What have they done to deserve this?
Say hello to Derek Wyatt, MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey, proud possessor of a majority of 79. Rather than addressing his efforts to the doubtless good burghers of S 'n' S, he appears to have a bee in his bonnet about the Olympic games. Not as one would hope, by seeking to rid the country of the horror that will befall us in 2012, but rather to inflict similar horrors elsewhere:
"I thank the Secretary of State for that. There are five rings in the Olympic flag, representing the five continents. Only two and a half continents have yet had an Olympics. If by 2024 or 2028 the games have not gone to Africa, south America, India or the middle east, what is the point of them? I wonder whether she could widen the remit of the legacy to include what legacy we will give back to the IOC for the games". Source.
Two and a half? Take your pick of the half from North America, Asia, Europe and Australasia. If the wretched al fresco steroid abuse fest has not thus far made it to the banks of the Nile, Amazon, Indus or Euphrates, perhaps it is because none of those countries have applied, or if they have, that bids were deemed inadequate. A little light googling shows that there are prospective candidates, of varying degrees of seriousness, for 2016 and 2020 that cover all of those regions and more. I'm sure that a Tel Aviv games - 'conducting feasibility study, admits challenges' - or ones in Dubai, Azerbaijan or Qatar would go just swimmingly.
If the bally thing has to keep going, might it not be an idea to site it permanently in Greece, perhaps?
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The true story behind the five rings refers to "the five parts of the world which now are won over to Olympism and willing to accept healthy competition" (Baron Pierre de Coubertin, designer of the symbol.
"I thank the Secretary of State for that. There are five rings in the Olympic flag, representing the five continents. Only two and a half continents have yet had an Olympics. If by 2024 or 2028 the games have not gone to Africa, south America, India or the middle east, what is the point of them?
In the "five continents" scheme, North and South America are one and Antartica is excluded.
So, South America has already been covered (as the unified "America" continent) and India and the ME are part of Asia.
This only leaves Africa, which is an issue that already has widespread support, even Olympic President Rogge has encouraged African nations to bid for 2016.
Couldn't agree more - the games should find a permanent home and as the Greeks started it all, they should be the lucky winners. Then the disgusting waste of money spent every 4 years just for a few people to run and jump around a bit for a few days can be spent on more worthwhile things. The Olympic "spirit" only seems to last for the duration of the games; after that, business as usual and on with the arguing and fighting.
Since I imagine there is a fairly strong correlation between tree huggers and people who give a damn about the Olympics, one could frame an argument about waste of 'precious natural resources', co2 and all the rest of it in order to push for a permanent home in Athens.
I did a double take at a headline in my local paper this morning: "Sizzling Gay runs fastest 200m". My first thought was to wonder who was chasing him. Then I noticed it had to do with an athletics meeting somewhere or other. This Gay should be up for the next Olympics.
who was that really unfunny chap in the trilby who was considered to be funny in the 1960's who started his television messing about in a shop window in the sme way that this slap head is doing.
Harry worth!
probably Jewish
Nomad - There's a bike race called 'Stoner' that has prompted some rather excellent headlines of late..
Hitch - I was thinking of that but could not remember the name, so thanks. More on him here. Including that photo. He does not appear to have been of the House of Judah.
C
I will have to check him out against my list of prominent Jews.
As he wasnt funny chances are you may be right , although where does that leave us with David Baddiel?
On the basis of Russia this week securing the 2014 Winter Olympics, and next year's going to China, perhaps we should expect the IOC to award the 2016 games to Zimbabwe or Sudan... That will please Derek.
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