LONDON 2012 OLYMPICS

[mandyblue]

Ok just seeing if anyone is interested in the Olympics. Has anyone been to any Olympics anywhere and did you have a great time. What sport will you be watching and following.
I have some tickets to see the tennis my brother and his family has tickets for sailing, cyclling and the bronze match for hockey to see who come third

[gbird]

I have not got tickets, but will look forward to watching it on TV. I am keen to see the rowing, equestrian and the atheletics.

[irishfan]

I've not got tickets either but I'm really looking forward to watching it on tv! I love the Olympics.
I love to watcht eh swimming, tennis and athletics

Fiona

[biochemgeek]

I live in the wrong country to realistically make a trip to these Olympics, but I both envy and don't envy anyone who is able to go. It would be so exciting, and yet the crowds probably will not be fun.

I'm always glued to all Olympic coverage. I do especially enjoy watching tennis, rowing, and diving.

[margarine]

I'm getting more and more excited as each day goes by. That's me too, biochem, I'll just sit and watch until my eyes turn to mush. I have a women's gathering that I go to religiously - except every couple of years when I can't be torn away from the Olympics. Very seldom is there a whole evening that I can pass up. (A friend once tried to convince me to tape it and watch it later. When later? While something else cool is on? After it's all over and I know what happened? Silliness!)

I always wish I could go, but the fact is that being there is different to seeing all of the sports laid out before you like a feast on TV. I went to the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. It was a great two weeks, with experiences that made it one of the most interesting times of my life, even starting before I got there, with all the prep you have to do with ordering tickets and figuring out logistics. I stayed with a friend's aunt and uncle, who were almost as gung ho as me, and we spent every night in front of the TV watching all the coverage. It was my first experience of GPS in the car I rented, and I drove way out to various venues. In town you had to take buses, and that was its own big story. There were long, long lines to wait in, and after the bombing at Olympic Park they got longer.

It was amazingly hot, over 100 degrees a lot of the days, when huge crowds were waiting in lines downtown on vast expanses of concrete that made it nearly unbearable. One time President Clinton and family went to the same gymnastics day that I did, and we got all our stuff searched, so it was still longer waiting.

Everywhere you could go, it was like a giant festival, so it never seemed like you were "there" and then "not". I can't even imagine how it will be in London, of all places! I would be weighed down with pins by the time I got home. They'd have to be shipped back in crates! (I collect them, although over the past couple of years I haven't had much money to spend, but I could max out my credit cards given half a chance. The thing is about London, I don't actually like the logo and most of the pins don't appeal to me, but that's just the ones I see on my regular online sources.)

In Atlanta I saw gymnastics (not very rewarding - except the rhythmic gymnastics), one day of Athletics, not the medal rounds though, basketball, Greco-Roman wrestling, whitewater rafting (exciting!), rowing, some cultural performances, went to the special exhibition at the High Museum - a once-in-a-lifetime experience, magnificent! - spent time in Olympic Park, wandering around downtown, it was a blast even when I was being crushed in the crowds at the metro rail - unbelievable! I passed up some stuff I had tickets for because I was exhausted.

I would have been thrilled to go to a lot of different events than I did, but I was very late to ordering tickets - complicated - and didn't get many of the best ones, nor the best seats. Overall, one of the best things I've ever done. I heartily recommend it to anybody who can go. Just be prepared for major planning ahead. Single most important expense to factor in is where to stay. You can't just show up and book into a hotel, you have to jump on that at least a year before, and it will be very expensive no matter what city it's in. That was where I got so lucky I'll never stop being amazed by it. I offered to pay, but the couple I stayed with just treated me like family. That was as much of the greatness of the trip as the Olympics.

I could go on and on. Probably you can tell why.

[scarlarose]

Marg, I enjoyed reading your post about something that you're so passionate. I can tell that this was an amazing experience for you, and I'm just so happy that you let us in on that. I was wondering if you took a lot of pics or have souvenirs such as maps or brochures or advertisements, etc. This would make a fantastic scrapbook.

[katlyn520]

mandyblue, did you really mean to say that your brother and his family have tickets for the hockey bronze medal match? Because, if so, they better check into that. Hockey is a winter sport and isn't part of the summer Olympics.

[biochemgeek]

Mar 11, 2012 13:59:50 GMT -5 katlyn520 said:

mandyblue, did you really mean to say that your brother and his family have tickets for the hockey bronze medal match? Because, if so, they better check into that. Hockey is a winter sport and isn't part of the summer Olympics.

I think mandy may mean field hockey?

[katlyn520]

Thanks! I played hockey as a child (the only girl on a boys team) but it was ice hockey. Since that was popular where I grew up and we never played field hockey, I didn't think of it.

[Diana]

FYI: For those who are fans of the Olympics:

U.S. Olympic Committee and NBC Sports Group Announce Schedule for 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Coverage

Categories: Press Releases

Written By Sara Bibel

April 4th, 2012

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. and NEW YORK – April 4, 2012 – The United States Olympic Committee and the NBC Sports Group today announced the television schedule for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. A record 67½ hours of event coverage – 43 on NBC Sports Network and 24½ on NBC – will feature 10 sports, including live primetime coverage of trials for diving, swimming, gymnastics and track & field, as well as events for water polo and field hockey.



Trials coverage begins on Sunday, April 22, on NBC Sports Network with wrestling competition from Iowa City, Iowa, and concludes on Sunday, July 8, with the U.S Women’s Water Polo Olympic Team taking on the Chinese Olympic Team.



