Where do these Games rank?

[Flumpy]

Agreed. It'll be as bad as our rubbish segment which ruined an otherwise excellent closing ceremony. It was very embarrassing to see GB represented by a useless dance group, a sweaty old rock star and a cheap karaoke act. We should be ashamed for inflicting that drivel on the world. ops:

I thought it was GREAT!!!

The tone was absolutely right. Bus queues, umbrella's and Leona Lewis all perfectly represent London, in fact Leona lives only a copuple of miles away from the 2012 site. It was tongue in cheek and humorous.

I hope the Opening Ceremony is more of thye same. I don't want to see a single member of Cirque de Soliel poncing about when we coudl have Chas and Dave

[Speedster]

I hope the London organizers don't try to one-up the Beijing games. The Brits should focus on their culture and, to my view and experience, there has always been a cool and calm approach to things. I'd love to see their ceremonies reflect their culture....and not try to just out-shine China's efforts.

You're in for a shock when you experience modern British culture - they'll probably camp Kate Moss, Pete Doherty, Lily Allen, Kerry Katona, Jordan and Peter Andre, Jodie Marsh, Dannii Minogue and Jade Goody into the centre of the arena, and have the worldwide TV audience vote one out every day

Agreed. It'll be as bad as our rubbish segment which ruined an otherwise excellent closing ceremony. It was very embarrassing to see GB represented by a useless dance group, a sweaty old rock star and a cheap karaoke act. We should be ashamed for inflicting that drivel on the world. ops:

First off Dannii Minogue and Peter Andre are true blue Australians! LOL! We'll have to take that shame... the UK can keep the rest.

Secondly I think China's amazing history and identity were captured by the opening and closing ceremony. Britain at the moment seems to struggle to form its modern identity, its a huge mixture of cultures and influences from past and present and all over, which results in its greatest strengths and its greatest weaknesses.

There was an interesting programme on the BBC last night about what it means to be British and i think the programme and the people interviewed struggled to find out what it meant.

The Australian portion of the closing ceremony in Atlanta was canned by everyone, yet four years later we managed to capture a slice of Australia, mixing history and modern influences into an amazing show. i wonder if we'll look back at this closing in Beijing and think the same?

(PS calling Leona Lewis a cheap Karaoke act is a little unfair, the girl has talent, I like to think of the X factor as the same as the US Track and Field Trials, cut throat and brutal and she survived it to win!)

[Jake]

I hope the London organizers don't try to one-up the Beijing games. The Brits should focus on their culture and, to my view and experience, there has always been a cool and calm approach to things. I'd love to see their ceremonies reflect their culture....and not try to just out-shine China's efforts.

You're in for a shock when you experience modern British culture - they'll probably camp Kate Moss, Pete Doherty, Lily Allen, Kerry Katona, Jordan and Peter Andre, Jodie Marsh, Dannii Minogue and Jade Goody into the centre of the arena, and have the worldwide TV audience vote one out every day

Agreed. It'll be as bad as our rubbish segment which ruined an otherwise excellent closing ceremony. It was very embarrassing to see GB represented by a useless dance group, a sweaty old rock star and a cheap karaoke act. We should be ashamed for inflicting that drivel on the world. ops:

[Rog]

I hope the London organizers don't try to one-up the Beijing games. The Brits should focus on their culture and, to my view and experience, there has always been a cool and calm approach to things. I'd love to see their ceremonies reflect their culture....and not try to just out-shine China's efforts.

You're in for a shock when you experience modern British culture - they'll probably camp Kate Moss, Pete Doherty, Lily Allen, Kerry Katona, Jordan and Peter Andre, Jodie Marsh, Dannii Minogue and Jade Goody into the centre of the arena, and have the worldwide TV audience vote one out every day

[Per Andersen]

Vancouver hosts the next Olympics and the organizers have already said they have no intention of trying to match the Chinese opening and closing ceremonies. And they don't have to.

That's it, they don't have to. Same for London. It would be folly and immoral to spend that kind of money on the ceremonies.

[mojo]

I hope the London organizers don't try to one-up the Beijing games. The Brits should focus on their culture and, to my view and experience, there has always been a cool and calm approach to things. I'd love to see their ceremonies reflect their culture....and not try to just out-shine China's efforts.

London will do great. They will put on a great show. I just watched the London show at the closing ceremonies. I'm exited already.
Man, no politics, censorship and fakery. England does not have a thing to prove. This is not a nation with a chip on its shoulder.

