Olympics

[Mongoose]

Originally Posted by Mongoose

I'd like to see us win it just to rub Chirac's nose in the dirt. The sooner that man is off the international stage, the better. 'Ave it, Tony!

Great result. M. Chirac is now busily smelling the EU-subsidised turf. Who needs the Trafalgar celebrations now!

[R W S]

We won, we won! Trafalgar square was heaving. There wasn't a dry eye to be seen when Heather Small (of M People fame) sang 'Proud' and Kelly Holmes and Steve Cram went nuts.
If you watch the announcement on the news tonight the geezer to the left of center in the white sweater jumping up and down as the result was announced is me!

Well Done London!

[Maranello]

A sweater? In this weather?

[R W S]

It started to rain about 12:40 and it went quite dark - but then we got the result we wanted - the rain stopped - the sun evn came out around 1:15 and then the red arrows did a low fly by with red/white/blue smoke - class! Even my Dutch girlfriend was impressed!

[Maranello]

Sounds like a great afternoon RWS - well done on being there and 'watching history being made'

[Mongoose]

Originally Posted by R W S

If you watch the announcement on the news tonight the geezer to the left of center in the white sweater jumping up and down as the result was announced is me!

I'll be watching out for you on the news ... hang on, what were you doing in Trafalgar Square. Weren't you meant to be working?

[R W S]

Originally Posted by Mongoose

I'll be watching out for you on the news ... hang on, what were you doing in Trafalgar Square. Weren't you meant to be working?

Freelancer freedom!

[Maranello]

The Olympics are coming to Lord's

Although Lord's is renowned as the home of cricket, this will not be the first time that it has played host to alternative sports. The ground has rackets and real tennis courts behind the pavilion, while one of Britain's first running tracks was put in place at the ground in 1837. A Canadian lacrosse team played an exhibition match at the ground in 1883, while Oxford and Cambridge played their Varsity hockey match on the ground from 1969 to 1991, when the fixture moved to Reading. And even baseball has had a look-in. It hosted the first match on British shores in 1874, and teams from Canada and the USA were frequent visitors until 1914.

Cricket and the Olympics, first published in The Wisden Cricketer in April 2004 (link)

Cricket has been played only once at the Olympics, in 1900, and 26 first-class cricketers have competed at the Games in other sports.

[...]

It would not be the first time MCC has received the Olympic family. When the evaluation committee from the IOC visits Lord's this summer, it will be exactly a hundred years after an IOC party first came to the ground. They saw Middlesex tie a three-day match with the South African tourists and later rushed to Regent's Park to watch, of all sports, archery.

Two of cricket's most illustrious names, CB Fry and WG Grace, helped welcome the IOC members who were meeting in London for the first time. Fry, a brilliant athlete, had equalled the world long jump record in 1893 and would have had a shot at winning gold at the first modern Olympics in 1896 in Athens. However, he missed the Games and later explained his absence by saying he was simply unaware they were taking place.

[Mongoose]

Originally Posted by Maranello

Two of cricket's most illustrious names, CB Fry and WG Grace, helped welcome the IOC members who were meeting in London for the first time. Fry, a brilliant athlete, had equalled the world long jump record in 1893 and would have had a shot at winning gold at the first modern Olympics in 1896 in Athens. However, he missed the Games and later explained his absence by saying he was simply unaware they were taking place.

Ah, the age of sporting innocence! Can you imagine the conversation that would take place now:
Ponting: Hi there Glenn, haven't seen you for a while. We really missed you.
McGrath: Where?
Ponting: In England. You know, the Ashes.
McGrath: When are they?
Ponting: Finished last week, mate. Lost 2-1. We coulda done with having you in the team.
McGrath: Damn, sorry, mate. I didn't know they were on! I went fishing in the Northern Territory for a couple of weeks. Line got chewed by a croc ...

[Lemming]

Actually Staging the Games - £1 Billion
Modifying London's Transport - £2 Billion
Building the Stadia - £3 Billion
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The Look on Jacques Chirac's Face - Priceless