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Have the Olympic Games lost all importance?

Durien

Member
I also think that a problem I have with, especially, the summer Olympics is that the sports din't interest me. I liken it to baseball. If someone came up to me and said, did you see <some pitcher>'s game last night? I would.respond with who? while going through my hockey internal database. He pitches for x and threw a no hitter against <another baseball team>. I know that a no hitter is good and rare but my investment in baseball is so low that my brain would dump the knowledge.

I feel like the Olympics, in general, are like this for me because I have no vested interest and with the winter Olympics I don't want Canucks players getting hurt so I am vested in that. (It is one of the reasons I hate NHL players going to the olympics) if you put a gun to my head and said name 5 Olympians from any country, the only one I would say is simones bowls (the gymnast, i think that is her or i am in the ball park) any one else? No idea.

My wife thought I was all excited for the olympics and she said, you have no idea what is on tonight?? I told her I was only interested in Gojira opening lol. I am over 50 and that is the first time I watched the opening ceremony.

It is different for my wife but she is also Japanese and different cultural expectations. She watches and I sneak peeks if the chicks are hot. If not, I just game.
 

EverydayBeast

ChatGPT 0.1
4Th Of July Usa GIF by Todd Rocheford
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
I also think that a problem I have with, especially, the summer Olympics is that the sports din't interest me. I liken it to baseball. If someone came up to me and said, did you see <some pitcher>'s game last night? I would.respond with who? while going through my hockey internal database. He pitches for x and threw a no hitter against <another baseball team>. I know that a no hitter is good and rare but my investment in baseball is so low that my brain would dump the knowledge.

I feel like the Olympics, in general, are like this for me because I have no vested interest and with the winter Olympics I don't want Canucks players getting hurt so I am vested in that. (It is one of the reasons I hate NHL players going to the olympics) if you put a gun to my head and said name 5 Olympians from any country, the only one I would say is simones bowls (the gymnast, i think that is her or i am in the ball park) any one else? No idea.

My wife thought I was all excited for the olympics and she said, you have no idea what is on tonight?? I told her I was only interested in Gojira opening lol. I am over 50 and that is the first time I watched the opening ceremony.

It is different for my wife but she is also Japanese and different cultural expectations. She watches and I sneak peeks if the chicks are hot. If not, I just game.
Unless it's a mainstream sport with tons of fans every game like basketball, soccer, hockey etc.... pretty much all the other olympic events have practically no spectators during normal tournaments during the year, or not even a league of any kind. Just random tournaments for sake of ranking where the winner probably gets a trophy and $500. And that even assumes there's even enough fans in the seats paying money to even offer a $$$ prize.

A good portion of olympic sports I have never seen TV coverage ever or seen a sports site cover who did what on a weekend tournament, unless it's at the olympics.
 
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poppabk

Cheeks Spread for Digital Only Future
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104 million people watched the BBC online streams for Tokyo. 375 million people watched the Discovery/Eurosport TV coverage.
This year the schedule is better for Western audiences and Max has every event for free (in Europe at least).
Not sure I want to live in a world where 1900 million people watched Harry marry Meghan.
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OG GAF needs to carry the thread once again.
You know what, I think I can find some reasons to keep going.
 

Durien

Member
Not sure I want to live in a world where 1900 million people watched Harry marry Meghan.

You know what, I think I can find some reasons to keep going.
I would like to see the ratings of bikini vs uniform volleyball. I originally put no bikini instead of uniform and it made me laugh. No bikini volleyball I bet would have crazy high ratings ;)
 

RaduN

Member
Funny how soo many people are high and mighty offended by the over-sexualisation of the ceremony, but the exact same people lick the TV screens when the bubble butts appear 😘
 
Your claim was that

'even the athletes that get gold prize is something like 80k',

which is obviously wrong.

All athletes everywhere receive indirect funding.
That is quite direct, not indirect funding.

These are prizes paid to the winners, and winners alone, by the National Olympic committee and gov's.

Its not indirect funding.
 
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FunkMiller

Gold Member
That is quite direct, not indirect funding.

