Was that the lamest Opening Ceremony EVER?

[crazy canuck]

Question:  Who would be a British sporting hero?  The guy who came in second at Wimbledon maybe?  All their soccer players are tainted by failure.  What sort of sports does Britain do well at?

Roger Bannister for one.

I was going to suggest Daley Thompson, but yeah, Bannister is a good choice, too.

At any rate, I also found the opening lame.  In fact, I turned off the sound after about 2 minutes, then after a few more moments, looked away until it was time for the parade of nations.  In the past, the parade of nations has generally been the only part of the opening that I've actually enjoyed, but in other Olympiads I've been at least able to watch the rest of the ceremony.

What was it about the sound you didnt like?  I thought the music was great throughout and the kids choir off the top - about the time you turned down the sound was amazing.

The one thing I found curious was the camera spent so much time on the capitalists during the industrial revolution bit.  I thought of Sheilbh and mongers when I saw that.  Just as I thought of a whole host of our American friends when I saw the tribute to the National Health Service.

[Siege]

I don't watch pagan celebrations.

[Neil]

I don't watch pagan celebrations.

Since when did you go Christian?

[dps]

What was it about the sound you didnt like? 

Bob Costas

[Syt]

Question:  Who would be a British sporting hero?  The guy who came in second at Wimbledon maybe?  All their soccer players are tainted by failure.  What sort of sports does Britain do well at?

[Josephus]

Can someone tell me what the people at the front of each national delegation were carrying?  Alien pod?  Gigantic beef liver?

You missed the most symbolic thing of the whole evening. Those petals or whatever became the cauldron.

[CountDeMoney]

I read on twitter that the US was the only country to not bow their flag to the queen.  Anyone else hear that?

according to the United States Flag Code:

§176. Respect for flag

No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental colors, State flags, and organization or institutional flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor.

That's federal law.

[mongers]

I read on twitter that the US was the only country to not bow their flag to the queen.  Anyone else hear that?

according to the United States Flag Code:

§176. Respect for flag

No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental colors, State flags, and organization or institutional flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor.

That's federal law.

Isn't that a conceit, it assumes the act of slightly dipping a flag is implicitly disrespectful to the said flag.

[CountDeMoney]

Syria got no cheer from what I heard.

How'd the Saudi team--the only one prohibiting females from competition--go over?

[CountDeMoney]

That's federal law.

Isn't that a conceit, it assumes the act of slightly dipping a flag is implicitly disrespectful to the said flag.

Fuck conceit.  We bowed to your flag once.  Never again.  To anybody.  And our flag = us.

[mongers]

That's federal law.

Isn't that a conceit, it assumes the act of slightly dipping a flag is implicitly disrespectful to the said flag.

Fuck conceit.  We bowed to your flag once.  Never again.  To anybody.  And our flag = us.

Or national strawman ?

[garbon]

Isn't that a conceit, it assumes the act of slightly dipping a flag is implicitly disrespectful to the said flag.

Well, of course. You're immediately making it defer to a person.

[Neil]

I read on twitter that the US was the only country to not bow their flag to the queen.  Anyone else hear that?

according to the United States Flag Code:

§176. Respect for flag

No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental colors, State flags, and organization or institutional flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor.

That's federal law.

London is out of your jurisdiction.  But there's no field in which the Americans will pass up an opportunity to make an ass of themselves.

[crazy canuck]

What was it about the sound you didnt like? 

Bob Costas

Ah, fair enough.  Too bad you couldnt pick up another broadcast.

[mongers]

I read on twitter that the US was the only country to not bow their flag to the queen.  Anyone else hear that?

according to the United States Flag Code:

§176. Respect for flag

No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental colors, State flags, and organization or institutional flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor.

That's federal law.

London is out of your jurisdiction.  But there's no field in which the Americans will pass up an opportunity to make an ass of themselves.

QFT.