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LA 2028 Ceremonies


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Here's a suggestion.. maybe talk about what you think other people who aren't you would like to see in the LA 2028 ceremonies.  Literally billions of people will be following, so the consensus of their opinion is likely what will matter.  Even if you find that disagreeable

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On 4/26/2022 at 8:50 PM, Quaker2001 said:

Here's a suggestion.. maybe talk about what you think other people who aren't you would like to see in the LA 2028 ceremonies. 

I could have sworn I posted a few minutes ago a response to your comment.

Regardless, this thread right now is becoming about as interesting as watching paint dry or grass grow. Maybe that will be as good a theme as any for an Olympic ceremony.

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2 hours ago, Olympics2028 said:

I could have sworn I posted a few minutes ago a response to your comment.

Regardless, this thread right now is becoming about as interesting as watching paint dry or grass grow. Maybe that will be as good a theme as any for an Olympic ceremony.

Based on the e-mail alerts I receive, you did.  Not sure what happened to those posts other than the moderators of this thread maybe sending you a message when you come in every few days to do your diarrhea posting.  Since the e-mails only give me part of the message, I'll go off what I have..

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In turn, I can aim the same reply to you too. I've posted numerous examples of what I'd like to see or not see in an Olympic ceremony, the format...

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You can help do some of the heavy lifting by posting Youtube videos of past ceremonies and comment on what you liked about them. To make the conv...

Holy narcissism, Batman.  Do you still not understand that we're no longer interested in what *you* what to see or not see in an Olympic ceremony?  And no, I'm not going to post YouTube videos.  This isn't a powerpoint presentation. That format wasn't interesting.  It was like a bad college lecture from a professor that know less about the source material than his students.

If you can understand these 2 points, maybe this thread can get more interesting.  And spare us the follow-up post of "I thought this was the LA 2028 Ceremonies thread, not the let's talk about Olympics2028 thread."  Scale back on the self interest a little and maybe this thread might get less boring

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  • 4 weeks later...

The 2028 games can do a salute to actresses similar to Amber Heard and actors like Will Smith. They can line up on the infield (I still think it shouldn't be covered in a tarp; keep it natural grass) thousands of Olympic volunteers at the opening (or closing) who'll symbolize the two celebrities and have them in synchronized motion slap the faces of other participants.

The IOC and 2028 OOC need to get in on the Hollywood fun and action.

 

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1 hour ago, Olympics2028 said:

The 2028 games can do a salute to actresses similar to Amber Heard and actors like Will Smith. They can line up on the infield (I still think it shouldn't be covered in a tarp; keep it natural grass) thousands of Olympic volunteers at the opening (or closing) who'll symbolize the two celebrities and have them in synchronized motion slap the faces of other participants.

The IOC and 2028 OOC need to get in on the Hollywood fun and action.

By 2028, that night at the Oscars will be more than 6 years old.  I'm guessing they'll have some fresh ideas and better current events by then

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  • 3 weeks later...

To avoid being accused of trolling or spamming, or getting my posts censored, I'll don't want to add too much to this thread. Besides, 2028 is 6 years into the future, and what I like or prefer in a opening/closing is very different from what people at the IOC and operating committees like or prefer.

Okay, I'm not optimistic. My tastes are closer to what was routine decades ago, not in today's TikTok culture.

So as long as the 2028 OOC doesn't blow their budget and also manages to sell a lot of tickets to various events, that will be fine. Oh, and they need to make sure to organize transportation plans properly.

1996 and 2012 were able to fulfill 2 of 3 major goals of an Olympic committee successfully, so that's the bar the 2028 OOC has to strive for.

 

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I've never seen video of the 1984 games using the international feed. No commercial breaks, no yakkity-yak narrators. This is in pure form, the way a spectator would have experienced the summer games of 1984.

The IOC will force it off Youtube in awhile. I believe the IOC's channel doesn't post the opening and closing of 1984 due to legal reasons with broadcasters over 40 years ago.

Watching the last few minutes of the 1984 opening - with an international tone - is what I want to see duplicated in 2028.

