Paris 2024 Olympics

[GRALISTAIR]

You've got to feel for the Feench:

- First their transport system is sabotaged on the day of the opening ceremony
- It pours with rain throughout the ceremony
- The ceremony itself sounded as though it would be great, the reality was somewhat different

On the other hand, the neighbours in London absolutely nailed it in 2012

I have not seen it but these are my thoughts exactly! I am feeling a little smug !

 

[birchesgreen]

I loved the pic of Starmer, surrounded by other VIPs all in their plastic ponchos, and he is in a parka.

Le Ros Bif knows about the rain.

 

[Crithylum]

My mum's thoughts on the mascot: "Why is it a red flattened turd?"

 

[eoff]

I'm no Celine fan but to give credit where it is due I thought her french chanson was really good, even more so given her recent struggles.

Underwhelmed by the ceremony overall but there were some good moments.

 

[dangie]

I am going to try to not watch a single minute of the entire games.

I’m sure there’s many on here who share the same view.
Unfortunately it probably won’t stop you commenting on it.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

I’m sure there’s many on here who share the same view.
Unfortunately it probably won’t stop you commenting on it.

I am sorry if I have offended you.

 

[dangie]

I am sorry if I have offended you.

You haven’t offended me at all. In fact I’ll reverse my view and hope to see & read your Olympic comments. More the merrier

 

[Leven Railuser]

I thought the opening ceremony was pretty awful, but was blown away by Celine Dion. She was incredible.

 

[The exile]

It's still going...

Clearly, somebody had a big idea, which has not translated into reality very well. It's also very clearly been designed for television viewers, I'd be extremely disappointed if I were any of the people with tickets to attend in person...

If it was designed for television viewers, then I have to say it was designed very badly. Maybe the start and finish were good- I missed the start and gave up long before the finish.
And if any of my French friends ever makes any sweeping comments about the British weather again…..

 

[Leven Railuser]

The cycling time trials were impacted by the rain. Some mad sliding on corners. US woman (didn't catch her name) had a particularly rough time, off 3 times and her mechanic landed on his @rse too.

GB silver though.

 

[JD2168]

It was an interesting opening ceremony with some good but also some not very good moments. It was not as good as London 2012.

Good to see Team GB winning medals on the opening day, relives pressure on the rest of the team.

 

[dgl]

Interestingly it's not like Paris has hosted any large events before with probably even more spectators, should've just got Jean Michel Jarre to do a big concert, he's used to doing them (he's done three in Paris with at least 1 million people in attendance) and has even done a couple in the pouring rain!
I would have thought the rain would not be an issue as to quote JMJ himself (from one of the docklands concerts) "It's been a bit wet lately, but well frogs like rain!"

 

[Purple Train]

The cycling time trials were impacted by the rain. Some mad sliding on corners. US woman (didn't catch her name) had a particularly rough time, off 3 times and her mechanic landed on his @rse too.

GB silver though.

I watched a bit on the big screen outside Kings Cross and it looked a bit like if the bobsleigh was held on the Central Line in summer. The conditions looked absolutely atrocious.

 

[Bald Rick]

I thought the opening ceremony was pretty awful, but was blown away by Celine Dion. She was incredible.

But also not French.

 

[dangie]

The cycling time trials were impacted by the rain. Some mad sliding on corners. US woman (didn't catch her name) had a particularly rough time, off 3 times and her mechanic landed on his @rse too.

GB silver though.

The saving grace was that it rained for most if not all of the competitors so it made for an even playing field (or road).

 

[oldman]

But also not French.

But part of la francophonie. French cultural attitudes to 'their' language may not be the same as ours.

 

[Jamiescott1]

Im finding the bbc coverage pretty poor. I know they have limited rights but there's too much studio coverage and not enough sport being shown.

 

[dangie]

Im finding the bbc coverage pretty poor. I know they have limited rights but there's too much studio coverage and not enough sport being shown.

That’s pretty much par for the course with many BBC televised sports, Match of the Day for Example. To much pundit talk. I suppose they have to justify the high salaries they pay them.

