Olympians Banned From Blogging 494
nodwick writes "CNN reports that in a bid to protect its lucrative media contracts, the IOC is barring competitors, coaches, and support personnel from writing firsthand accounts of their Olympic experience, on the web or in print, for the duration of the Games. Nor are they allowed to ever post photographs or movies that they've taken, including media of themselves, even after the Games are finished. They've threatened to disqualify anyone that violates their restrictions and sue them for monetary damages. Looks like an effort to clamp down on grassroots, word-of-mouth publicity for the Olympics -- good thing they're not having any problems selling tickets anyways, eh?"
The thing is (Score:3, Insightful)
Myself, I talk about work all the time but never use my real name or the company I work for. If you were clever you could work it out but - the company could never pin it on me. Anyway whos going to enforce this anyway
Me too. (Score:5, Funny)
Damn.
Re:The thing is (Score:4, Funny)
us CEOs are so samrt. Now watch this drive.
Re:The thing is (Score:4, Funny)
Hi, this is your boss.
Your fired.
What Idiots (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:What Idiots (Score:2, Insightful)
Welcome to the 21st century. In other news, there's this marvellous new invention called electricity, and you may be interested in some kind of election campaign going on.
Re:What Idiots (Score:3, Funny)
Re:What Idiots (Score:5, Interesting)
A small university in Nebraska held an event called the Rat Olympics [nebrwesleyan.edu], but the Olympics Committee apparently owns a trademark on the name of an ancient contest, and threatened to sue. There was no sense behind it, since the Rat Olympics was just a little event held by the Phychology department, but apparently the Olympics people are determined to prove to everyone that they sold their consciences.
Re:What Idiots (Score:4, Interesting)
Sure, some of it is trying to catch the coattails. But going after a greek restaurant named "Olympic Cafe", which maybe has a stylized discus or javelin thrower or greek warrior head on it?
Look at all the guff they've thrown at the Special Olympics, the Paralympic Games, etc. in the past.
The IOC/USOC/media companies are so worried about "protecting" their investments that they are pissing on any sort of grassroots or whatever about it.
I am enjoying watching some of the coverage, but because the US coverage is SOOO overly American-focused, it's disappointing. It gets worse every 2 years now, with Bob Costas inching slowly downward each time with his stupid, dismissive remarks. I like Bob Costas, in the right domain. NBC might as well have Bill Walton or Marv Albert doing the same thing as Bob. Jim Lampley (of course, he got started when ABC used to do it...) would be 100x better than Bob Costas in that role.
Oh well. For those of you that can get non-NBC coverage of the Games, you're lucky!
Canadian coverage disintegrates (Score:3, Insightful)
This never used to happen in the Canadian coverage, and it sickens me to see it happen now. But then you realize that there are weird non-linearities behind the scenes in what the IOC mandates, and in the cost structure, which has never been a strong point of Canadian television.
The entire Olympic movement sickens me. It's a bunch of ugly and corrupt old men and women to profit from the mechandising of beautiful young bodies with strict dress codes and turf boundaries.
The whole thing has become a giant
What's really sad (Score:4, Informative)
I know cause I have attended numerous relatives graduation. I sneaked a few pics on my camcorder and cameras, and people looked at me like I was on acid.
Re:What Idiots (Score:3)
Not interested until it is NUDE beach volleyball.
Er, scratch that.
NUDE FEMALE beach volleyball!
Re:What Idiots (Score:5, Interesting)
That's why the Gay Games are not the Gay Olympics. It is particularly silly in that case, considering that the original Olympics consisted of naked athletes performing for horny male spectators.
Re:What Idiots (Score:4, Insightful)
Moving on... I would guess the main reason that nobody is willing to invalidate this ludicrous trademark is that they fear it will affect their chances of hosting future Olympics.
Re:What Idiots (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:What Idiots (Score:4, Interesting)
Yeah, I remember that. Completely disgusting--to one the one hand attempt to claim a 2000-plus-year-old heritage and a shared world experience, and on the other hand to claim that it's all your own private property.
Though I wonder whether anyone's ever actually fought them on this, or whether they're all just giving in when they get the first cease-and-desist letter. Does anyone know of any actual cases?
