350 million for 25 gold medals?

man cannot live by bread alone

Money well spent zorro.

You have a point Zorro?

Different people see this differently I see.

350 million would not build all the houses we need. Still it raises a moral question.

£350 million for 25 golds is an over simplicity of the facts.
The cash went into better facilities and coaching.
It has also helped open up sports to millions of kids.

6000 houses at £50,000 per house?

I never watched the olympics at all - with Russia out of it,
the medal count was bogus to begin with.
They usually score high in Gymnastics and athletics.

marbles and conkers in 4 years time bikes rowing who rearly cares about micky mouse events

Superb branding for Britain too. Coca Cola, a quick search tells me, spends over 2 billion per year, so there will be lots and lots -  hundreds, I imagine - of companies spending more than 350m on advertising over a four-year period. They're doing it for a reason: it works.

Bargain imo. I just want us to do the same with football and stop losing to Iceland and stuff. That was really embarrassing.

Russia out of it zorro? Only the cheats.

zorrostrikes   
23 Aug 16 20:06 
I never watched the olympics at all - with Russia out of it,
the medal count was bogus to begin with.

B*llocks. The bogus medal counts were all the years when Russia were mopping up at others' expense - including ours - when on performance enhancing drugs.

There have been shyte things happening around the world all year. Horrific acts of suffering and terrorism. Political fighting across Europe. Domestically not just the main parties fighting each other but fighting themselves. Bad news every time you turn the tv or radio on. For two weeks anyone who likes sport - and millions who don't normally - have been able to enjoy good news, excitement, happiness, euphoria. Call it what you want, but it has felt good. For two weeks we were able to forget what a cr@p place the world is, and I for one loved it. So yes, money well spent.

The funding is a national disgrace /thread

Well said Roger.
Not into every sport but when you're watching a fellow Brit compete you get drawn in.

Send the bill to Roger, he's been caught hook line and sinker and seems happy to pay.
Meanwhile in the national debt and land of austerity.....

So, £350 million - which as akabula points out, is an investment in infrastructure for the long term as well as payments to athletes, coaches, administrators - divided by 25 gold medals (we're not counting silvers and bronzes then?).

Or if you want to play tricksy maths

£350 million divided by a nation of, what 70 million people = a fiver per man woman and child, maybe £10-12 per economically active individual?

That's not even a good night out, plus since a large percentage of that £350 million will come from the National Lottery, you get the fun / choice of playing the lottery and the chance to win money back, which has to be factored into things too.

It's probably about the amount government ministers spend on steaks and champagne on team building awaydays at Skibo Castle.

So, £350 million - which as akabula points out, is an investment in infrastructure for the long term as well as payments to athletes, coaches, administrators - divided by 25 gold medals (we're not counting silvers and bronzes then?).

Or if you want to play tricksy maths

£350 million divided by a nation of, what 70 million people = a fiver per man woman and child, maybe £10-12 per economically active individual?

That's not even a good night out, plus since a large percentage of that £350 million will come from the National Lottery, you get the fun / choice of playing the lottery and the chance to win money back, which has to be factored into things too.

It's probably about the amount government ministers spend on steaks and champagne on team building awaydays at Skibo Castle.

Bloody hell!

It's doubled to £700 million

The lottery is financed by the very same people crushed by austerity in many respects.
The idea that those feckless enough and generally without can gamble to riches while inputting nowt isn't really the best principle to bestow on a nation.
If that financing then goes to pay for another select minority to achieve personal goals then it's more of the same isn't it?

The only time silver and bronze medals get mentioned is in the absence of golds, they have a net impact even less on the lives of the people of the nation.

The idea that now enterprise will look upon GB as a potential place to do business in response is laughable.
The medals were won in physical events, so the closest to that in the business world are the labour markets.
Companies don't incentivise, they pay as close to the least they can legally pay while racing to the bottom and creaming profits.
So why would they want to bring business here just for a lob our market that costs more to make their crap?

