My sister shared some great Olympic cartoons, which led me to some great London Olympic humour for a quick post.
The Onion has some great videos for the Games, including their report about the selection of U.K. children to balance apples on their heads for the archery competition. They also posted some outstanding Olympic info-graphics.
An array of Olympic cartoons are available here. I wish there was a site for "Learn To Speak Cat" cartoonist Anthony Smith, whose series of Olympic cat cartoons in the METRO newspaper is quite good.
And another Facebook friend posted an "Absolutely Fabulous" photo as shown, courtesy of the Daily Telegraph.
It's four days past the London Olympic Opening Ceremonies, and words are still not easily found to describe the experience. Of course, it was a wonderful ceremony. But it was so different on several levels, and my reactions varied greatly from one portion to the next.
Entering the venue, I learned early on one major difference from past Opening Ceremonies. Most likely due to austerity considerations, the seats for attendees included no kit, no program, no pins. Nothing. This was a disappointment -- Opening Ceremony kits are a coveted prize of past Games!
How better to Ebay the experience, my dear?
Shaking off the sticker shock for official programs, priced at 15 pounds (!!!), settling into my original seat in the 222 section, I did enjoy the massive green field of play symbolizing the Isles of Wonder. In case NBC cut it, during the countdown sequence, there were live sheep, ducks, geese and horses with May Pole players on the British "island" in the center of the stadium. Audience members participated by "silking" the stands with massive blue silks creating water around the grand stage.
The massive bell featuring Shakespeare's quote from The Tempest -- "Be not afeard: the isle is full of noises" -- hung just a few row below my seat, and in the one-sheet run-of-show provided to spectators, I learned this bell will remain for posterity to be run in the year 2212 with a message from its creators commenting on the recent infancy of the World Wide Web, invented by British-born scientist Tim Berners-Lee, who said "This Is For Everyone" (the theme of the evening). Clever!
Other segments to love: The opening "Journey along the Thames" video, the "Green and Pleasant Land" countryside show on the British meadow, the songs from the Four Nations, Kenneth Branagh acting as a leading engineer (Branagh was the first of several predicted performers from my pre-ceremony post), and the transformation into "Pandemonium" and The Age of Industry (as described in the ceremony media guide).
I was delighted by the Olympic rings -- one forged by iron workers on the stadium floor -- took flight and rained gorgeous gold fireworks. Best rings arrival since Torino.
Also loved the pixel screens, which volunteers taught the audience to use during the countdown. This is the modern version of the flag cards famously unveiled by the spectators at the Los Angeles Opening Ceremony in 1984.
Paraphrasing a friend's friend via Facebook comment, I could have done without the tribute to socialized medicine. From my seat, the "big baby" did not appear as as such. Blowing bubbles was a good idea but not easy to appreciate outside of the venue (nor inside). The 3D glasses did not enhance a thing (and why not brand the glasses with Games logos?).
But Rowan Atkinson's performance set to "Chariots of Fire" was perfect. And the montage of music and TV via the BBC went over well (more Annie Lennox next time, please). I found myself awaiting Morissey's lyrics "There is a light that never goes out" for the arrival of the torch and cauldron, but the song's somber themes would not have played well.
I really did love the solo performance of "Abide With Me" sung by Emeli Sande. The modern dance segment was beautiful, and it struck me as the largest dance in opening ceremony memory. What a bloody shame NBC cut this (see my July 28 post for more on this segment).
It was brilliant to play tribute to the July 7 bombing victims with a memorial video (set to my favorite Brian Eno tune) ... why not add a brief remembrance for all Olympic Family members at future opening ceremonies (this would have easily covered the Munich 1972 victims and Olympic Family/IOC members lost in this Olympiad)?
The arrival of a record 204 national Olympic committees gave me time to grab dinner, trade a few pins and ... wait for it ... UPGRADE MY SEAT. With a wink, a flash of an unaccredited media badge, and a camera, I found myself on row 10 in section 124, this time under the stage right area of the big Olympic bell and platform for Sir Paul McCartney's performance.
As luck had it, I sat only a few seats from just about every living Team GB Olympic medal winner, and enjoyed a much closer view of the athlete parade including Usain Bolt/Jamaica, Team USA, Team GB and many more (I arrived during the letter "H").
The "dove bikes" were cool.
Much was made of the Queen's arrival with the James Bond actor Daniel Craig. Jolly good show! The only improvement I'd suggest ... perhaps Her Majesty could have high-fived the other living James Bond actors en route to the helicopter, or Sean Connery could have been revealed as the pilot.