--Bruce Fields
Cases and so on ... (Score:4, Informative)
Look though at 36 USC 220506 [house.gov] or here at Cornell [cornell.edu] - this statute gives certain exclusive word rights to the US Olympic Committee for various terms including Olympics, Olympiad, and among other things Pan-American. See (a)(4). Not only Olympics et al. but Pan-American? How outrageous is that?
There are however some exceptions in subsection (d) for prior use and limited other uses.
Re:What Idiots (Score:3, Funny)
Re:What Idiots (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:What Idiots (Score:5, Funny)
Re:What Idiots (Score:3, Funny)
Remember Olympics of the Mind?
Re:What Idiots (Score:3, Funny)
Re:What Idiots (Score:3, Interesting)
Pretty sad, really.
About what else? Peace. Wahahaahahaha! (Score:3, Insightful)
The modern games have never been anything else but a
Re:About what else? Peace. Wahahaahahaha! (Score:3, Interesting)
Commmon wisdom says that sport is not meant to bring about peace but to be a more peaceful replacement for all out war.
Re:About what else? Peace. Wahahaahahaha! (Score:3, Insightful)
I hate to say it, but war has no "replacement". Conflict is natural and necessary to any society. War is just the extreme form of a conflict.
After all most negotiations and peace treaties are backed up by the threat of war in some way. And it's dangerous when that threat becomes idle.
Speaking of idiots (Score:5, Informative)
"An exception is if an athlete has a personal Web site that they did not set up specifically for the Games."
Re:What Idiots (Score:5, Insightful)
Think about it, that would deprive NBC of like, half it's Olympic broadcast content.
Re:What Idiots (Score:5, Interesting)
Guess the Games have become about money too now.
They are also about the orgy that is the Olympic Village [scotsman.com].
Re:What Idiots (Score:5, Informative)
The Olympics have become too bogged down in corruption and conspiracy between committee members on the take, crooked judges and athelete on drugs. You know, I just can't care any more.
Blood Suckers (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Blood Suckers (Score:4, Interesting)
What sort of stupidity is this? Surely they can't own the damn name since they haven't invented it in the first place.
Re:What Idiots (Score:5, Informative)
Nah. The Olympics have become about control . The people running them have this terribly simplistic and fairly out of date belief that the more control they exercise over information about the Olympics, the more money they will make.
I think most everyone here knows what that approach leads to -- nepotism, corruption, stagnation and ultimately a slow rot into dismal irrelevance. The slack ticket sales are just one aspect of that retreat from glory.
Short-term they may make more money, but in the process they are killing the goose that laid the golden egg. No amount of corporatized hype can sell people (or disuade them) on a product like word of mouth. The net is the ultimate mouth. If they don't want to strangle themselves to death, they need to wake up and realize that they need to cultivate the net's communications about the good stuff at the Olympics. Instead, all we get is stories about what a bunch of incompetent, corrupt political bastards are running the organization.
Hey NBC -- I had little interest in the Olympics this time around, your only hope that I would have watched them would be an enticing, personal story that convinced me to follow-up. No, corporate-sanctified and sanitized fluffy news-bite is going to cut it, and now that your business partner has killed any other method for the news to get out, I'll probably never get that chance to hear that compelling story that would make me care. You should ask for a refund from the IOC.
Re:What Idiots (Score:3, Interesting)
Because the Bush reelection campaign paid good money to use clips from the Iraqi and Afghani athletes in its television commercials and it would be embarassing if those same athletes continued speaking out against Bush. [bbc.co.uk]
Hey (Score:2, Funny)
But it's OK (Score:4, Funny)
Re:But it's OK (Score:5, Interesting)
Some other interesting tidbits to note:
The IOC (AFAIK) isn't based in any one country, so where would the lawsuits take place?
Under what laws would competitors be held liable?
How would this be any different than the average attendee posting results on *their* blog? How would they know? Does the IOC even care?
I'm sure the IOC would be able to prevent most video and still cameras from entering the events with a non-media attendee, but they can't stop them from remembering what went on and reporting about it verbally.
I found it very sneaky that NBC has full broadcast rights to the games in the USA, and has, with the cooperation of the IOC and other online media outlets, beaten back the "official" real-time online broadcasts from entering our borders. Methinks that NBC might have something to do with this new action by the IOC.
