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Paris 2024 Olympics - one's to watch?

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Lucan Unlordly

Lucan Unlordly

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Feb 24, 2009
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Back in 1972 - during school holiday - I watched 3 full weeks of TV, every available event including the double 100m and 200m Gold winning exploits of Russian (Ukrainian) sprinter Valeriy Borzov. I absolutely loved the Olympics....

I say loved as I'm really struggling to identify most major sportsmen and women now. Apart from Peaty in the swimming and Daley in the diving I'm at a loss.

Who's watching and who to look out for?
 
I can't remember an Olympics before that has been as lowkey and less hyped as this one.

Is it because there are so few well known British names in the main events, The BBC have lost the main licensing rights, or we are just old boomers?

Only real athletes I know of are Dina Asher-Smith, Keely Hodgkinson, katarina johnson-thompson
 
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I’d watch these olympics:

xkcd.com

Olympic Sports

xkcd.com xkcd.com

Really couldn’t care less about the olympics. But I feel the same way about most sports.
 
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fisicx said:
I’d watch these olympics:

xkcd.com

Olympic Sports

xkcd.com xkcd.com

Really couldn’t care less about the olympics. But I feel the same way about most sports.
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I always find it strange that some folk have zero interest in certain subjects. Maybe because I find an interest in everything as opposed to an obsession with a single particular hobby.

A mate of mine has zero interest in music of any kind be it on the radio, TV a show or festival, live band, busker etc., Another who I'd always assumed would have an interest in history can't stand the subject. This despite an ability to restore just about anything put in front of him.
 
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Everything that interests me are things I get involved in. I’d rather take part than just watch. Just watching someone running, kicking a ball or sploshing about in water I find boring. I admire those that can but it’s not something I want to watch.
 
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I heard that the opening ceremony was going to be different so was going to watch a bit of that. I watch 1 minute of it.

I have not watched the Olympics for years. Probably the one in China in 2008 was the last one I watched. That stadium was maginificant. And some of the London Olympics in 2012.
 
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I enjoy the olympics, but pretty much only worry about the higher/faster/longer events. As soon as I need a judge to tell me that one person has jumped into a swimming pool in a prettier way than another, I switch off.

We've just won gold in trampolining. What next, silver in hoop and stick?
 
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I think the reason why nobody really knows our olympians is most of them are quite young, the last generation have generally retired.

But I have heard of a few more than you mention @Lucan Unlordly and @UKSBD

Max whitlock, Andy murray (although that might be a cop out), Jake Jarman for example. Probably one or 2 of the golfers and other tennis players too.

I have watched quite a bit of these Olympics, I have a 7 year old and she has enjoyed watching the gymnastics and horses (probably not the technical names). I dont really know many of the athletes, but its been nice to sit and watch some new sports with my daughter, nothing has really grabbed her attention though.

Its interesting to see none of our boxers have gone in there with big media attention behind them. I am quite into boxing and this seems to be the first time that has not happened since maybe Amir Khan.

Although I think we have to have a gold for the best named athlete...(When is Christmas?)...Cindy Sember
 
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tony84 said:
Its interesting to see none of our boxers have gone in there with big media attention behind them.
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Said by some to be the weakest team sent to an Olympics for many a year. A little harsh but not a lot worth shouting about? Operational and political reasons have been put forward for the lack of qualifiers.
 
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Lucan Unlordly said:
Said by some to be the weakest team sent to an Olympics for many a year. A little harsh but not a lot worth shouting about? Operational and political reasons have been put forward for the lack of qualifiers.
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Its difficult, 2 of my mates were boxers. One was British and European champion and had a few fights in america including a world title fight against Pauli Magginalli. Hes not rich, infact arguably he is no better off than if he had been a labourer on a building site - but obvioulsy without the stories and memories.

His younger brother went down the route of the olympics as he seen Amir Khan, Anthony Joshua and a few of ther others getting a good boost to help them sell tickets. But he lost his first fight in the Olympics (he 100% deserved to win the fight) and so he came out of the Olympics with again nothing more than a story, he did not have a queue of promoters wanting to hand a million pound cheque or new followers. Instead of earning money as a boxer he stayed amateur.

So I wonder whether the bias of the judges affected how these fighters thought about their futures. Do they hope for the boost the olympics can give or just get on with it?
 
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I saw the end of a sailing race a couple of days ago where the TV graphic superimposed on the water showing the finish line was actually put in the wrong place. Some boats headed for the actual finish line and others headed toward the one where the graphic was. Total turmoil. It was fortunate that the leading boat went to the actual finish line and it did not mess up the gold medal place, but it was a bit of a farce.
 
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Gecko001 said:
I saw the end of a sailing race a couple of days ago where the TV graphic superimposed on the water showing the finish line was actually put in the wrong place. Some boats headed for the actual finish line and others headed toward the one where the graphic was. Total turmoil. It was fortunate that the leading boat went to the actual finish line and it did not mess up the gold medal place, but it was a bit of a farce.
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Why would the boat racers be watching it on TV? Not surprising they did not win haha.
 
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I just read a written report on the race. It seems that the TV graphics were at the correct place. The Netherlands boat went to the wrong finish line, but realised their mistake after they had stopped celebrating their "win", turned quickly and managed to get to the actual finish line just in time to grab the gold. The commentator thought that they had awarded the gold to the Swedish boat as they were celebrating. The camera angles were too close up to notice the Netherlands just nicking it. The BBC coverage I saw cut away to another event before this could be cleared up.
 
