Does anyone else have the feeling that these Olympics will be a disaster?

[Poiuyt]

It just seems like there's a lot of bad karma going on. Bad smog, civil rights protesters, unhappy athletes, journalists being detained on their plane for three hours. I have a feeling that we haven't seen the worst yet.

[Systematic Chaos]

1. I couldn't have a lower opinion of this upcoming clusterfuck if I tried.

It's a damn shame for the athletes, but I just have to laugh at the corporations, the media and all of the people dumb enough to visit China for this travesty.

[TahitiNut]

6. It's "China, Inc."

Any resemblance to communism is intentionally corrupt. :shrug:

[FarCenter]

20. The US Main Stream Media is in full anti-China mode for some reason

I don't see nearly the same level of criticism in the world press in general.

[wtmusic]

2. The smog by itself will prove disastrous.

Unbelievably shortsighted, even for an unbelievably shortsighted country.

[murray hill farm]

7. I think it will be the smog that dooms it.

It is a very bad condition for any athlete...and here we have the best and most competitive athletes from around the world having to perform under conditions that will hinder their best efforts to compete. Hopefully, this will give the world an up close and personal view of the effects of global warming.

[NRaleighLiberal]

3. Absolutely. Anyone who thinks otherwise has their head in the sand. NT

[bridgit]

4. The Beijing Olympics have the capacity to become as camp as Christmas...

[MadMaddie]

5. I don't see any record being broken in track and field....

when the athletes leave china they are going to have to detox.

China should have never gotten the games when so many other countries deserved them. China's human rights violations should have disqualified them.

[TahitiNut]

8. Agreed.

:thumbsup: It's 1936 all over again.

[avaistheone1]

10. It sure feels that way.

[kath]

17. Agree - CHina should never have gotten the games. WTF was the IOC thinking?

[tridim]

9. I worry that something bad will happen during the opening ceremonies.

I don't really enjoy guessing what it might be.

[liberalmuse]

11. I'm torn, because the athletes have worked so hard.

But I don't want to watch because China is being a raging bitch, and it's not okay. (And I should know.)

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. There are olympics? They have become a farce and I have not watched any

of them for years now, even if I happen to love fencing (one of the four sports in play since the first)

[tannybogus]

13. The action outside the venues might be more interesting!

I wonder if any US athlete will have balls to protest ala John Carlos and Tommie Smith.

I know one thing. When the US men's basketball team plays China, they better not breathe hard

on Yao Ming. The fans might come out of the stands. They are rabid about Yao. :hide:

[proud patriot]

14. I must admit that I'm pretty Nervous

x(

[Beregond2]

15. The Olympics

as a concept is broken. It has become nothing but a massive waste of money and a chance for nationalistic propaganda. I wish Greece would start their own Olympics, reduce the events to actual sports, have it in the same place every time, and allow absolutely no corporate sponsorship. Also, allow only the Greek media to cover it.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

16. The Chinese government's control freak mentality is going to backfire big time

:-(

The Tokyo and Seoul Olympics served as announcements that Japan (1964) and South Korea (1988) had arrived as major economic players. China is hoping for the same effect, but they're trying too hard, and the reports so far have been of a smoggy, Potemkin Village of a city marred by restrictions on freedom of movement and communication.

[Tesha]

18. No. (NT)

[malaise]

19. They'll be like most of the recent ones

A battle of sponsors.

For the record most international sporting events post 9/11 are as unpleasant as flying given the restrictive security details.

I'm betting they have the best opening ceremony in history.

Re T&F, the 100 and 200 (male and female) will be great- Jamaica v USA.

The world will also have to deal with the insufferable bias of GENBC and their jingoistic commentators.

add

[annabanana]

21. We won't find out until 12 hours later.. no matter what happens.. Right now we

are missing the Opening Ceremonies.

[poiuytsister]

22. You called it, Bro

Having a murder happen right at the start cannot bode well for this.