Just a hunch, though.
*sigh* (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:*sigh* (Score:5, Insightful)
Now for my rant about a specific Olympian and the media's quest to make the rest of us idolize him. Mind you, I was a swimmer (not at the international level though), and I always wanted to see more coverage of swimming. Problem with this year is the over-hype of that immature little prick that makes entirely too much money.
So we have a 19 year old that set his first cocky record at 15 years and 9 months (youngest male ever in swimming and probably other sports). He got a huge contract from Visa but he had to forego his college elligibility to compete for money. He never grew up and he has a big mouth. The media helps his bad attitude by telling everyone he could break Spitz's record. He claims he only wanted one gold but I saw his cocky little smile showing that he wanted MONEY.
If the IOC wants to make some fucking rules why not make rules banning professionals from competing? Then we can end this coverage of how bad the NBA stars suck at playing a TEAM SPORT and how Michael Phelps didn't make Spitz's record (BTW Spitz did them all in WR time).
I'm more disgusted in hype than stupid IOC rules.
Jealous much? (Score:3, Insightful)
Bitch and moan, bitch and moan. (Score:5, Interesting)
I haven't seen anything other than swimming, gymnastics, or beach volleyball.
Then you're not just a troll, but one without a television. Let's see what's been shown today that ISN'T one of your hated sports...
I believe NBC said they would cover something like 3 hours in EVERY SPORT. From what I've been taping this week, I have to agree. I've seen rafting, some sort of weird round-ball-with-hands, fencing, five more listed above, and all the other "hated" sports. Just because you're too lazy to look doesn't mean it's not there.
specific Olympian and the media's quest to make the rest of us idolize him
Ready? People like heroes. It's cool to see. Even if he didn't medal, the fact that he's racing 18 times is pretty darn impressive. The fact that he's winning... what, does it piss you off that someone's doing well? If it annoys you that much, hit mute and just watch and enjoy the games. Even if you hate him, guess what? You're getting more swimming, which more people are watching.
Wah.
I saw his cocky little smile showing that he wanted MONEY.
And? What's wrong with that? More power to him. What is with the communist screed on slashdot over certain things?
why not make rules banning professionals from competing
I'll agree with you there. That was the whole point of bringing the Dream Team over the first time - you want pro, we'll bring pro. I'll agree with what Costas said... "Unfortunately, marketing won."
Must be nice.... (Score:4, Insightful)
You can list all the program guides you like, it won't change the fact that US audiences are getting royally screwed by the coverage.
Re:*sigh* (Score:3, Interesting)
AFAIU, that was how the modern Olympics were in the beginning. The instigator (de Coubertin? I'm too lazy to look it up) was a French Anglophile who was determined to keep the riff raff out of his 'pure' games. The only way a 'commoner' could afford to take time from work in order to train or compete was to earn money from their sport.
Even now, poorer countries are restricted on the number of athletes the
Professionals banned? (Score:4, Insightful)
A level playing field for amateurs was a nice idea, but in many economic systems it was just far too easy to cheat by finding other ways to pay athletes. The only way to close the loophole was to let the more honest countries do the same.
I will say that I'm quite glad to see the old East German women's 4x200 relay record finally fall, and it seems the entire swimming world feels likewise, even if they would rather have done it themselves.
Mal-2
Re:*sigh* (Score:2)
But I concur nonetheless.
Re:*sigh* (Score:5, Funny)
and this madness has stretched as far as the BBC! (Score:3, Informative)
Re:and this madness has stretched as far as the BB (Score:5, Interesting)
I think it's time for the world public to retake control of the IOC, they are completely out of control and destroying the games in their mad pursuit of money.
Re:and this madness has stretched as far as the BB (Score:3, Insightful)
While IOC is definitely at fault here, a bigger problem is the US judicial system where the average person or small business can't defend themselves without risking bancrupcy.
Re:*sigh* (Score:5, Interesting)
Terrible but expected (Score:5, Interesting)
I Would Love To See... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:I Would Love To See... (Score:3, Informative)
For example, in the US I don't think it is legally possible to sue them, at least not in certain areas.
