Athens 2004 Olympics

Forums: Sports
Email this Topic • Print this Page

I can't believe able2know with its thousands of members does not even have a section or at least a topic regarding the upcoming Olympics. Is no one interested in how the venues are progressing or about any other aspects of such a world event? Does anyone care? I live in Athens so if anyone has any questions/comments, I would like to hear them and/or help out Smile

Topic Stats
Top Replies
Link to this Topic

Type: Discussion • Score: 1 • Views: 2,707 • Replies: 28

No top replies

of course we care, but it's almost three months before Openinge Ceremony Smile

We had, however, our share of criticasing organizers for being so slow Wink

I am looking forward to Olympics with huge curiosity and joy - I especially can't wait to see shot put competition in ancient Olympia stadium.

0 Replies

wow, it seems that I am the only one interested Very Happy

Even Aris is not interested anymore Wink

0 Replies

hope they really get things constructed to hold them

0 Replies

I heard that Greek authorities were telling the Americans that they cannot bring armed security into the country. As a result, many of our best athletes are not planning to attend.

0 Replies

I am a fan of the Olympics, and was planning, for years, to go to the Athens games. Seems it will not be possible Sad

, but there's still a little hope.

I do expect some more debate about the games, once they're started. But not much.

It's a paradox. In most countries, the Olympic games are very important for the average person. Not so in the case of the US, the biggest medal winner.

Perhaps three things explain this attitude:
1. Their television coverage is far for sport intensive, and does not catch the spirit of the games. It focuses only on American winners or favorites, with only bits of the events and lots of "background" stuff, like interviewing their parents and showing the home where they grew up. It's a patriotic bore.
2. They have too many winners. Only very few of them become national celebrities. In most other countries, olympic medalists are way more important.
3. Professional US sports compete for the audience against the Olympics. Remember, the baseball championship is the World Series. And some people would be rather watching golf than a good cycling or wrestling event.

0 Replies

fbaezer's right about that. I don't like the way American networks cover the Olympics. It's really bad. If the US isn't represented to their liking, you simply will not see that event broadcast.

0 Replies

1980 summer games all over again

0 Replies

cjhsa, I don't know what are latest news in USA, but I heard only that basketball team has real problems with getting players - all of them have some other "reasons" but it's mostly suspected that fear of terrorism is main. I really haven't heard for any of top american athletes in other sports that they're thinking of avoiding Games. Because, despite fact that American networks don't cover Olympics way they should, for those particular athletes it is biggest event of their lives - well, except for NBA stars and maybe tennis players. For american swimming, track & field, volleyball, waterpolo, gymnastics, amateur boxing...for athletes of those sports (and that's where USA actually gets all those medals - you get one medal in basketball, but you can get 50 in track & field) Olympics are the greatest sport event.

0 Replies

Watching with interest. I live just a few miles from the last lot!

0 Replies

cjhsa wrote:

I heard that Greek authorities were telling the Americans that they cannot bring armed security into the country. As a result, many of our best athletes are not planning to attend.

And why should we allow armed Americans in our country? Let's say the olympics were now held in the US instead. Considering 9/11, would you allow armed Greek security forces to come to your shores? Also, do not forget that the right to bear arms does not exist over here.

At any rate, $1.2 billion will be spent on security, a new record by far, and guess which companies will get a huge slice of this? You guessed it, American security firms.

0 Replies

MyOwnUsername wrote:

cjhsa, I don't know what are latest news in USA, but I heard only that basketball team has real problems with getting players - all of them have some other "reasons" but it's mostly suspected that fear of terrorism is main. I really haven't heard for any of top american athletes in other sports that they're thinking of avoiding Games. Because, despite fact that American networks don't cover Olympics way they should, for those particular athletes it is biggest event of their lives - well, except for NBA stars and maybe tennis players. For american swimming, track & field, volleyball, waterpolo, gymnastics, amateur boxing...for athletes of those sports (and that's where USA actually gets all those medals - you get one medal in basketball, but you can get 50 in track & field) Olympics are the greatest sport event.

