[Obi-Wan is lost...]

So whose gonna try and get tics for what events if any? Tricky to plan over a year ahead, but I'd be keen to try and watch some velodrome action.

[slackline]

Not arsed about seeing anything live myself (not much more bothered about watching any of it on the TV either, boring  that I am).

[nik at work]

I'm going to try and take the kid to something, I'd be keen for a bit of heptathlon action but I think it might be a bit lost on a five year old.

[SA Chris]

Would love to see some some of the events, not sure what. Probably some cycling and rowing. Company I work for is sponsoring David Florence in the canoeing, so might be a very slim chance of getting tickets for that, which would be great to watch anyway. I held his silver medal yesterday, nice bloke.

[Dolly]

Isn't it a monumental pain to get tickets ?

[SA Chris]

They are using a lottery system - you just apply online for events you want to see between now and late April and if the event is oversubscribed (as I suspect many will be) then you get tickets in a draw. So the application process sin't painful, just the wait to see what your chances are.

[Dolly]

Aah -OK

[Falling Down]

Tickets went on sale today through the online system. I'm keen for the Weightlifting and Athletics although the sh*t seats for the latter start at £50 a pop and the good ones are £450 

[slackline]

Another example of "Value for Money Great Britain^TM" 

[SA Chris]

sh*t seats for the latter start at £50 a pop and the good ones are £450 

Cheap compared to the opening and closing ceremonies!

Going to be MTB and BMX, although I can't see the MTB being any better than any World Cup, especially if it's in Essex.

[IanP]

Tickets went on sale today through the online system. I'm keen for the Weightlifting and Athletics although the sh*t seats for the latter start at £50 a pop and the good ones are £450 

I checked the velodrome prices a few weeks back and they're similar, £50 cheapest up to £350.  And since the second cheapest are £125 I assume that all you get to see for £50 is the wrong side of a pillar!  For a family it all starts to get a bit ridiculous so I think it will be the TV for us, pity because we've been to the world cup events at Manchester for the last few years and its an excellent event to watch in person.

[Jaspersharpe]

These prices make going to the football look like good value!

[rich d]

It's even more expensive if the £150 per person in the UK we've have all paid in tax for the Olympics is true (reported on radio 5, so must be science). Even 20 notes is now starting to sound like a lot of fuckalls. They had the cheek to say that there were plenty of free events - like the marathon! At least the countdown clock has broken, 1 day after being started.

[slackline]

Yeah it'll be ok though 'cause its going to do wonders for the economy. 

[Fiend]

Nope. Might try to coincide driving around with big events that will have people glued to the telly.

[Jaspersharpe]

Yeah it'll be ok though 'cause its going to do wonders for the economy. 

It will be great for the economies........... of Coke, Visa, McDonalds etc 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2010/aug/26/ioc-london-2012-olympic-games

[slackline]

That sounds very much like a reason to boycott the whole damn thing!

[SA Chris]

You clearly have no interest in it at all anyway, so how can you boycott it?

Amazed at the negativity towards the Olympics on here to be honest.

So we are complaining about;

a) Corporate sponsorship
b) How much of our taxes are being spent
c) How expensive tickets are.

What do you want, the moon on a plate?

Or do you thin the whole idea of Olympic Games should be scrapped totally? Tell all these elite athletes they can fuck off, but pay a fortune to watch a bunch of overpaid twats kick a ball around a park once a week.

[slackline]

You clearly have no interest in it at all anyway, so how can you boycott it?

Strangely I had written an addendum to the very effect that my efforts wouldn't be noticed anyway, but deleted it as it wasn't worth stating the bleeding obvious (for once!).

Amazed at the negativity towards the Olympics on here to be honest.

So we are complaining about;

a) Corporate sponsorship
b) How much of our taxes are being spent
c) How expensive tickets are.

What do you want, the moon on a plate?

Or do you thin the whole idea of Olympic Games should be scrapped totally? Tell all these elite athletes they can fuck off, but pay a fortune to watch a bunch of overpaid twats kick a ball around a park once a week.

All of the above.

The athletes don't need to be told to fuck off, but why do corporate companies need to benefit so much from tax payers money who are then charged a fortune for the tickets whilst companies get vast swathes of "corporate" seats for liggers?  What happened to half the tickets being available to the public (not liggers) at around £20 a pop?  The proposed prices just aren't reasonable.

The current situation is far from the original ideal of the Olympics which was to celebrate human endeavour and achievements, now its simply a piggy back ride for Visa/Coca-Cola et al. to get cheap advertising. 

The complicity of the government detailed in the article Jasper linked is shocking (e.g. technically you could be arrested for wearing a Pepsi t-shirt to an event because of Coca-Cola's sponsorship, WTF!?!?!?!).

"But its the Olympics" might have been true twenty or more so years ago, now its just another over-priced sporting event with logos plastered all over it.  The best value for money is watching it on the BBC as you will have already paid your TV license and will get to see far more events with greater coverage.

[SA Chris]

The athletes don't need to be told to fuck off, but why do corporate companies need to benefit so much from tax payers money who are then charged a fortune for the tickets whilst companies get vast swathes of "corporate" seats for liggers?  What happened to half the tickets being available to the public (not liggers) at around £20 a pop?  The proposed prices just aren't reasonable.

The current situation is far from the original ideal of the Olympics which was to celebrate human endeavour and achievements, now its simply a piggy back ride for Visa/Coca-Cola et al. to get cheap advertising. 

Why do you think it's cheap advertising? The corporate sponsor fork over millions of pounds for the sponsorship rights. If there was no corporate sponsorship then either the ticket prices or the tax burden would be even greater. This is the point I was trying to make with the a), b) & c), but was probably badly made.

