mattperiolat Posted February 13, 2010 Report Share Posted February 13, 2010 OK, my thoughts for the ten cents it's worth. Firstly - memo from the IOC and Rogge to Brundage and the ghosts of 1972: THIS is how you honor someone when they die during the Olympics. Classy, respectful and total dignity. I think I spent as much time crying tonight as I did enjoying the ceremony. Plus, you could get a vibe that Rogge wanted to be anywhere than where he was. Past ceremonies, he's serious, but involved. This time... he looked so old. You got a feeling that the passing of the luger really hurt. Second - This was Beijing visual magic with real heart. I have to agree with the whales visual, which was just amazing to see. Really, artistically, this was a stunning show and Vancouver should be quite proud. Also, great kudos to kd lang (someone check me on this, but I think she's the first person to perform at the Olympics twice. She closed Calgary) and Sarah Maclaughlin. Awesome job, ladies. Finally - The elephant in the room, Sydney 2.0. My heart just broke when I saw the problems they were having with the cauldron. All I could think was "Not again!" I'm very grateful that they were able to salvage something out of it, but oh man, what a damper. Still, frankly, given what else has happened so far, a balky cauldron is the least of the organizing committee's worries right now, I'm sure. Well, time for this Olympian to put his head down, dream Olympic dreams, get the decks rolling tomorrow and pray for someone no longer with us who died doing what he loved. Godspeed and all prayers to the Georgian team and those who loved him. PS - Organizing committee to towerguy3: Forget. You. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenadian Posted February 13, 2010 Report Share Posted February 13, 2010 The crowd wasnt into it as much as I would have liked. We were into it...but we had to parts to play with the lights and you often had to pay attention to what you were supposed to be doing. I liked having my drum. It saved me from raw hands from clapping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Rols Posted February 13, 2010 Report Share Posted February 13, 2010 We were into it...but we had to parts to play with the lights and you often had to pay attention to what you were supposed to be doing. I liked having my drum. It saved me from raw hands from clapping. I think the drums were the problem. On TV, they came across as muted. I thought it was muffled boos, until I realised they were drumming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Citius Altius Fortius Posted February 13, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2010 I think the drums were the problem. On TV, they came across as muted. I thought it was muffled boos, until I realised they were drumming. I just wanted to write that too - it sounded like booeing of the people... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenadian Posted February 13, 2010 Report Share Posted February 13, 2010 Oh, didn't realize that. The drums were little cardboard boxes with lights and Canadian flags inside. They were kinda like a pizza box for a really thick pizza. By the way...the Official programme book was boring. All grey and black and white. No photos at all except of the people behind the scenes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dinhu4ever Posted February 13, 2010 Report Share Posted February 13, 2010 Oh, didn't realize that. The drums were little cardboard boxes with lights and Canadian flags inside. They were kinda like a pizza box for a really thick pizza. By the way...the Official programme book was boring. All grey and black and white. No photos at all except of the people behind the scenes. For 500+ dollars tickets, the souveniers are sounding remarkably lackluster... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord David Posted February 13, 2010 Report Share Posted February 13, 2010 Ya aught to be grateful for stuff like that, the organizers could have easily have offered no freebees, or made people pay for them in the souvenir stands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr.x Posted February 13, 2010 Report Share Posted February 13, 2010 Is it only the bad acoustics or does the audience hardly applaude for most of the teams? A little bit underwhelming. Those are your guests and the centre point of the Olympic Games! OK, now a roar for Brazil -- but only a short one. There was tons of applauding for most of the teams...the acoustics for the broadcast were probably bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ike74ph Posted February 13, 2010 Report Share Posted February 13, 2010 I found the OC slow and at times boring. Oh yeah, the boos were actually drum beating. Furlong looked so serious so I thought he was being booed. I liked the orcas best but there was a lot of reminders of Sydney. Tap dancing with punky costumed Scotsmen, the faulty cauldron, etc. They also could not think of a better way of honoring the dead athlete. They could have at least showed his picture on the screen. It was ok for me. 6.5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr.x Posted February 13, 2010 Report Share Posted February 13, 2010 This cerimony is forgetable, not sure a mark in the olympic history it was just ok After 4 or 8 years, most Ceremonies are forgettable by the international audience but are