I searched with loaned binoculars but did not yet spot the newlywed Royals, who I hope to see at beach volleyball or gymnastics.
For me, the more I learn about the Olympic cauldron, the better it gets. In the media section of the stadium after the event, the TODAY Show's Meredith Viera told me the delegations each carried in a bit of the cauldron that was attached (it was a bean- or melon-like chrome piece about the size of a football), which volunteers attached to the cauldron before it was ignited (Viera stated these pieces go back to each participating nation after the Games).
But it was, in my opinion, an oversight to permit its display out of public view. Vancouver got this right with two cauldrons in the Olympic city.
And inviting unknown youth to ignite the cauldron ... zzzzzzzzzzz ... (been there done that with the little girl who lit the cauldron in Calgary).
There are many things to love about the London Olympic Opening Ceremony and I will always cherish the experience. There is a light that never goes out, indeed.
Sunday morning in London brought a bright blue sky and the big day for my first sporting event ticket of the 2012 Olympics -- shooting.
My first visit to an Olympic shooting venue, I did not know what to expect. Let me say the experience blew my mind!
It was a rocky start, however, when I realized at 8 a.m. that the start time was 9 a.m. and the Underground ride would be more than one hour (BLAST!).
Though London offers no bullet train service to The Royal Artillery Barracks, on the far east side of the city (even further than the Olympic Park), the tube-to-venue bus ride was brief, and I snapped several sunny shots around and inside the beautiful ultra-modern venue.
My general admission ticket included skeet shooting access, with a grandstand revealing three skeet and trap fields of play and nearly-full seating. The preliminary segment wrapped up with Team USA's Kimberly Rhode -- the five-time Olympian featured in a massive USA Today article last weekend -- in the lead with a near-perfect score.
Lunchtime arrived and I searched for ... wait for it ... bangers and mash, but settled for fish & chips (my first taste of this popular staple of the London experience). For those visiting Olympic venues in London, you may also enjoy the side of mashed peas (delicious!).
About this time, storm clouds moved in and a cloudburst sent many folks for cover. The rain did a high calibre number on my shoes, but my umbrella saved the day, and the vacant, damp seating yielded surprising access to the front row.
Imagine my delight to learn that my seatmates from the USA were Richard and Sharon Rhode, the parents of Kimberly. Rick and Sharon detailed their excitement, anxiousness and elation about the day, and they also told stories from travels to Atlanta, Sydney, Athens and Beijing for Kimberly's previous medal-earning Olympic competitions. Enjoy the video! Also, be sure to look for the LA Times' interview with Rick and Kimberly (shook hands with Bill Dwyre, the columnist from Los Angeles).
So there I was, seating by the parents of the medal favorite to my left ... wait for it ... riding shotgun and the shotgun competition at the London Olympics. All around us sat fellow Team USA supporters (I estimate about 25 of us, including several folks from Georgia like me). To my left sat a half-dozen Slovakia fans humming their national anthem. I love the Olympics!
Bonus -- the rain stopped just in time for the big final round.
It did not take long for Kimberly Rhode, Wei Ning of China, Marina Belikova of Russia, Chiara Cainero of Italy, Christine Wenzel of Germany and Danka Bartekova of Slovakia to blow through the final round. And in the fourth station of the competition, Rhode's parents were a bit more tense (Sharon explained it was the most challenging stage of the competition), but Kimberly kept nailing every shot.
She shoots, she SCORES!
So proud we were to learn by station five Rhode won the gold with China taking the silver. Russia and Slovakia began a sudden-death-pressure shoot-off, with Belikova missing her last shot, giving our neighbors seated to the left a huge occasion to celebrate as we had for Rhode.
Bravo, Kimberly Rhode! Her smile beamed as some blogger in the audience cheered "We love you, Kimberly!" drawing laughter from the crowd.
With "The Star Spangled Banner" playing as Old Glory ascended the flag pole, Rhode wiped away tears as did China's silver medal winner Ning and Bartekova donning her bronze. What a moment! So proud.
Rhode's post-competition actions also impressed me deeply. After completing a wave of media interviews in the venue's mixed zone for reporters and athletes, Rhode heard from anxious U.S. fans asking for autographs and a photo with Rhode.
Rhode not only stayed to sign every autograph and pose for may photos, but for kids in the venue she placed her brand new London Olympic gold medal around their necks and invited the young fans to hold her medal ceremony flowers. So polite and inspiring. Again, bravo Kimberly Rhode! A true Olympic champion.
