Beijing Olympic 2008

[Venti de Milo]

I'm surprised there's no thread about this big event...what's the matter, not a sporty bunch?

I can't wait for the opening ceremony. It's going to be the best ever for sure.

I'm rooting for China to win it all because I'm just so sick of the Western media only showing the negatives about China. Instead of talking about how great the facilities are, how much work China has put into this event and how welcoming the Chinese is to the world...all the media talks about is the smog and human rights. What the heck does that have to do with the sport? Sure, China doesn't have good human rights record....but it's their internal affair. How do the Canadians feel if the Chinese keep telling us to let Quebec to be independent? Are we ok with that? Imagine the whole media will be focusing on the First Native and Quebec separation and seal hunt and the oil sands in Vancouver 2010? And the smog? Well, it's all due to the manufactures from the Western world. The Western world wants cheap labor so they move there, then they bitch about how bad that place is? You can't have it both way! The Western media almost hope that China will fail in this game with days after days of negative news about China.

I know that China will all prove the media wrong and stage the best show ever. I hope they will win all.

And Harper is just a shameful loser for not going to give face to another country and support his country's athletes.

 

[afransen]

all the media talks about is the smog and human rights. What the heck does that have to do with the sport?

To be fair, the smog has a lot to do with the sports... The smog levels in Beijing are high enough to be a significant concern for anyone who has to perform at such a high level.

How do the Canadians feel if the Chinese keep telling us to let Quebec to be independent?

Quebeckers are not rioting in the streets, nor is the government trying to suppress Quebecois culture by importing millions of anglos.

 

[Hydrogen]

I'm surprised there's no thread about this big event...what's the matter, not a sporty bunch?

I can't wait for the opening ceremony. It's going to be the best ever for sure.

I'm rooting for China to win it all because I'm just so sick of the Western media only showing the negatives about China. Instead of talking about how great the facilities are, how much work China has put into this event and how welcoming the Chinese is to the world...all the media talks about is the smog and human rights. What the heck does that have to do with the sport? Sure, China doesn't have good human rights record....but it's their internal affair. How do the Canadians feel if the Chinese keep telling us to let Quebec to be independent? Are we ok with that? Imagine the whole media will be focusing on the First Native and Quebec separation and seal hunt and the oil sands in Vancouver 2010? And the smog? Well, it's all due to the manufactures from the Western world. The Western world wants cheap labor so they move there, then they bitch about how bad that place is? You can't have it both way! The Western media almost hope that China will fail in this game with days after days of negative news about China.

I know that China will all prove the media wrong and stage the best show ever. I hope they will win all.

And Harper is just a shameful loser for not going to give face to another country and support his country's athletes.

No, not sporty for your kind of sport.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

16 days of no sleep for me! I'll probably watch as much tv in the next two weeks as I will for the next entire year.

 

[CGM]

all the media talks about is the smog and human rights.

Many athletes have reported becoming sick with respiratory problems... infact some have had to drop out of certain events ... I think that is news worthy.

China doesn't have good human rights record....but it's their internal affair.

You're joking... right?

How do the Canadians feel if the Chinese keep telling us to let Quebec to be independent?

Tibet does not want independence... and we have a process where people can speak their mind and vote for seperation without having to worry about torture or execution

Imagine the whole media will be focusing on the First Native and Quebec separation and seal hunt and the oil sands in Vancouver 2010?

Don't ask for the spot light if you have sores you want to hide... You can't have it both ways.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

Many athletes have reported becoming sick with respiratory problems... infact some have had to drop out of certain events ... I think that is news worthy.

I wonder how much tougher this Olympics will be on dopers. New regulations and tests would certainly prompt some athletes to drop out and smog provides the perfect excuse to ostensibly withdraw for "respiratory problems"...Kenteris and Thanou withdrew in 2004 due to their "motorcycle accident," remember.

 

[CGM]

^.. You don't need smog as an excuse... you can always blame a tendon... These are legit effects and concerns.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

^.. You don't need smog as an excuse... you can always blame a tendon... These are legit effects and concerns.

