The BBC may be slightly over-estimating the level of interest in Sochi

[Hillary]

"And, if productivity levels in Britain this morning were on the floor, think of how little we'll all be doing tomorrow. From 13:30 GMT on Friday afternoon, Great Britain's men go for gold. We may as well have half-day closing. Who has the power to grant such a move? The PM? The Queen? Lord Sugar? Clare Balding must have some sway."

:sherlock:

[Berni]

Is the Winter Olympics over yet? It seems to have been going on for decades. :-(

[PSRB]

https://vine.co/v/MZtELb9qOua

and quite possibly the best photo finish ever

[Witharby 2-3 weeks]

[Berni]

[Hillary]

that interest is not far short of London 2012 levels at times.

[Snin]

either..in meeja land / london maybe but in some pubs in rural wales they ddint give a flying feck tbh

[Luis Anaconda]

like evolution, civilisation and the laws on incest

[Berni]

Honestly, Londoners going around being nice and helpful and upbeat? And the sun shining? Quite distressed me, it did. :-(

[Hillary]

The TV ratings alone showed the interest in the games. The fact that some bitter Welshers weren't interested because there isn't a gold medal for rugby, sheep trials or eating coal is fairly irrelevant.

[Classic Jorge]

[Classic Jorge]

A real ergotism/st anthony's fire sort of thing.

An act of collective madness

[Berni]

than the Winker Olympics.

[Classic Jorge]

[Berni]

I had no objection to people enjoying the Olympics, I just wasn't one of them.

[Classic Jorge]

I mean, at least there's a cohesive theme.

[Luis Anaconda]

just how cool would that be - heeeeeeeey

[Monty91]

[Berni]

That's not the basis for a sporting endeavour. It's simply making the best of a bad job imo.

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

Black chap. The thin one. Don't know about the commentator. Northern, I think, I couldn't really follow what he was saying.

[Berni]

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

[Monty91]

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

I believe he's from west London. Strange sorts.

[Ashberto]

For all the snobby-spastic-sneering in some quarters, the Olympics was about genuinely excellent achievements which would take an overdose of ignorance or misanthropy to not recognise.

Princess Di was just a dead airhead who epitomised the vacuity of celebrity culture. :shrug:

[PSRB]

I'd love a go at that!

[Classic Jorge]

How crushing was that when you found out Fonzie was gay? Not that I had a problem with where he stuck it but it was very disillusioning all the same

[Luis Anaconda]

I swear there are people here how will speak Bavarian when they hear a non-German accent - it's basically a German version of Geordie, utterly incomprehensible so even if you speak German you're f**ked

[Berni]

[Luis Anaconda]

though Barry Zuckerman is a stuff of legends

[Classic Jorge]

The whole country entered into some sort of collective act of madness for a month, everybody was acting very odd. I came back into it with about a week to go and it was like invasion of the bodysnatchers.

Also, spare me the stuff about the olympics being a massive lump of innocent sporting endeavour, the IOC make FIFA look saintly in comparison.

[Berni]

And all the drugs, of course. Which they're all on.

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

[Classic Jorge]

Thank you for the correction though, I really should consult tabloid journalists when curious about the sex life of celebrities.

[Luis Anaconda]

I know you are a northerner but it isn't actually a sin.


Oh and of course the IOC is corrupt as is Fifa as you say - will that stop you enjoying the world cup?

[Luis Anaconda]

The Times was "compact" when it was reduced in size not tabloid (and Sky News doesn't count)

[Classic Jorge]

I dont give a monkey's how corrupt FIFA is, to be honest I'm more bothered about how corrupt UEFA is.

I was never a sending off, LA

[Luis Anaconda]

[Classic Jorge]

[Luis Anaconda]

[Ashberto]

been possessed. Epic misanthropy it is, then.

Your second point is just very weak, as has already been explained.

[Classic Jorge]

Nobody has, up until that point, engaged me in an excited conversation about "our" chances in this afternoon's field hockey event.

You were eased into the whole thing gently, it was quite the culture shock to somebody walking straight into it.

And on the great sporting endeavour point, I can accept that someone would want to devote their whole life to showjumpimg/archery/squash but asking me to respect it is a step too far.

[Classic Jorge]

Though I have to admit, after a few years I am finally picking it up