My fellow International Society of Olympic Historians (ISOH) friend Brian Carberry is quick to point out that Rhode is the second Olympian in two days to win an medal in five consecutive Olympics. Though she did not five-peat, Rhode now has three gold, one silver and one bronze in her trophy case. And she has another opportunity to medal in London next weekend, according to her parents.
Rhode not only won gold, but she also shot a near-perfect 99 out of 100, equaling her own world record.
So excited I am by her victory, it's time to rifle through my bag for the Kim Rhode "blinkie" pin her mother gave to me in the stands. Time to wear it with pride.
The plan today includes blogging about last night's London Olympic Opening Ceremony and my experience there. This remains part of the plan, but a detour just occurred at press conference attended at the London Media Centre.
The press conference included a surprising revelation that apparently went missed at a similar press event in the LOCOG (London organizing committee) Main Press Center and International Broadcast Center earlier today. The details is picking up steam online, and here's my contribution to the discussion.
Most of the questions at the LMC press event were standard, and Khan -- who turns 38 on Sunday -- shared some fun facts from behind-the-scenes. For instance, he explained a Goldilocks-like selection process for the segment's 11 year old boy (the first to audition was too chubby, the second was too athletic, but they eventually found a kid who was just right). When pressed by Chinese media asking for comparisons to the 2008 opening ceremony, Khan took the high road offering that each opening ceremony brought out the best of the host nation in its own way.
Khan also talked about the decision to use dust as a key prop (an element instilling a sense of memory) and when asked by this blogger about what Olympic moments may have inspired last night's segment, Khan said he suffered a leg injury and his physical therapist encouraged him to watch Olympians to see how their training might aid in Khan's recovery (Khan noted Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt among those he watched).
Then a surprising question popped up from an American reporter in the room (wishing I caught his name so I could credit him here). The reporter asked Khan for his reaction to the news that NBC did not air the dance segment in the USA.
Khan was silent, then he explained to the room and the reporter that this was the first he heard this news. You could see Khan was upset, stunned, shaken and disappointed all in an instant. But again he took the high road and did not express detailed feelings at first, taking in the news.
At this moment, Khan's colleague Chaudhry said he had just learned the news moments before the press conference and that it was disappointing since their dance company has such a following in the USA.
After fielding other questions, I asked Khan to provide his reaction now that he had 15 minutes to process it. His full response is on the video with this post, and via this link. Briefly, his initial response was, "I feel disheartened and disappointed." Chaudhry added his own take on the disappointment in the video.
After the press event, I asked Chaudhry to comment further and he said, "It's disgraceful U.S. media could make that decision and [I] would like to know why."
It is worth noting that, as shown in the video, neither Khan nor Chaudhry expressed anger during and after the press event. It was more of a downer for which they simply wish to know "Why?"
I asked some Italian journalists in the London Media Center, "What reaction would Italians have if NBC cut Pavarotti from the Torino Opening Ceremony?" and they answered, "That would be bad. A scandal!" I asked the same of a China media journalist who responded, "I think people [in China] would want to know why they did that."
I concur. I would like to know why NBC made this decision (I have a few hunches if anyone asks nicely).
Though it is unlikely a response from NBC will be possible any time soon, I will inquire with NBC about this question and post any response. During the IOC Conference on Women and Sport earlier this year, a very senior NBC producer answered my questions about Olympic broadcast decisions made by the network, and I suspect she has the answer if I can reach her about the Khan question as to why the dance segment was cut.
In the meantime, I am interested in others' reactions to the apparent decision by NBC to cut the dance segment from the London Olympic Opening Ceremony from their broadcast. It is my understanding (though unverified as of this initial post) that NBC also cut a segment commemorating the July 7 tragedy in London (which occurred the morning after London won the 2012 Olympic bid). More on that later.
UPDATE AT 9:40 PM LONDON: There is a post on Deadspin.com with a link to the BBC footage of the Khan segment. As an audience member in the stadium, I can tell you that the ceremony included a July 7 Tribute video on which July 7 victim photos were shown while a Brian Eno track "An Ending (Ascent)" played -- an appropriate selection. This was separate from (though happened to be the transition to) the Khan dance segment. The Khan segment was not related directly to July 7 (the 2005 day on which several Londoners died on the morning after London won the 2012 Olympic bid). Rather, Khan's segment was more about memory, mortality and dreams for which he leaves interpretation to the audience.
Also of note: Khan's dance company will tour the U.S. with stops in New York, Los Angeles, Irvine, Calif., and Santa Barbara, Calif., during October. Visit www.akramkhancompany.net/html/akram_calendar.php for more details.
