Enjoying all this coverage! Four channels! Three seem to be all day which means I'm watching tv all day. Lovin' it.

USA upsets Korea (South) in archery. Korea had won the last three golds. USA v Italy for the gold.

aardvark15 said:

Did anybody else find it strange Elton John, George Michael, and Culture Club weren't in the song medley but some tattooed weirdo I've never heard of was? True Elton was bigger here than there but he's still a big part of their music history.

I find it stranger that Coldplay didn't get a look in. Like them or not, they've been the biggest band on the planet for at least the last five years...and their music is tailor made for big stadiums.

No Led Zep either, or The Smiths. Like Trevor Nelson said on the BBC commentary (which was actually pretty good and didn't talk over too much of the show)...you can't please everyone. When they had crap like Mud - Tiger Feet in there, you do have to question some of the acts that were left out...

Nice to see New Order, Bowie, Sex Pistols, Underworld and Tinie Tempah get a little shout though

DaveT said:

There was a Led Zepplin song in the "40 Years of British Music" segment. I actually got really excited.

I just realised something. Elton John, George Michael, and Boy George

JK just to let you guys know

the "industrial revolution" thing looked great but at the same time I don't think that's something to be that proud of...

aardvark15 said:

I just realised something. Elton John, George Michael, and Boy George

JK just to let you guys know

and Duran Duran, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Depeche Mode, Roxy Music, Oasis, Coldplay, etc

seems that Mr.Boyle just picked up his favorite bands...

[Edited 7/28/12 14:43pm]

JoeTyler said:

aardvark15 said:

I just realised something. Elton John, George Michael, and Boy George

JK just to let you guys know

and Duran Duran, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Depeche Mode, Roxy Music, Oasis, Coldplay, etc

I forgot Oasis was English

seems that Mr.Boyle just picked up his favorite bands...

Definetly

JoeTyler said:

the "industrial revolution" thing looked great but at the same time I don't think that's something to be that proud of...

I know! It's all peaceful and happy and then bam they destroy it It took way too long too complete I got bored halfway during the transformation.

aardvark15 said:

JoeTyler said:

the "industrial revolution" thing looked great but at the same time I don't think that's something to be that proud of...

I know! It's all peaceful and happy and then bam they destroy it It took way too long too complete I got bored halfway during the transformation.

yeah, I was like "hello?? are they celebrating the destruction of nature and the beginning of globalization/global contamination?"

I liked the final part, the celebration of the "era of the information" and the "www", but the industrial revolution thing lost me...

what's next? a guillotine and (fake) decapitations for the next Summer Olympics in Paris?? lol

A lot of the big British bands and singers will be due for the closing ceremony. Jimmy Page was at the Beijing handover in 2008.

JoeTyler said:

aardvark15 said:

I know! It's all peaceful and happy and then bam they destroy it It took way too long too complete I got bored halfway during the transformation.

yeah, I was like "hello?? are they celebrating the destruction of nature and the beginning of globalization/global contamination?"

I liked the final part, the celebration of the "era of the information" and the "www", but the industrial revolution thing lost me...

what's next? a guillotine and (fake) decapitations for the next Summer Olympics in Paris?? lol

Europe's forests were gone before the industrial revolution. Then the industrial revolution used coal which was more plentiful once made accessible and easy to transport.

I'd argue that globalization began around 1492, before the industrial revolution. Empires sucked up raw materials from overseas just as the U.S. and China lead in doing now.

Holy crap! The king has been dethroned. I won't mention it here, but this is why I hate our network coverage of the Olympics in the USA. Instead of seeing some of the biggest events live, we get tape delayed coverage of stuff people elsewhere already know about before we get to see it.

728huey said:

Holy crap! The king has been dethroned

What? Phelps didn't make it?

SUPRMAN said:

JoeTyler said:

yeah, I was like "hello?? are they celebrating the destruction of nature and the beginning of globalization/global contamination?"

I liked the final part, the celebration of the "era of the information" and the "www", but the industrial revolution thing lost me...

what's next? a guillotine and (fake) decapitations for the next Summer Olympics in Paris?? lol

Europe's forests were gone before the industrial revolution. Then the industrial revolution used coal which was more plentiful once made accessible and easy to transport.

I'd argue that globalization began around 1492, before the industrial revolution. Empires sucked up raw materials from overseas just as the U.S. and China lead in doing now.

good points, and I agree

but I don't know why Boyle decided to focus on the 19th-Century, a shameful century for all involved...

JoeTyler said:

SUPRMAN said:

Europe's forests were gone before the industrial revolution. Then the industrial revolution used coal which was more plentiful once made accessible and easy to transport.

I'd argue that globalization began around 1492, before the industrial revolution. Empires sucked up raw materials from overseas just as the U.S. and China lead in doing now.

good points, and I agree

but I don't know why Boyle decided to focus on the 19th-Century, a shameful century for all involved...

