Unless I missed a thread somewhere...I'm shocked that no one is talking about this.

Besides Michael Phelps, underage 'Women' Gymnasts and that opening ceremony...Isn't anyone feeling this year's Olympics - or this not a matter of national pride as it is an interest in sports.

Please speak your thoughts

UPDATE: I'm really bummed the US Men's Soccer team is out of the dance so early. Now I gotta pull for Cameroon!

Well, excuse me for not running down the street screaming for joy how the USA is doing in the Olympics. Not because we're doing bad. The last time I saw, we were ahead in overall acquirement of medals.

For me, it's just that I may be proud of the athletes involved, I'm just not that into sports unless I'm the one doing it. I don't understand the excitement and hate for another team when you are just someone who watches.

I had to laugh when I saw that - too funny!



Think the Olympics are overrated? Yeah, maybe at times. The opening ceremony was way over the top but that flying torchbearer trick was pretty cool.

I don't know...I just think it's cool to watch at times, especially rival countries compete. No war, almost no political statement - just great athletes competing.

They have it on the TV in the office during the week... I'm not into it, but it's interesting to hear about sometimes.

You know, I don't even know how the US is doing. I barely even know how the UK is doing. I'm significantly less proud of America now that I've lived elsewhere and have seen how much better some countries run... I'm actually kind of embarrassed of America sometimes when I see some of the news coming out of there. :[ So, I don't have a patriotic reason to follow, nor am I into sports... the Olympics I guess are a missable event for me.

I can tell you if I'm here in 2012 I'll probably avoid London like the plague, I hate crowds and I don't think I'd like any event enough to pay exorbitant ticket prices and battle the masses. I'd prefer to let much more enthusiatsic people attend

Well, the USA is doing well in the events I'm being told I should care about *LOL*

I'm not saying the Olympics are overrated, I mean sports in general. I agree about the whole "Just great athletes competing". It's one of those rare times people really get together and just cheer for the human race, ignoring all other issues at hand.

correct me if i'm wrong , but aren't the olympics just an excuse for unbrideled nationalism disguised as a sporting event ?

Tends to be.

That's one of the reasons I don't like listening to news about it. I don't care how many medals "Australia" has won, I'd rather hear about how all the other countries do who don't normally do well in the games, it's a world thing afterall, I don't care to just hear news about my own country.
It's always cool to hear when some small African or Eastern European country has got a medal in something

Eh, I could find out ofcourse, but I don't like sport news anyway. I'd just prefer if the stuff I did see was more inclusive.

of COURSE i'm proud of canada! everything we do wrong the USA tends to overshadow us.

and besides we have how many now? like... wait we only have 7 medals!?!!? COME ON! *explodes*

Yes. But it's in the same vein as local pride for rooting for your local Major/Minor league team. You live in NYC you better be a rabid Yankees/Mets/Giants/Jets/Rangers fan etc.

Rabid nationalism all right. How much does the USA spend on its Olympic team compared to other countries? We better have the most medals.

It would be nice if the modern world could do what the ancient world managed to do during the Olympics and have a truce in all current wars.

I haven't tuned in to watch the Summer Olympics this year, and I still haven't seen the opening ceremonies! Although I DVRed them.

Although I live in the US, I actually watch the Olympics (when I do finally watch them) to see Japan play. Some of my TV channels show all the different events regardless if America is playing or not. Why Japan you may ask? I used to live there and feel certain connection to them that I really don't get living in America. Plus, the games are a bit more exciting in my opinion b/c it isn't a nearly "guaranteed" win for the country unlike a lot of events the US participates in.

At the end ceremonies, you know whose representing GRB in the passing-the-torch tradition? David Beckham.

...Come on, you know you want some .



Hey Oz, remember when Australia hosted the 2004 Olympic Games and everyone was going gah-gah over that Aboriginal girl who was a sprinter and a long jumper (I think - Cathy Freeman)? She was such the flavor of the month during the game - maybe because she's pretty too, but that's besides the point! I'm not sure if it was because of her race or if it was some kind of political thing.

Anyway, the smaller stories are always impressive - Mongolia getting their first medal ever is pretty cool news. Funny news...they busted someone for doping and stripped him of his medal - what sport was he doing? Shooting...SHOOTING?!?!?! People DOPE in SHOOTING????

I couldn't care less about my home country anymore.

I'm not doing anything that would show my pride really. Just checking the score board every 5 minutes, and luaghing evilly everytime we're ahead. >=3 Mwahahhhaaaa!!! *And screaming 'OH SHIT!!' when we'er under.*

I don't even know if Canada's playing in the olympics.

...I hardly know anything about the olympics for that matter...

Watching those things on TV is boring.

Usually I love watching the Olympics and cheering on the Uk. I'd be watching it this year two if they hadn't given it to China. It makes me sick to think of what's being done in the name of the Olympics over there. For me, its the worst decision the commitiee has made since the 1936 Berlin games. So I'm keeping up to date by reading the sports pages instead.

I find it genuinely hilarious that whenever the competitor/s for the commentator's home country wins they talk about how we've won or country's won. And then if their country loses it's they've lost or athlete's name's lost.
Just my thoughts on the matter.

I'm actually watching more of the Olympics than I did before. Of course I'm interested... but watching it takes so much time. I usually just watch the highlights to see the key events and the medal giveaways. I think there are people here who are interested in the Olympics... but there's just not that much to talk about.

I'm personally rooting for both Canada and China. Canada had no medals up to yesterday. Man, we're just not summer people, are we? >_>

But argh, Michael Phelps is everywhere. I feel like a stalker, watching the news.

A-men to that, brother.

