MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Can the Olympics re-brand Britain?
By Andrew Hammond (*) With London 2012 proving a once-in-a-generation global showcase for Britain, a key uncertainty nonetheless remains over whether a substantial, meaningful legacy can be secured in future years from hosting the games. Given that the official public cost of the Olympics is some 9.3 billion pounds (a figure Parliament believes is nearer 11 billion pounds, and Sky News estimates to be a staggering 24 billion pounds) this is a key question, especially as Britain languishes in a double dip recession. Read full article
Comments
Disclaimer & comment rulesWho cares about the legacy. The games were great, they always are.
Aug 08th, 2012 - 11:12 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@1 Britain has nothing to prove, the brits have done the olympics and themselves proud yet again, could many other countries have made this claim, even without global economic hardship??
Aug 09th, 2012 - 12:02 am - Link - Report abuse 0some countries dont even let their tards have financial freedom
or they promise their tards land thats isnt theirs to passify them and keep its own tards in poverty while they steal their savings, how do you care for that legacy??
If you want the best,
Aug 09th, 2012 - 12:03 am - Link - Report abuse 0You have to be the best,
All the rest is sour grapes .
.
London is already a city of Heritage for hundreds of millions around the world. Britain did a good thing by staying out of the euro fiasco, that in itself is enough branding for a western european nation.
Aug 09th, 2012 - 01:14 am - Link - Report abuse 0The Brits booed our national anthem, they have yet again prooved that they are the same as ever...
Aug 09th, 2012 - 07:49 am - Link - Report abuse 05
Aug 09th, 2012 - 09:19 am - Link - Report abuse 0You are mistaken, the Argentine National Anthem and Argentine Athletes have been respected throughout the London Olympics.
I don't think he's misteken - he's just lied about it. I'm pretty sure we'd have heard about it from more auspicious sources than Guzz had it happened.
Aug 09th, 2012 - 10:00 am - Link - Report abuse 0Guzz #5.
Aug 09th, 2012 - 10:01 am - Link - Report abuse 0You know this is untrue ...
and if you don't know this, take it from me because I know it did not happen.
Neither did the British burn you national flag or hide it from the world's media.
@5 ok fuzz, at which event?? back your claim up, because i dont remember Argtards winning a lot of GOLD (unlike GB) if any, to have your national anthem played, unless you mean before a match? you havent been in many so it should be easy? and i take it you have video of brits booing Argtards?
Aug 09th, 2012 - 11:39 am - Link - Report abuse 0thought not.....to my disappointment nobody has been booed and Argentina have been treated with the same respect as all other nations a respect it does NOT deserve. The UK has something argtards lack.....thats right dignity.
@5 Where are you from today? Strange that no journalists appear to have noticed. Were you outside getting your fix?
Aug 09th, 2012 - 12:27 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Let me see... London...
Aug 09th, 2012 - 12:31 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Bloody ‘ell only come to my mind knife stabbing, dirtiness, inefficiency, unsafe busses from 1963 still running, old cabs, flat buildings, bad weather, kebabs, bad food, streets that seem to be the 3er world and economy collapse.
Well I guess that didn’t work the re-brand stuff.
Why don’t you burn the whole thing and try to build something really good and modern?
Ah! I forgot that poor Britons have no money and that they are very lazy.
@5 Guzz
Aug 09th, 2012 - 12:55 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“The Brits booed our national anthem, they have yet again prooved that they are the same as ever...”
You are totally wrong guzzy boy, lets get this right, we didn't boo your national anthem. we booed one of your arrogant football players when his picture came on the big screen.
Try not to make up crap.
@2 PirateLove
Aug 09th, 2012 - 01:41 pm - Link - Report abuse 0You have lost me. I simply said, the games were a great success, that is what matters. I care not what their legacy maybe.
@11 i guess the olympic committee seen something in london that you didnt, but please carry on but this time tell us about the great place that is argentina while i search google for dirt to see what its really like :)
Aug 09th, 2012 - 02:03 pm - Link - Report abuse 0whats this..... rapes, murders, kidnaps, robbery.......... well blow me, Fuzz, Argentina is like every other country in the world, who would have guessed that, the only difference is Argentine crime is state sponsored!
@1 being british i do care about the legacy as it was mine and millions of others taxes that paid for the event, i would like to think britain will benefit from the olympics for many years to come.
@ PirateLove
Aug 09th, 2012 - 03:50 pm - Link - Report abuse 0May be they saw 9.3 billion pounds coming from more debt that you will have to pay?
The legacy is above I guess AKA more debt a little high of sugar and then all would be the same.
Panis et circensis like in Romans times previous to the collapse.
