2012 London Summer Olympics

[Cail]

So we're a week away from the Olympics and the torch just landed in England today, so I figured now was as good as ever to start the thread up. Can discuss any and all of the events or your experiences if you are lucky enough to check 'em out. Any of our members from Britain going to any of the events? If so which you checking out!

[Qalbert]

BLECH

[bluefan]

The summer one I'm usually interested in only the taekwondo, archery and fencing.

[The Stig]

Here's my personal guide to getting around in London during this period, for anyone else in London reading this thread:

Please don't travel during rush hour (7-10am) (4-7pm)

Please don't suddenly stop while walking if you're in a path.
v
Please do not stand in the middle of the stairs looking at a map.
v
Please do not stand directly in a door way, or where doors are frequently moving.

Please walk straight if possible, do not deviate like a drunk.

Do not bring Burger King or McDonalds into public transport, or any other smelly food, you'll just enrage us.

Carry an umbrella, it's not going to be pleasant.

Do not try to get off the tube before the tube actually stops at a station, especially if someone is holding on to something trying to stay standing. Some of the train's thrusts while accelerating/breaking is actually quite strong (Victoria Line being the major culprit) -- I got an angry "move!" approximately 20 seconds before the train stopped, and she wanted me to let go of what I was holding onto and fall over, more or less. I said "train's not at the platform yet." back to her, but she didn't seem to understand ...

If you cannot get past ticket barriers the first time with your oyster card, and try another time and still can't, get the fuck out the way and go to the (usually) nice people by the disabled gates and show them your card, they'll let you through. Standing there makes you ultimately retarded and people behind you, if not tourists, will have an incredibly high urge to just push you over.

Should you feel the need to kill yourself for whatever reason, please do it without bothering other people, not jumping in front of a train and delaying the whole line for 2+ hours. There's 3 deaths this month so far. Even doing it in front of a bus is better than the train. Easier to clean up and more witnesses.

Other countries are lining up to laugh at us.

Remember, trains come literally every 1-3 minutes. Do not try to combat roll through some doors. And do not hold doors open. Urge to completely shove you off the train will be high.

Any other questions feel free to ask me

[Tajin]

Ilu stig

[Salodin]

Really sad Dara Torres didn't make it =( she comes in my store all the time, and like a few days after try outs she comes in and I'm like, wanting to console her but not wanting to be awkward. My dumb manager said something though and you could tell she was about to cry, olympics be serious business.

[Cantih]

archery and fencing.

^
Women's Saber four years ago was the most goddamn awesome thing.

Also, holy SHIT
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archery...ummer_Olympics
~10 hours of archery a day. If youtube streams all of it...
(and oh thank god, youtube is going to be so much better than that MS Silverlight bullshit from last time.)

[Moss]

Required reading: http://espn.go.com/espnw/mobile/touc...-espn-magazine

tl;dr - the olympic village is a giant orgy

[Abandon]

women's sprinting, aussie hot chick. all i care for.


that and the usual 100, 4x100, and 200.

[Selamis]

So we're a week away from the Olympics and the torch just landed in England today, so I figured now was as good as ever to start the thread up. Can discuss any and all of the events or your experiences if you are lucky enough to check 'em out. Any of our members from Britain going to any of the events? If so which you checking out!

I am not going to Britain, I am staying my ass in Chicago. I will however be checking out women's beach volleyball. Again.

women's sprinting, aussie hot chick. all i care for.

And this too, thanks to the video of hers that is all over the net from today. God bless her.

[Abandon]

indeed.

[Sepukku]

Am I the only one who thinks Summer Olympics is 100x lamer than the Winter games?

As a former wrestler, I care about the wrestling and I also care about the individual sprints just for the sheer sake of the simplicity, primitiveness, and nostalgia from Greek times. But these are the only two I enjoy.

Soccer doesn't seem truly valued at the Olympics compared to Euros/World Cup and I'm tired of hearing the words "Dream team" with every sentence about Olympic Basketball EVERY SUMMER OLYMPICS. Seriously, ever single Summer Olympics - "This is the next DREAM TEAM."

