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Olympic rings fireworks over the National Stadium during the closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics. (Photograph from the AP)
The Beijing Olympics ended after a memorable 16 days of competition and world record-breaking. The opening was massive and lavish, focused on China's history, and the finale was another extravagant display of modern, fanciful performances and fireworks.
The ceremony also marked as the hand-off to the 2012 Olympics in London, with Britain's prime minister Gordon Brown and London mayor Boris Johnson on hand. But it's unlikely that London will be able to match the $44 billion spent by the Chinese for these 2008 games--and that doesn't include being able to raze neighborhoods and keep migrant workers out of sight. Perhaps it's lucky NYC didn't win the bid.
The NY Times reported, "Some political analysts say Beijing placed too much importance on the Games, and others said the country failed to live up to its promises to open up and undertake political changes that would improve the country’s human rights record," but still International Olympics Committee president Jacques Rogge said, “The world has learned about China, and China has learned about the world, and I believe this is something that will have positive effects for the long term.”
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London better be good cause that david beckham on a crap neon umbrella bus thing aint cutting it.
holy shit, not another olympics until 20012? really?
Finally. I can now program NBC back into the TV now.
Four years from now, Internet technology will have improved so dramatically, that our viewing experiences will be noticeably different.
Viewers may not be as concerned about all the hi tech ceremonial displays - they will probably be awed by the advanced in viewing and real time global social interaction
^ Or, we'll all be dead by then.
aside from the cool bus, the handover pretty much sucked.
also, it's spelled "olympics" in the title, not "olympcs"
Thank God its all over.
Thanks for help with the typos--I was too tired at 1 a.m.
The "handover" with its bus and umbrellas and multi-cultural seemed incredibly tacky after the grandeur of the Chinese ceremonies. I was embarrassed for London. Never did totalitarianism look so attractive.
I, for one, welcome our new Chinese overlords.
Should read "multi-cultural clpatrap". Oh well.
Jacques Rogge is an enemy combatant
I thought the opening and closing ceremonies were amazing. I don't really think anyone is going to top these games for a very long time. From the ceremonies to the actual venues, the whole thing was just completely over the top!
I actually enjoyed watching this one and am kinda sad that I'm probably not going to watch the TV set for another 2 years.
boris johnson looked like a complete douche as well
"Four years from now, Internet technology will have improved so dramatically, that our viewing experiences will be noticeably different."
Only if you have Vista... or whatever the latest crap will be called.
Well, Boris Johnson kind of IS a douche, so there you have it.
Phew, and let us all give thanks once again for the Olympics NOT going to NYC in 2012.
Dodged a bullet there, London can have that nightmare
Who are the English going to lock up in 2012, the Irish? The Chinese leaders should be forced to switch places for a month or two with those that they oppress. In fact maybe Bush should join them.
London is so fucking Tiny. At least the Chinese had a billion people to pick and choose who had the best smiles through social and genetic engineering. Did you see how adorable those kids were at the closing ceremonies? China probably bred them just for that day. London is going to have some serious problems with traffic and british teeth and snob attitudes. I like how The British still adore the monarchy even though they aren't their rulers anymore. Says something about humanity doesn't it?
China did all that in less than ten years and we still have a hole in the ground.
we dodged a bullet is right.
Congrats to China for an amazing Olympics!
The opening and closing ceremonies were fantastic, and the facilities looked incredible.
Hopefully this helps create a more open relationship between China and the rest of the world.
Oh, and as for all the hand-wringing about protestors... meh.
I'm not sure how seeing people waiving Free Tibet banners would have contributed to a better Olympics. The message got out. Free Tibet. Don't persecute Falun Gong. so what.
Heck, we HAVE a First Amendment, but our right to free speech is limited all the time. Ever see pictures of our government turning fire hoses and releasing dogs on people during the civil rights movement? We'll surely have arrests made during the Democratic and Republican conventions. Zones created around medical facilities, in airports, in schools. The Fairness Doctrine, which attempts to assess and regulate content based on political ideology; scary stuff. Critical Mass bike riders getting pushed around by the cops. You can't even rally at City Hall or have a parade down the street without a permit.
21 = For real dawg. The only difference between communism and capitalism is the packaging. Everybody's yelling about chinese torture. Ever hear of waterboarding? The US govt has even better propaganda than the Chinese cause more Americans actually believe that they are free and have freedoms. No, you don't. Talk about living in the Matrix. Wake up and take the red pill.
you were a lot more fun when you were a racist troll baby hitler
I secretly hope that NYC gets to celebrate it's 400 birthday with the 2024 games and World's Fair.
13 and 15, you wouldn't happen to be Ken Livingston supporters would you?
At least Boris was honestly excited about it, if Ken had still been in office he would've been all smug and smarmy about it.
18, any other ill-educated things you'd like to say while you're at it?
$40 billion, which with our cost of labor, would be more like $100 billion. This is National Treasury shit. China can't be topped unless someone says "fuck it", and blows Iraq War type money on a games. It can't happen here. Who's the next sucker for the I.O.C. faeries? My money's on Dubai, only they'll have to hold the summer games in winter just so few marathoners die along the Sheikh Khaled Road.
Don't forget the next Winter Olympics in 2010 are in Vancouver BC. The Seattle Times is all over that one:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/ronjudd/2008136178_olyjudd25.html