@5 - Guzz
Aug 09th, 2012 - 04:10 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Uruguay hasn't won a gold medal, so how could 'your' national anthem have been booed?
Unless you are now admitting that you are Argentinian? But even then, Argentina has only won a bronze, thus far, so again no national anthem to be booed.
Perhaps you missed the opening ceremony where the crowd gave the Argentinian team a big cheer.
Somehow if the situation were reversed an the Games held in Argentina, I would suspect that the Argentinian crowd would boo.
The British aren't like that. We respect every athlete who made it to the Olympics, because it takes a lot of hard work and determination just to qualify. Winning medals isn't that important in the long run, I mean it's great when your country wins a medal, especially gold, but that's just the icing on the cake for these athletes.
Just so you don't get confused here's the medal count for 'your' two countries.
Argentina = 1 bronze (so far)
Uruguay = 0 (so far)
Now Guzz, just where are you from? Uruguay? Argentina?
@16 the national anthem is played prior to football matches, they weren't booing at the National anthem they were booing at an arrogant Uraguan player.
Aug 09th, 2012 - 04:56 pm - Link - Report abuse 0http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/soccer-dirty-tackle/luis-suarez-thinks-people-jeer-him-because-fear-025531623--sow.html
Guzz is just trying to twist things.
Just to add, when the Argentine stood for his bronze medal for tennis there were cheers of congratulation, no booing, no Falklands remarks, just cheers, I was quite glad when it happened as booing would have reduced us to their level.
“I mean it's great when your country wins a medal, especially gold”
Aug 09th, 2012 - 05:12 pm - Link - Report abuse 0They'll have to take your word on that one by the looks of things.
Brits booed Uruguays national anthem before the GB - Uruguay game in football, no matter your excuses...
Aug 09th, 2012 - 06:46 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@19 And in the latest breaking news:
Aug 09th, 2012 - 08:13 pm - Link - Report abuse 0GB - 24 GOLD, 13 Silver, 14 Bronze
Arg - 0 0 1
Uru - Who?
Swimming, shooting and running with a stick does not interest me, sorry. Its football and there's other sports. The other sports are for the ones that failed at football...
Aug 09th, 2012 - 08:18 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@19 but fuzz you said we booed Argentina make your fookin mind up, has it even entered your head that elements in the crowd(man u fans) may have been booing suarez? his racist comment to evra is still raw in the UK it was naughty and im a liverpool fan. do you honestly believe britain is out to get Argtards at the olympics, on the performance ive seen Argentina are being treated the with respect along with every other country, its not our fault your 5hit.
Aug 09th, 2012 - 11:08 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Pirate
Aug 10th, 2012 - 06:18 am - Link - Report abuse 0I never said you booed Arg, I said you booed my country. That you have decided where I'm fom is not my fault...
Don't blaim racism, you translate your prejudices into our language and galls us racist. In your multi cultural world there is a place for all colours except black, and we are the racists. Why don't you boo Terry?
Oh! Here we go again with more Brit hypocrisy.
Aug 10th, 2012 - 06:24 am - Link - Report abuse 0Booing anthems is every day practice in Britain even among them.
“God Save the Queen was booed before England played football against Wales at the stadium in March 2011”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-19062799
So no big deal but a have a dream like MLK to see one day Brits to become civilised because I still believe in miracles. Like this little mouse.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-19062799
Can I be so wrong?
Booing an overt racist who is allowed to compete in the Olympics of the world's nations is somewhat different from 'booing a national anthem'.
Aug 10th, 2012 - 10:05 am - Link - Report abuse 0This could be avoided by introducing the individuals when the anthem is NOT being played. That way Guzz will not be confused.
Anybody - in fact all 50,000 people in the stadium - could be invited to express their disgust with racists without offending 'national sensitivities' during ceremonials.
We could do the same with convicted performance-enhancing-drug-takers, where the audiences could again be given the official opportunity to express their disgust.
These two things could go a long way to stamping out these unacceptable habits, and might give the Olympic committee the balls to stand up to 'human rights' arguments.
“This could be avoided by introducing the individuals when the anthem is NOT being played. That way Guzz will not be confused.”
Aug 10th, 2012 - 11:14 am - Link - Report abuse 0Excellent idea. It was not Uruguay being booed but a very unpopular player with a reputation for racism and unsportsmanlike behaviour.
As for John Terry, despite being found not guilty of racism in a court of law, I suspect he will endure a lot of negative heckling when the season starts in nine days time. Footie fans are tribal, basic and not known for being forgiving.
Nobody booed the Uruguay anthem, I was there, all I heard was the music. Not enough people to make the words stand out. Must just be a dodgy TV set.