I couldn't care less about how my country is doing in the Olympics. I feel that pride in your nation should come from other things than sports.

So...unless you have a grouping of things in front of you, then you shouldn't feel pride for your nation? Why can't you have pride in your nation with how representatives are doing in one particular thing since it's a part of the collective things to feel proud about?

I never felt particularly proud about the Olympics for most of my adult life.

Physical fitness is one thing, but the controlling adults stealing kid's childhoods just to attain glory for themselves, the "anything to win" mentality, The complete waste of resources, the commercialism, and the propaganda that always surrounds it is now a huge turn-off to me.

People like Marion Jones I hold a personal feeling of contempt for. Finally confessing to juicing after getting legions of fans to defend her. I've REALLY been negative about the whole thing since that came out. Yeah, there have been other scandals of "enhancement" drugs before, but she was one person I can say I was genuinely surprised (and extremely disappointed) about.

Again, being physically fit is a great thing. I'd just rather our own government spent more money on education, helping the homeless, health care, or several other things than this type of stuff. Because all it comes down too is propaganda. And empty propaganda at that.

I'd actually start watching again.

I looooooooooooooooooooooooover the Olympics!

Why not be proud of your country? Even the smaller countries are proud of their athletes. It's fun to watch! I know two country that are happy to be there.

Afghanistan and Iraq! Those athletes had a look on their faces during the opening ceremony that just spelled disbelief.

Marion Jones, my sista, my sista, you have to remember that her shot putting husband fingered her when HE got busted. Poor CJ Hunter. No one believed him either.

And hey, what about the success stories in the games? Michael Phelps? I know, I know you probably think he's overrated. Yet you cannot deny the determination and focus he represents. Never mind the physical challenges he's overcome given his body shape. Those characteristics are something all people should aspire to in life.

The Olympics are a place to cover some athletes in shame, yet also, its a place where legends and heroes are made. Jesse Owens, Greg Louganis, and my personal favorite, Kerri Strug (The girl in the middle) who landed a on one leg during a dismount and still won the gold:



The story that gets me all the time is the one about that British sprinter, Derrick Redmond who hurt himself and his father came on the track and helped him cross the finish line in the Barcelona Olympics '92. How can you deny the coolness in that?

You, young'ins!

'Corse I'm interested in how Australia's doing. If we win, little bloody ripper! If we come second, you did good, sport! Third? That's it, fight it out to the bloody end! Make a final and come in last but busted your gut? I'll cheer you home anyway.

I couldn't really give a fat rat's tossbag where on the tally we come (although I'm pleased to see we've picked back up to fourth as of this morning's paper), but it's your country. I haven't got another one, I'll support this one.

If that's patriotic, great. If patriotic is a bad thing now, then arseholes to them, eh? Yep. There's stuff about Australia that embarrasses me (but probably different to what seems to embarrass the noisy minority!), but there's a truckload of stuff I think we do as well or better than most other joints out there. Hell, I can walk down the street of my town and nod, wave or say 'g'day' to someone I don't know in the street and usually get a smile in response. What more should we really want?

Back to the Olympics though (and it was 2000 in Sydney, not 2004 - the Greeks had that one!), I'm just as rapt and bouncy if some poor little bugger who's never seen so much water in his life swims a lap of the Olympic pool. How brilliant is that?

You see a bloke race a heat, break a personal best time and come dead last and he's slapping the water in exultation. That's what the Olympics are about.

But that's me.

All I am saying is that I would rather choose to feel pride in something such as a strong school system, than the amount of medals my country wins. I suppose if you want me to put it bluntly, then yes I would look at my country collectively, than its scores at a sports event.

But having competing countries taking tests and exams and whoever gets a higher score and gets gold for learnin's doesn't make for entertaining television.


I am amazed that there is such a lack of patriotism among those who have posted. I am not an athelete but I am blown away by what these men and women can and have done representing there country. Hearing stories of American citizens who instead of America they choose to represent the country of their families's nationality gives me such hope for this world community. Its not that they hate America its that they are proud where they came from and choose to represent the country of their roots. That definitely means a lot to them but the country they are playing for.


I guess the lack of patriotism has more to the cynical and apathetic morose which seems to be hip now a days.

I guess I'll have to be the SUPER PATRIOTIC ONE! WOo!

I love the Olympics, and if i could i would paint the American Flag on my body and run around the Birds Nest Stadium!(Beijing

I love watching michael phelps and all the other countries competing against one another. Its also fun to watch table tennis and Diving. I really don't know why i like the olympics so much... it just gives me a surge of patriotism for my own country and I am happy when I see other countries kick butt! Err, what I mean is that i am happy whenever anyone wins. yeah, well im gonna go and watch the olympics so more...

Ohman, I love the Olympics. I only care about sports during the Olympics.

I know sometimes [okay, a lot of times] sports can be overrated, but the work these people put into their sport is amazing. I'm on my uni's track team, so I have a bit of a taste of how hard they work at what they do. @_@

I do get a little sad when they don't show the smaller countries competing. For a lot of them, just getting to the Olympics is the big thing, regardless if they medal or not.

Well said, Midge. Well said...

Chris Kaman, American-born basketball player...Yet claimed dual citizenship and is playing with the Germans. I think that's WAY cool! The Armenian guy who was wrestling for Sweden? Strange - but cool anyway (Scracthing my head).

The Olympics are political, that's true...and for some of these young cats, that aspect might be boring. Still, based on the average age of the people in this community, you'd think they'd be excited watching athletes their age become rock stars in the name of sports and national pride.

Heck, I even thought the BMX races were pretty cool!

I dunno man, I think it's just that arty type people don't tend go for sporting events too much.

Some do, most don't.