Verdict on the Olympic Games

There is quite a lot I want to say on the subject of the Olympic Games just finished and on London 2012. I'm going to try something different here: I don't normally talk to myself but to make this blog entry more readable (hopefully!) I am going to pose myself a number of questions and come up with some considered but probably controversial answers. So here goes

Before we start on the Olympics Brian, what is your personal attitude to sport?

I have to admit, and I think I have stated this before on this blog, that I was and am an absolute duffer at sport. My hand to eye co-ordination is very poor which doesn't help. And sadly at school sports facilities were very poor indeed compared with today's expectations, my teachers did the best they could bless them but they were limited in what they could do. For the boys it was just soccer and cricket with a little bit of athletics squeezed in between those two sports. Much later in life I took to road running, competed in several races including I think it was four marathons. Never set the world on fire with my times but did boost my confidence and helped my physical fitness.

Of course a lot of non sporting people got glued to the TV watching the Olympics. Were you one of them?

Afraid not! I did watch the two diving events in which Tom Daley competed but that was about it. Saw many of the highlights on the news bulletins but that was as far as my interest went.

So you got fed up with the BBC's wall to wall coverage of the event.

Not at all. I'm not a slave to the TV and don't have a problem with blanket coverage of the event which after all is only for a period of just over two weeks once every four years. As is the way though of the BBC they have gone way over the top with the number of people they sent to China. Did they have to send some of their top newsreaders to be anchormen over there? That must have cost the licence payers a fortune.

The opening and closing sequences were spectacular by common agreement. What was your opinion of them?

I have to say that I saw neither of them (at the time of the opening of the Games I was returning from a funeral in Liskeard). But from the extracts on the news and reports in the media China evidently did a fantastic job. More importantly it would seem that the competitors were well provided for - at least there don't seem to be any adverse reports, none that I'm aware of anyway. All in all it appears that China did a brilliant job in staging the 2008 Games.

But I believe that you were annoyed about the young girl singing at the opening. What was that about?

Too right I was! Not about the young lady herself. No it was the revelation during the Games that not only was she miming the song but in fact it was an entirely different girl who had recorded it! This other person we were told wasn't pretty enough to be seen singing. This out and out dishonesty really does anger me.

That small point apart you had no quarrel with China staging the Games?

Wrong! China should never have staged the Games at this time! One of the criteria as I understand it of China staging the Olympics this year was for them to do something about their record on human rights. They've done nothing. The International Olympics Committee should have insisted on seeing some evidence of improvement before giving China the Games. They didn't. Not that I expect that to weigh on the consciences of the IOC. The trouble is that the media (typically!) have been seduced by the show put on by China and are prepared to turn a blind eye to such matters. Shame on them!

Now then, what about the performance of Team GB? What's your opinion there?

A colossal achievement, no doubt about that. This country definitely needs something to smile about. What with terrible weather, a dire economic outlook and a government that is hardly functioning we have been in urgent need of some good news. Although fairly indifferent to national sport myself I do recognise its importance to the way the country feels about itself.

And we came fourth in the medal table!

Indeed we did! Interestingly not only fourth in terms of 'golds' but fourth also in the total number of medals gained, if that is the way you think our position ought to be assessed. I don't know how many of the World's nations competed but note that 87 countries all told finished with one or more medals, that was good to see! One other thing to mention - part way through the Games some Aussies were being interviewed and they all did Britain down saying they would finish above us. In the event Australia finished behind us (was it sixth place?). They'll be sore about that!

It sounds as if the members of Team GB are going to get showered with honours. That's a good thing isn't it?

No, its absolute rubbish! Apart from awards for extreme bravery such as the George Cross for instance which relate to a single episode gongs are normally reserved for those who have achieved something over a long period. If an individual brings back gold three or four times from successive Olympics then I don't have too much of a problem of them being rewarded. But it is patently stupid to go about things as is being suggested; if we had won only half the gold medals that we did would the successful entrants have been any less worthy of gaining honours? Of course not. But they wouldn't have because our overall total of medals wouldn't have been nearly so significant. Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't our cricket team all get honours when we fairly narrowly beat Australia in England only to be absolutely torn apart by them when we went down under? No, once again the euphoria of the moment is likely to cause another ridiculous decision to be made.

How about Gordon Brown? He must be a happy man.

Gordon is genuinely enthusiastic about sport I think and really is pleased with the medal haul. Any prime minister would enjoy their moment in the limelight as a result of some sporting success. Brown has 1001 problems heading his way this autumn and I don't begrudge him this little bit of reflected glory - not that it had much to do with him!

So now on to London 2012. Something to look forward to?

Until recently I was 100% against the London Games. Now it is about ... 95% against (I must be mellowing in my old age!). Although I can't help thinking that the unbelievable amount of money spent on staging a Games could be much better employed elsewhere and a permanent venue (Athens?) could be used I do appreciate the excitement that will be engendered by London 2012 and the spin offs other parts of Britain will enjoy such as Olympic training camps for example.

Well there you have it, these are some of my thoughts. This has been good for me to use this technique on this entry to try and get some sort of balanced and coherent overview of the subject. Maybe I will try it again sometime!

That spat between Daley and Aldridge

Well there we have it: fourteen year old Tom Daley from Plymouth and 26 year old Blake Aldridge from Southampton came 8th in the synchronised diving yesterday (for eighth read last but that sounds worse). What is sadly making greater news though in the popular press and in blogs is the apparent row between the two of them before the last dive of the six.

