To not get why anybody would have a burning desire to go to the Olympics with their kids let alone pay for the privilege?

[MilaMae]

Ok I'm not sporty but seriously sitting in a stadium with my 3 watching ants run round a track for 5 minutes(let alone an afternoon)would be pure torture. You couldn't pay me to do it let alone expect me to fight for tickets and part for ££££s.

Handball,bandminton,table tennis..... [yawn emoticon].... with 3 bored kids or even just with dp?????

Seriously who are these people desperate for tickets?Can anybody enlighten me as to what I am missing. I don't get it.

[archieleach]

I just don't get the Olympics at all. Mind you there is a lot of stuff I don't get. Kids like it though, like Father Christmas, pop singers etc etc. Just something you grow out of I guess

[Merlotmonster]

Like other posters have said....each to their own... ive got a couple of tickets (modern Pentathlon- showjumping Yeah!!) but will be going on my own... but still looking forward to it... but then I love all sporting occasions..travelled world wide to watch F1 which lots of people find boring..but dont judge until youve been there... I willl try most things once, as i thought opera would be dull and yet i was blown away.... i wouldnt judge anyone for having a passion...be it for sport, fashoin, history etc,...even if i 'didn't get it' , just glad people re embracing it .. ;-)))

[MACNW1SJA]

Totally agree but not so much for the reason of the sport being tedious. Bloody billions it's costing Londoners and what do we get in return? We're asked not to use public transport around the time of the olympics so the tourists can use them, homelessness and soup kitchens are being made illegal in West Minister (because we wouldn't want to be seen to have homeless people in the city now would we)? and they're spending a bomb just to create a special lane leading to the stadium for the middle classed twats like David Cameron, the royals etc. I'm sorry but as a born and bred Londoner I find the whole thing a bloody insult.
In a time where families are struggling to make ends meet and keep a roof over their head, when unemployment is rocketing and when they're slashing our NHS and welfare state, the olympics is the last thing I'm going to be jumping for joy about. Oh and what happened to those promises of "job oppurtunities in the stadiums" etc? Ah yes, they asked for volunteers instead! And before anyone jumps on this and tells me about how much money the tourism will bring us, look at previous hosts, Athens and India I believe, are still in millions of pounds worth of debt from when they hosted and we're talking about a good five years ago for some of them.
So, totally with you, not welcoming the olympics at all!!

[coraltoes]

A lot of kids enjoy sport, where better to let them see the best in that field compete? Just won ring around the Olympic village will be pretty cool. I passed it last week and got quite excited. I do live in London though, so for me the outlay is only the tickets. They are fairly expensive, but then so are music concerts, comedians at the appollo, new computer games....entertainment has a price. I just cannot grasp how you find it so hard to comprehend people might want to go?

I don't find the ticket prices that high. Oh and you do know not everyone is taking their kids, right? It isn't compulsory to analyse everything as "but the kids would get bored".

I'm not desperate for tickets though. I've got mine to quite a lot of events. Infect my anger is more at how the ticketing worked. Random ballots where if I had been successful in all of my applications I could have been spending about 2 grand on tickets! not everyone can take that risk, and therefore their chances of ballot success dwindle as they enter for fewer events or lower ticket price bands, which are more popular. Making it a reserve for the wealthier is not on at all.

[coraltoes]

India hasn't hosted the Olympics has it?

I'm a Londoner too, ad nothing has fucked me off more than the tube closures on weekends on pretty much every line so that everything is ready for 2012. If there was less of a deadline they could have staggered the work more sensibly. I don't plan to use the tube any less when it is on...why would my usage of the lines in north or west london impact anyone going out east to Stratford?! I've honestly not seen requests to stop using transport arond the time of the events.

However it is good for the area. Have you seen Westfield Stratford yet? Enormous, packed with shoppers and providing lots of retail employment in what was previously wasteland.

[Ghoulwithadragontattoo]

India had the Commonwealth Games and it was a disaster.

[ncjust4this]

I want dd to know what happens if you have talent and work hard. I am going to a minor olympic event and have applied for a paralympic day pass.

When she is older I will take her to science and art exhibitions. Music and theatre events and pretty much anything else I can think of.

I dont care if she is never top of whatever she wants to do but I do care that she understands you have to work for watever you want. Seeing how people treat other people who work hard to be the best at what they do is all part of that.

That and the fact that I live in london......

[ncjust4this]

Oh and I could not agree more about the ticketing process being rubbish and mainly for the rich! I applied for 2 events (both very minor and cheap!) As I could not afford more if I happened to be lucky. As it was I got nothing and had to bid very early on the morning for even more rubbish leftovers.

[upahill]

I'm not really interested in the Olympics at all and have no intention of watching it although I suspect DS1 will make me watch the opening ceremony.
The only sport I like attending is Ice Hockey and try to go to every home game.

[Bubbaluv]

I'm not a huge sports fan, but we went to a few events when the Olypics were in Sydney and it was AMAZING!! Best atmosphere I've ever experienced at any event sporting or otherwise.
Equestrian events were fab, beach volleyball was like an outdoor nightclub, closing ceremony was just spectacular. Athletics was only good for the atmosphere as I find athletics rather dull, but it was still great!
Then again it looked terribly dull in Greece.