 

 

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This is the start of the opening of 1984 in totally pure form. I've never witnessed an Olympics ceremony without background chatter, without commercial breaks. I didn't realize ceremonial-type drumming took place for several minutes before the actual start kicked off. The complete sound of the opening composition of "Welcome" can be heard without the yakkity-yak of the broadcasters.

I like the formality and non-Cirque-type ceremonial maturity of openings like in 1984 or 1964:

 

 

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I don't know how the ceremony of the Olympic oaths and the "parade of the national flags" has been handled more recently, if at all. I know the oaths of the athlete and judge still do occur, but more in a "this is boring, let's get this s*** out of the way" manner.

In 1984, the flags segment was certainly a snooze to most people and videos of the TV broadcast back then (at least in the US0 show it was replaced by talking heads. But I still like the music (kind of like the score of a super-hero or Superman movie) and sense of tradition followed over 30 years ago.

I won't deny this will cause viewers to change their tuner or turn off their monitor. But I personally find it no duller than another talking-head interview.

If this had been followed in the exact same way since 1984, I'd say it was time for a change. But this and things like the release of pigeons (real ones, not stuffed animals) should be re-introduced in 2028.

The legacy of Pierre de Coubertin should also be honored with a bit more emphasis and attention to detail.

I don't think such segments are any worse than a salute to a city's fashion industry or featured acts performed by pop singers.

 

 

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The last summer games opening ceremony held in America? I liked how 1996 followed the tradition of giving stadium announcements in both English and French, the two official formal languages of the Olympic games. But why did the announcers, after saying the 1996 OOC's CEO formal name, have to add the suffix "Billy Payne?" They could have
made it even more home spun by saying "Billy Bob Boy."

The jet planes were more big time than in 1984. But the three main officials walking out into the field instead of being shown standing by their seats was unnecessary. Particularly since two of them would later come out again onto the field and give speeches.

The raising of the host's national flag in 1996 and other bits surrounding the "USA" segment were somehow more provincial. The "welcome wave?" Really? And then shortly mentioning the location of the traveling of the flame?

Something about the announcer in general at America's last summer Olympics came off as way too informal. Or he came off as guilty of shaky ceremonial etiquette.

The 1996 choir also was dressed too much like a church group and during the ceremony floated in and out of the stadium, as though they were of secondary importance.

 

 

The choral version of the US anthem in 1984 was more rousing or heroic. The segment honoring the host country and top government official in 1984 was also briefer, simpler and less goofy:

 

 

When announcing or honoring the host country, I don't know exactly what Olympic opening ceremony tradition has been. But I don't believe in earlier decades the flag of the host country was ever raised during the opening. But I'm not sure. It certainly wasn't flown right next to the flag of the Olympics itself (which at least wasn't done in 1996), which more recently has become the routine. I prefer the custom still observed in 1984---although the flags in a sleeve format on poles at the rim of the stadium were sort of cheap.

The country where a games is being held is playing host to the entire world. So it should take a back seat to the symbol of the Olympics itself.

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2 hours ago, Olympics2028 said:

I don't know how the ceremony of the Olympic oaths and the "parade of the national flags" has been handled more recently, if at all. I know the oaths of the athlete and judge still do occur, but more in a "this is boring, let's get this s*** out of the way" manner.

In 1984, the flags segment was certainly a snooze to most people and videos of the TV broadcast back then (at least in the US0 show it was replaced by talking heads. But I still like the music (kind of like the score of a super-hero or Superman movie) and sense of tradition followed over 30 years ago.

I won't deny this will cause viewers to change their tuner or turn off their monitor. But I personally find it no duller than another talking-head interview.

If this had been followed in the exact same way since 1984, I'd say it was time for a change. But this and things like the release of pigeons (real ones, not stuffed animals) should be re-introduced in 2028.

The legacy of Pierre de Coubertin should also be honored with a bit more emphasis and attention to detail.

I don't think such segments are any worse than a salute to a city's fashion industry or featured acts performed by pop singers.

