Comments on: The IOC is not nice. We knew that, didn’t we?

By: Dave Liberts

Dave Liberts — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

I’m not a major fan of the olympics anyway, so that may cloud my judgement, but I’ve always felt that they have bugger-all to do with being an exercise in support of the administration of the host nation and are instead a prominent series of sporting events - roughly equivalent to the world championships - where the host city/nation is at best a bit of background scenery. JamesK is right to mention the 1936 games as an obvious example of an attempt to use the games as a propoganda tool, but I have always felt that example has been why most of the world’s population has largely ignored subsequent attempts to do the same ever since. I don’t think that the 1980 games were somehow a pro-communist story (despite US claims to the contrary), nor do I think the 84 or 96 games were somehow all about the US. I thought the Sydney games were arguably much more pro-Sydney than pro-Australia, but all my memories of all these olympics (and they’re pretty hazy when it comes to Moscow) are about sporting achievements and not the host regime. Yes the IOC has a long record of dodgy conduct, but its lack of purity on internet access in Beijing is hardly different to its delegates accepting backhanders in return for votes or its dealings with other dodgy regimes all over the place. You can’t be doing deals with all the world’s nations and expect to retain ideological purity. Anyone who expects Kevan Gosper to not have to tell all sorts of lies as he apologises for any number of dodgy actions on the part of the IOC or its member countries is just being naive.

By: Venise Alstergren#2

Venise Alstergren#2 — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Avery Brundage. is the one. The cost of a jade collection such as his would run into a hundred million, easily.

By: Venise Alstergren

Venise Alstergren — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Bernard: Ah ha, ah ha! Now you’re cooking on gas! I can’t imagine why anyone thought the Chinese would keep their word about an open press. They have never pretended to before. Also they regard the rest of the world as inferior to them; so why give them freedom of the press? Also, if Rupert Murdoch couldn’t ride the Chinese tiger, who on earth could?
The greater the hyperbole and cant issued by the IOC the greater the greed of the people concerned. There was an American head of the IOC who sank his takings into a world famous collection of jade. Temporarily his name escapes me. But his collection doesn’t. The regrettable Kevin Gosper is nowhere near this kind of ‘bentness’ shall I say?
Crikey, I’ve just clapped eyes on JamesK’s comment. Just a minute while I pick myself up off the ground, floor. OMG he’s in agreement. The only worse-from an information restricted view point-would have been North Korea. But of course thanks to Kimilsungism that country wouldn’t have the money to pay these greedy and corrupt officials. I try to avoid watching opening ceremonies. The sight of the officials, marching with the celebrants, and the fact they make up about 60% of the team has me wanting to throw up.

By: Bernard Keane

Bernard Keane — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

According to the Trots at Gruniad, basically only the blocks on Amnesty International and the BBC and a couple of other sites have been lifted. Nice media management by the IOC.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/02/china.internet

By: eric a. blair

eric a. blair — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

right on again bernard, can’t believe that JamesK agrees with you and I agree with him! who would have thunk it! seriously tho, the olympics is nothing but a glitzy corporate globalised sporting event that is no longer about honour but corporate sponsorship as the worst of the worst transnational corps plaster their logos over everything in the name of the ‘olympic spirit’. not that the sport itself isn’t outstanding it’s just that in this world it’s time that athletes took a look at the real world and see how truly fuct many of the corporations who sponsor them are, not to mention the neo-fascist/communist state that is holding the games…

By: Antique

Antique — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Agree with Bernard, JamesK, and anybody else who wants to crititize the IOC for its complicity with an authoritarian regime. If the air quality continues to be as unattractive as the government I hope some major events are cancelled as teams publicly pull out, preferably after having taken the field, pitch, track, whatever.

By: JamesK

JamesK — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Oops!….spoke too soon. Those nice chinese officials have completely backed down and are going to open the internet to the foreign hacks….

By: C W Williams

C W Williams — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

The expose : ‘Lords of the Rings’ by Andrew Jennings should be mandatory reading as the Olympic hype goes into overdrive

By: davo

davo — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

The Olympics is the biggest waste of taxpayers money, bar none. No return is given on money wasted on spoiled brats for worthless things such as ‘personal best’s’. All officials should be sacked, all athletes should be made to repay their fees. Close the AIS.

By: JamesK

JamesK — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Well said Bernard! 1936 all over again, this time China using the IOC for its totalitarian ends, playing the rest of the world for fools and Gosper is……… shameless.

By: Connor Moran

Connor Moran — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Surprise! Geez, who knew eh? Just amazing stuff. It adds to my personal boycott of anything Olympic and what should be Australia-wide contempt of our vacuous AOC/IOC members. Have they no shame?

Anyone with the opportunity should grab some of Andrew Jennings older works like “New Lords of The Rings” etc… Sadly, totally relevant 10 years later. Unfortunately he’s too busy dealing with blatant corruption within FIFA to have energy left over for the IOC.