[Bubbaluv]

To be fair, I didn't have kids, so can't comment on what it would be like with kids. Like most things, though, I'm sure it would depend on the individual kid.

[whatdoiknowanyway]

I'm not only going but I'm a volunteer working for free for 2 weeks. How stupid does that make me in your book?

So why am I doing it? I'm not a sportsperson but my kids are and my mother was. I've volunteered in sport for many years now helping to run the club which has given so much to my children. I've spent years driving them to daily training sessions and to competitions.They have had fantastic experiences, life lessons, friendships, support which will stand them in good stead for the rest of their lives. I've also made good strong friendships with people I wouldn't otherwise have got to know.

My family love watching the sport which brings so much to their lives. We didn't get tickets for the events we wanted to see, I don't know anyone in our club who did and I do think that was unfair. I think some benefit should have been offered to those who support a sport day in day out. Feels harsh to be trumped by casual spectators just because they have more money.

I am about the only person I know in our club who will actually be at the venue. I'm so excited and I can't wait. I'm giving something back to the sport that has given so much to my family, I'm taking part in a world class event, I'm representing my mum whose dream it was to go to the Olympics but who died a few months after GB won the bid - and I might see a bit of sport too.

Live sport has an energy and sense of occasion that you just don't get from TV. If you're not into sport you will never understand that but don't judge other people because they are different to you.

[Shakey1500]

We happened to be in Tolo when the Olympics were in Athens. The stadium was about 20 minutes drive away and a very nice couple asked if we wanted to go with them to watch an evenings worth of athletics. I love watching sport but to be honest I couldn't personally abide the thought of sitting in a stadium squinting to see anything.

We did watch the athletics, in the bar. Great seats

[fortyplus]

Well I'm pleased that there are people who feel passion and interest for something and aren't just miserable whingers.

Think how fantastic it'll be that you can spend all day shopping with hardly anyone about because the rest of us are engaged in something that stirs our souls...

[fortyplus]

whatdoiknowanyway Good for you! Can I be your friend?

ps I represented GB this year in my age group in a sport that is not an Olympic event - I competed in the World Championships against 17 other nations and had a pass for the 'secure athlete's village'. I had the experience of pushing myself beyond what I thought were my limits with people cheering and shouting for Great Britain. I can't tell you how special that felt.

It must be amazing to represent your country at the Olympics knowing that there are millions of people supporting you.

[lesley33]

I totally agree. But lots of my friends don't and applied for tickets - and have been disappointed or excited to get them. Although one is now pondering the wisdom of taking 2 small DCs to London, travelling on crowded public transport and dealing with crowds and paying out lots of money for accommodation and food - all to see 3 hours of badminton.

[lesley33]

I will be watching on tv at home. So I do understand the appeal of the olympics, just not the appeal of spending lots of time and money to see an obscure sport or match you wouldn't normally watch, in seats where you can probably see very little. Although I have been told by friends they will be avble to see things as there will be giant tv screens there!

[fortyplus]

We have tickets for canoe slalom and canoe sprint - both sports in which ds1 participates. Wanted hockey as ds2 plays so will try to get tickets even if just for early rounds. Also applied for three day eventing as I had horses in former life!

I think a lot of people just don't 'get' the appeal of being there and a part of it. Possibly seeing a competitor whizz past for a few seconds whereas on tv the cameras record everything so that you can see the whole thing from the comfort of your armchair.

My parents went to the Munich Olympics in 1972 and I was dead jealous!

[ChazsBrilliantAttitude]

I am taking my kids (4 & 8) for the experience and atmosphere. We like watching sport so far we have been to tennis, cricket, rugby and rowing. First premiership footie match on Sunday.

Sport is different when you see it live, you get a much better appreciation for the skill and effort and its just more enjoyable.

I don't know when I will next have the opportunity to take my children to the Olympics so I feel it would be a huge shame for them to miss out, especially as we live in London anyway.

Not all Londoners have an issue with the Olympics some of us are quite looking forward to it even though it is going to disrupt things etc (two Olympic routes next to where I work for example).

[whatdoiknowanyway]

Wow fortyplus that must have been amazing. Fantastic to reresent your country.

I agree it's the atmosphere that is special. Ok, we live in London so it's easier for us but we have been to lots of other mass events eg London marathon most years and its always fantastic. We went to the Olympics handover party - didn't get tickets so went to the side event in Trafalgar Square. It felt good.

[notcitrus]

I want to see the stadium and get the atmosphere, and for ds and dn to be able to say they were there. I only looked at the 'pay your age' events as they will be 4 and 3.
So we went for a bunch of mixed athletics, figuring that with pole vaulting and hammer throwing and hurdles and long jumping and a few other things there should be some fun stuff to watch for them at any time. It includes about half the decathlon. And there's huge video screens too.

Also going to a session of fencing semifinals where I suspect the boys and I may take a fair few breaks for snacks while DP is riveted.

I admit I was lucky to get both things I applied for, and I live in London anyway so no transport/accom costs. I don't understand why people were so desperate to see medal ceremonies as surely all that waiting around would be the most boring for small children, and we can just go home and see how our fave performers got on later.

Given how many people travel all over the country to see their football and rugby teams play in often crap matches, at least the Olympics contains the best people in the world in the various events.