OLYMPIC GAMES 2012

[PoppySnuggleGlass]

They're no Britons, they're traitorous b*stards who may rot in hell!

D:

I have to admit that while really enjoying the opening ceremony, I found the closing ceremony quite tedious and dull (the droning vocals of Elbow didn't help!). It was more energetic and chaotic than Beijing, but it lacked the huge fun factor the Sydney games had. Plus, I found the way the camera kept cutting to the British athletes during the Rio handover performance rude.

I'm up for a bit of pomp and pageantry, but I am glad that it's come to an end. Ueber patriotism can be a little vomit-inducing after a while.

 

[Matt]

I didn't watch any of the Olympics but apparently the closing ceremony must have been really horrible. I only heard bad things about it, the media keeps bashing it and eveyrone of facebook is just going on about it. Was it really that bad?

 

[rajo]

Ask MyHeartIsYours, only he has a fair view on this.... I guess I am too biased to tell...

or you start reading here for the extensive recap http://www.escforums.com/t6286-59/#post819693

 

[MyHeartIsYours]

I didn't watch any of the Olympics but apparently the closing ceremony must have been really horrible. I only heard bad things about it, the media keeps bashing it and eveyrone of facebook is just going on about it. Was it really that bad?

I guess some dumb people expected the "Symphony of British Music" to be something else. It very much was what it said in the tin, if you dont like British music, dont watch, basically .

 

[rajo]

"Symphony of British music" was the name of the ceremony? Srsly?

Okay, I was not aware of the theme (and that Brits confuse radio pop with symphony) nor of what was happening.... my sincerest condolences ... ehm apologies....

But if it was down for symphony.... where were the Verve????

 

[MyHeartIsYours]

There was an orchestra actually, stop being so dumb. And that is also why we had, in your book "has-been's", legends from the past as well as the present.

 

[Stargazer]

The only thing during the first 90 minutes that was even remotely interesting was John Lennon and "Imagine". Then I turned off before I fell asleep out of boredom. If there had been more songs of the past instead of all these new acts I've never heard of, it would have been entertaining at least.

I wish it would have been more of a... show. Here it was just filming one artist after another either going around the stadium in circles or just hanging around on stage. Incredibly dull and anticlimactic. The songs and the artists could have been more of a backdrop and they could have had spectacular theatrics going on while the songs were playing, like during the opening ceremony with the industrial revolution and the children's literature bit.

 

[rajo]

At least there could have been more dancing.... and less focus on the singers... some really sang out of tune.... some songs were just not suitable.... what about "bitter sweet symphony"? that's definitely a song that survived decades.....

And Spice Girls really had nothing to show off there, because their childish songs don't go with Sports (and it's still about Sports and not a pop-cultural ebition) and they were really odd performing together. Every Spice was on her own, they didn't interact at all with each other.... so much about team spirit....

nuff said, goodbyez

 

[MyHeartIsYours]

Stargazer, not our fault if you've got outdated music taste! How are we supposed to have any larger stage with all the 14,000 athletes gathered on the stadium floor? :? What would you have proposed we do differently? :? As I have said countless times, the 'show' was in the opening ceremony, the 'celebration' was last night, and that's what we did. The press from around the world has been so supportive of us, not least the Aussies, who've said that finally they've managed to pass the 'greatness' of Sydney on to somebody else. I love them.

 

[Stargazer]

Stargazer, not our fault if you've got outdated music taste! How are we supposed to have any larger stage with all the 14,000 athletes gathered on the stadium floor? :? What would you have proposed we do differently? :? As I have said countless times, the 'show' was in the opening ceremony, the 'celebration' was last night, and that's what we did. The press from around the world has been so supportive of us, not least the Aussies, who've said that finally they've managed to pass the 'greatness' of Sydney on to somebody else. I love them.

Well maybe the athletes could have spread out towards the edges of the stadium, like along the track or something? Or, they could have had lots of stuff happening on the walkways that were separating all the athletes and along the track. More than just trucks going around at least. Just something. It wasn't really a celebration, just a rock concert.