I thought that the American men's basketball team didn't even qualify Question

0 Replies

of course they did. And at first all top stars supposed to play, now they are cancelling...well, Kobe Bryant has decent reason Smile

Other are soooo injured Wink

Major upset is that their BASEBALL team didn't qualify.
I agree with you completely about foreign troops of any kind. If USA can honestly say that they would allow Greek, Croatian, German...any other troops to protect their athletes on some important event in USA then okay - but of course they would never let them do it.

0 Replies

My country (Britain) usually has really good multi-channel coverage of most events, even though we normally only get a fairly modest haul of medals.

The fact that Greece is only a few hours ahead of us will also mean that we won't need to stay up all night to watch it, unlike the Sydney games!

I enjoy watching those events not normally seen on TV, like hockey, badminton and weight-lifting.

(Without wishing to hijack the thread too much, I'm also very much looking forward to Euro '04 in Portugal. This is the UEFA European Championships for proper football, for those who didn't know! I may start a Euro 04 thread for the A2K footy fans.)

0 Replies

looking forward Duke - we will soooo beat your guys and send them home Wink

0 Replies

Grand Duke wrote:

The fact that Greece is only a few hours ahead of us will also mean that we won't need to stay up all night to watch it, unlike the Sydney games!

Thank the lord. I remember Sydney: I started watching the women's 58 Kg. weightlifting final at 3 a.m., fell asleep at 5 a.m., and was surprisingly and happily awakened at 7:30 with our national anthem.

Same crap with the Football World Cup in Korea/Japan. 3 of our games started at 1:30 a.m., one of them at 6:00 a.m. (I watched that one with my co-workers; restaurants had the "early breakfast and big screen footie" promotion).

Grand Duke wrote:

(Without wishing to hijack the thread too much, I'm also very much looking forward to Euro '04 in Portugal. This is the UEFA European Championships for proper football, for those who didn't know! I may start a Euro 04 thread for the A2K footy fans.)

I think myownusername or Walter Hinteler started one already.

0 Replies

Aris wrote:

And why should we allow armed Americans in our country? Let's say the olympics were now held in the US instead. Considering 9/11, would you allow armed Greek security forces to come to your shores? Also, do not forget that the right to bear arms does not exist over here.

I believe we do allow foreign nationals to arm themselves. I'd be willing to bet that your dignitaries are surrounded by armed security personnel whether they are in the U.S. or in Greece. It's just that in Greece the subjects aren't armed, just the leaders and the bad guys.

I don't want to start another argument over Greek law vs. U.S. law, but I will say that many famous U.S. athletes pack heat themselves, and will not appear in public without at least one armed bodyguard. Celebrities are the same way, though many are hipocrites about the issue.

0 Replies

fbaezer wrote:

I think myownusername or Walter Hinteler started one already.

Cheers. I'll go take a look.

0 Replies

it's actually topic after draw for Euro 2004, but we can always refresh it Smile

here's a link:

http://www.able2know.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15771

0 Replies

fbaezer wrote:

Grand Duke wrote:

The fact that Greece is only a few hours ahead of us will also mean that we won't need to stay up all night to watch it, unlike the Sydney games!

Thank the lord. I remember Sydney: I started watching the women's 58 Kg. weightlifting final at 3 a.m., fell asleep at 5 a.m., and was surprisingly and happily awakened at 7:30 with our national anthem.

Same crap with the Football World Cup in Korea/Japan. 3 of our games started at 1:30 a.m., one of them at 6:00 a.m. (I watched that one with my co-workers; restaurants had the "early breakfast and big screen footie" promotion).

I, too, remember the Sydney Olympics, and still recall staying up half the night to watch things, see the Roy & HG summary programme, The Dream, each night, get out and about, and just enjoy the whole spectacle.

And I had to work, in a new job, as well!

I guess someone is always going to be out of sync! My turn again!

0 Replies

Athens 2004 Olympics

Related Topics

Quick Links

My Account

able2know