I applaud the passion of your convictions dusty - seriously!

I've a lot of time for anyone who can honestly argue they get no pleasure from watching the Olympics, want nothing to do with them and argue the money spent in providing for our athletes can be better spent elsewhere.

I think they are wrong, but I respect their beliefs.

I'm ambivalent regarding the Olympics, I neither am a supporter nor a hater.
The only athletics and 'other' events I ever see are the Olympic highlights.
I also have no problem in people supporting their country in these competitions over a fortnight, it gives them an interest but it's just a fortnight of telly essentially and has no impact after that.
Sure there might be limited take up for a couple of weeks in the local gym for some, only to be forced into paying a years membership.......

What has little appeal to me is the manipulation that goes with this. This will be meat and drink for politicians using it to blind the public as to some false virtue or other while they further degrade the lives of others.

But I'm glad you enjoyed them - seriously!

Agreeing to disagree?

Has this ever occurred in Chit-Chat before??!

It'll never catch on.

If you like.
Seems rather a quaint notion though, since surely people who disagree don't disagree they disagree.

My issue was more with the coverage which was OTT. Pure hype of people I've never heard of in events I do not follow.

I'm pleased for those who won medals and those who didn't but made the GB Olympic Team. I could never do either.

But I won't be led into hysteria over the lass who won silver in the trampolining....

As for finance, it's pretty clear that money = medals so I guess we're obliged to give it a right go (to use a technical footballing term..) if we want to be successful.

But I won't be led into hysteria over the lass who won silver in the trampolining....

Who's hysteria Injera?

I listened to Bryony Page after her success. She trains as hard as any other sportsperson and shows a dedication to her sport that impacts on her personal life.
Not sure why you singled her out as she deserves the same acclaim as any other competitor.

Compared to how Iceland achieved their relatively huge football success the spending is backwards.

BBC interviewed her this morning on 5live hence my comment.

Sorry aka but I have never followed pro trampolining and never will. I think I speak for 99% of the population.

As I say, well done to her. The BBC's job is to report not comment. Who won gold? No mention. Interview with the winner? No chance. Who won Bronze? Not told. Who missed out and came 4th? No information.

Some of us worked in 32 degree heat today...digging etc. I'm a little flustered...

I've never followed it either and won't in the future but I did watch her routine.
If your comments about no mention of winner etc etc was in respect of todays interview then I'd suggest that's already been covered.
It's now only about our athletes and giving them and their sports some plugs.

Surfing is in the next olympics.
It wasnt that long ago they added bmxing and from my experience that consisted of the press talking up
some bmx young bird for ages then she fell off and won nowt, had another go next olympics...won nowt and only bit I saw this olympics was of another crash.

Who picks em?

That is something that needs looked at.
I wouldn't have equestrian events for instance.

shanaze reade was the talked bmxer who did nothing

it is odd to see the bbc wrapping themselves in the union flag when a few months ago the vast majority of their employees would have been horrified at the rest of country voting for brexit

thts right mafeking
I just did a search couldnt remember her name, she was a poster girl for something or other but not seen anything of her for a while.
In fairness to the lass that event is crazy and is the epitome of how anything seems to qualify as an event.
They all race to the first corner then crash

Wouldn't it still have cost £350 million if we hadn't won any?

certainly is an event where you can't be putting down anyone as a banker for a medal. looks a total lottery

It's now only about our athletes and giving them and their sports some plugs.

ak - I think that's my gripe. Why the fixation all of a sudden with all things GB? I saw some of the early diving and the chinese pair were incredible. One of them had won 4 golds I believe. Yet the coverage was all about 'our lads'.

The last 4 or 5 years, injera, has been full of nationalistic pride, from so many TV shows (great British this and Britain's that), to newspapers full of Johnny Foreigner being a jolly bad egg (more than ever), to the Euros and the Olympics, we've been bombarded with this fixation.

Mind you the coverage on the red button was superb and contained no interviews or "back story". It was infinitely better than watching BBC1 2 or 4.