Once again, for the guy who says he's really OCD about the ceremonies, interesting how you keep telling us how little you've paid attention to more recent ones.  I can tell you that NBC's research (take that for what it's worth since they care more about satisfying their shareholders and advertisers than their viewers) says that their viewers in general will indeed be more interested in certain segments than others.  Yes, they're more likely to tune out during the parade of nations after the United States has marched (hence their desire to have the US go as late in the order as possible) and also during the oaths.  Of course they still occur, but they're not always as big a part of the broadcast.  As you might imagine, when Americans hear someone speaking a foreign language, many do find that to be incredibly boring.

We're not going to see the pigeons again.  We've discussed this.  What happened in 1992 aside, the last thing the IOC needs is for PETA and other animal rights groups to have a reason to bash them.  It would certainly make for a nice visual, but not worth the risk of what might happen if something goes wrong.

Not sure what you think de Coubertin's legacy is that it's not being honored.  The mere fact the Olympics still exist is honoring his legacy.  If a host country wants to take a few minutes to tell a story about themselves, so be it.  I know it's heresy to suggest it on this website, but believe it or not, the Olympics are a sporting festival, not a pair of 4 hour ceremonies with a bunch of inconsequential stuff happening in between

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10 minutes ago, Quaker2001 said:

Once again, for the guy who says he's really OCD about the ceremonies, interesting how you keep telling us how little you've paid attention to more recent ones. 

 

 

I admit I fast forward through all Olympic ceremonies, the games in 1984 included. But that doesn't mean I'm less interested in how the basic format is followed or the way the details are handled.

 

10 minutes ago, Quaker2001 said:

Yes, they're more likely to tune out during the parade of nations after the United States has marched (hence their desire to have the US go as late in the order as possible) and also during the oaths.  Of course they still occur, but they're not always as big a part of the broadcast.  As you might imagine, when Americans hear someone speaking a foreign language, many do find that to be incredibly boring.

 

 

I don't know how the march of athletes into a stadium (or floating on barges in 2024?) can be made shorter and less similar to watching paint dry or grass grow. The Olympics, after all, are about the athletes and should fully honor and highlight them. But unlike decades ago, the number of participants and host countries have grown so huge, that the routine of watching people march into a stadium needs work or re-thinking. But how can that be done?

 

10 minutes ago, Quaker2001 said:

We're not going to see the pigeons again.  We've discussed this.  What happened in 1992 aside, the last thing the IOC needs is for PETA and other animal rights groups to have a reason to bash them.  It would certainly make for a nice visual, but not worth the risk of what might happen if something goes wrong.

Not sure what you think de Coubertin's legacy is that it's not being honored.  The mere fact the Olympics still exist is honoring his legacy.  If a host country wants to take a few minutes to tell a story about themselves, so be it.  I know it's heresy to suggest it on this website, but believe it or not, the Olympics are a sporting festival, not a pair of 4 hour ceremonies with a bunch of inconsequential stuff happening in between

 

The pigeon-roasting incident happened in Seoul in 1988 and live pigeons again were used during the following summer games in Barcelona. I didn't realize that until recently. So it's not like 1988 was a full-on stop of using live birds.

Besides, activists will always complain about something. If the IOC and operating committees are going to be at their beck and call, they should just give up holding the Olympics. After all, summer and winter games require a large carbon footprint, and that's a no-no too.

I may be incorrect, but I'm under the impression that Coubertin's image and words aren't displayed as much or at all during opening and closing ceremonies. Regardless, that resident of Paris had better receive full respect, honor and recognition at the 2024 games.

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The international broadcast feed of the 1984 opening ceremonies posted several weeks ago to Youtube has made me look more closely at the opening of the last summer games in America. 

Yowsa.

Save money: Don't cover the infield in plastic sheets or a huge tarp. That not only costs more money, but it's doesn't look environmentally friendly. It also gives a cheap, plastic-y look to the stadium field

Also, please, no pick-up trucks.

And can you downplay a local angle? Whether an Atlanta 1996, Beijing 2008, London 2012, etc, etc, etc, a little local-ism goes a long way.

If the 2028 producer doesn't go the local-yokel angle, the next summer games in the US will be universal, very accommodating and friendly to all cities, all countries, all peoples. That will also better suit the "Diversity is Our Strength" crowd.