The sports will again be the main thing.

My only worry about London is the congestion and a possible terrorist attack. I don't know why but I have ba dfeeling about something happening there. Wouldn't stop me from going-the cost will.

Vancouver hosts the next Olympics and the organizers have already said they have no intention of trying to match the Chinese opening and closing ceremonies. And they don't have to.

Vancouver's spectacular natural beauty , Canadian beer and Mounties will win the world over.

If it doesn't rain, the rampant drug problem is diminished........ :cry:

[eldrick]

Despite the architecture and the entertainment in the opening and closing ceremonies, I'll bet good horse money that London will find a way to top that.

i'm not too sure now

with global warming we'd been getting hot summers wich is needed for great sport

however, this august has been miserable - raining every other day & not overly warm

if we end up with this "sydney" weather for the sprints with winners clocking 9.8/19.8, games are screwed

[CookyMonzta]

I hope the London organizers don't try to one-up the Beijing games. The Brits should focus on their culture and, to my view and experience, there has always been a cool and calm approach to things. I'd love to see their ceremonies reflect their culture....and not try to just out-shine China's efforts.

London will do great. They will put on a great show. I just watched the London show at the closing ceremonies. I'm exited already.
Man, no politics, censorship and fakery. England does not have a thing to prove. This is not a nation with a chip on its shoulder.

The sports will again be the main thing.

Agreed. And I'm from NYC. They'll find a way to outdo Beijing.

[CookyMonzta]

In my lifetime (1952-) I think there have been four Summer Olympics that stand out above the others -

1960 Rome
1964 Tokyo
1992 Barcelona
2000 Sydney

Sydney is the consensus greatest ever among the Olympic beat people, and I don't see how an Olympics could be better than Sydney was.

I did not attend Beijing - first since 1988 - but I would not put it in the above category (the top 4) because of the various ancillary problems that afflicted the Games.

Indeed. Notice that Jacques Rogge called it "a truly exceptional games". So much for Beijing's effort to being called one of the best, let alone the best. Despite the architecture and the entertainment in the opening and closing ceremonies, I'll bet good horse money that London will find a way to top that.

[gh]

Note that I said TRACK writers, so if you're talking about the Games overall, we're a bit apples & oranges.

As to why they (and many track fans I spoke to) think this was the best ever it call comes down to World Records I suspect. Nothing like WRs to tickle fancies of many/most.

[bambam1729]

Consensus of most veteran track writers I talked to and a dozen or so strangers on the plane yesterday (all people w/ multiple Games under their belt) was that this was the greatest ever.

More than consensus, acatually, almost to a person they volunteered that.

I just don't see how anything could be better than Sydney was (or Lillehammer for the Winter)

[gh]

Consensus of most veteran track writers I talked to and a dozen or so strangers on the plane yesterday (all people w/ multiple Games under their belt) was that this was the greatest ever.

More than consensus, acatually, almost to a person they volunteered that.

[richxx87]

London will do great. They will put on a great show. I just watched the London show at the closing ceremonies. I'm exited already.
Man, no politics, censorship and fakery. England does not have a thing to prove. This is not a nation with a chip on its shoulder.

The sports will again be the main thing.

HEAR, HEAR! It will be a breath of fresh air for the Olympic sports and the Olympians to to be main draw and not all that extraneous, propaganda B.S. that we were subjected to for the last few months.

[Per Andersen]

I hope the London organizers don't try to one-up the Beijing games. The Brits should focus on their culture and, to my view and experience, there has always been a cool and calm approach to things. I'd love to see their ceremonies reflect their culture....and not try to just out-shine China's efforts.

London will do great. They will put on a great show. I just watched the London show at the closing ceremonies. I'm exited already.
Man, no politics, censorship and fakery. England does not have a thing to prove. This is not a nation with a chip on its shoulder.

The sports will again be the main thing.

[bambam]

In my lifetime (1952-) I think there have been four Summer Olympics that stand out above the others -

1960 Rome
1964 Tokyo
1992 Barcelona
2000 Sydney

Sydney is the consensus greatest ever among the Olympic beat people, and I don't see how an Olympics could be better than Sydney was.

I did not attend Beijing - first since 1988 - but I would not put it in the above category (the top 4) because of the various ancillary problems that afflicted the Games.