Those who aren't interested in the Olympics

Its not me because i've just welled up watching Chris Hoy!

Hear hear. I am in awe of Chris Hoy, who has just won us another gold. Fucking brilliant. Should be knighted.

It still doesn't affect me I'm afraid. I'm as interested in the progress of Team GB as I am in Hull City FC.

I've never been particularly interested in the Olympics before, but I've been watching loads this year. I'm still no expert, but I'm enjoying it. I hope every night that my son goes to bed in time for me to watch the BBC's round up program. Last night H called me in to watch the "Monkey Magic" part, "your favourite bit's on".

I'm also determined that we should take our son to see something in 2012.

I'm chuffed to bits - we're doing brilliantly, and I have a renewed vigour for my own exercise regime too. ?

A colleague yesterday said to me that he couldn't understand why we bother with the Olympics as "it's pointless".

I dont really understand how people cant be interested in at least how we're doing. sporting success has lots of benefits to the country in all kinds of areas. plus, i mean each to their own but again, i cant really get why anyone wouldnt find it fantastic to watch people like chris hoy who's clearly the best in the world - 3 golds in one games and a fantastic ambassador for the sport, and the country. and for those who say "it doesnt affect me" well, it does. our success in sport leads to benefits such as improved infrastructure, economic benefit, more funding for youth programmes, regeneration of certain urban areas, all kinds of things. its a bit like saying "i ve no interest in politics, it doesnt affect me"

What Jess said

what a pathetic thing to say. sheesh

I've always been a massive Olympics fan and this year is no different. What I am loving this year is that normally I'm an Olympic bore but this year, other people are happy to listen to me and even join in! ?

I'm amazed at the progress in just four years, a testament to everyone involved and can't wait until 2012.

The only problem with us doing so well this year is that everyone will want tickets for 2012 now and us loyal fans will have to fight for them. ?

I love watching the Olympics though not obsessed. I find it incredible how these athletes train so amazingly hard for 4 years or more for this. I think for that alone, they deserve to be watched and admired. It is also such a fantastic element of history that has been preserved for thousands of years, it is nice to see good news on the tv every so often, humans at their best instead of at their worst.

I have no idea what is going on , not watched any of it , not read the papers , not had time , i dont even open the threads on here as i really dont have a clue about it , i am too busy to do anything but eat and sleep this time of year and the only telly i watch is BB which i sky plus and watch in the morning when i am waking myself up with coffee.

oh and i watch x factor since saturday when i am collapsing on the sofa after work

today i am off work but i am sorting my accounts online, tidying the house and flicking in and out of here and other forums i am on , catching up with people on msn and tom is watching a film on telly so i cant watch it even if i wanted to

so how is GB doing ?

I also don't really understand people who have no interest at all in it. I bet every one of us has in some way funded Team GB at the games in some form or other, either by buying a lottery ticket (which funds a lot of the success of for example UK rowing), or by paying taxes, or by being involved in sports at a lower level.

Agree with NickJ that it's a lot like saying politics is irrelevant, well it's not because we are part of it whether we like it or not, and in terms of the olympics, we will be even more so leading up to 2012.

I do support the 2012 hosting, although I hope that there are positive legacy effects outside of London as well, and that those responsible for spending the money do so wisely.

D

No, i know jester. thats why i said 'at least in how we re doing'.

mind you, i like to watch anyone who s good at anything, whether its sport, music etc.

I'm not remotely interested in sport so see no particular reason why I should be interested in the Olympics. I can't help but hear how we're doing due to sports mad colleagues but, if it weren't for them, it would easily pass me by in the same way the various football and rugby internationals do on a more regular basis.

I'm not saying it's irrelevant or pointless or doesn't affect the country. I'm just saying it doesn't interest me. I'm happy for those who are doing well and I'm happy for those of you who are enthralled by it all, just don't try to make me feel a lesser person for not sharing your enthusiasm, ok? It's simply not my cuppa tea.

I am one who isn't really watching. I'm interested and pleased that we're doing so well and I do tend to try and watch the gymnastics, but overall, I don't tend to watch much tv these days and just get a little bit bored watching things like running. ? Mind you, I am the least competetive person in the world and normally have no interest in sport at all, so that might be why.

Why not? It's not hard to understand that people like different things ?

I don't like watching sport, Olympics or not. I am however pleased that our atheletes have done so well.

Have to say i am not generally interested in sport - but i am tending to watch the round up in the evenings and am proud of the achievements etc... pretty much the same as watching a bit of football when it is a major tournament or the team H supports ?

number one child is watching quite a lot and is particularly enjoying the gymnastics.....

I'm not terribly interested in sport, but I am so proud of how well Team GB have done and hope that we keep going onwards and upwards.

I'm not really interested in it either. As others have said, not interested in sports so no different for the Olympics. I did watch some of the opening ceremony, but that's a show more than anything else. And I am really glad that Britain is doing so well.

With regards to the 2012 London games, I can't say I'm too keen on it to be honest. I've seen lots of arts project around our region loose funding ever since the London Olympics were approved. These include projects that have been running for many years and are very successful, but highly rely on funding and they are having to make serious cut backs and some have had to stop. And although the official reason for the cut backs in funding are never given, everybody knows very well where the money is going to. I also wonder what will happen to all the sports infrastructure that is costing so much once the games are over. Looking at how things are in Athens, it's just abandoned.