These are prizes paid to the winners, and winners alone, by the National Olympic committee and gov's.

Its not indirect funding.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incentives_for_Olympic_medalists_by_country

While the International Olympic Committee itself does not provide monetary rewards to Olympic medalists, many countries provide prize money to athletes for winning a medal at the Olympics.

Literally the wikipedia article you quoted.

Tom Cruise What GIF


Stop trying to obfuscate. The Olympics does not pay athletes to compete. It's classed as an amateur competition. Perfectly fine for home countries to fund their athletes. Other organisations do indeed give them money (which is quite right as otherwise many of them wouldn't be able to compete). The IOC provides funding to help with training, development and expenses.

You say you live in Lausanne... which is where the International Olympic Committee resides... who don't pay athletes to compete in the Olympics.

You tried to claim that the Olympics is 'dead' because nobody cares about the sports and that the athletes don't get much prize money for winning a gold. That statement was wrong on multiple levels.
 
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incentives_for_Olympic_medalists_by_country



Literally the wikipedia article you quoted.

Tom Cruise What GIF


Stop trying to obfuscate. The Olympics does not pay athletes to compete. It's classed as an amateur competition. Perfectly fine for home countries to fund their athletes. Other organisations do indeed give them money (which is quite right as otherwise many of them wouldn't be able to compete). The IOC provides funding to help with training, development and expenses.

You say you live in Lausanne... which is where the International Olympic Committee resides... who don't pay athletes to compete in the Olympics.

You tried to claim that the Olympics is 'dead' because nobody cares about the sports and that the athletes don't get much prize money for winning a gold. That statement was wrong on multiple levels.

Dude again, the NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE + GOV pay out prize incentives, directly tied to the win and if its gold, silver or bronze. This is mostly to avoid international burocracies with the different FIATS and split the cost between the governments, but it is DIRECTLY TIED TO THE WINNERS.

I will explain in another way, the only way to get this money, is by getting a gold, silver or bronze medal. It cant be more direct than that.

You're saying there is no financial incentive, there is, a large one for some of the countries, many athletes compete because they can get paid, it doesnt matter if its the international organization, or the national organization.

These are deals put in place and well known, you're making it seem like theres no financial incentive, and again, the prize is an incentive.

In fact, in some countries, athletes need a 2nd job to pay for all the expenses because getting INDIRECT FINANCING is hard.

You are aware the National Olympic Committees are branches of the International Olympic Committee right?

The olympic games are becoming obsolete because of how they have been ran for the past decade, and all the scandals its been involved in.

And clearly, I am right, its been going down since London 2012 - https://www.statista.com/statistics...tv-viewers-of-olympic-summer-games-worldwide/
 
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FunkMiller

Gold Member
Dude again, the NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE + GOV pay out prize incentives, directly tied to the win and if its gold, silver or bronze. This is mostly to avoid international burocracies with the different FIATS and split the cost between the governments, but it is DIRECTLY TIED TO THE WINNERS.

I will explain in another way, the only way to get this money, is by getting a gold, silver or bronze medal. It cant be more direct than that.

You're saying there is no financial incentive, there is, a large one for some of the countries, many athletes compete because they can get paid, it doesnt matter if its the international organization, or the national organization.

These are deals put in place and well known, you're making it seem like theres no financial incentive, and again, the prize is an incentive.

In fact, in some countries, athletes need a 2nd job to pay for all the expenses because getting INDIRECT FINANCING is hard.

You are aware the National Olympic Committees are branches of the International Olympic Committee right?

The olympic games are becoming obsolete because of how they have been ran for the past decade, and all the scandals its been involved in.

And clearly, I am right, its been going down since London 2012 - https://www.statista.com/statistics...tv-viewers-of-olympic-summer-games-worldwide/

Yes, yes. The Tokyo games were a disaster. Only 3 billion people watched it. On a year it wasn’t even supposed to be happening due to covid. In a time zone most people aren’t in.

You’re just desperate to build a narrative that the olympics are dying due to your dislike of some of the (frankly dumb) political positions the IOC have taken. But they are clearly not. The viewing figures published so far for this one prove that.
 