Photos from LMC by Nicholas Wolaver. Photo of Khan pointing/performing by Richard Haughton via Akram Khan Company. Photos from Opening Ceremony by Associated Press photographers Ivan Sekretarev/AP and Jae C. Hong/AP via DenverPost.com
Before posting about the magnificent London Olympic opening ceremony, here's a roundup of images snapped en route to the Olympic Stadium in London. Posted mostly in order, this includes the tube ride, the approach to the stadium island bridge, the ticket check process and some images around the Olympic park inside the stadium complex.
It is curious to me that for the first time in any Olympics I can recall, the fans who paid hundreds of pounds or dollars to attend did not receive a commemorative program. I suspect in this Games of austerity, selling the glossy programs at 15 pounds each was a savvy move on the part of the organizers (but it also was the one and only bummer of the arrival process to receive a free one-page run of show and movie theatre-style 3-D glasses as the only "included" takeaways ... unless, of course, you count the lifetime of memories of the wonderful event.
The flight from Milwaukee via Atlanta to London went very well. Delta Air Lines flight 38 to the U.K. must have circled the city five times before touchdown, giving passengers great views of the city and Olympic venues.
The arrivals area at London Heathrow did not resemble Olympic flight arrivals of past Games. In Beijing, for instance, each and every gate and the airport control tower featured Look of the Games signage, and I suspect London's modest Olympic decoration (nothing visible until leaving the plane indoors) is tied back to austerity measures for the Games.
But inside the airport, Olympic arrivals are greeted with cheery pink London 2012 logos and signs for accreditation in the airport. I traded my first pin of the Games with a man from India dressed in the purple volunteer shirt and khakis. And only 10 minutes later I was already on the Underground to Paddington Station.
My hotel is near Paddington -- the Royal Eagle Hotel of London. Found a decent rate on Hotels.com just a couple of weeks ago, and my flat is not much bigger than my Volvo back home. Though cozy (the shower is smaller than a British phone booth and the bed-to-wall gap is about 12 inches), I enjoyed more than 100 channels and BBC updates via the Olympic Torch Relay channel and BBC 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.
But on Monday there was no time to hang at the room until evening! I spent the afternoon back on the Underground to Westminster Station, destination: London Media Centre (unaccredited media center) for my Olympic blog accreditation.
It amazed me to emerge from Westminster Station to find a cloudless blue sky and an enormous Union Jack flag waving atop one of the Central London buildings. As it turned out, the flag topped the Houses of Parliament, and my eyes met the Tower of London for the first time, just in time to hear the deep bells chiming 4 p.m. GST. A few minutes later I arrived at the London Media Centre and got set up for just about anything needed for the Games, including free rail pass, wi-fi, several event invitations and a new place to work for the next 22 days of Olympic adventure.
Around 6 p.m. it was my intention to grab some groceries and turn in early at the hotel, but a special media tour of the Houses of Parliament started and I joined the party walking a few blocks to the iconic building of more than 1,000 years. It was so cool to tour the building with a small entourage of international reporters, and I bit my tongue at the urge to mention Tod Margaret and his ill-fated visit to the same building on "The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret" during season one (no sign language was used on our tour).
Seated in a committee room facing the Thames during sunset, our media tour group learned several details of U.K.-Asia trade. For instance, there are now 110 direct flights from London to China per week, and of the 7,000+ journalists visiting the London Media Centre for the Games, more than 10 percent (700) are from China. Also, London will host more than 200 CEOs from around the world during the Games, reinforcing or establishing new trade ties for London for decades to come.
A guest panelist representing Harrod's explained that since 2008 the iconic department store increased its business from China by 900 percent, adding more than 150 Mandarin speakers to their employee base at the world's most famous department store.
I also learned there are more than 12,000 Chinese university students now in London, and some London officials estimate that East London recently completed 50 years of development in fewer than five years (it will be a sight to see the Olympic development on this side of town). Our hosts at the House of Commons also fêted us with fabulous salmon, lamb, prawn and grilled tomato treats.
Day one in London concluded with a tube ride back to Paddington and a few more pin exchanges in transit. I'm still on the hunt for an Opening Ceremony ticket and look forward to scoring one if good luck continues as it did with the easy arrival at the Olympic city.
A public relations executive by day, small-time eBayer by night and weekends, lifetime member of the International Society of Olympic Historians (ISOH) and full-time Olympic enthusiast who also looks at "BoingBoing-style" unusual news with interest. Please e-mail me at olympiada@yahoo.com or if you can't get enough try my Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/people/Nicholas_Wolaver/713593008
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