Another summer Olympics opening ceremony, the one for the 2012 games, also made me realize that any host can be-clown itself and come off as hokey, dippy, goofy and funky. So much so, I almost forgot that London is easily one of the greatest cities in the world.

In general, the brand of the "Olympics" is only as good as the organizing committee and the various people who work for it, advise it, influence it. Where that committee is based - city, country - takes a back seat to other things.

.

 

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1 hour ago, Olympics2028 said:

I admit I fast forward through all Olympic ceremonies, the games in 1984 included. But that doesn't mean I'm less interested in how the basic format is followed or the way the details are handled.

If you were really interested in the details, you wouldn't be fast forwarding through the ceremonies.  2 years ago when the pandemic was in the early stages and we were all largely on lockdown, I spent a lot of time watching old Olympics ceremonies to fill the time (and the lack of current sports to watch).  Each ceremony is about 4 hours long.  You obviously have no trouble finding the videos.  Seems like something you would be interested in watched rather than actively trying to avoid it.  Perhaps you'd find it to be enjoyable.

1 hour ago, Olympics2028 said:

I don't know how the march of athletes into a stadium (or floating on barges in 2024?) can be made shorter and less similar to watching paint dry or grass grow. The Olympics, after all, are about the athletes and should fully honor and highlight them. But unlike decades ago, the number of participants and host countries have grown so huge, that the routine of watching people march into a stadium needs work or re-thinking. But how can that be done?

I honestly don't know.  But I also think that's somewhat of an American thing to get bored by seeing athletes from other countries.  Absolutely the ceremonies should be about honoring the athletes and it shouldn't short-change them to do it.  It's a very fair point how the number of athletes has increased over the years, but Atlanta saw over 10,000 athletes and nearly 200 countries, a big jump over Barcelona.  It hasn't really gone up a ton since then.

1 hour ago, Olympics2028 said:

The pigeon-roasting incident happened in Seoul in 1988 and live pigeons again were used during the following summer games in Barcelona. I didn't realize that until recently. So it's not like 1988 was a full-on stop of using live birds.

Besides, activists will always complain about something. If the IOC and operating committees are going to be at their beck and call, they should just give up holding the Olympics. After all, summer and winter games require a large carbon footprint, and that's a no-no too.

I may be incorrect, but I'm under the impression that Coubertin's image and words aren't displayed as much or at all during opening and closing ceremonies. Regardless, that resident of Paris had better receive full respect, honor and recognition at the 2024 games.

I'm sure they will, not just because of what he means to the Olympic movement, but what he means to French sport.  So I hope that's the angle they present it from, even if you might view it differently.  Either way, let France talk about France.  de Coubertin is a big part of that story, but again, the fact that the Olympics still exist is respecting and honoring his legacy

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15 minutes ago, Olympics2028 said:

The international broadcast feed of the 1984 opening ceremonies posted several weeks ago to Youtube has made me look more closely at the opening of the last summer games in America. 

Yowsa.

Save money: Don't cover the infield in plastic sheets or a huge tarp. That not only costs more money, but it's doesn't look environmentally friendly. It also gives a cheap, plastic-y look to the stadium field

Also, please, no pick-up trucks.

And can you downplay a local angle? Whether an Atlanta 1996, Beijing 2008, London 2012, etc, etc, etc, a little local-ism goes a long way.

If the 2028 producer doesn't go the local-yokel angle, the next summer games in the US will be universal, very accommodating and friendly to all cities, all countries, all peoples. That will also better suit the "Diversity is Our Strength" crowd.

Another summer Olympics opening ceremony, the one for the 2012 games, also made me realize that any host can be-clown itself and come off as hokey, dippy, goofy and funky. So much so, I almost forgot that London is easily one of the greatest cities in the world.

In general, the brand of the "Olympics" is only as good as the organizing committee and the various people who work for it, advise it, influence it. Where that committee is based - city, country - takes a back seat to other things.

They're still allowed and IMO should be encouraged to show themselves off a little.  An Olympics in the United States should look and feel different than one in France or in London.  They should all be unique.  You look at 2012's ceremonies and think they lacked dignity, but if nothing else, at least you knew it was a presentation of Great Britain.  And yes, that should be the goal, regardless of your hopes and desires that everything be more international.

