The London Olympics

Well, its Thursday night and its time for a Blogg I think. Space Shanty by Khan is on the Hi-Fi, I have a can by my side for support so here goes.

For the past few weeks I have had to endure seeing that bloody Olympic Flame being carried around the country for no real reason. I can sort of see why it may be carried from Greece to wherever the Olympics are being held but why does it need to go via every major Town in the UK?  Actually, I learned this week, (and I am not afraid to say I didn’t know of this….anyone who says that they cannot learn anything about anything is deluded), that the modern Olympics which we are “celebrating” at present actually had its starting point in Shropshire and a guy named William Penny Brookes. Simply put, without him we would not have the Olympic Games as we know them today. Is that good or bad?

Anyway, perhaps it would be more pertinent to send the flame from Much Wenlock to London.

I have no real issue with the people who carried the flame, personally. I am sure that they are all fully deserving of whatever recognition carrying the flame gave them. I do question, however, the gigantic cost of doing this. Everyone seems to have had their own torch, (I actually met one of the Torch bearers today and had my photograph taken with it….), everyone, presumably had their own designer tracksuit. A BMW seemed to be trailing the torch every time I saw it, plus a crowd of heavies. Not to mention all of the backroom staff. Just how much did this cost? Who paid for it? The answer to the last question is me, and you and every personal or corporate taxpayer in the UK. Plus all of those who buy a National Lottery ticket each week. I visited somewhere this week that is a place of national importance which is looking to set itself up as a Museum. It was suggested by one or two people that they ought to seek funds from the National Lottery. Of course, they had, only to be informed that there were no funds because they had all gone on supporting the Olympics.

Now I agree that some of the lottery money should be spent on supporting some of our athletes, particularly those who compete in the less glamorous sports but what will be the legacy of the Games? I understand the need to inspire people, particularly the young but telling them that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity is not the way to do it. I am old enough to remember the 1966 World Cup in the UK. I remember World Cup Willie, (was it Lonnie Donegan?) and I remember watching the games including the Final in Black & White TV. OK, it was a great event made even more memorable by the fact the England won but has it really had that much influence over me since then or the Nation as a whole except for the English to feel that as we invented the game then we should always be the best at it? I certainly don’t remember my Teachers urging us to watch the games or laud the players. They were more concerned with making sure we were proficient in English, Maths and (…..OK, Latin, but it certainly give you an insight into the way our language developed).

The point I am trying to make is that most people don’t care that much about the Olympics. Yes, just like me they will watch them but it is just entertainment. Most people don’t really care that much about the X Factor, but like myself, they will watch it because it is entertainment. The vast majority of people in the UK don’t really care that much about soccer, cricket, F1 or any other sport you would care to name.  Just look at the viewing figures. The majority of people in the UK never tune into the big events on TV and neither will they while the Olympics are on.

For months now there have been arguments going on about what will happen to the Olympic venues after the Games. Whatever happens in the Games they will soon be forgotten, whatever happens. There may be one or two highlights and undoubtedly it will provide great entertainment. But that is all it will be. Entertainment. I consider myself to be a reasonably active person who would rather be out doing stuff rather than sitting at home watching it on a 50” screen. Neither the Olympics nor the World Cup inspired me to be this way. I don’t know where it came from, maybe from “within”, maybe from my parents or maybe from a “do it” rather than a “watch it” attitude which developed over the years. There are millions of people with such an attitude, I hasten to add. I just wish I could be a better guitarist….

In conclusion, all of the money spent on the Olympics seems to have been spent on the premise of inspiring Young People. If it does then that is great. If it inspires them to work harder so that they can be independent of State support, so that they can provide for their own retirement then we can’t ask more than that.

I heard it said a number of times that this is a “once in a lifetime opportunity” to be involved in the Olympic Games. OK, that may be so but in a few years time I, as am Employer, may be able to offer the same young people a “once in a lifetime opportunity” to be employed by my Company and to have a job/career  for life. Which of these do you think is ultimately more important and where should the Government be concentrating its efforts?

Over to you……