still remembered by the domestic audience...the only Opening Ceremony that really stands out is Beijing's. It's expected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuigiVercotti Posted February 13, 2010 Report Share Posted February 13, 2010 After 4 or 8 years, most Ceremonies are forgettable by the international audience but are still remembered by the domestic audience...the only Opening Ceremony that really stands out is Beijing's. It's expected. I think Vancouver's OC will stay in the memory because of (1) the amazing visuals projections and (2) the cauldron problems. Hard core fans like most of us here in GamesBids will have more detailed recollections for sure. But when we come to Sochi or whoever wins 2018 (okay, I know...it's Munich okay ) then it'll be those sequences I've cited above that'll get reruns on the various broadcasters. As for Beijing being the only Opening Ceremony that stands out I do beg to differ. Moscow's, LA84, Barcelona and Sydney will always get a guernsey in the SOG stakes for memorable OCs, whilst Lillehammer would have to be the best candidate for WOGs. Here's hoping Vancouver's games continue to get better.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord David Posted February 13, 2010 Report Share Posted February 13, 2010 I found the OC slow and at times boring. Oh yeah, the boos were actually drum beating. Furlong looked so serious so I thought he was being booed. I liked the orcas best but there was a lot of reminders of Sydney. Tap dancing with punky costumed Scotsmen, the faulty cauldron, etc. They also could not think of a better way of honoring the dead athlete. They could have at least showed his picture on the screen. It was ok for me. 6.5 They should have gotten his fellow Luge competitors to carry his luge into the stadium prior to the one minute silence. Perhaps the fact it was a last minute thing, could not make it possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuigiVercotti Posted February 13, 2010 Report Share Posted February 13, 2010 They should have gotten his fellow Luge competitors to carry his luge into the stadium prior to the one minute silence. Perhaps the fact it was a last minute thing, could not make it possible. I think the manner in which Nodar Kumaritashvili was remembered in the ceremony was fine. His tragic death was honoured with several references as well as by other athletes, and anything beyond what was done would have smacked of cheap or tawdry exploitation. Taking as a guide what was done for Munich 72 and Atlanta 96 the right tones were hit by Rogge, VANOC and the OC organisers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Tower Bridge Fox Posted February 13, 2010 Report Share Posted February 13, 2010 It’s a very beautiful opening ceremony, It was interesting watching the pre-ceremony show on Eurovision and seeing the audience being bullied into remembering lists of things they have to do to participate. Well worth it though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Citius Altius Fortius Posted February 13, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2010 Thanks everybody, who joined our live chat here on GamesBids - it was as always a lot of fun Chatting with you during the Ceremonies is exactly that for what the Olympic Games stand for: sharing of an "experience" with people from all over the world! I suppose everybody who reads this thread now get an impression how much we liked the show and what we didn't like Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olympian Posted February 13, 2010 Report Share Posted February 13, 2010 quite a number of athletes did tweet saying they were impressed by the opening ceremony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted February 13, 2010 Report Share Posted February 13, 2010 Yeah I know it wasn't supposed to, but if you look at it that way, it's actually poetic. Too, too cynical, people can be. I'm sure Catrina LeMay-DOan would NOT have agreed. Her "man" did NOT rise!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted February 13, 2010 Report Share Posted February 13, 2010 great kudos to kd lang (someone check me on this, but I think she's the first person to perform at the Olympics twice. Nope. Actually, Gloria Estefan was the first (Atlanta '96 and Salt Lake '02 -- altho both Closings). Sarah Brightman did Closing Barcelona '92 and Opening Beijing '08; and Domingo has done Barcelona (Opeing & Closing) and Beijing (Closing). So k.d.lang now joins that august group. BTW, where was Avril Lavigne at last night's OC? I thought she was supposed to perform? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ikarus360 Posted February 13, 2010 Report Share Posted February 13, 2010 Nope. Actually, Gloria Estefan was the first (Atlanta '96 and Salt Lake '02 -- altho both Closings). Sarah Brightman did Closing Barcelona '92 and Opening Beijing '08; and Domingo has done Barcelona (Opeing & Closing) and Beijing (Closing). So k.d.lang now joins that august group. BTW, where was Avril Lavigne at last night's OC? I thought she was supposed to perform? Same here, i was surprised she didnt appeared after she was on the performers list. Probably we'll see her on the Closing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
