Olympics - bored already?

I have been fed up with the whole thing from the word go, when I still lived in London and had extra Council Tax added to my bill – albeit a minuscule amount. Nobody asked me if I wanted to pay it. The cost is ridiculous, the corruption absurd, the disruption unimaginable, the sale of tickets a farrago and I dread to think about security issues. Now they are doing television programmes about "just a year to go" – well, no thanks. Even if I were interested in sport – and there are perhaps one or two events that I might just possibly watch – I really don't want sycophantic presenters telling me how wonderful the swimming pool, velodrome, sailing venues. are. Better than Beijing – it's not a building competition – but, clearly, a political one.

I never wanted us to win the Olympics for London. More trouble than it's worth. I defnitely didn't apply for tickets. I just want to be hundreds of miles away from London when it happens. Unfortunately I work in the centre of London so it will be impossible. I'm dreading it. Like absentgrana tax has also been added to my bill. I'm completely bored by the whole subject.

Oh, I have to disagree! I think it is terrific.
I love sport - have known a few Olympians (no medallists) and think it tremendous that the world can come together for those few weeks.
I know that so many of the young people there treasure the opportunity to take part, indeed they enjoy it more if there are no medal expectations.

I am not dismissing those who have to cope with the building (the evictions) and I do recognise the cost in many respects. But I think we need to cherish those things that connect us.
My dad used to quote dear Pete Seeger - about using music, sport & food to bring people together.
We have applied for "special price" tickets - £16 apiece, which includes London travel. We shall see mixed beach volleyball at Horseguards Parade & women's handball at the Olympic Arena. I just wanted to be there.

Sport has helped to knock down barriers (Jesse Owens & Luz Long; the South African girls at the Barcelona Olympics)
For family reasons we have decided not to volunteer ourselves, but I know some young people who are and they are enthusiastic.

Well said, Jackyann. We also have tickets for the beach volleyball and having missed out on any in the main stadium we plan to apply for the paralympics. Would really love to be able to experience the atmosphere in the main stadium and it will be something to tell the grandchildren about. Won't get the chance again in this lifetime. Seize the day!

My OH went to the Rome Olympics at the age of 18 and still remembers seeing Herb Elliott and Cassius Clay.

Have vetoed any boxing or wrestling on this occasion!

Does it matter whether we are bored or not.

I bet the grandkids will love it!

bored bored bored - what shall we do when its on!!!!! AAAAARGH

You could try watching.

You would, of course, have to be open to enjoying it.

I really like the Olympics when its on. I tend to get very emotional, and pretend it is me doing all that swimming, cycling and running, and I always win the Gold. I am also a very sporty person, no sorry, thats in my mind, I meant to write I am not a very sporty person!!!
I just ignore all the chatter about the forthcoming games, I switch off the TV.

We cannot wait for it to start. We got tickets for our favourite sport, judo. Would have liked to see some athletics, but failed for that. As we live less than an hour away, we had hoped to see more.

Hey, OP (hi effie ), we have no tickets, live nowhere near and don't have a telly. And we don't feel grumpy at all, so it can't be G-O-W Syndrome on your part.

Like the Proms, Wimbledon, all the festivals around the country, Royal occasions; people can take part or not, enjoy them or not, we all have different tastes.
No problem coming here & venting a bit either, when it's a year away, but I'd add:
During those few, once-in-a-lifetime, weeks if you're fed up with the Olympics, please keep quiet and let everyone else enjoy it!
That's what I do with some of those occasions mentioned above that leave me quite cold!

Like Baggy I have no TV, so I can choose to inform myself what's happening, or not. As my husband and sons are great adventurers I'm sure they'll show an interest. I have mixed feelings about the worth of the Games, but I can understand other people's enthusiasm and am happy to let them enjoy this once in a lifetime opportunity.

It's not so much the games themselves that I object to, although I find the stupendous cost horrifying, but all the rubbish in advance. This morning, BBC's Breakfast spent most of its time gibbering pointlessly about how London 2012 is exactly a year away. Louise Minchin (is that her name?) was acting like a muppet at the pool side, interviewing various Olympians and nobody had anything else to say other than "It's incredible", "It's astonishing" and sundry variations on the theme. Well what did they expect it to look like – a replica of the municipal baths of the 1950s? Even the guy doing the weather (Matt?) had to wax lyrical about the flowerbeds. It used to be that the first half of Breakfast concentrated mainly on news and the more magazine-like features appeared later on. That 27 July 2012 is exactly a year away from 27 July 2011 is not news.

i don't get bored by the Olympics because I totally ignore it all - always have done wherever they are held. I usually haunt the video shop when they're on.

I simply don't have the sports-watching gene. I remember when I was still at high school there was a school trip to Wimbledon. I never even bothered to take the note home. Someone asked if I was going and all I could say was "Why would I?" I could not understand why anyone would want to bother, least of all me.

However, taking part in sport is another thing: I used to enjoy judo and cycling. I occasionally watch bits of the Tour de France because I love the scenery, and I've been to France a couple of times, but I soon get bored with the race.

absentgran I do agree this mornings Breakfast news was puerileand repetetive. It was like a bLlue peter episode! Is it any wonder I am already turned off the Olympics and jangly it is not a matter of not being' open' to enjoying it. Having been married to an excellent and keen sportsman for thirty three years I have watched every Olympics, FA Cups, Rugby finals, test matches etc etc bloody etc and this is too far. What I find really really hard to swallow is how much money time and effort has gone into this at a time when we can't afford to care for our elderly, house our homeless, take any number of children out of poverty in this country, fund our NHS and rebuild our deteriorating schools. Certainly know when a Tory government is in poor - feels like the Thatcher years! Anyone OPEN to that!

susie so you've watched all those Olympics, cup finals etc etc and this one (ours!) turns you off!!

Don't you go getting old on the inside!

I thought it was lottery money and money from businesses etc. that's paying for it.

Or am I being naive?

I'm a fan myself but agree that getting excited a whole year ahead is OTT.
But i am always an athletics fan (like my gran before me! I remember her being excited about the 4 minute mile for several years after it happened)
I bet if you balanced out the amount of coverage on soccer in this country compared to all other sports combined the soccer would win. Paint drying does not even begin...
Yes it will be difficult to avoid hearing about it next summer - time to plan a trip maybe?
I have tickets for the first day of the athletics!
So I guess at some stage we will have an olympics enthusiasts thread and a bored thread running in parallel.
I do think it is fantastic news that all the facilities are finished on time, a year ahead of the games. Unlike Greece... where it was a scramble. This is great PR for the UK construction industry and I resented Humphreys desperately trying to be critical about it this morning. Can we never be pleased or proud about anything in this darn country?

veryordinaryjangly (but you'll always be very special to us) Some lottery money, some corporate sponsorship, some general tax, some council tax (Londoners). Then there will be an unimaginable policing and security bill.

Sorry about former rant but the year ahead thingy made my blood boil!!! No hopefully I wont get old on the inside. I am even going to my first live rugby match in September with husband at Leicester Tigers to keep him company and look at the legs!!!

I was brought up in Stratford I wonder what our back to back terrace is worth now - not that we owned it!

I expect (hope) they'll shut up for a bit now. Isn't it because its just the year away from when it starts?

I don't know. I only half listen.

I didn't hear much of the Today prog this morning Jess. Had to take DH to eye casualty.

Just laugh at him Jess. Imagine he's a little Welsh terrier. Think tickling behind his ears or patting his tummy.

hope eye is ok. he has his good days, but it is the determination to find the negative on all occasions that occasionally seems ott. And when he is talking out of his backside sometimes when the subject touches on science.
Smile Jess smile