Oh an obv love footy.

[Tal]

I still have to put the Men's Coxless 4 as the best performance of the Games, purely on a technical level. Never seen anything like it, even in the Redgrave/Pinsent days. The winning distance was astonishing and you just don't see that consistency of stroke - every blade in the water at the same time every stroke. I just sat in disbelief.

Farah last night was incredible, as a coming together of so many elements - last Saturday, the fans, the tension of the slow pace of the race, the heavily pregnant wife...the mobot. It was Kelly Holmes with a home crowd.

The best part of the Games has been those 2 hour/1 hour/40 min blocks where medals have flown in from all different directions. "We're off to Eton Dorney" "Let's go to Weymouth" "Big news at the ExCel Arena!" "Straight to the Olympic Stadium" "Dressage - yes Dressage". You get that every Olympics but this time it was us winning stuff!

No terrorism threats, no major drug incidents, only a handful of Cameroon athletes disappearing(...), no false start disqualifications in the big races and the people's favourites largely winning.

Throw in an opening ceremony that will be talked about for generations to come and Rio has a lot of work to do.

[Ironside]

Ok I heard a brief comment that we have 4 gold chances today I. Know 2 boxing and one in modern pentathlon no idea who the 4th is anyone any idea?

[Ironside]

Oh yeah we need a grandstand or a world of sport type program I used to love them , and god knows how I will cope for next month + on bedrest having nothing on tv but Jeremy Kyle etc, just wish I had my sky for the last 13 days freeview was ok and they showed a lot but having a choice would of been great other day when they showed the football on BBC1 and BBC3 at same time was my only major gripe

[MANTIS01]

I think this whole coup has been overall fantastic and once again Britain proves to the world how capable we are at hosting major sporting events. Spectacular venues, scintillating world records, and enthusiastic crowds with no major controversy I can think of. What's more the games must have been a hot target for terror attacks and as yet there's been no hint of trouble. With a lot of uncertainty in the world it's a proud moment to see our small country standing third in the table after hosting such a magnificent games. In terms of attracting investment into our country and our global image generally this has been a real tonic.

[Tal]

"Kazakhstan is one of the best nations out there. Especially in boxing."

- Amir Khan

[Graham C]

Can tell football is back just by listening to the fans at the half time whistle.  Boo's and whistles ring out with chants of "W*nker"

Going to miss the cheering on by everyone.

[Tal]

Evans needs to pick up the work rate

[toddswain]

Must admit I thought it was going to be shit in a typical British not get excited way. But I have loved it!!! Watched literally EVERYTHING apart from Equestrian and Sailing which can GTFO. Even cheered on Andy Murray who I have always detested. Craziness.

Don't care what anyone says, our fans are the best in the world!

Not getting tickets is going to be a big regret of mine for a long time.

Oh an obv love footy.

A huge +1 to all of the bolded part, wasnt bothered really, but havent been able to turn it off, its been amazing, so goood.

[kinboshi]

Joshua brings the walls down!!

Gold in the super heavyweight boxing. Another world champ toppled.  Let's hope he follows Lennox Lewis rather than Audrey Harrison.

[Tal]

Sensational last round from Joshua!!!

Get in!!

[TightEnd]

Wow

Thought he just lost that!


29 Golds!

64 medals