It's now only about our athletes and giving them and their sports some plugs.

ak - I think that's my gripe. Why the fixation all of a sudden with all things GB? I saw some of the early diving and the chinese pair were incredible. One of them had won 4 golds I believe. Yet the coverage was all about 'our lads'.

This is the UK don't you think in China that they will be focussing on their own athletes now as is America, Germany and every other country.



The last 4 or 5 years, injera, has been full of nationalistic pride, from so many TV shows (great British this and Britain's that), to newspapers full of Johnny Foreigner being a jolly bad egg (more than ever), to the Euros and the Olympics, we've been bombarded with this fixation.

So you think using the term the Great british is wrong Away and live somewhere you like. As regards the bold part where is your proof of that?

We've had a good time watching the Olympics and our athletes have performed well but yet some people want to complain about it.
Unbelievable.

I think the proof is in all the reading and stories about how many immigrants/foreigners have been responsible (in certain media output) for bad things and the same tales making it look as if it's the nub of any story, it is generally alluded to rather than being stated. In fact, it's SO prevalent that even when there is no link, people assume it foreigners who are to blame for nearly everything on this and just about every newspaper forum. The bigger problems imo are caused by home-grown chavs and addicts.

Mostly though, akabula, I see absolutely no benefit in being patriotic other than to be cannon fodder for the "elite". Any deviation from the wonderment and joy attached to the term "British" or "Great British" is frowned upon. Why, exactly?
It's wrong because it is brainwashing. The US of A does the same, from an early age. Your saying "away and live somewhere you like" is exactly what I mean. So yes, I think it is wrong to overuse the British/Great British at every opportunity as it is now.
In fact no-one has ever been able to give me a good reason to be patriotic. This applies to any nationality, btw. and the response is always a bit like yours "if you don't like it go somewhere else" or words to that effect, This isn't a reason! Why is it so wrong to question the state or to say you don't see why it's so wonderful?

For all you know I do live somewhere I like.

Also I never complained at all about the good time I had watching the Olympics, except about the coverage (on the main channels) which was more about 'back-story' and interviews and not the actual sports themselves. As I said the Red button coverage was superb.

Immigrants get told to fck off by the same people that say "go and live somewhere else if you don't like it".

Quite.

In fact no-one has ever been able to give me a good reason to be patriotic.

Well other than the grin being so much bigger and the sense of excitement so much more palpable when Hollie Webb biffed in the winner for The Hockey Girls against the Dutch, if you are

This applies to any nationality, btw. and the response is always a bit like yours "if you don't like it go somewhere else" or words to that effect, This isn't a reason! Why is it so wrong to question the state or to say you don't see why it's so wonderful?


There's patriotism and there's 'my country right or wrong'.

I'm the former - the latter can just go die

Lets open the doors and flood the country with immigrants.
I keep saying this but it's true.
In the 60s and 70s the immigrants to this country certainly enriched the UK and we all benefited.
I remember a large Sikh intake near to where an uncle lived. They held onto their own culture but also embraced ours.
It's different nowadays with a certain group trying to force their ways on us.

anyone you like.. but the M people?

The Borg just wants to assimilate you.

the M people accept everyone who is of the M religion.
Anyone not of the M religion will be destroyed as per their book.

Agree with the red button coverage over bbc 1,2 and 4. Did any one else notice that on the main channels the crowd roars appear enhanced to those on the red button options? Could just be that the red button commentaries which I hear were IOC feeds, that all those commentators may just have been in closed booths. Whatever, the red button coverage was much better for me. The main channels were geared to the casual viewer and sometimes presenters talking to camera as if they were explaining something to 8 year old children. It is the same all over the world though. You did get a 'North Korea' feeling at times, as if you are being brainwashed with propaganda.

One major criticism for me with any Olympics. There is still a tendency at times to cram too much together. Which sport should I watch now, I have 6 options, all going on now. Help. Yes, I know. First World problems.