Yeah, but a tendon would put the medical spotlight on you and that's the last thing dopers want...better to blame "the smog" (cough, cough, I'm so disappointed, I'll be back for 2012) and not even show up in Beijing (or fly back home before anyone notices).

 

[jn_12]

One thing for certain is that not one of the athletes caught doping will be Chinese.

As for the games, I'm on the fence. I was a serious athlete myself so I understand what these people go through and the sacrifices they make. I respect them for it and have a great appreciation for what they can do. However, I'm not a big fan of the whole "every 4 years we care" attitude our media has, and I'm also not a fan of the IOC. I'll be watching events showing world class athletes and I can't say I'll watch them again until London in 2012. So it's hard to get excited about that.

 

[Venti de Milo]

To be fair, the smog has a lot to do with the sports... The smog levels in Beijing are high enough to be a significant concern for anyone who has to perform at such a high level.

Not the Chinese athletes. Ya, like the 6 Americans wearing masks when arriving in the airport right? Ya, SIX people, and of course, it's on the front page here.

Quebeckers are not rioting in the streets, nor is the government trying to suppress Quebecois culture by importing millions of anglos.

But they still want independent. The protest right now in China is to let the Tibet to be independence. All I see is that it's none of our business.

And who started the riot first? The Tibetans and the western supporters. Lots of Chinese died because of their riots. Of course, all the western media see is that...ok blame it on the Chinese.

As for the Human Rights...look at all the nations marching out, I would bet half of them have worse human rights then China!

 

[Venti de Milo]

One thing for certain is that not one of the athletes caught doping will be Chinese.

Typical anti-China accusation. It has not happened yet but such statement just prove my point!

Oh, and what about the Americans huh? Heard of Marion Jones? And the recent 4x4 men? They won so many golds and never got caught until now...oh, big f... deal now that they got caught.

 

[CGM]

The protest right now in China is to let the Tibet to be independence. All I see is that it's none of our business.

The Daila Lama does NOT want independence. And the problem is NOT whether Tibet should be independent. It is about China's repressive and uncivilized reaction.
Nobody said the Chinese government is the only one that lags in civility... But they asked for the spotlight... If you don't want the attention, then don't ask for it.

 

[smuncky]

the opening ceremony was amazing!

i liked those moving squares performance the most. i can only imagine how hard that was to do. the drums at the beginning were also cool. btw, that scroll on the ground, was that made out of LEDs or something of that sort? i also thought the torch lighting was very original as well.

those fireworks sure helped to improve the air quality.

 

[Jayomatic]

I'm just waiting to see the American media bitch and complain about the size of the olympic flame and how its polluting the world.

 

[PukeGreen]

Wow, those opening ceremonies were FANTASTIC!

I wish China all the best with these Olympics, and I hope the focus remains on the athletes who have trained for years for their few seconds in the sun. China is changing at a rapid pace, but it is not a Western country. Countries like Canada, the US, and in Europe need to lead by example, not by preaching. It is indeed hypocritical of Canadians to criticise China's environmental record when we ourselves are the biggest per-capita emitters of greenhouse gases. Likewise, it is hypocritical of the US to criticize China's human rights record when they are imprisoning thousands of people in secret jails around the world -- indefinitely without trial -- and regularly torturing them.

However, China does have serious human rights and environmental issues, and to ignore them or suggest they should be absolved from all criticism for the duration of the Olympics is not sensible. When you join the international community, you are taking on the responsibilities as well as the benefits.

Imagine the whole media will be focusing on the First Native and Quebec separation and seal hunt and the oil sands in Vancouver 2010?

There have already been protests about these issues, and I'm sure they will continue to become more prominent as the 2010 Olympics approach. However, the Canadian government will suck it up and let those people have their voice. There will be no major operation months and year in advance to sweep up all those who are opposed to the games and jail or exile them to remote parts of the country.

How do the Canadians feel if the Chinese keep telling us to let Quebec to be independent?

Quebec voluntarily joined Canada as a partner in Confederation in 1867; the rest of Canada did not invade them. Quebeckers were then given several opportunities to vote on their own independence in free and fair referendums. Both times they voted (by a slim margin) to remain in Canada. Had they not, a legal, political and peaceful process for separation would have gone ahead. The situation in Tibet is not analagous.