I used to work for a company which published a game... the game's logo was 5 golden interlocking rings in a circle. The IOC lawyered us up and we had to change the logo; it was not possible to fight back, as the bossman explained it to us. Besides, we were a little company and even if we could fight, we'd lose more money than if w
Re:I Would Love To See... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:I Would Love To See... (Score:4, Funny)
Five rings to rule them all,
Five rings to bind them,
Five rings to bring them all,
And with the marketing bind them.
Who owns lthe olympics? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:I Would Love To See... (Score:5, Informative)
Sports sanctioning organizations figured out years ago that they're really entertainment companies, creating "intellectual property."
And they do not want competition. So they create exclusive, licensed arrangements for distribution of this "property." This is why you cannot watch of the BBC's Olympics streaming video in the USA, or any of NBC's video streaming anywhere on the Web.
Newspapers are not allowed to shoot video -- even though many newspapers shoot video these days, for their Web sites.
Some sports organizations have gone so far as to claim ownership of basic facts and try to prevent realtime scoring and distribution of data on the Internet.
Not right!! (Score:4, Insightful)
I know other parts of the world don't respect free speach as we 'try' to in the US but this is horrible.
The medal winners need to organize and have a blogathon. They can't disqualify everyone.
They IOC doesn't own the experiences of the athletes!!!! UGGGG
Freedoms (Score:4, Insightful)
You could have used another country as an example for the respect for freedom of speech and of press.
A current index [nationsonline.org] places the US in place 17.
One more reason... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:One more reason... (Score:5, Insightful)
Of course, the 16 year old from texas who can jump gets the coverage.
I use my TV as a viewing device for my DVD player.
Re:One more reason... (Score:3, Informative)
It's getting ridiculous. (Score:5, Interesting)
But I also think that the problem is self-repairing.
As it becomes more and more obvious that the Olympics are becoming NOTHING more than a corporate subsidized media event, the whole thing will revert to non-commercial, non-exclusive, pure competition. (Athletic competition, not commercial.)
Of course, we might have to endure the NBC/Nike Olympic Games! first.
Forbidding the athletes to post their own pictures is insane. I guess since the IOC makes the rules, they can just dis-allow someone from participating for any reason they want...but it's definately insane.
All Your Thoughts (Score:5, Interesting)
Let's see...you train your whole life to have a shot at this thing, enjoy the moment, and want to share that moment with anyone and everyone using your own words. Sounds like natural progression in technology, eh?
Well, too bad. You've got corporate sponsors -- shoes, clothes, probably even the plane ticket to Athens. Then you've got people who commercialize this event so bad that they won't even let you share your thoughts unless they can make money off of it. You're a commodity, not some olympic hero. You're merchandise to be marketed and sold to a public who admire you. Your honor and glory amount to a feel-good story soundbyte...and that's about it.
So much for the spirit of the olympics. I'd have taken the laurel wreath and the vat of olive oil. Then again I'm not an athlete...and I'm not at all marketable...so a good bottle of olive oil sounds nice.
The Olympics themselves are becoming irrelevant. (Score:5, Interesting)
For me, the most heartening and yet saddest aspect of this debacle is the recognition of the power of the web to convey stories and images much faster and more efficiently than traditional outlets. I suppose the future is here, I guess I just hoped for something else.
Re:The Olympics themselves are becoming irrelevant (Score:2)
I feel no competition with China. If history proves anything, it's that repressive regimes eventually fail as peasants revolt. Back to my point, no one I know feels any real rivalry wit
Re:The Olympics themselves are becoming irrelevant (Score:2)
This sucks (Score:3, Funny)
WAIT (Score:4, Informative)
Rather, Olympians are prohibited from writing articles and taking photographs for publication by outside news agencies.
This.. doesn't seem nearly so horrid. They can control which credentialed journalists get in, and make sure they've paid their dues and whatnot. The IOC is trying to prevent organizations from skipping past them and hiring on Olympians as insiders.
Re:WAIT (Score:5, Informative)
This seems ludicrous to me. I might buy into the part about not posting while the event is happening, but after the fact? These athletes are doing what for many of them is a once-in-a-lifetime event and then they're prohibited from sharing their stories and images afterwards? The ahtletes had to work damn hard to get there. The media just had to buy their way in and now they're going to keep the participants from using their personal imagery.
