Games of the XXX Olympiad (Official Thread)

[Forsher]

So apparently there are Olympics going on. You know, with relatively obscure sports that you never get a chance to watch normally. Archery, Judo, air rifle and pistol shooting. Stuff like that.

I wouldn't know, because I only get Australia's Channel 9.

And all they show is swimming. (and a little bit of cycling)

And on top of that, the commentary is the most shallow, under-informed, jingoistic BS I have been exposed to since... well, since the last Olympics.

Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck. I am really quite pissed off with this. Why can't they just give it to the ABC.

You've no idea. Sky, pay TV, got the contract here. To watch Prime, they're free-to-air arm, I have to wreck all the other channels and still get a rubbish picture.

[Jafas United]

Anyone got any favourites for rowing? Yes, I have an ulterior motive, thank you for noticing.

I honestly hope an underrated country such as Azerbaijan upsets all the favorites. I saw bits of their rowing yesterday, maybe a slim medal chance for them.

[Baljhib]

This title is misleading.... and I thought the Olympics were going to be interesting this time around

[Costa Fiero]

I wanna watch NZ vs. Egypt. Pity seeing as the only time I heard about it was on the news and they said it was on "later tonight".

[Forsher]

I wanna watch NZ vs. Egypt. Pity seeing as the only time I heard about it was on the news and they said it was on "later tonight".

Really it's more very early this morning.

[Krytenia]

You know you're addicted to the Games when...

You're up in the small hours watching women's volleyball. And it's not even the beach volleyball.

To be fair, though, Brazil v Turkey was pretty epic...

[Forsher]

I've managed to obtain a semblance of a good picture on Prime... no other channels but that's okay as it's the main spare television. I'm watching NZ play Oz at hockey (women's) and it might be live. Currently 1-0 to the women in black.

[The United Soviet Socialist Republic]

Booorrrrrriiiiinnnngggg.

[Nazis in Space]

Based Best Korean Chick showing the british pigdog imperialist chick how to do Judo.

[Forsher]

A dream beginning for the women's team, they've won 1-0.

Booorrrrrriiiiinnnngggg.

The Olympics? They're not really boring, there's always something happening and if you like sport for the sake of sport they're very good. I'd like to watch NZ vs. Egypt for example, but the picture will be awful and it's way too late/early for a school night/day.

Just saw Seebohm set an Olympic Record in the women's 100m backstroke fourth heat. Makes up for the Aussies loss in hockey, I'd say.

[Forsher]

Sprinters tend to be black. Swimmers tend to be white. That said, these are heats. I can only watch so much swimming, I have to make it more interesting.

[Jafas United]

Sprinters tend to be black. Swimmers tend to be white. That said, these are heats. I can only watch so much swimming, I have to make it more interesting.

There was a good archery match between Britain and Russia which ended not so long ago.

And still, there's always equestrian .

[Forsher]

Sprinters tend to be black. Swimmers tend to be white. That said, these are heats. I can only watch so much swimming, I have to make it more interesting.

There was a good archery match between Britain and Russia which ended not so long ago.

And still, there's always equestrian .

Eventing at the moment.

I refuse to get Sky. It will die before I have it. Hopefully I'll have a role in killing it.

[Jafas United]

There was a good archery match between Britain and Russia which ended not so long ago.

And still, there's always equestrian .

Eventing at the moment.

I refuse to get Sky. It will die before I have it. Hopefully I'll have a role in killing it.

I thought Zara Philips was only in the Olympics because she's a royal. After watching her, she was quite decent. Apparently she was European and world champion at one point.

Well if you want to put up with Prime's crappy coverage, then by all means. Or there's online viewing.

[Cyborg Holland]

You know you're addicted to the Games when...

To be fair, though, Brazil v Turkey was pretty epic...

When you cheer for the Bahranian swimmer against a Dominican and a Bolivian, in a replay at 6:30 in the morning...

And I've just watched Brazil vs Turkey, what a game...

[Forsher]

Eventing at the moment.

I refuse to get Sky. It will die before I have it. Hopefully I'll have a role in killing it.

I thought Zara Philips was only in the Olympics because she's a royal. After watching her, she was quite decent. Apparently she was European and world champion at one point.

Well if you want to put up with Prime's crappy coverage, then by all means. Or there's online viewing.

The Royals should really be more represented at the Olympics in Equestrian. They grow up in the saddle as much as anyone does these days. (They all play polo.)

One must stick to ones guns. I only found out about the online coverage, I may investigate.

Prime's good though (even if my picture is rubbish) as it switches a lot so one does see a lot of important events... if dubiously live.

[Meowfoundland]

People are swimming. I see Australians coming second. Go, win a silver!

[The Archregimancy]

Spain are clearly much better than Kazakhstan at waterpolo.


