To be looking forward to the Olympics and wish people would stop moaning ?

[Sassybeast]

Yes lots of it is crap, lots of huge cock ups, lots of corporate greed and inconvenience to folks living in London.

But is it a UK thing that most of the media coverage focuses on the negatives ? That online forums focus on the negatives ?

My friends daughter is competing, and like thousands of other athletes, this is the culmination of years of sacrifice and devotion to her sport. It's about endurance and commitment and bloody hard work. It's about the achievement and the drive. It's about people who are at the top of their sports and who are an example to the sofa bound, gameboy playing grunting kids lying around in darkened rooms the length and breadth of this country.

Why aren't we celebrating ? Why are people moaning SO much ? Is it because the weather is improving and we can't whine about that quite so much ? Does every country which has ever hosted the games have a history of such negativity ?

And yes, camdancer the Tour de France has really put me in the mood. Go Bradley, Chris and Cav!

I was really looking forward to the Olympics but have to admit that a lot of what is being broadcast by the media is negative and that does have an affect on how we feel. Now I'm feeling miffed that we are "importing" athletes to represent the UK, that we have had our lifetime bans for drug abuse overturned, that we are going to be refused to take our own food to events, that there are thousands of tickets that haven't been put on sale yet, and that the stadiums will not be full, etc, etc. And WHY, oh WHY is Russell Brand SINGING at the closing ceremony?? Really! Do we have no real talent in this country anymore?

I'm looking forward to it too. I loved watching the Bejing and Vancover games, (may have spent most nights on the sofa during vancover watching the overnight coverage) and I'm excited to see the London ones. We couldn't have afforded tickets when the initial lottery was on, and now we have our first DC due two days before the games start, so it was probably just as well - imagine having to give up tickets because of being stuck in hospital giving birth!

But its great that I'll have lots of Olympic coverage to keep me entertained whilst I'm stuck to the sofa learning to breastfeed. I think the Olympics are great, a real variety of sports rather than just the usual.

People moan a lot here because its what we seem to do and it makes a change from moaning about the weather.

I'm not the biggest fan of the advertisers or some of the private companies taking contracts, but its not the end of the world, I'm still going to enjoy seeing people do amazing things with their bodies, strive for their best and seeing countries competing, but in a friendly respectful fashion (unlike footbal which can sometimes get a bit... er.. unsportsmanlike).

Besides, at least McDonalds are being honest for once - you need to train like an Olympic athlete to be able to eat their food without piling on the pounds, and then you won't want to!

But we are English, this is what we do - moan and whinge!

I can't wait and will be bursting with pride to see athletes like your friends daughter having the chance to achieve their dreams in their home country.

The Paralympics even more so.

I'm with you I have to go into London mist days and yes travel will be a pain but I am so sick of the complaining! It's only for a few weeks and I was lucky enough to get tickets to the games and my son and dd are sooooo very excited its a once in a lifetime thing just to be able to go.