DIARY - Moths
Date: 2008-04-08 13:59:49
Author: Pat Kent
The farce that is the Olympic torch relay came to town this week and has since rolled out in various forms across other cities.
Why?
Is this waste of time and resources really necessary today? China needs a good PR kicking over Tibet, but didn't the idiots at the IOC realise that the whole thing would be hi-jacked by protesters and end up undermining the games? This will never end now as it will be used by every Tom, Dick or Hwon to get global airtime.
And, who on earth dreams up these ideas for the event.
In London we had the torch being relayed from Wembley to the O2 dome, which is hardly a world renowned sporting venue. It seems the whole thing was watched by about ten interested people with the remaining thousands comprising protestors and police. If you were one of the ten, you stood little chance of actually seeing the torch as it was either obscured by hoardes of florescent -jacketed, cycle-helmet wearing coppers or blue lycra tracksuited "torch guardians" who looked about as capable of stopping a lunging protester as Ken Livingstone is capable of improving London.
Then there were the "Sugababes"...another big WHY? What do they have to do with this? They didn't even carry it in relay, they were on a bus with the torch. Now, that's really in the spirit of the games isn't it?.....I could win the 100 metres gold easily, I'll do it on a motor bike.....with a police escort.
What is the carbon footprint of this Olympic flame, as well as burning propane it's also going to travel from Greece to Moscow, Moscow to London, London to the US, US to Africa, Africa to Asia, Asia to Australia, Australia to Japan and Japan to China by airplane.....how many airmiles is that?
Add to that the entourage of upwards of twenty official vehicles for each relay, plus all the other emergency serivce and back-up vehicles and all the hot air from the mayoral candidates and other "dignatories", the fligts to accommodate the 10 attendents that travel with the torch and then add up the financial cost of all this, flights, rooms, etc..........and no doubt the few IOC members who have their world-tour holiday on the back of it. It's just a jolly up for a load of self-important no-bodies........and all the while sport gets pushed to the back of the queue.
End it now, the true spirit of the games ended a long time ago with all the drug cheats, political protests and the endless and over-the-top commercialism.........let's call it a day once and for all. don't boycott the games, banish them until we know how to behave as grown up civilised human beings.
Pat K
© Pat Kent 2008 – All rights reserved.Pat Kent exercises his right to be identified as the author.