Yeah, I don't that a history lesson was needed to 'introduce' Great Britain to the world. 'Celebrating' would've been the better approach IMO.

aardvark15 said:

728huey said:

Holy crap! The king has been dethroned

What? Phelps didn't make it?

spoiler alert

Fourth - Lochte killed it

[Edited 7/28/12 16:57pm]

mynameisnotsusan said:

aardvark15 said:

What? Phelps didn't make it?

spoiler alert

Fourth - Lochte killed it

[Edited 7/28/12 16:57pm]

It's no spoiler anymore. Ryan Lochte beat the crap out of everyone else tonight. That in itself wasn't surprising, since he was the best swimmer in the world the last two years, winning the World Championships and even beating Michael Phelps in s few races, but it was shocking to see Michael Phelps fade away as the race went on. He struggled on the backstroke and breaststroke, and he began falling behind to his Japanese and Brazilian competitors.

Congratulations to Ryan Lochte. The torch has been passed.

Cerebus said:

babynoz said:

I really could do without these lame commentators

Totally agree. Especially Bob Costas and his constant mentions of what kind of political turmoil, strife, situation etc. the countries are, or have been, going through. There wasn't enough time to properly explain them so they ended up sounding like little jabs and pokes of nastiness, which is NOT what the Olympics - even the opening ceremony - should be about.

Exactly. And then he kept whining about then walking too fast for his comments. I just wanted him to go away.

JoeTyler said:

the "industrial revolution" thing looked great but at the same time I don't think that's something to be that proud of...

Yeah, that was kind of a bummer with them rolling up the sod and all...then replacing it with the stinky, smokestacks and grime...I was thinking of Dickens.

Like I already said, I was hoping for Knights and Ladies in Waiting, Hobbits...such a rich history of literature and storytelling!

I really liked all of the musical selections, the Queen's entrance and the torch lighting though.

And Mr. Bean...can't forget him.

Men's gymnastics!

John Orozco was most excellent and overcame so many odds...his injury and his father's stroke,

Danell Leyva was great too.

spelling edit.

[Edited 7/28/12 20:22pm]

I cant look away from Sam Mikulak's beautiful eyes.

babynoz said:

John Orozco was most excellent and overcame so many odds...his injury and his father's stroke,

Danell Leyva was great too.

spelling edit.

[Edited 7/28/12 20:22pm]

lazycrockett said:

I cant look away from Sam Mikulak's beautiful eyes.

3 twists in midair! Jake has prettier eyes though...

728huey said:

babynoz said:

John Orozco was most excellent and overcame so many odds...his injury and his father's stroke,

Danell Leyva was great too.

spelling edit.

[Edited 7/28/12 20:22pm]

babynoz said:

JoeTyler said:

the "industrial revolution" thing looked great but at the same time I don't think that's something to be that proud of...

Yeah, that was kind of a bummer with them rolling up the sod and all...then replacing it with the stinky, smokestacks and grime...I was thinking of Dickens.

Like I already said, I was hoping for Knights and Ladies in Waiting, Hobbits...such a rich history of literature and storytelling!

I really liked all of the musical selections, the Queen's entrance and the torch lighting though.

And Mr. Bean...can't forget him.

Rowan Atkinson is a genius. Wasn't so keen with the stuffed they filmed on the beack a la Chariots of Fire, but the live stuff where he was at the keyboard stuck playing that one note from the theme tune was priceless. The stuff he does with his face, never fails to get me in stitches....then he pulled that umbrella out to hold down the key!!

This is a pro pro of nothing, but Zou Kai is my boyfriend. I mean, he has no idea, but he is.

I can't wait for shot after shot of him on the matt.

Also, the Thai tennis players are hot.

DaveT said:

babynoz said:

Yeah, that was kind of a bummer with them rolling up the sod and all...then replacing it with the stinky, smokestacks and grime...I was thinking of Dickens.

Like I already said, I was hoping for Knights and Ladies in Waiting, Hobbits...such a rich history of literature and storytelling!

I really liked all of the musical selections, the Queen's entrance and the torch lighting though.

And Mr. Bean...can't forget him.

Rowan Atkinson is a genius. Wasn't so keen with the stuffed they filmed on the beack a la Chariots of Fire, but the live stuff where he was at the keyboard stuck playing that one note from the theme tune was priceless. The stuff he does with his face, never fails to get me in stitches....then he pulled that umbrella out to hold down the key!!

"Chariots of Fire." From the movie of the same name. The instrumental took 26 weeks to climb to #1 on the Hot 100 in the U.S. But that was back in the 80's. Presumably what you call 'ancient history.'

babynoz said:

John Orozco was most excellent and overcame so many odds...his injury and his father's stroke,

Danell Leyva was great too.

spelling edit.

[Edited 7/28/12 20:22pm]

Both are gorgeous, as is the British gymnast Louis Smith.