But those who love the Olympics (I am one of them) do you have the same passion when your country are in the Football World Cup?

I seem to remember hearing a LOT of people moaning on about it when we were in the World Cup.

I am all for the Olympics and GB doing well in any sport.

I not a fan of sport but have watched a lot of the Olympics. I can't help but find the enthusiasm infectious, and have cried more than I'd care to admit over some of our wins.

I think for me, the difference between the Olympics and football is the variety and diversity. I've got a 4 year old who I have got interested in the Olympics through watching it the last fortnight. I think it's important that he sees that there are lots of sports to get in to and how wonderful it is to work hard at something to achieve great things. I know that sounds like twee twattery, but if a fraction of children take up a sport as a result of watching the Olympics this year, or hosting the next, then it's all worth it.

Channel 4 news broke down funding in to cost per medal (a very basic calculation, mind, but interesting) and it has cost us roughly £4m per medal across the sports so far this games. I'm sure there are many who don't think that's worth it, but for the reasons I've already said I think it's worth every penny. Especially when you consider the cost to the NHS of the next generation of obese Britons.

I am loving the Olympics, but then I always do and the fact we are doing so well is really the cherry on top so to speak.

I can't wait till 2012 and H and I were discussing what we would like to see there and we definitely plan to try for some tickets and take baby RBH as well.

Re do I have the same passion when it is Football World Cup - not so much, as I am not as interested in football but I would still watch England games (or at least highlights of them) etc.

I don't mean I think everybody should like watching it, and of course it's not hard to understand that people like different things, which is kind of why I included the 'at all'. I think even if I didn't enjoy watching it, I would still be interested to know whether my money was being well spent at the very least, in the same way that I am not a political nut but still take an interest in what is going on in a general sense.

The fact that you have said you are pleased they have done well, means you probably don't fall into my 'no interest at all' category!

D

The Olympics are the only sports I'll watch. I don't understand half of them (see my question to Nick about cylcing) but I can't help but jump up and down or squeal with excitement when I see Team GB win at the rowing and Rebecca Adlington win Gold in the swimming AND set a new world record.

I'm very proud of what we have achieved and believe these guys are far better people than footballers who get a ridiculous amount of money.

I don't have as much passion for the football world cup mainly because football is my least favourite sport, and I have a bit of a problem with the way it is handled and portrayed in Britain, particularly with regards to people's behaviour, money, sleb culture etc. and I don't like the fact that it is impossible to escape. But if these things weren't a consideration I would still be pleased if we were doing well. Love the rugby world cup though!

I am more interested in the olympics in general because of the wide variety of sports and coverage of sports I am interested in that are not normally well reported, and I also have a family member connection to one of the sports/teams so that is a personal interest.

D

I do catch bits of it here and there but I wouldn't make a point of watching it to be honest, but I am not a sports fan at all. I know we are doing well, and thats brilliant.

Country - yes, league football - no. The only time I watch football is if Scotland or England are playing.

Did anyone see the Jamaican chap win the 100 metres ?

Un-believeable!

And then the womans diving on Sunday ? I am in awe of all these dedicated people.

How do they make money? I assume none of them are on £100K per week like some of our rubbish footballers?

I'm not a massive sport fan usually (except horsey things) but I adore the Olympics. I don't think a day has passed without me shedding a tear at some feat of determination, courage or pure talent. I am so excited about 2012 I'll probably burst when it's here.

See the Olympics to me is like the Football World Cup and Commonwealth Games - sports which I ordinarily wouldn't watch, but which I can totally get behind if I have an national affiliation with the competitors. The enthusiasm is infectious. I do care about how well we do and you should have heard the screams from the SLD household when Nicole Cook brought home that first gold. I support GB at the Olympics and Wales in the Commonwealth, although I also support England when not in direct competition with Wales. I wouldn't watch athletics or cycling or rowing etc. ordinarily, but in an international competition then I will do. It's exactly the same with football, I take an interest in the World Cup where Wales or England are playing, but league games leave me cold.

Rugby Union on the other hand I could watch until the cows come home, I even love going to see fourth-rate amateurs have a scuffle, it's a sport that I used to play and have always loved, I can't get enough of it. Roll on November when I'm going to see Wales v South Africa at the Millennium Stadium, woooooo.

So the Olympics, for some people, is just about sports and not so much about slightly more nebulous things such as national pride, or achievements? I can completely understand that sport is a complete turn off for many but isn't there even a slight spark of 'Aren't we great?' in there? There have been so many things that make me ashamed or indifferent of being British, but finally I see us investing and developing people to their full potential and I can't help but shed a little tear or two at that achievement.

Via a variety of means including lottery funding, sports grants, prize payment, payment for meeting attendance and the biggie is sponsorship. That list isn't exhaustive by any means but it's definitely true to say that they've nowhere near the earning rates of footballers.

SB knows a couple of the canoeists and I think the average take-home is something like 20k.