 

[dosxuk]

There are two audiences for sports broadcasting - those who are mainly interested in the sport and those who are mainly interested in the people. Both groups can be further split into those who are mainly interested in the stuff involving their country and those who don't care who's playing.

The nature of the BBC's rights agreement with Discovery means they have to focus their coverage, which means giving them a story to tell to make the broadcast coherent - and that then automatically implies having a lot more discussion about what people are seeing.

The BBC's second channel is a bit more free-flowing and doesn't have as much hosting, but it's still focused on showing Team GB moments over whatever random sport they feel like showing.

Ofcom are currently running another consultation into how "Listed Events" are broadcast - https://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv-radio-a...g-events/cfe-implementing-the-media-act-2024/ - changes to which are widely accepted as being necessary after the way the Olympics rights were awarded to Discovery without any opportunity for individual broadcasters to bid for them.

 

[Jamiescott1]

That’s pretty much par for the course with many BBC televised sports, Match of the Day for Example. To much pundit talk. I suppose they have to justify the high salaries they pay them.

Not just sport but music festival coverage too, lots of talk

 

[Howardh]

Im finding the bbc coverage pretty poor. I know they have limited rights but there's too much studio coverage and not enough sport being shown.

Doesn't surprise me, they'd rather natter - and to "celebrities" as well, than show live events. Appalling considering we have paid for it via our licence.

However, for £3.99, totally loving Eurosport/Discovery's online coverage; bit fiddly finding your way around until you get used to it, not only do you get to see everything "live" there are also various commentary options such as "no commentary" or commentary in French, or German which is wonderful! If you are using Eurosport on-line press your button until a "speech" logo comes up - usually top-right - click on that and select. Don't think it's available on Eurosport 1 or 2, but certainly for the bonus streams.

 

[Donny Dave]

That’s pretty much par for the course with many BBC televised sports, Match of the Day for Example. To much pundit talk. I suppose they have to justify the high salaries they pay them.

It's more to to with the broadcast rights. AIUI, Discovery hold the rights to show the Olympics in Europe, and the deal to BBC have done with them only allows them to show 2 events at a time. For example, athletics and judo.

 

[Backroom_boy]

But also not French.

I'd definitely give them a pass for Dion, Snoop Dog on the other hand...

 

[eoff]

That explains why I only had a choice of Hockey and some new falling-off-the-skateboard event.

 

[Jamiescott1]

I'd definitely give them a pass for Dion, Snoop Dog on the other hand...

Montreal now seems to have more french than Canadians.

At the moment both bbc streams are showing the same tennis match.
One is live and bbc one is about 30 minutes delayed

 

[3141]

That explains why I only had a choice of Hockey and some new falling-off-the-skateboard event.

But it doesn't explain why so-called pundits rabbit on and on and on in increasingly patronising pseudo-psychological analyses about participants growing up, with old films from years back before they grew up, pundits' verbiage and egos continually expanding and boring, boring....

 

[Bald Rick]

But part of la francophonie. French cultural attitudes to 'their' language may not be the same as ours.

I'd definitely give them a pass for Dion, Snoop Dog on the other hand...

But it‘s broadly the equivalent of Mariah Carey being top of the bill for London 2012.

 

[JD2168]

Adam Peaty took silver in the 100m Breaststroke & Kimberley Woods took bronze in the K1 Kayak Slalom event to keep the GB medal total improving.

 

[oldman]

But it‘s broadly the equivalent of Mariah Carey being top of the bill for London 2012.

No it isn't. Mariah Carey is American full stop - just because she sings in English no one thinks she is in any way British. Celine Dion is French-Canadian so from a French perspective part of a global French-speaking culture. Has the French press been up in arms about having a Canadian on a French show?

 

[birchesgreen]

No it isn't. Mariah Carey is American full stop - just because she sings in English no one thinks she is in any way British. Celine Dion is French-Canadian so from a French perspective part of a global French-speaking culture. Has the French press been up in arms about having a Canadian on a French show?

Yes it would be like having an Australian singer here.