does anyone really care about the Olympics?

[dougmac]

It's sports. It's competition. It's watching some of the greatest athletes in the world competing against each other. Yeah I'm interested.

I guess its just events me and most of my friends don't care about. It's weird that most people wouldn't watch these on a regular basis but will tune in every fourth year.

[BAMF]

I look forward to them. It only happens once every 4 years...it's just enough of a gap to make me care about Badminton, which is an obsession whenever the Olympics happen, heh.

[Briomega]

I guess its just events me and most of my friends don't care about. It's weird that most people wouldn't watch these on a regular basis but will tune in every fourth year.

They aren't aired on television or maybe they would. Or if they are, it's usually on ESPN Nobody Watches That Channel.

[silverboy]

Couldn't care less.

[KSChris]

Are those trustworthy numbers though, they are from the network shelling out for them. I just remember when the bidding happened no one even came close to their overbid. Plus other than my mother, I don't ever hear anyone talking about them unless its a cheating contraversy.

The numbers are from the wiki page for it, but I'm sure at least the 30.4 mil/night number is from Nielsen, not NBC. So yes, about as trustworthy as any other ratings number.

[dougmac]

They aren't aired on television or maybe they would. Or if they are, it's usually on ESPN Nobody Watches That Channel.

They are on tv, but they are on the ESPN or FOX sports channels that people don't pay a lot of attention to because no one cares enough to watch.

[Weeto]

I'm really excited about the first Olympics to be held in Britain for 64 years and I can't wait for the games.

I'm not going to London but BBC are running regular coverage along with TWENTY FOUR additonal channels of coverage, each featuring a sport of their own.

I've loved the last few Olympics because GB have become a world power again and were ahead of Russia in the standings for almost the whole event until they went past us into third place at the last Olympics in Bejing.

I think Team GB will win at least 25 gold meals for their best medal count in living memory. They won 56 golds back in 1908 but the events nowadays are far too competitive for a repeat of that. In 1908 many events were basically Britain vs somebody else in a final anyway and we were guaranteed at least silver.

I think we'll stage the games well and it should be a great games. The BBC will provide great coverage on TV. BBC can provide quality that no other network can match when they put effort into it.

Britain is ready to host the world and I can't wait to see it happening.

[KSChris]

I guess its just events me and most of my friends don't care about. It's weird that most people wouldn't watch these on a regular basis but will tune in every fourth year.

It's the spectacle and pride of it, and that the Olympics are more important than some shit on ESPN8: The Ocho.

It's the same reason Americans don't really care about soccer until the World Cup comes around, and all of a sudden everyone is hosting parties in bars and screaming "USA!" everywhere.

[dougmac]

It's the spectacle and pride of it, and that the Olympics are more important than some shit on ESPN8: The Ocho.

It's the same reason Americans don't really care about soccer until the World Cup comes around, and all of a sudden everyone is hosting parties in bars and screaming "USA!" everywhere.

I think soccer would do better if the US had a better league and a better chance for success. MLS pales in comparison to many foreign leagues.
I do see what you mean though.

[Your Pal, Carl]

So why do England, Wales and Scotland compete together in the Olympics but separately in International Football? Do they compete together in other events?

This has always bugged me.