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44 minutes ago, Quaker2001 said:

They're still allowed and IMO should be encouraged to show themselves off a little. And yes, that should be the goal, regardless of your hopes and desires that everything be more international.

And the irony there, is that he claims the "traveling circus" nature of the Olympics should cease. Yet he wants more "internationalism" WITHIN each Olympics. That doesn't make any sense to me. If I wanna see as much internationalism as I possibly can in one place, I'll just go to Disney World. No need to wait for the Olympics for that.

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6 hours ago, FYI said:

And the irony there, is that he claims the "traveling circus" nature of the Olympics should cease. Yet he wants more "internationalism" WITHIN each Olympics. That doesn't make any sense to me. If I wanna see as much internationalism as I possibly can in one place, I'll just go to Disney World. No need to wait for the Olympics for that.

It's also falling into the trap of thinking that the entire Olympics is the ceremonies and not the 16 days of sports in between.  Sure, the opening ceremony sets the tone for what we're going to see over the next 2 weeks.  But that tone shouldn't just be that you're watching the Olympics.  It should absolutely be that this is the Olympics in Country X.  Otherwise, what's the point of having a ceremony?

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58 minutes ago, baron-pierreIV said:

This.  

Who needs the "filler" sports --as you say? B)  Pure stadium art/kitsch!!   :lol:

Again, I know this is a crazy concept to some people here, but some people out there actually follow and watch the Olympics for the competition, and not just to watch the athletes march through a stadium.

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10 hours ago, Quaker2001 said:

If you were really interested in the details, you wouldn't be fast forwarding through the ceremonies.  2 years ago when the pandemic was in the early stages and we were all largely on lockdown, I spent a lot of time watching old Olympics ceremonies to fill the time (and the lack of current sports to watch). 

 

 

There are armchair experts/quarterbacks involved in a wide variety of hobbies and interests. Think of all the people who are into some sport but would get killed if they became direct participants in a professional game of football or ice hockey.

Or look at it this way: I read that Kobe Bryant, after retiring from the Lakers, said he stopped watching most NBA games.

Olympic ceremonies to me have become unwatchable, certainly over the past few decades. Other people will feel just the opposite way.

 

10 hours ago, Quaker2001 said:

But I also think that's somewhat of an American thing to get bored by seeing athletes from other countries.  Absolutely the ceremonies should be about honoring the athletes and it shouldn't short-change them to do it.

 

 

The Parade of the National Flags in 1984, which I first saw several months ago from a person who posted video from the BBC - which came with a commentator - first struck me as very dull. But I notice the same version of it, but from international feed, and therefore without a narrator, is somewhat easier to watch.

I realize a lot of TV broadcasts become more of a pain to switch on because of the constant chatter of news/sports commentators. A lot of them feel they're being paid by the word, so they yak-yak more than necessary.

As for watching athletes march into a stadium? It's not where they're from - whether the US or otherwise - that becomes similar to watching paint dry. It's looking at thousands of people in general walk down a stadium track that is a snooze.

Maybe if the IOC has flag bearers and a select number of participants marching behind them, the presentation of all the countries won't seem as long and dull?

In order to not piss off the other athletes, maybe they can be offered a special 5-course, 5-star dinner at the Olympic village? Or maybe they've given a free session with a local masseuse (wink, wink)?

Even this bit in 1984 could have been helped sound-wise if the choir had performed some tunes as the flags were marched around the track.

 

 

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2 hours ago, baron-pierreIV said:

Who needs the "filler" sports --as you say? B)  Pure stadium art/kitsch!!   :lol:

 

Whoa. I also noticed some Westerners attending that event, in the land of the iron fist.

That card display was robotically impressive and technically amazing. Such feats must be much easier to perform in a country like North Korea.

I was watching the marching bands at the 1984 opening and wondering how the field organizer managed to get each and every person to know exactly where he or she had to be during Moment A or Moment B. Doing all that while playing an instrument and not screwing up both that and the footsteps they had to remember.

Just the thought of how much work and skill goes into such efforts makes me want to take a nap. lol.

 

 

 

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