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Gecko001 said:
The BBC coverage I saw cut away to another event before this could be cleared up.
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The BBC only have a licence to show 2 live events at a time and also have a policy of showing all GB medal wins.

Apparently, the same thing happened during the tennis final and they jumped to the gymnastics at a crucial time in the tennis.

To be fair they can't win. outbid the other channels they would be accused of wasting licence payers' money.

Not jump to a Brit winning a medal they would be chastised for that.
 
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UKSBD said:
The BBC only have a licence to show 2 live events at a time and also have a policy of showing all GB medal wins.

Apparently, the same thing happened during the tennis final and they jumped to the gymnastics at a crucial time in the tennis.

To be fair they can't win. outbid the other channels they would be accused of wasting licence payers' money.

Not jump to a Brit winning a medal they would be chastised for that.
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To be honest I have quite enjoyed it.
They seem to have covered everything or at least everything I would have expected them to as a general viewer.

As you say, if they spend too much or miss something important they get slated so they seem to have done a decent job.
 
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tony84 said:
Its difficult, 2 of my mates were boxers. One was British and European champion and had a few fights in america including a world title fight against Pauli Magginalli. Hes not rich, infact arguably he is no better off than if he had been a labourer on a building site - but obvioulsy without the stories and memories.
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Was it Sam Egerton? stopped Malanagi in the 8th and sent him into retirement

Did you know that only 5 per cent of all professional boxers actually make enough money to live off ?
 
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Lucan Unlordly said:
What's his name?
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JEREMY HAWKE said:
Was it Sam Egerton? stopped Malanagi in the 8th and sent him into retirement

Did you know that only 5 per cent of all professional boxers actually make enough money to live off ?
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No the lad I know is John Murray, his brother was Joe. He lost against Mallinagi, Mallinaggi was overweight though.

I can believe it, I know in the early days they had to sell their own tickets. Even as time went on they were still trying to sell them. Unless you get Sky into you or even ITV at the time, the money after you had paid your ring men, manager etc was not great.

But at the same time, he got to fight in Las Vegas and Maddison Square gardens which in fairness not many people can say they have done. And his brother is an olympian.
 
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tony84 said:
No the lad I know is John Murray, his brother was Joe. He lost against Mallinagi, Mallinaggi was overweight though.

I can believe it, I know in the early days they had to sell their own tickets. Even as time went on they were still trying to sell them. Unless you get Sky into you or even ITV at the time, the money after you had paid your ring men, manager etc was not great.

But at the same time, he got to fight in Las Vegas and Maddison Square gardens which in fairness not many people can say they have done. And his brother is an olympian.
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That's how it works sometimes they have to pay the opponent out of tickets sells and end up making a loss to build up a record. Brad Pauls The Newquay Bomb took the British Middle weight title last month but that was after ten years of making no money .When all his mates were building businesses and investing in property!

Its the biggest mugs game going
 
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I read about this lad who has about 100 losses, he has made about £100k boxing. He does it along side his job and basically just has an enhanced sparring session with people who have had a couple of pro fights just to teach them a few things.

He has made more than some decent boxers. Its all a bit iffy really.
 
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tony84 said:
No the lad I know is John Murray, his brother was Joe. He lost against Mallinagi, Mallinaggi was overweight though.
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John fought Brandon Rios in Madison Square Garden and didn't get to box Paulie.

Paulie Malignalli contacted me to supply a pair of silver glitter boots when he was over here to fight Ricky Hatton. (Name dropping now I know😁;))
 
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tony84 said:
I read about this lad who has about 100 losses, he has made about £100k boxing. He does it along side his job and basically just has an enhanced sparring session with people who have had a couple of pro fights just to teach them a few things.

He has made more than some decent boxers. Its all a bit iffy really.
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Pro boxing is business first, business second and business third. These days they have what is known as the 100 ticket pro which basically means if you can sell a 100 tickets (actually number is 93:confused:)you'll be put in against a journeyman so you can box again in a month or so and hoodwink your friends and family again.🤣
 
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Lucan Unlordly said:
John fought Brandon Rios in Madison Square Garden and didn't get to box Paulie.

Paulie Malignalli contacted me to supply a pair of silver glitter boots when he was over here to fight Ricky Hatton. (Name dropping now I know😁;))
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At least someone knows my mates fights eh! No idea why I had his name in my head, but your right it was Rios.

Thats a good name drop in fairness. My name drops are limited to people from Corrie, Shameless and Doc Martin, not quite international sports stars.
 
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tony84 said:
I read about this lad who has about 100 losses, he has made about £100k boxing. He does it along side his job and basically just has an enhanced sparring session with people who have had a couple of pro fights just to teach them a few things.

He has made more than some decent boxers. Its all a bit iffy really.
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I think you mean Lewis Van Potch (Potchy) who fought out of Bristol and recently retired There have been a lot of write ups and podcast about him
His job was to pad records survive the fight ,not get stopped and more or less let the home fighter win and get a £1000 a fight These journey men are really important as they also save shows when fighters pull out and step in at an hours notice but if you start winning you wont get any fights

Potchy now drives a lorry in Bristol

Boxing news Journalist Tris Dixon interviewed Peter Bukley from back in the day He was a journey man with 300 fights well worth a watch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgkkjKTDyGA
 
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