Re:WAIT (Score:3, Insightful)
dangdooey (Score:2)
How pathetic of Big Media (Score:5, Insightful)
If I'm interested in a sport, I will want to see the full quality version. Sure, I'd love to read a blog or two, but what I'm really interested in is the event itself and I'll figure a way around M$NBC's stupid internet black out to get it.
If I were an athlete, I'd tell the IOC to shove it just as soon as my event was over and post whatever I wanted my family and friends to see.
IOCISNOTFREE (Score:2)
For that matter, we should have a television broadcast devoted to political candidates in the US- so that any candidate from any party with enough signatures can get an equal share of air time.
Disqualified? I think not (Score:3, Insightful)
But disqualify them? under what rule? if someone wins an event fairly and his/her urine checks out, why would they be disqualified by this? is this a rule that was written that athletes agreed upon before? I bet it's not. And if it isn't, I wager olympians who already won something before this IOC statement could probably post something, because rules usually can't be made retroactive.
And at any rate, I'm quite sure athletes could challenge such a disqualification in court without too much trouble. But of course, they won't, because their goal is to win medals, not defend free speech, and also the last thing they need is to antagonize media monopolies, because a great part of their incomes come from airtime and grooming their public image.
So, way to go IOC. You fit just right in the current grand scheme of corrupt things. Not that I care greatly about what athlete have to say, they're usually fairly inane to listen to, but none the less they should have free speech like the rest of us.
Olympic Athletes Exploited. (Score:2, Interesting)
I have no problem with the commercialization of sports... But I am disturbed by several things.
First, shouldn't the athletes get a cut of the money? I mean, it is the single most popular sporting event in the world. Look how much they make in the NBA, or how much footballers are paid. The athletes are the stars of the
The other side (Score:3, Insightful)
Super Easy Solution!! (Score:5, Insightful)
It doesn't matter what any court anywhere would say, they would be so pressured by public opinion over the matter that this wouldn't last.
Just imagine if they tried to not let them compete, or take away a medal or something.
Case closed.
Telling Stories (Score:3, Insightful)
Luckily, if you RTFA they say that existing personal websites are exempt, but even then you apparently cannot post pix or video. That's fucking bullshit. I would very much like to see somebody challenge this rule, but unfortunately I think they would be simply kicked out of the Olympics and left with no recourse. Who is the IOC accountable to? No one, except for member countries, I'd bet.
Really, this seems to be a sad attempt by the news media to protect their turf. It's so pathetic. My question is, what if an athlete is also an accredited journalist in real life. Does the IOC grant them permission to post on their website? Obviously big money trumps free speech every time, though. I guess it's about time we just gave in and begged our corporate masters to be merciful. Fat lotta good that will do.
[/rant]
Money... (Score:2, Insightful)
Blogging legal! They just dont say "blog" (Score:2, Informative)
Sounds like blogging is legal to me.
And don't even THINK of linking to their Site (Score:5, Informative)
Yes, but what if you haven't seen the policy? (Score:3, Interesting)
If you get the link from a third party and have not seen the policy, then you cannot agree to it, therefore you're indemnified from any breach of contract action they may try to file against you (IANAL, I just speak like one).
These sponsor contracts are very lucrative for the IOC, and though they may be a non-profit, they pay for many expensive perks and luxurious travel for the
Prohibited from enjoying the experience... (Score:3, Insightful)
To protect lucrative broadcast contracts, athletes and other participants are also prohibited from posting any video, audio or still photos they take themselves, even after the games, unless they get permission ahead of time. (Photos taken by accredited journalists are allowed on the personal sites.)
First, I don't think this would hold up in court, especially if the photographs are being used on a non-commercial site. It's like saying, "Yes, we said you could take as many pictures as you want, but you just can't show them to anyone else or use them on any website."
What's the point of taking the pictures?!?
I could understand if they said that the pictures could not be used commercially - that statement could at least be supported by some semblance of an argument.
I could also *maybe* understand a blackout of photographic or video media until after the olympics are over.
This, though, is just wrong.