Now I'm trying not to be partisan here but it appears that the mother of Aldridge waved at her son and he spoke on the phone to her before the pair's final dive. Daley sparked at this asking what Aldridge was doing prior to the end of their event. Afterwards Aldridge attacked Daley saying that the latter was too nervous and shouldn't have been concerning himself with what he, Aldridge, was doing. I'm going to be absolutely blunt here, there was a complete and utter breakdown of personal discipline on the part of Aldridge - firstly you do not mess around with phone calls while waiting your turn in such an event and secondly it was poor to so quickly blame Daley for the end result bearing in mind that Daley has a further event in which to participate in this Olympics.

There does seem to have been an element of jealousy too on the part of Aldridge because inevitably Daley has been getting incredible media attention in the build up to the event. Hindsight is the most wonderful thing of course but one has to question the wisdom of those making the decision to pair the two together. It seems to me that a 12 year difference in age in such a sport would inevitably cause problems.

Olympic Torch woes

It was all supposed to be so different - the Olympic torch relay through a number of countries was going to be something special for the Chinese but it has become an utter shambles. Following the debacle of its run through London and then Paris, in which demonstrations against China's human rights record and particularly their treatment of the Tibetans stole the headlines, the torch crossed the pond to America. The route of the torch through San Francisco had to be changed at somewhat short notice which meant bitter disappointment for a good many of the Chinese who live in that city. When the torch arrives in the host country we are told that it will pass through Tibet so we can expect some clashes there for sure.

The other day Labour MP Kate Hoey had pointed out that China was given the 2008 games on the understanding that it would improve its behaviour on human rights in a number of areas. Ms Hoey has stated that no progress has been made in any of them. So this begs the question of why such a major country should have been given the Olympics prior to them moving forward on human rights issues. There is a school of thought saying that politics should be kept separate from sport; that is an arguable point but the reality in any case is that like it or not they can't be kept separate.

To make things worse there is confusion about whether Gordon Brown had said he would be at the opening of the 2008 Games. It appears he had intimated he would go to the Games but Downing Street says he will not be at the start but would certainly be present at the closing ceremony. That last bit makes sense in as much as the Chinese will pass the baton to the UK when the Games conclude. The Chinese it would seem are not best pleased believing that our Prime Minister had committed himself to be at the opening ceremony though. As usual Mr Brown is looking somewhat uncertain as to what he should be doing.

Although I'm not fanatical about sport I realise just how important it can be to my fellow countrymen. With less than good news on the economy at the moment the government will desperately want some British success to generate a little bit of a feel good factor. We fluffed it when it came to the European soccer internationals so for Brown medals for Britain in China would be a godsend.

Tom Daley and the 2008 Olympic Games

It was back in February that I noted Plymouth diving sensation Tom Daley being selected for the 2008 Olympic Games in China. What made this item so newsworthy is the fact that Tom will be only 14 when he takes to the diving board at the Games. At the time of my original blog I assumed I was right in agreeing with the media in general that he would be the youngest person ever to compete from the UK. Not so apparently, I think a girl swimmer from the distant past has that honour.

A few days ago Tom added to his haul of medals with a gold in the European Championships at Eindhoven. Tom is doing his best to dampen expectations for this year's Olympics but wouldn't it be great if he was in the medals! He has intimated that the event will be used as good experience for London 2012.

This might be a good moment to express one or two thoughts from this non sporting blogger on the China Olympics:

• One positive from the Olympic Games jamboree is that various sports not really in the mainstream, such as diving, get showcased.
• It's in a few minority interest sports that this country tends to shine rather than the better known ones such as football or cricket.
• The upcoming Olympics is focusing extra attention on China particularly its poor human rights record. Of course it's the unrest in annexed Tibet which is making headlines now.
• The air pollution problems in the area where the Games are to be held are a headache for the authorities and expect further stories about this to be broadcast.

Tom Daley in Olympic Team

Readers of this blog will realise that I don't have much interest in sport and this applies to this year's Olympic Games in China as well. And don't get me started on London 2012, expect a few rants over the months and years to come on that particular subject. But on the other side of the coin I'm always pleased to record local sporting achievement, more so when it is what is normally a minority interest sport that is being discussed.

So step forward 13 year old Tom Daley, a Devon diver, who has qualified for the British Olympic team. When the Games begin he will be a little over 14 and will be the youngest British competitor ever. I've seen him interviewed on TV and he comes across as being very likeable and self assured. All the best of luck to him.

It can sound as if I'm very negative about sport but that's not really true. Those who are keen and talented should be encouraged; it's just that I've never been personally that keen and certainly not talented! Ball games have always been a no-no for me but I used to enjoy PE at school and much later in life I have run in a few marathons and shorter road races, just to prove I could(!).

I think that some of my antipathy towards professional sport today derives from the (watch my language here) obscene amounts of money and celebrity culture associated with it. So don't expect too much commentary on sport from this blog!

Olympics logo

As thousands of bloggers have been commenting on the new logo for the 2012 London Olympics I suppose I'd better throw in my twopenneth... Other than saying it doesn't do anything for me I would make two points - firstly I will own up and admit that I didn't recognise the figures 2012 were contained in the logo until told and I understand that more than a few others were also bemused. The second point is the sheer unbelievable cost in coming up with it, £400,000 I'm led to believe. Of course there are two ways of looking at this latter point; if you look at the cost as a one off spread over 5 years then in financial terms it starts to look more reasonable. But I tend to look at as the physical cost of coming up with the idea, doing some market research and then fleshing things out and it just seems crazy to cost this money. No doubt it's more complicated than appears on the surface and they also had to produce a video but for someone in the sticks down here it's what I call 'funny money' or 'telephone numbers money'.

Someone who also didn't like it put up an online petition criticising the logo and got over 48,000 to sign it within two days! Controversial indeed but all this publicity is definitely putting the 2012 Olympics on the map. However I still wish France had won it!