In reality you are unlikely to be arrested, just asked to cover up the logo. Not ideal, but that's the way of the world, and no doubt other corporations would sieze the opportunity for some viral advertising if they had the chance.

The games are ultimately what you make of them. If you are unable to see beyond the corporate bullshit and enjoy the celebration of human endeavour it's your loss.

So you are boycotting them, but still plan on watching it on telly? Make up your mind.

[slackline]

The athletes don't need to be told to fuck off, but why do corporate companies need to benefit so much from tax payers money who are then charged a fortune for the tickets whilst companies get vast swathes of "corporate" seats for liggers?  What happened to half the tickets being available to the public (not liggers) at around £20 a pop?  The proposed prices just aren't reasonable.

The current situation is far from the original ideal of the Olympics which was to celebrate human endeavour and achievements, now its simply a piggy back ride for Visa/Coca-Cola et al. to get cheap advertising. 

Why do you think it's cheap advertising? The corporate sponsor fork over millions of pounds for the sponsorship rights. If there was no corporate sponsorship then either the ticket prices or the tax burden would be even greater. This is the point I was trying to make with the a), b) & c), but was probably badly made.

Have you read the article Jasper linked?

..with corporations forking out a comparatively small £600m to slap their branding over the entire event and reap the rewards, comfortably the most major of the 2012 revenue streams is the British taxpayer, who is forking out £9.3bn for the event. Warning: privileged access not included.

That sounds pretty cheap to me compared to the huge bill taxpayers are footing to build the stadiums, fund the "opening ceremony" (more below) etc. etc.  Yes obviously this bill would be a greater burden if there was no coroporate sponsorship, but why the fuck should they get shed loads of free tickets, they're buying advertising space, not seats.  This would mean that there were more tickets available at a cheaper price for the paying public to purchase.

The London Organising Committee concedes the original pledge to make half of all tickets £20 or under has been shelved, but points out that pricing strategies have yet to be announced. No doubt – but it does rather chime with a recent statement by Locog's chief executive Paul Deighton, who told the Guardian that the Games' marquee events would be largely populated by "people with privileged access".

And why have these been shelved?

One thing that seems to have turned into a case of one-upmanship are the "Opening Ceremonies" where each host nation has to try and out-do the previous hosts efforts.  Isn't Danny Boyle getting paid a shed load to sort that out?  Be great if Renton and Spud were running round the stadium chased by copies to an Underworld soundtrack!

In reality you are unlikely to be arrested, just asked to cover up the logo. Not ideal, but that's the way of the world, and no doubt other corporations would sieze the opportunity for some viral advertising if they had the chance.

Weren't some Ducth women arrested in South Africa for trying such a thing?  Can't find the news story, but it was contested that it was a planned viral campaign, but they said they were just all wearing orange to support their national team and happened to have got shirts with logos on.

And, no its not the way of the world, individuals are entitled to wear whatever they want (even if it is a Cradle of Filth t-shirt with "Jesus is a Cnut" emblazoned on the back, it might upset some people, but then the Star of David might upset others, but its ok you can't tell people not to wear that, because to discriminate against someone because of their "beliefs" isn't allowed).  Sheesh, if you start discriminating against people on the basis of what they choose to wear, what next, discriminating against them on the basis of their hair colour?  Skin colour?  No, wait thats already been tried and found to be wholly untasteful with dire consequencies.

The games are ultimately what you make of them. If you are unable to see beyond the corporate bullshit and enjoy the celebration of human endeavour it's your loss.

I don't find those events particularly inspiring, I'd rather watch a climbing DVD, or better still, go out climbing/cycling/walking/doing something myself than watching others doing things.

So you are boycotting them, but still plan on watching it on telly? Make up your mind.

It wasn't a statement of my intention, it was a suggestion ("you will" as opposed to "I will") that people who are interested in watching the Olympic events would get better value for money watching at home.

I've never understood the appeal of paying to stand around on a downhill ski-slope/side of a marathon course where you get a few seconds of someone flashing by, or waaaay back in a stadium watching whats happening with the small people on the stadium floor on the big screen all the way across the other side of the stadium.

Anyway I'm done with my , after all...

[SA Chris]

I don't find those events particularly inspiring, I'd rather watch a climbing DVD, or better still, go out climbing/cycling/walking/doing something myself than watching others doing things.

I think therein lies the crux.

I'd like to respond further, but your prolonged analyses manage to drain me of any will. Your lass must hate arguing with you.

[slackline]

Fair enough.

Thankfully I don't argue that much with my wife, and when we do I dislike it as much as her and we quickly  .

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

There is something very weird about 'having to have a Visa card' to purchase tickets. Sponsorship is one thing but what next? You can't enter an Olympic Venue without a Big Mac and bottle of coke in your hands?

[Jaspersharpe]

Why do you think it's cheap advertising? The corporate sponsor fork over millions of pounds for the sponsorship rights. If there was no corporate sponsorship then either the ticket prices or the tax burden would be even greater.

  Yeah of course. And the IOC don't make a profit I suppose?*

The games are ultimately what you make of them. If you are unable to see beyond the corporate bullshit and enjoy the celebration of human endeavour it's your loss.

It's not a question of seeing beyond the "corporate bullshit". It's a simple fact that these ticket prices (and ticket allocations) are fucking outrageous, are caused by the "corporate bullshit" and will prevent a generation of kids from being able to be part of something that could have been very special.

To say that this is being negative about the games is the worst sort of spin. The games should be a "celebration of human endeavour" not a cash cow for big business cunts and ligger politician scum.

*the IOC had reserves of $466m in 2009