I know I will be probably get shot putted down in flames for saying this, but – much as I have been riveted to the marvellous BBC coverage – thirteen days in and I am now desperate for a good drama or some other programme that doesn’t involve people exerting themselves and flaunting their six packs.
There can be too much of a good thing – and the 2012 Olympics is a very, very good thing. But I am now saturated with stats, sweaty athletes and that ubiquitous view of the Orbit.
There is a teeny drop of sour grape juice here I will freely admit, because I’ve spent quite a lot of my precious time on the official 2012 website and been unable to find any tickets – especially not those for £20.12. Bit galling when you see so many empty seats. Amazingly, some were available for the Closing Ceremony at £1500 but we decided to pass on those and go on holiday to Italy instead.
What interests me more now, is the legacy of the Games. First there’s the Olympic Park – which will be renamed as Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park once the Games are over – which will bring a much needed breath of fresh air to east London with thousands of new affordable houses and acres of new parkland. Secondly, there will hopefully be a more educated, respectful and inclusive attitude towards disabled people after the paralympics. Next, am in total agreement with Annabel about overpaid, underachieving, ill mannered footballers – the Olympic athletes have put them to shame by showing the world how real sportsmen and women behave: gracious in defeat, well mannered, and engendering respect for themselves and their chosen sports. That will be something that hopefully we will all remember for a long, long time. And fingers crossed that the sport bug will inspire at least some of our disaffected teenagers who might now redirect their frustrations into positive energy by taking up one of the many sports that have been given a real boost by that red button on the TV. And perhaps, just perhaps, they might even choose to play croquet in Rio if Annabel gets her way!
I’ll leave you with this glimpse of my last training session, Grace x
Lol. I put out a tentative comment on twitter yesterday, along the lines of….would it be treason to say I’m just a teensy bit tired of sport now?
The unanimous answer was YES, it would! (at least it confirms my followers actually read my tweets!)
It’s nice to know I’m not alone in the craving of a good drama. I’ve enjoyed much of the olympics, tolerated some of it, been bored to tears by a fair bit of it and hated the rest. AlphaMale, on the other hand, has been glued to every single game, race, ride and match. I have taken to clandestine viewings of The Wire and Sopranos in the wee hours whilst Team GB are snoring in their village, with chunks of gold, silver and bronze stuffed under their pillows.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m proud of our athletes and our country. The stadiums look amazing and even the weather has put in a fair effort. But, seriously, not even ONE DAY OFF? I expect the athletes could do with a day vegging in front of a good old box set.
Aha! Great minds think alike! Seriously, I was delighted to read your comment as I was beginning to think I was the only one in the entire world who was getting Olympics fatigue. Thanks for letting me know there are at least two of us! Grace x
p.s. Just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Sopranos