If Summer Games want to get cool, it needs to add every single X-Games skateboarding, dirt bike, and BMX sport. X-Games will merely skip their summer games every 4th year just like most sports don't schedule their yearly championship on Olympic years. It will co-legitimize the extreme sports to random non-traditional extreme sport fans as well as legitimize the Olympics to extreme sports enthusiasts.

Additionally, I heard there's limitations on soccer players who can participate? Probably should remove those.

Also, raffalca? Whatever Romney's horse plays? Eliminate that shit. Was that even fucking cool in 1920?

All suggestions aside, I think London will do a good job putting on a normal Olympics; was kinda tired of the one-upsmanship going on with Olympics and countries bankrupting themselves over these things.

[Viq]

Mad respect to those Archery motherfuckers. It's huge in Korea, and I went to watch the World Championships in 2010. After that was over I signed up for a lesson at the same place that the WC was held to see what it's like. Holy shit. Those guys/gals are super skilled. Like... out of this world skilled. I'll watch every second of that shit that I can find.

[Cream Soda]

Badminton

[Teron]

Am I the only one who thinks Summer Olympics is 100x lamer than the Winter games?

Maybe not 100x lamer, but I agree.

What I look forward to the most tho is soccer and swimming. And ofc the 100, 200 and 400m like Abandon said.

[Aksannyi]

Do not bring Burger King or McDonalds into public transport, or any other smelly food, you'll just enrage us.

McD's and Burger King are smelly? I mean, I know they do have an aroma and it's a general "eau de fast food," but there are far worse smelling things than fast food, like Chinese food, fucking gag me with a spoon lol.

On topic, I'll go ahead and do the girl thing and say gymnastics or bust. I also really enjoy the swimming events, which makes no sense, because I'd never watch them otherwise. The other sports are meh.

Winter > all due to hockey, if you disagree, you're wrong.

[Coolbeans]

Am I the only one who thinks Summer Olympics is 100x lamer than the Winter games?

No and this is the correct opinion. I love the throwing events and a few others but other then that winter > summer.

[Venga]

Please don't suddenly stop while walking if you're in a path.

If you cannot get past ticket barriers the first time with your oyster card, and try another time and still can't, get the fuck out the way and go to the (usually) nice people by the disabled gates and show them your card, they'll let you through. Standing there makes you ultimately retarded and people behind you, if not tourists, will have an incredibly high urge to just push you over.

These are personal pet hates!

Also, enjoy having the shit scared out of you by the slamming barriers when you do successfully beep your oyster / train ticket.

And don't forget, even though everyone may look sullen and moody, and more than likely barge into you, it has nothing to do with tourists, the Olympics or anything else. It's just the norm!

Personally not going to any events even though i live 20 minutes from central.

[The Stig]

McD's and Burger King are smelly? I mean, I know they do have an aroma and it's a general "eau de fast food," but there are far worse smelling things than fast food, like Chinese food, fucking gag me with a spoon lol.

I suppose it's that grease smell. Besides, I rarely if ever see anyone bring a takeaway down there (the only thing close is bring hot food from the counters in the supermarkets, but even that is extremely rare)

Venga: spot on!!

I'm just posting to make life slightly easier/enjoyable.

Add another note: please do not pull the emergency alarm because your friend didn't get manage to get in the same train as you. Get off the next station, and wait. If you pull that alarm, be prepared to suffer the wrath of heat, crowds and people who saw you do it stare at you angrily just because you reunited with your friend.

The reason for all this post is because as it is right now, outside of unbusy hours (11am-2pm) (8pm +) the system seems fairly stressed already. It's not going to get better.

I also am not going to any events despite being 40mins away. I'll enjoy it in the comfort of my own sofa. While I don't have anything I'm particularly interested, I'll try and follow the basketball. The England team had a friendly/warm up match against the USA I believe and boasted how they've become so much better. Gonna watch them to see their ass kicked by the USA

Afterall, in terms of "tiers" for basketball, USA is #1 right? To my unsportslike knowledge.

[drwaffles]

Thanks Stig for reminding me why I never want to live in London.