Aug 10th, 2012 - 02:10 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I alongside many other people, including Swiss and Mexicans - the previous game, you buy the ticket and it covers both games, some just turned up for GB but I watched both - booed Suarez, he's a disgusting racist who shouldn't have been allowed to participate, I would have booed anyone who was a proven racist. It goes against what the games are about.
Suarez racist? You people demonize every word that deroves from Latins Niger ( black), and we are the racists. Go shovel your hipocrisy up where it belongs. FA is a jester court with no legal jurisdiction, so that much for your 'proven'...
Aug 10th, 2012 - 07:14 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Finally, when another nations anthem is being played, you shut up and show respect, anything else is lack of the same. Bloody common sense...
Im surprised that your anthem was even played, having won no medals and all...
Aug 10th, 2012 - 07:56 pm - Link - Report abuse 0You can bitch about us all you like. At least we don't attack south american embassies in crowds and burn your flags. Boo'ing is nothing compared to physical violence against another nation.
I wont bitch about you, you guys seem to handle it quite good yourselves. I'm merely pointing out that you are, generally speaking, made of the same crap as before the olympics and no rebranding is needed...
Aug 11th, 2012 - 08:18 am - Link - Report abuse 0You're boring.
Aug 11th, 2012 - 11:22 am - Link - Report abuse 0You might say that the UK is the alchemist's dream ... transforming black, white and brown material into Gold, Silver & Bronze.
Aug 11th, 2012 - 12:53 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Look and learn, my South American friends ... especially my Brasilian colleagues who will have to learn the same trick in 4 year's time.
Learn what? Mexico won the tournament...
Aug 11th, 2012 - 06:47 pm - Link - Report abuse 0A bunch of medals on sports that noone even knew existed is not a great achievement...
Thanks for responding to my tease, Guzz.
Aug 12th, 2012 - 09:43 am - Link - Report abuse 0With respect *just to* Men's Football at the 2012 London World Olympics, Mexico certainly played well throughout the tournament and, in the final match, the team-play out-played Brasil's flair - which faltered.
My serious message is to Brasil. 'Look and learn' is sensible guidance.
London has done this at all recent Olympics, especially Beijing and Atlanta. The result is:
(i) a safe Games,
(ii) a happy and friendly Games,
(iii) a Games for the 'common man' (unlike Beijing),
(iv) a logistically successful Games,
(v) a Games well planned and with its national and local Games infrastructures built in a timely fashion.
London's 'failures' have been:
(i) in G4S, private security ..... made good by the British armed forces, who showed the human face of the British soldier in peacetime.
(ii) in ticket sales .... where the allocations of tickets to the world's national teams meant blocks of seats unfilled when they failed to turn up. These blocks were filled in part by local, on the day allocations.
(iii) Playing the South Korean anthem for North Korea. Unforgivable!
Yes, there is so much for Brasil to learn ... and I know personally how deficient is the Brasilian transport infrastructure.
There is so much for all countries to learn:
... in communications. This is the first internet Games, where results and messages transmit between the peoples of the world and the participants instantly. Nothing will be the same from now on.
... in security and safety. The subtle ability to protect and defend the world's visitors effectively but with pleasantness.
... in using the talents of the whole world to build the Olympic edifices .. and then to dismantle and scale them down so they can be used 'in perpetuity' for sport and the communities.
... in budget management. Recognising that the cost and benefit balance is not simply a matter of dollars; ensuring that accounts are real, and that the Games are not corrupt money-making.
What? Brazil is not UK, and should they do things differently, you are not the one to decide what's wrong and what's right. You aren't sitting on any solution, you know...
Aug 12th, 2012 - 06:17 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Annie Lennox
Aug 12th, 2012 - 11:02 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“I've been preparing for my performance during the Great British Symphony at the closing ceremony for the Olympics for quite some time, but was sworn to secrecy and had to keep it under wraps. I'm so proud of the whole production team, who've done the most exceptional job!
The mood here is that everyone has been blown away by the uplift of the last two weeks...
We can all celebrate the breathtaking achievements of all the athletes who took part, and be proud to belong to a democratic country and culture which despite it's faults, is fundamentally inclusive.. open minded ...diverse ...and pretty much is a great place to belong to.”
The handover to Brasil gave the world a 'taster' of what it means to be Brasilian or to live in Brasil.
Outstanding, even to those who only viewed it with no understanding of Brasilian culture and had never heard, or heard of, Vila Lobos.
Though I am proud to be British, I have so much love for this crazy country called BRASIL.
Four years time, my Mercopress friends ..... see you all in Rio!!!
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