Blown Licensing Opportunity (Score:3, Insightful)
No PR nightmare and a new revenue stream too!
Dumbasses!
Container becomes Content (Score:5, Insightful)
These professors, programmers and athletes get a small share of the value they create. Most of the value goes to those who have cleverly extended the "container" and claim the individual's achievement in the name of the container.
It is an error to attribute the individual's achievement to the container in which he works.
Hardly Surprising (Score:5, Informative)
Hyperlink Policy
ATHENS 2004 Organising Commitee for the Olympic Games -Website Hyperlink Policy
For your protection and ours we have established a procedure for parties wishing to introduce a link to the ATHENS 2004 website on their site. By introducing a link to the ATHENS 2004 official Website on your site you are agreeing to comply with the ATHENS 2004 Website General Terms and Conditions. In order to place a link embedded in copy interested parties should:
a) Use the term ATHENS 2004 only, and no other term as the text referent
b) Not associate the link with any image, esp. the ATHENS 2004 Emblem (see paragraph below)
c) Send a request letter to the Internet Department stating:
* Short description of site
* Reason for linking
* Unique URL containing the link (if no unique URL than just the main URL)
* Publishing period
* Contact point (e-mail address)
Once the request has been mailed, interested parties can proceed to include the link and will only receive a response if ATHENS 2004 does not accept the link. All requests should be sent to:
The Internet Department
Iolkou 8 and Filikis Eterias str.
GR-142 34 N. Ionia, Athens
Tel: +30 210 2004 000
Fax: +30 210 2004 800
e-mail: (All information submitted using this e-mail address is governed by the ATHENS 2004 Privacy Policy)
terms@athens2004.gr
Castro was right (Score:3, Interesting)
Castro's response was that he knew his country didn't have the kind of resources to provide an ultra-modern olympic village like other countries do, but that despite their apparent lack of infrastructure and small size, Cuba has always produced good athletes. His opinion was that in a less modern country, athletes would have to focus on the game more than the money, and that the Olypmics was becoming too commercialized.
At the time I laughed, because to Castro, buying a candybar with your own money is probably too commercialized, but after reading the last few articles about IOC shenanigans I'm beginning to wonder if Havana wouldn't be a good place for the games. You can bet your tush that Castro wouldn't allow it to be the Corporatist games. Hey, he may be a communist dictator, but sometimes, that's a good thing. Can you imagine an olympic games without coca-cola ads everywhere, but instead, just a bunch of the best athletes in the world competing?
I don't see why anyone would be surprised by this. (Score:3, Insightful)
In other words, totalitarian minded scam artists out for some juicy graft. The first whiff of something that might negatively affect their little game, slam bam off come the gloves, baby. Kids in the Olympics have no rights and don't you forget it. Same as the UN, but more obvious and less damaging. At least nobody is getting starved to death or fed into a shredder for some faceless UN middleman's Oil-For-Food payoff cheque.
You want to see somebody scream? If you ever are unfortunate enough to meet an IOC creature, mention to them that you think it would be a good idea that the athletes should get a piece of the media money. They are the point of the whole affair and its pictures of them on the TV, shouldn't they get a piece of the action, after IOC expenses are covered? Hell no, of course not! It isn't about athletics, its about sleazy deals between scummy bureaucrats.
The kids competing are being taken for the biggest sleighride on Earth. Empty stadiums the whole first week shows I'm not the only one who thinks so.
And by the way, you can all thank God for those Eeeevile Corporations (TM) because they are the ONLY people who actually -pay- the kids for services rendered. Nike and Rebock et al have put many an otherwise pennyless jock through school and bought them a nice wee starter house and a second hand car when nobody else would give them a nickel. Sportswear companies look like Mother Teresa next to the frickin' IOC.
You corporation haters think about that one for a minute or two before you turn the flame thrower my way.
OC Code of conduct (Score:3, Interesting)
Each athlete signs an agreement to abide by the Olympic committee's code of conduct [usef.org]. That code includes these clauses:
Reading that I would argue that posting on a blog is not acting in the capacity of a journalist. Nor in a 'media capacity'
I would also argue that that posting photos of myself or my medals is not for the 'purpose of trade'.
