17 replies to this topic

[BTHarner]

I was talking to a co-worker the other day and I joked that I was probably going to have to write it in my will that he is to be given all my Olympic books and things because he is the only person with whom I can have an intelligent Olympic discussion. When it comes to other sports, there is no problem, actually I get a little weary about talking about them all the time. I was just wondering if that is the way it is with everyone else, Are "Olympic" friends few and far between for you (not counting people here on GB, unless you've actually struck up friendships in which you get together and actually share quality time) ?

[deawebo]

Actually i have only 3 friends that can talk intresting Olympic disscusions... A classmate (he runs), my grandpa (former professional soccer player) and my mother (she just loves the olympics)!!! Since i'm from a country where football is the most important thing, there are few Olympic "talkers", with my father and friends, for example, we only talk about football :S

[Athensfan]

Interesting topic!

I don't know anybody who is as interested in the Games as I am. It makes interesting party conversation for all of 40 seconds but that's about it.

[Fox334]

Since I currently work in a tech company while taking a small break from uni (where I study in CS) its much easier for me to get a hold of someone to talk about StarCraft than about the Olympics. Probably the best person that I have access to for Olympics talk is a blind coworker who is a competitive alpine skiier and as such quite aware of events from winter sports in general.

[Olympic Fan Darcy]

Nope i don't know anyone which is why i got super excited when i found this place!
I have kind of a friend who's dad is a sports journalist and he knows abit about bidding but i dont talk to him much out of school so yeah.
Everytime i bring it up my family and friends groan. Like i went rome dropped out and noone responded. Or 100 days to olympics no response.
So i'm glad i have this place

[Victor Mata]

I'm 100% geek wherever I go. My main interests are Video Games, local history and folklore, literature and obviously the Olympic Games. All the other stuff is quite easy to mix in the conversation here and there, but when I say "Olympics" people get all "dude, what the hell..." Doomed for life.

[Athensfan]

Yeah. It only works as a brief anecdote. More than that and people think you have no life....

[faster]

This is actually a very good topic. The short answer is no, there is no one I know that has my level of interest in sport in general and the Olympics in particular. I mean I know lots of people that love one sport or another, but I do have my Dad and my best friend who will listen. But people just think I am a huge sports nerd. There was a librarian in elementary school that had the same level of interest but he was kinda creepy.

But I remember in Gr. 7 I woke up early and watched the Olympic Ceremonies for Sydney and when I went to school my teacher and a good dozen or so of my classmates had done the same. So we actually had a class discussion about the ceremonies and then she decided we had to do a social studies assignment on Australia based on an aspect of the Opening Ceremonies. And in Gr. 4 and Gr. 8 during Nagano and SLC we did a month of social studies based on the Olympics and the cultures of Japan and Utah. I have almost 8 file boxes of material from newsources etc. because of the habit that developed.

In general I think a very wide range of people watch and follow the Olympics, but very few follow the bidding, qualification and preperations of the Olympics as much as we do. And it was really my Mom that got me into the Olympics to begin with, I still vividly remember her shooting at the TV when Donovan Bailey won gold.

[mattygs]

None of my mates here have the foggiest what Im on about when it comes to the Olympics. Of course, i've got a bunch of them that are fully up with the sports side of it, but I imagine if I happened to mention Baku they would probably favour the option of it being a new kind of kebab rather than a city (let alone one that is bidding for the Olympics).

[Sir Rols]

hahah. Most who know me pretty well know my Olympics passion and don't bat an eyelid these days. I've only got really one mate outside here, however, who's an Olympics fan as much as me - but more in the event itself rather than the four years in-between. My husband also (luckily) loves the games when they're on and watch them avidly with me, but of course can't fathom the fascination with bidding and scoping potential hosts in-between.