The media is going bananas because we have managed to win a few golds - let's see how the final table looks, shall we, before getting too excited?

As for "more money for atheletes" - it leaves me speechless !

These are mainly shamateurs - amateur when they can extract some money but professional when it suits them (ie when there is a cash prize !)

It matters not one jot whether we are first or last in the medals table ... it won't make the slightest difference to you or me. It will make a difference for the individual athelete - they will go on to real big rewards - but why should WE pay them to do it?

If the Country has cash to bandy about what about funding some of these drugs that NICE says (almost daily) are too expensive?

Or what about funding some new bands (at least there would be an eventual product for export, which the country would gain some benefit from).

As for the atheletes - as soon as they can make better money abroad they will be off (taking their cash and future earning with them).

PS - Anyone read today's news report that ALL the Athens venues are now complete white elephants and never used at all?

Very good points.

Lottery money for pop bands/labels please somebody!!

Our only reliable consistent export over the years. This could also help a lot of struggling or out of work A+R friends.

Yes the lottery funds many arts projects, but they hardly make a return do they some of them?

I'm always delighted by your cynicism ITK but I've been a total fan of these Olympics and Christine and Rebecca and Chris are fine with me!

despite my comment, I did neglect to say that i am really enjoying the Olympics this time too.
Much better than the dreadful cricket season this year.

What's the betting that all the Olympic medalwinners will be in the next New Years Honours List?

I'd say "dead certain" judging by previous lists and though we are doing very well, it does not really qualify one to be awarded an OBE, MBE nor a knighthood.

Lottery money isn't just about getting a return on the expenditure by promoting arts. What we gain from arts goes far beyond financial gain, it's good for the soul and good for society to have more culture. If it was just about profiteering they should just fund another one of these mind numbing reality shows like x-factor.

A couple of things really annoy me about the BBC Olympic coverage :
1. Interviewers/commentators getting right in the face of competitors the very moment that they finish, without even letting them catch their breath and calm down, and firing lots of incredibly predictable questions at them like 'How do you feel...? DOH !!
'How do you think I feel - I'll let you know when I get my head together'!!
2. Interviewers/ commentators praising to the skies British competitors who lose, and then making rather derogatory remarks about the winners.
Please allow the competitors to retain some dignity - win OR lose.!!

I always thought giving the Olympics to China was going to be a BIG mistake-not for any racial reasons but because the Chinese regime ( China would probably fall without it's hard hand )were always going to exploit the event politically ( no surprise there) would go OTT in an attempt to control the message.

That's what has happened and it's backfired-not on China as there is no surprise from them-but the Olympic movement itself which has become a parody of the original ideals behind the Olympic "spirit".

I was saddened by the Opening Ceremony-not the computer graphics or the kid replaced by another ( who cares ?)-but by the audience when small countries-some with just 2 or 6 atheltes ( how can you call this a fair and equal competition ?) entered the arena.
Mute applause was all they got from partisan crowds ( and it wasn't just the Chinese-western tourists were quite awful in ignoring these athletes.

JK2006 wrote:
I'm always delighted by your cynicism ITK but I've been a total fan of these Olympics and Christine and Rebecca and Chris are fine with me!

Then would you like to pay for them, JK ?

The London Olympics - originally said to cost 4bn, which has already risen to 9.32bn - will, no doubt, cost at least 20bn by the time the over-runs and security etc are all added (anyone remember the Dome? - or the cost-four-times-as-much-as-planned and delivered three years late Wembley?).

Tessa Jowell said yesterday that there will be no more money - then corrected herself slightly by hinting that if they spend more on the Olympics (which they will !) the cost will be taken from elsewhere.