Then I'd ensure that those photos were taken by friends and family, and not me.
And then the USOC will not 'reasonably withhold' permission for me using those images.
Anyway, it'd be fun to see one of the athletes test this. 'Course, it's not my medal on the line ;)
--
Gold Medal Winning Linux VPS Hosting [rimuhosting.com]
There will be a day of reckoning (Score:3, Interesting)
Attendance Issues (Score:5, Interesting)
I was watching the US women's soccer match against Australia the other morning, and the stands were quite honestly emptier than any stands I've ever seen for any sporting event, ever. The Whitbread across the ocean yacht race had more spectators. Mile 143 of the Iditarod had more spectators.
There were no spectators on the far side of the stadium from the cameras. There were no spectators in the stands at either end zone. Not figuratively; literally: zero. And while I know that there must have been some spectators on the near side, because I heard one or two "USA!" cheers and, I think, an "Aussie Aussie Aussie!" cheer (also, the announcers mentioned that some of the players had family in attendance), they were invisible to the high stadium camera.
Presumably, they were all clustered low, near the center line or behind the benches; but with the exception of one suspiciously close-cropped shot of a couple of cheering fans used as B-roll footage on a return from commercial, there was no visual evidence that anyone was in attendance.
Now, I understand that women's socccer is not exactly as popular in Greece as it is in America, or even, say, Germany or Mexico; but I live in Atlanta and, you know, we sold out Archery -- not exactly a sport designed for thrilling live audiences -- in 1996. We sold out Field Hockey. We sold out the Modern Pentathlon. We sold out Team Handball, fer chrissakes, and it's hard to imagine a more obscure or unpopular sport in America (my wife and I went to it, too, and it was great fun to watch).
As I said to King Kaufman at Salon.com [salon.com], "2004 in Athens marks the first Olympics to ever be boycotted by its host country."
Re:Attendance Issues (Score:3, Interesting)
The real competition will not be televised. (Score:4, Insightful)
The Olympics are not about sport. They are about money and jingoism. The why of this rule coming into place is easy. As to how they can legally enforce silence on thousands of athletes whose own first hand accounts are far more interesting than the talking head commentary on "ennnnn bee see" is mostly due to how copyright laws have been twisted to the point where it would probably be better for the vast majority of us, who don't own TV stations, if there was no such thing as copyright.
The difference between news and entertainment blurred and now it is no surprise that the entertainment conglomerates tell the news organizations (mostly owned by those same conglomerates) that they have to pay to report the score of a football (or any other pro sport) game played in a stadium that taxpayers paid for.
Aside from a once or twice a year trip to Camden Yards to get a Boog's barbecue sandwich I really have no interest in Professional or College athletics because it has nothing to do with sport or competition and everything to do with making a ton of money by controling every aspect of perception of a publicly funded event.
The IOC, the MLB, the NBA, and NFL and all the others can keep their steroid chomping illiterate super-athletes because if I want to have fun I am gonna go play my own game until they sue me for kicking a ball around without a license.
Well that sucks. (Score:3, Funny)
Can't photograph themselves even after the games? (Score:3, Insightful)
Huh? You take a picture of yourself, it's yours. This is pure threatening bullshit just said to try to scare them. They don't have a leg to stand on if some athlete, with their own camera, took photos of themselves at the game and then 6 months later they put them up on the web to say "look what I did with MY camera taking pictures of MY person".
It's not like a ton
Re:Can't photograph themselves even after the game (Score:5, Interesting)
Could I get sued even though I'm not there and I'm just making everything I write up?
If I had the time I would...but I'm too busy writing Slashdot comments.
Re:Can't photograph themselves even after the game (Score:4, Informative)
It also states on the actual story on CNN, unlike the Slashdot story, that An exception is if an athlete has a personal Web site that they did not set up specifically for the Games.
and
they may not post journals or online diaries, blogs in Internet parlance, until the Games end August 29
So yes, they can post blogs and pictures of themselves AFTER the games are over. The asshat that posted the story here on Slashdot got the story wrong trying to inflame people here.
When in doubt, RTFA
No, Nothing is Sacred (Score:2)
Re:Wha--? (Score:5, Funny)
What was your question again?