I don't know. Since the opening ceremony was so fantastic and the best one I've ever seen, I thought the closing would be equally epic, if not more. I guess my expectations were way too high.

 

[MyHeartIsYours]

Well no because the track was part of the set with cars going around... and I doubt very much that 14,000 people could fit on an athletics track. The set was a massive Union Flag made out of newspaper headlines - showcasing our flag and our world-renowned media, and the athletes stood in the 'Scottish' bits of the flag. And isnt a music concert a celebration?? Most people I know would term it as being if they went to one to mark a special occasion. I dont know what you were expecting, c'mon, share with us what you were expecting?? :?
This is what some of the Olympians tweeted during the ceremony, and this makes me feel assured that we got it just spot on!
"What a way to close the Olympics! Such an amazing night with so many super stars! Good luck to Brazil 2016!!"
"What a great closing ceremonies, amazing finish to a great Olympics. So proud to have represented our amazing country, GO CANADA GO!"
"Such a great show to end #london2012 Dressed in our finest jean jackets we rocked out to some pretty amazing performers!"
"That jean jacket got lots of attention at closing ceremonies. Volunteers and aussies loving it. Swiss guy gave up 2 of his jackets for it!"
"#closingceremony one of the greatest moments of my life!Well done #GreatBritain,a great Olympic games & gr8 sendoff to Brazil"
"World. Rocked. #closingceremonies"
"Spice girls!!!!! THAT JUST MADE MY LIFE!!!!"

Part of the American anger at the Closing Ceremony is that NBC cut The Who and the fireworks from the ceremony and put on Animal Practice, they've got thousands of complaints.

 

[Stargazer]

Yeah I was wondering why everything was covered in newspapers. Made no sense to me, but I didn't know it was supposed to represent the media.

Like I said, I expected a show. I usually don't watch the closing ceremonies so I don't know what previous ones have been like, and I didn't know beforehand it was going to be just a concert. Had I known, I wouldn't have sat there hoping for something to actually happen, since I wouldn't have watched it at all. You did such a great job with the opening ceremony that I expected something similar for the closing ceremony. That is all.

It makes sense the Olympians enjoyed it so much. Even I would probably have enjoyed it had I been there, being amongst all the athletes down on the stadium floor, right in the middle of everything.

 

[MyHeartIsYours]

The London 2012 Olympic Games have been the most watched and succesful television in the history of the United States of America . 219 million viewers watched the Olympics in NBC, for which the broadcaster paid $1.8 billion for the television rights.

 

[rajo]

Yeah I was wondering why everything was covered in newspapers. Made no sense to me, but I didn't know it was supposed to represent the media.

Those newspapers contained a lot of important messages.... :?

 

[Sean]

Those newspapers contained a lot of important messages.... :?

"Change the record"?

 

[aletem]

I liked the closing. It was very nice, fun and enjoyable!! Congrats to Britain for being third on the Olympic medal table. Canada didn't do such a good job this year, earning only 1 gold (compared to the 14 in Vancouver 2 years ago, being ahead of the States and Germany), but what's there is there and there is plenty of room for improvement.

 

[vatroslav_cro]

Olympic games 2012 were superb! I enjoyed almost all disciplines. My country reached 6 medals in total: three golds - discus throw female - Sandra Perković, then in shooting - moving trap, Giovanni Cernogoraz and water-polo team; one silver - men's team quadruple sculls and two bronzes - men's handball team, and taekwondo, cathegory -49 kg, Lucija Zaninović. It was our best result since 1992. and we are ranked 25th on the medal table. Welll done!

 

[MyHeartIsYours]

Nice map!

 

[Farahim]

Congrats uk . It was great host and congrats my country ...We got 10 medals

 

[Farahim]

The London 2012 Olympic Games have been the most watched and succesful television in the history of the United States of America . 219 million viewers watched the Olympics in NBC, for which the broadcaster paid $1.8 billion for the television rights.

Congrats buddy )