The BBC's coverage is extraordinary. I know there are likely advantages to being the host nation broadcaster, but the BBC is covering every single event simultaneously; anyone with an internet connection here in the UK (or anyone outside the UK who knows how to access the BBC) can watch any event they want to. There isn't always commentary - the waterpolo match I have on right now has no commentary, and I watched a heroic Best Korea woman play a revanchist capitalist Croat in table tennis without commentary yesterday - but you can watch anything.

And you don't have to watch it live. You can choose to start watching any individual event at any point; so if an event started 15 minutes ago, but you want to watch it from the beginning while it's still taking place, you can.

There's almost too much choice - I find myself paralysed by Olympic indecision.

I think I'll just go for the most obscure event on this afternoon.

Ooooh..... Nigeria v. Tunisia at basketball, Egypt v New Zealand at football, or the women's 10m air pistol?


Edit:
I've rewound to watch Iceland v. Argentina at handball. I quite like handball - I started watching it when I lived in Iceland in the 1980s, and went to see some matches at the 1996 Olympics. Iceland at handball isn't really obscure to handball enthusiasts, though, since Iceland are actually quite good.

[Jafas United]

I thought Zara Philips was only in the Olympics because she's a royal. After watching her, she was quite decent. Apparently she was European and world champion at one point.

Well if you want to put up with Prime's crappy coverage, then by all means. Or there's online viewing.

The Royals should really be more represented at the Olympics in Equestrian. They grow up in the saddle as much as anyone does these days. (They all play polo.)

One must stick to ones guns. I only found out about the online coverage, I may investigate.

Prime's good though (even if my picture is rubbish) as it switches a lot so one does see a lot of important events... if dubiously live.

Indeed. If polo was an Olympic sport, the British, or more specifically, the Windsors, would dominate the event. Is polo in the Commonwealth Games? It could be. I'm not exactly sure on that.

I came across some good websites providing streaming for the Olympics. Though I don't know if I can link it as it might constitute as spam/advertising or even illegal activity...

But the problem with Prime as that coverage of events switches every now and then. I don't have Sky either but it would've been better if broadcasting rights was split between the various free-to-air channels or Prime had a few dedicated channels for the Olympics.

[Jafas United]

The BBC's coverage is extraordinary. I know there are likely advantages to being the host nation broadcaster, but the BBC is covering every single event simultaneously; anyone with an internet connection here in the UK (or anyone outside the UK who knows how to access the BBC) can watch any event they want to. There isn't always commentary - the waterpolo match I have on right now has no commentary, and I watched a heroic Best Korea woman play a revanchist capitalist Croat in table tennis without commentary yesterday - but you can watch anything.

I can only find a stream for BBC One, which is showing rowing right now. I can't find one for their dedicated channels.

Though the NBC and Euro Sport broadcasts make up for it.

[The Alchemists Guild]

Yes yes fucking yes! Once more the mighty British retain their gold medal in the greatest event of all: Cricket!

112 years in a row! thats what 27 Olympics?
Suck it hard and suck it long world... especially France, another tough result for them, once again humiliatingly stuck with Silver.

OK to be fair our retention of Gold is largely due to the fact that 1900 was the only time cricket has been played at the Olympics, and our win back then was largely due to the fact that the only teams in the competition were a club team from the West Country (GB) and a group of non-professional British expatiates (France), and it was actually just an exhibition match which was retrospectively given Olympic status in 1912... but still... we're reining Olympic champions of the world's greatest sport thing.

That Gold is still ours. Suck it world.

[The Alchemists Guild]

The BBC's coverage is extraordinary. I know there are likely advantages to being the host nation broadcaster, but the BBC is covering every single event simultaneously; anyone with an internet connection here in the UK (or anyone outside the UK who knows how to access the BBC) can watch any event they want to. There isn't always commentary - the waterpolo match I have on right now has no commentary, and I watched a heroic Best Korea woman play a revanchist capitalist Croat in table tennis without commentary yesterday - but you can watch anything.

I can only find a stream for BBC One, which is showing rowing right now. I can't find one for their dedicated channels.

Though the NBC and Euro Sport broadcasts make up for it.

Through this page you can find and watch every single event:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/2012/schedule-results

May the Sport be with you. Amen.

[Cyborg Holland]

Predictions for GBs first medal? Road cycling? Women's 400m Freestyle?

[L Ron Cupboard]

Yes yes fucking yes! Once more the mighty British retain their gold medal in the greatest event of all: Cricket!

112 years in a row! thats what 27 Olympics?
Suck it hard and suck it long world... especially France, another tough result for them, once again humiliatingly stuck with Silver.

I always understood the point of cricket to be to almost win.

[The Archregimancy]

Yes yes fucking yes! Once more the mighty British retain their gold medal in the greatest event of all: Cricket!

Though, rather awkwardly, the defending rugby champions for the last 88 years have been...

the United States.

They even managed to beat France in Paris.

Granted only three teams (the USA, France, and Romania) entered in 1924, but still.

The USA also won in 1920, though that time only the USA and France entered.

Prior to that, the joint Australia/NZ 'Australasia' team had won the rugby the previous time it had been held, in 1908.