This article absolutely nails it.
In addition to what the writer has said we were just discussing our uncomfortable feelings about all the flag reverence that was present at the opening ceremony & how “old hat” the need for tribal/nationalistic sentiment seems to be in the modern world.
I’ve always been very suspicious of the IOC & this article really helps me in knowing that I’m not alone.
For me one of the biggest takeaways from the text is this paragraph:
“Olympians might inspire other Olympians – but as physical and psychological outliers they have absolutely no impact on the behaviour of the general public. Ask the Finns, who abandoned the state-sponsored pursuit of medals and spent the money instead on active transport and accessible facilities. They barely win anything any more, but they have the most active and healthy old people in the world. In Britain we have a sack of gold and an obesity crisis.”
Interesting - I remember the author of that article as my college contemporary, he was a medical student in those days.
I’m ignoring this one entirely. Shouldn’t be happening at all in the current state of the world.
Well it is happening like it or not so why not enjoy the entertainment ?
Thé road cycling this morning was brilliant with three top riders getting the medals.
On the face of it there should be no global sports events anymore because of the huge carbon footprint they leave but then again I shouldn’t be able to buy prawns from Venezuela in my local Leclerc.
82% of the Japanese public didn’t want to host the present version of the 2020 Games. In addition to the country’s ongoing financial deficit from COVID , it’s going to put an enormous strain on the national finances because there aren’t any ticket revenues and major TV advertisers such as Toyota are boycotting the event. I heard the other day on FR24 TV that the last Olympic host to make a profit was, ironically Tokyo 1984. The Olympics are marketed in terms of the benefits they’ll bring to local communities, but the amounts of money spent in that sector are minuscule compared to the overall costs.
Our caniche grise has many national champions in her lengthy family tree but she
won’t be having any pups. Nevertheless I’m always fascinated by the Crufts’ photos of the weirder dogs (while being glad we don’t own one)
The previous paragraph is also interesting:
The claim that the Olympics raise the level of sporting participation is a myth. After London 2012 – the only Games to actually take the proposition seriously – activity rates fell because the government’s austerity programme led to the widespread closure of sporting facilities.
It’s also thought that huge hyped sporting events - as opposed to more modest local events - lower rather than raise participation precisely because they seem so far away from real life: since those performances, that world, seem unattainable, there’s no point in trying.
Dear oh dear Geoff, what a load of old cobblers.
The Women’s World Cup (football) played in France in 2019 was screened extensively in the UK on the BBC at peak viewing times. It was incredibly popular which resulted in unprecedented numbers of young girls and young women signing up to local clubs. New clubs were formed to take in the colossal interest. Since that period hundreds of new coaches have been put in place to cope with demand.
The linked article includes mention of increased participation in some sports, amid overall decline.
Well, West Ham did get a shiny new football ground for free out of the London Olympics and Stratford is now a much nicer area to get stabbed in.
This is the same report from sport England but from 2018 which compares activities from 2017. Look at pages 15,16 and 17 and see how participation by the younger age groups has risen in all but two of the cases.
Pity cos’ The Boleyn was brill.
I never visited it. I was inoculated against football forever by being dragged to Luton Town home games as a child in the early 1970s.
Poor sod.
I don’t think Kenilworth Road has changed much since those heady days.
Upton Park was one of those grounds which oozed atmosphere like The Dell, Filbert St, The Baseball etc etc All now sadly gone to be replaced by concrete monstrosities lacking any kind of personality.
Tho a Spurs fan I used to work opposite the Boleyn for a while so took advantage of my opportunity.
Even Luton have succumbed and are moving to a new stadium.
I parted company with the Olympics when the amateur rules were dropped and anybody could enter if they qualified within their country rules. Thus Eddie the Eagle got in because GB, or whatever it was called then, didn’t have any other ski jumpers. Couldn’t happen now apparently. 
Loved the film. 
Missed the film, just saw the man. 
I trust Elland Rd hasn’t changed much Tim ?