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Trogdor1123

Gold Member
In what way? The opening ceremony? Or the ACTUAL games themselves? Or the sabotage attacks?
I was going to say that too. The games themselves have been great. The athletes are doing awesome, there has been no major issues.

I didn’t even mind most of the opening ceremony besides the obvious stuff. They tried to do something different and it was designed for tv. But, at least they tried to do something new and that should be congratulated. The rain made it impossible to do some of the open ceremony stuff as well.

I’m not sure I follow this narrative at all. Games have been great besides the bumps at the start.
 

FunkMiller

Gold Member
I was going to say that too. The games themselves have been great. The athletes are doing awesome, there has been no major issues.

I didn’t even mind most of the opening ceremony besides the obvious stuff. They tried to do something different and it was designed for tv. But, at least they tried to do something new and that should be congratulated. The rain made it impossible to do some of the open ceremony stuff as well.

I’m not sure I follow this narrative at all. Games have been great besides the bumps at the start.

A certain person has said some fairly predictable things about the opening ceremony.

The sport itself has been great. But these days that takes a back seat to having something to be angry online about for a lot of people.
 
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T8SC

Member
I agree with 12Goblins 12Goblins ... I refrained from posting this earlier but it's pretty obvious that those complaining about the opening ceremony/IOC or whatever else are just out to moan about something to anyone who will listen and aren't commenting or speaking about the actual events, athletes competing or incidents from the action.

Take your agenda & moaning BS to Twitter/X, shout loud enough and maybe someone will listen.
 

Ribi

Member
I wouldn't watch this shit even if they paid me. I'm only interested in the memes and butt shots. Anyone here for the actual sports is deranged and unhinged and needs to seek help. That said where the beach volley ball shots?
 

Durien

Member
I was talking to my wife last night. I think every country should have a registry. At the end of every olympics, a person is chosen randomly for a random event. They have 4 years to get ready for that event. No more paid professionals. Return the olympics to everyone having an equal chance at winning rather than just the pros or the countries with the money. You still get trained by your countries but now you are evening thr playing field by the skill of the person.

You'll still have some unbalanced teams like say Saudi Arabia fielding a hockey team against Canada, US, or Northern Europeans. But I feel like things would be much more balanced and way more interesting to watch. You would have no idea what country is fielding who and I feel big team sports like hockey, or people who have never seen snow doing the ski jump would be way more incredible to watch.

The registry could be any age say 21 to 50 or something and you are only registered if you are physically able. Meaning, you won't be selected for pole vault if you are bound in a wheel chair, etc..
 

ResurrectedContrarian

Suffers with mild autism
It feels antiquated and increasingly irrelevant, a bit like the World's Fair phenomenon (and I'm a huge fan of the old World's Fair era, to be clear) which was once the premier way to show international progress in technology on a big stage, but gradually made obsolete.

I'm not sure the Olympics inherently matters all that much anymore, now that it's no longer the rare event it used to be where nations would collide and interact in a visible way once every few years; now, athletes and individuals travel internationally--and interact with the same media & events online--so routinely that these Olympic events feel utterly inconsequential.
 

Lunarorbit

Gold Member
Gotta eat crow. Been watching random events yesterday and I rant enjoy it. Watched 3 hours of skateboarding prelim and I was scoffing at it being named an Olympic sport a couple years ago.

The mixed medleys in running and swimming were awesome. That comeback from the Nederlands was nuts. They hyped the women's neatherlands runner Bol before the match and then she came out and smacked shit down.
 

Rayderism

Member
Never was a fan of watching olympics or sports in general. The last time I even remotely cared was when McDonald's had their thing where they gave out food prizes based on medals won in whatever blah-blah event. How many years ago was that?
 

Durien

Member
Never was a fan of watching olympics or sports in general. The last time I even remotely cared was when McDonald's had their thing where they gave out food prizes based on medals won in whatever blah-blah event. How many years ago was that?
McDonald's offered free food in both the 1976 and 1984 Olympics when U.S. athletes brought home medals
 
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