Does anyone think we spend too much on the olympics, £350m, particularly as we are all affected by austerity/cuts etc. I realise there is the feel good factor when we have won 60 medals say. That works out at about £5m per medal

No the money is a drop in the ocean and it's worth it for the feel good factor and to encourage younger generations to get into sport. Certain sports should have more money directed at them. Most of the money comes from the lottery as well, it's not even directly out of the public purse so people can't even argue that the money would be better spent on the NHS, getting out country back or securing our borders.

It's one week of Boris’s European Cash Cuts.

It inspires people to get into sports, and hopefully will mean they don't end up obese with type 2 diabetes etc. which costs a lot to treat.

My only objection is when money goes to elitist sports like yachting and dressage, people who participate in them have enough money. Same as how lots of lottery money goes to opera and highbrow art.

Completely agree.

It is beyond me how anyone could be even remotely critical of such a fantastic sporting occasion.

I have even read people slagging off some of our gold medalists. Mo Farrer has come in for some critisism, and even more unbelievably our cyclists.

There are some sad fucks about if they can find things to whine at about Olympians.

I have even ejoyed the gymnastics.

I just wish we had even one footballer that cared about their sport as much as the Olympians. There isnt one.

Cyclings budget is 360m most of which is spent on marginal gains. But you can't find a tennis court with a net and school sports feilds are being sold off. There has to be a balance. Oxbridge chinless wonders shouldn't be getting lottery money to win a gold in a sport with a tiny participation.

Sport isnt meant to have any boundaries. Regardless of background.

Its got more to do with enthusiasm from kids than background.

Goto any school in Hartlepool and you will find most that compete in sports are from backgrounds that have encouraging parents. And if that Parent senses talent in the child they will get them to whatever club/sport they need to get to.

And I bet no club, no matter how snobby you think they are, would turn them away.

The problem is, an awful lot of parents in Hartlepool dont give a flying fuck about their kids, and spend more time sitting about drinking special brew and smoking tabs than they do about encouraging their kids.

There are fuckng thousands of them.

What's that got to do with anything? It's a fair critsism of pushing all our money into elite sport whilst the grassroots is in tatters.

Are you claiming rowing isn't elitist?

Great comment, especially the last bit

No it isnt. There are rowing clubs all over the UK.

Of course you need a river and a club then get members.

A lot of rowers do go to Uni though, soif that makes it elitist then it must be.

My son went to Durham, and could have joined the rowing club had he wanted to. He didnt want to.

Its only elitist in the mind sof those that want it to be.

To be fair, I live in a pretty poor part of the country and we've got a couple of tennis clubs around here and it's only £50 for a kids membership for the year at the closest one.

It looks alright as well:

Leaves me absolutely cold, not the slightest interest in any of it, what really annoys me is how it's the first thing on the news whether it be tv or radio and then the same things are repeated in the sports news a few minutes later. It's sport, keep it to the sports news, unless it's some American idiots who claim they were robbed and then got found out as just a bunch of twats. Got to admit it was quite funny when the pool turned green though.

After the World Cup 2014 nad this years Euros, and the last few shambolic years at Pools, its Football that has left me cold.

The pride and work ethic, and the honesty, of the Olympians has given me back hope thats sport is good.

Football doesnt do that any more.

You compare the likes of the Brownlees and the training they've put in. Add in the likes of Farrah, all of the cyclists, swimmers, divers, our very own Savannah and compare it to the likes of the England football flops on a million pound a month and the conversation is very much over.

Well done lads and lasses, you are an inspiration.

PS: include the parents running kids about at 5am. 7 days a week.

Money well spent and now a 58 year old has won Gold ...Lottery money put to a good use rather than paying for toffs amusement . People need sporting heroes and there's none in the current Football Team..

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Couldn't agree more with the above posts!!!!

Not wishing to sound like the tramp who walks into your house on Xmas day and pisses on the kids presents, but I find the whole thing boring. There, I've said it....I feel better for that.

That hockey final boring ??? Taught the football team a thing or two ..hearts of lions and bigger balls than any English Football team since 1996 ...Never Say Die. .

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I've never heard a urinatory trespassing festive gift soiling hobo say "I find the whole thing boring".

Why use success at the Olympics to bash footballers it's pathetic

How much hockey do you watch on a regular basis ...?

Let's get something straight, I don't like the Olympics. Just because others on here may love it and enjoy something I don't, that's fine by me. But equally, I have the right not to. We don't live in North Korea, people are allowed to say well actually it means nothing to me and not be thought of as odd because of it.
We all have different tastes, it's called choice and no ones opinion is more relevant than anyone else's . Long may it continue.

Well.... I could have put...... "Ya fuckin bazaa........aaaagh.... Call the fuckin police "...( sound of retching followed by extended farting and arm waving) shits in hallway, a stench like trench warfare mixed with rancid turnip fills the house as he takes a swig from a bottle of screen wash, then he collapses onto kids presents and passes out.
So .... do we take the progressive liberal line, embrace his lifestyle and invite this socially challenged brother to stay with the family for the holiday period as guest of honour or....?
I'd choose the 'or' every time.

spot on pal. my dislike tends to come from it being shoved down your throat in the media and you can,t get away from it on tele unless you,re a fan of murder she wrote and sick of all this crying in public. was always taught this was a private matter either happiness or grief but then i,m what they say old skool and glad i am.

Yeh. You never see footballers crying like little babies. No way.

And thank fook the media dont ram the premier league down our throats 24 hours a day seven days a week.

And what kind of ridiculous sports are these where fans can sit with opposition fans whilst still supporting your team without needed to accuse them of being not nice people and threaten to kisk fook out of them.

And where alcohol consumption doesnt make you act like a nobhead.

Weird sport's

Yeah the crowds been perfectly behaved didn't boo the French pole vaulter or cheer every mistake in the gymnastics. You are deluded

Yes I am deluded.

Deluded as fuck.

One of the best atmosphere I have been at a sports event was the 2012 beach volleyball olympics 4 games in one night could drink in stands and the Dutch where going bonkers. Plus I went for nothing as mate won a compertition. I love the olympics in fact any sport apart from that dancehall horsey stuff and tennis. I love football but the none mixture of fans due to violence is really stupid. Oh and before anyone says anything about sporting events I been to I been to Yankee stadium, Madison square garden, Fenway park, Madrid, stadium of light Lisbon and a hundred grounds in England. It was just great drinking watching a sport really I knew nowt about just having a laugh with other nation fans and singing songs