The 67½ hours of coverage on NBC and NBC Sports Network marks the most ever for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, topping the 49 hours of trials coverage in 2008 and 40½ hours in 2004. Additionally, NBC Sports Network and Universal Sports will re-air a combined 117 hours of trials coverage (74 hours on NBC Sports Network and 43 hours on Universal Sports).



“We are thrilled to present a record number of hours of Olympic Trials on NBC and NBC Sports Network - which will serve as the home of Team USA during the London Games” said Gary Zenkel, President, NBC Olympics. “Our extensive coverage gives fans a head start to follow the U.S. Olympians as they prepare for London 2012.“



“Over the next 100 days, America’s best athletes will compete for a place on the U.S. Olympic Team, providing fans of Olympic sport with inspiring performances and stories ahead of the London Games,” said Scott Blackmun, chief executive officer, USOC. “NBC is a great partner to the Olympic Movement and NBC Sports Group’s commitment to broadcasting the U.S. Olympic Team Trials will help build interest in the London 2012 Olympic Games while introducing Americans to the athletes who will represent the United States as members of the U.S. Olympic Team this summer.”



Olympic Trials coverage highlights:



47 hours of LIVE trials coverage on NBC and NBC Sports Network including 15½ on NBC in primetime;

For the first time, every night of the swimming trials live in primetime on NBC;

Sunday, July 1: four hours of live primetime track & field, swimming and gymnastics coverage on NBC.

2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials and Exhibition Events – Television Schedule





Date

Time

Network

Event



Sun., April 22

4-7 p.m. ET

NBCSN

Wrestling – Finals (next day coverage)



Mon., April 23

3-6 p.m. ET

NBCSN

Wrestling – Finals (next day coverage)



Sun., May 13

3-5 p.m. ET

NBCSN

Volleyball – Men’s Olympic Qualification Tournament



Final (next day coverage)



Sun., May 27

3-4:30 p.m. ET

NBCSN

Water Polo – USA Men vs. Hungary (live)



Tues., June 19

12-2 a.m. ET

NBCSN

Diving – Semifinals: Men’s 10-meter (live)



Wed., June 20

10 p.m.-2 a.m. ET

NBCSN

Diving – Semifinals: Men’s 3-meter (live);



Women’s 10-meter (live);



Women’s 3-meter (next day coverage)



Thurs., June 21

10 p.m.-12 a.m. ET

NBCSN

Diving – Synchro Finals: Women’s 3-meter;



Men’s 10-meter (live)



Fri., June 22

9-11 p.m. ET

NBCSN

Track & Field – Finals (live)



11 p.m.-12 a.m. ET

NBCSN

Diving – Synchro Finals: Men’s 3-meter (live)



Sat., June 23

1:30-3:30 p.m. ET

NBCSN

Field Hockey – USA Women vs. Argentina (live)



4-6 p.m. ET

NBC

Diving: Men’s 10-meter – Finals (live)



6-7:30 p.m. ET

NBCSN

Rowing (from June 11-14) and BMX (from June 16)



8-9 p.m. ET/PT

NBC

Track & Field – Finals (live)



Sun., June 24

3-6 p.m. ET

NBC

Diving: Men’s 3-meter, Women’s 10-meter, Women’s 3-meter – Finals (live)



7-8 p.m. ET/PT

NBC

Track & Field – Finals (live)



Mon., June 25

6:30-8 p.m. ET

NBCSN

Swimming – Qualifying Heats (same day coverage)



8-9 p.m. ET/PT

NBC

Swimming – Finals (live)



9-11 p.m. ET

NBCSN

Track & Field – Finals (live)



Tues., June 26

6:30-8 p.m. ET

NBCSN

Swimming – Qualifying Heats (same day coverage)



8-9 p.m. ET/PT

NBC

Swimming – Finals (live)



Wed., June 27

7-8 p.m. ET

NBCSN

Swimming – Qualifying Heats (same day coverage)



8-9 p.m. ET/PT

NBC

Swimming – Finals (live)



Thurs., June 28

4:30-5:30 p.m. ET

NBCSN

Swimming – Qualifying Heats (same day coverage)



5:30-8 p.m. ET

NBCSN

Gymnastics – Men’s Competition (live)



8-9 p.m. ET/PT

NBC

Swimming – Finals (live)



9-11 p.m. ET

NBCSN

Track & Field – Finals (live)



Fri., June 29

4:30-6 p.m. ET

NBCSN

Swimming – Qualifying Heats (same day coverage)



6-8 p.m. ET

NBCSN

Track & Field – Finals (live)



8-9 p.m. ET/PT

NBC

Swimming – Finals (live)



9-11 p.m. ET/PT

NBC

Gymnastics – Women’s Competition (live)



Satur., June 30

4-6 p.m. ET

NBC

Gymnastics – Men’s Final (live)



6:30-8 p.m. ET

NBCSN

Swimming – Qualifying Heats (same day coverage)



8-9 p.m. ET/PT

NBC

Swimming – Finals (live)



9-10 p.m. ET/PT

NBC

Track & Field – Finals (live)



Sun., July 1

6-7 p.m. ET

NBCSN

Swimming – Qualifying Heats (same day coverage)



7-8 p.m. ET/PT

NBC

Track & Field – Finals (live)



8-9 p.m. ET/PT

NBC

Swimming – Finals (live)



9-11 p.m. ET/PT

NBC

Gymnastics – Women’s Final (live)



Mon., July 2

8-8:30 p.m. ET/PT

NBC

Swimming – Finals (live)



Sun., July 8

6-7:30 p.m. ET

NBCSN

Water Polo – USA Women vs. China (live)

Source: tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/04/04/u-s-olympic-committee-and-nbc-sports-group-announce-schedule-for-2012-u-s-olympic-team-trials-coverage/127490/

[margarine]

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