London Olympics Good For Bad Sports

THE London Olympics 2012. You’ve seen the logo (Lisa Simpson’s oral relief) and now brace yourself for the bill. The Times reports:

Britain faces a £1 billion black hole after the 2012 Olympics because of “ludicrous” property price projections backed by ministers, it emerged last night…

Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London, and Tessa Jowell, the Olympics Minister, signed a memorandum of understanding last year stating that at least £1.8 billion would be raised in land sales after the Games. The LDA now fears that this figure, based on a 16 per cent per annum increase in land prices in Stratford, East London, over the next 15 to 20 years, is too optimistic.

Given that property prices have been on the up and up, it might be an idea to hold the Olympics in a starter home. Indeed, if Livingstone and Jowell can be persuade to cut back on the gold medals and use recyclable medals from dead London Olympians (and medals engraved “Bravo! 1954 London” are ideal) money can be saved.

Alas, our politicians have a stubborn streak. They simply will not listen. Accordingly, we will lumbered with new medals and a new stadium that lacks provision for even the most rudimentary dog racing track.

Of course, the Olympics are turning into good sport, with politicians already pointing fingers and screaming “You cannot be serous” and “Cheat!”.

As George Orwell wrote: “Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of the rules and sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence; in other words, it is war minus the shooting.”

And we haven’t even lit the ice-cap melting torch yet…

Anorak

Posted: 15th, January 2008 | In: Back pages Comment | TrackBack | Permalink