van_will_shine! Posted February 13, 2010 Report Share Posted February 13, 2010 It has been a long and exciting night! I will put in my 2 cents about the opening ceremonies...I have not read all of the replies here, so forgive me if it will be repeated. I was fortunate enough to attend the ceremonies and just watched the NBC and part of the CTV coverage of the live ceremonies which I had DVR'd. First of all, I think it was very appropriate the way they honored Nodar Kumaritashvili. The experience on TV was completely different that what it was like to be there. Some parts were better in person, and some were much better on TV. Overall I think the ceremonies were fantastic !!! The audience was part of the show, the energy was pretty high and it seemed that everyone had fun. It was hard to see some of the effects that were projected on the floor as we had seats close to the floor and far from the screens in the stadium, but on TV my opinion and the opinion of the people watching with me today, was that they were spectacular but at the same time touching. As for the crowd at BC place, MOST of us were beating our drums and making noise even during the athletes procession, however I still wish more people would have cheered, as I noticed that on TV the noise we were making was defiantely muted. Continuing with the audience at BC place, I was really PISSED off that most people cannot follow instructions!!! We did go through a few rehearsals, but during the actual show alot of people still did not do the effects right, or were too immersed in the show to look at the instructions on the screen and at the team leaders. The biggest screw up for the audience was during K.D Lang, when the candle light was supposed to start from the center of the stadium where she was, and SLOWLY radiate outward, each row turing on their candle lights when the team leader walked and pointed to that particular row.....well NOBODY did that, they just simply turned on their candles when K.D Lang came on.....uhhh!! Also, can someone who was at the ceremonies please tell me what the secret effect was when the cauldron was being lit that we were supposed to do with out flashnights...I saw something on the screen that said something like hold on button for a few seconds, but I was focused on the cauldron (so yes, I am at fault too for not follwing the instructions, but to be fair we didn't practice that part because it was "secret") Also some effects and segments I thought were better in person, like the fiddler / tapdancing segment, especially when their feet were on fire, in person it was amazing!! As for the cauldron itself, NOBODY that I was with at the ceremonies noticed any screw up with it, other than the music going off for a second, so to us it was perfect ! Only when we listened to the radio, got home and saw highlights we were told what happened, and I think that if some cauldron lighters, especially Steve Nash didn't make strange f*&*& faces, even at home it would have been less awkward! Actually watching Romania's coverage of the Opening, they didn't even comment on any glitches, just like us in the stadium, it looked that that is how it was supposed to be lit. So, I am wondering anyone else who has seen LIVE coverage in other countries, how many commentators didn't even notice the glitch?? Obviously now it has been all over the internet, so they will report on it, but watching it LIVE I think millions of people probably didn't even notice. Now, what I thought could have been better was if the outdoor cauldron was lit at the same time, with the fireworks going off at the same time, I thought that that the biggest problem of the ceremonies, even bigger than the BC place cauldron failure if you ask me! Overall, I think it was fantastic!!! A- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micheal_warren Posted February 13, 2010 Report Share Posted February 13, 2010 Nope. Actually, Gloria Estefan was the first (Atlanta '96 and Salt Lake '02 -- altho both Closings). Sarah Brightman did Closing Barcelona '92 and Opening Beijing '08; and Domingo has done Barcelona (Opeing & Closing) and Beijing (Closing). So k.d.lang now joins that august group. BTW, where was Avril Lavigne at last night's OC? I thought she was supposed to perform? Maybe she will do the Closing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuigiVercotti Posted February 13, 2010 Report Share Posted February 13, 2010 Maybe she will do the Closing? Frankly if there is no sign of Neil Young then David Atkins should get his Australian citizenship revoked. How can they not have the greatest Canadian musician ever not stroll out and give us 'Heart of Gold' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hachiko Posted February 15, 2010 Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotguy Posted February 15, 2010 Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 Where was Celine Dion? Perhaps in the Closing we may see her Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuigiVercotti Posted February 15, 2010 Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 Where was Celine Dion? Perhaps in the Closing we may see her Noooooo...please don't let her anywhere near the closing. If either she or Anne Murray perform in the closing ceremony then all that good work done by Canadians to make these games a success will have been undone I'd rather see Loverboy and Heart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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