From NetEase:
The 11th National Games were held in Jinan, Shandong province, and the Games have been hit by scandals, such as pre-decided gold medals, doping, match-fixing, unfair officiating, and so on. The intention of the National Games is picking talented athletes for the Olympic Games, but the scale and cost of the National Games has grown significantly since the Games started 50 years ago. The National Games has become the “Authorities’ Pride Games” of the different provinces and sports associations, and also important to officials looking to not lose face for their respective areas.
These strange things happened so far during the Games:
1. Medals were not based on the athletes’ performance
A series of gold medal decisions have made people wonder about the fairness of the Games. In this year’s National Games’ Men’s 10m Platform competition, Zhou Luxin/Wang Jiankai had a more remarkable performance, but they were beaten by Lin Yue/Cao Yuan and got second place. The audience hissed its displeasure in the venue. Before the medal decision, Ma Yanping, the coach of famous diver Xiong Ni, made statements about the dark side of the National Games’ judging system. Ma pointed out that the present Chinese diving leader Zhou Jihong not only controlled the outcome of the awards, but also decided who would judge and thus the judges careers. Also, in the finals of Women’s Singles Trampoline, He Wenna, the champion of Beijing Olympics, was only fifth place. Meanwhile, the rookie Zhong Xinping won. After the competition, He Wenna said: “ I knew who would win the games long ago. Scoring is very subjective, as we all know.”
In this year’s National Games' Men’s 10m Platform competition, Zhou Luxin/Wang Jiankai had a more remarkable performance, but they were beaten by Lin Yue/Cao Yuan and got second place. The audience hissed its displeasure in the venue. The picture shows Lin Yue / Cao Yuan in the competition.
In the National Games News Conference, a reporter asked Zhou Jihong a question about the "gold medal pre-decision" issue. Unexpectedly, Zhou answered with a question with her own: "Which work unit are you from?" The reporter responded with his question again, and Zhou asked the reporter once again: "Which work unit are you from?" As a result, the quote "Which work unit are you from?” became very famous on the Internet.
In 1984, Zhou Jihong won the Women's Platform Diving champion in the Los Angeles Olympic Games. This Picture was taken after Zhou won the game.
In the finals of Women's Singles Trampoline, He Wenna, the champion of Beijing Olympics, was only fifth place.
After the competition, He Wenna said: “ I knew who would win the games long ago. Scoring is very subjective, as we all know.”
2. Powerful players withdrew one after another
A lot of famous athletes and teams withdrawing from the competition is one of the stranger occurrences of this year’s National Games. For example, Guo Jingjing originally entered four events, but, in the end, only competed in the Women’s 3m Springboard. Lin Zhang, who is called “Liu Xiang of the Water”, said he would try his best to enter every event on the night of October 19. Instead, he quit the Men’s 100m Freestyle competition the next morning. His stated reason was “to preserve his strength for the relay”. The He’nan rowing team withdrew from competition due to a positive urine test. More than 30 athletes’ four years of preparation was totally wasted. In addition, Chen Fei, Tong Wen, and Chen Xiexia also withdrew because of injury. Similarly, there was an incident four years ago at the Nanjing National Games. Sun Fuming pretended to fall down and lose her judo match. Before Sun Fuming fell down, she looked back to her coach Liu Yongfu. That look revealed the lie in her defeat.
As Guo Jingjing quit the women's three-meter doubles, "always second place" Wu Minxia finally won gold in the event, her first gold medal in this year's National Games.
Lin Zhang said he would try his best to enter every event on the night of October 19. Instead, he quit the Men’s 100m Freestyle competition the next morning. His stated reason was “to preserve his strength for the relay”. The pictures shows he was waving hands after he won the Men's 200m Freestyle competition on October 19.
The Henan rowing team withdrew from competition due to a positive urine test. More than 30 athletes’ four years of preparation was totally wasted. The picture shows Guo Linna (second from left) won the World Cup in Munich races.
Four years ago, with a loud shout from judo coach Liu Yongfu, Olympic champion Sun Fuming (white) took a few steps back, Yan Ruisi (blue) gave Sun a push, and then the Olympic champion fell to the ground.
3. Athletes disagree with referees
There have also been problems between athletes and referees. In the Men’s Judo 66 kg Group B match, Ren Jiawen (of Shandong province, where the Games are being held) completely ignored the referee’s order to leave, instead standing in the venue for 8 minutes. The Shandong cheerleaders shouted “black whistle”. In the Women’s Track Cycling Points race, nine Beijing athletes were a lap back throughout the race, but the nine athletes did not obey the rules to leave the track and kept racing. The chief referee had to fire his gun and pause the race. Not only were the nine athletes removed, but also the other Beijing athletes were not allowed to continue. The decision led to significant complaints from the Beijing team, but the Deputy Secretary-General of the Chinese Cycling Association, Han Jiling, claimed that there was no problem with the referee’s decision.
Ren Jiawen completely ignored the referee’s order to leave, standing in the venue for 8 minutes.
Ren Wenjia had physical altercations with the staff.
Ren Wenjia roared angrily. Ren flung off his coat, and then left.
On July 26, during the National Games' Men's Football Group A final round, Beijing beat Tianjin 3-1. The Tianjin team members vented their anger to the chief referee, He Zhibiao. A number of players chased the referee for 150 meters, kicked the referee, and did other ridiculous things.
4. The opening ceremony and the National Games’ venues are even better than the Olympics’
The 11th National Games is being held in Jinan, Shandong. From the opening ceremony to the venue construction, the quality has been at least comparable to the Olympics, if not better. The opening ceremony created a number of the world firsts: the use of 20,000 square meters of 360-degree projection. The venue construction is the best for any National Games in history. The tennis courts, which are at the Jinan Olympic Sports Center, cost almost 300 million RMB, accommodate nearly 4,000 spectators, and have 99 toilets. Nearly 400 million RMB was invested in the water sports complex. The pool water is “clean enough to be drinkable”. In order to host the National Games, Shandong province built a total of 44 new venues and renovated 85 venues. If added to the city and transportation infrastructure investments, the total investment is close to 200 billion RMB, equal to the sum of 2 years of tax receipts for all of Shandong province.
From the opening ceremony to the venue construction, the quality has been at least comparable to the Olympics, if not better.
These photos show the opening ceremony.
The Olympic atmosphere everywhere.
Shandong Province, in order to host these Games, constructed a total of 44 new venues, renovated 85 venues, and if including city and transportation infrastructure, the province's total investment is close to 2000 billion yuan, equivalent to the sum of the province's land tax for two years.
Why the National Games has gone bad:
Wei Jizhong said once the National Games are abolished, the whole nation system in the sports industry would not be feasible.
1. It’s all about the politics
After 11 occurrences, the National Games seem more like a vanity fair. Some provinces spend hundreds of thousands of RMB in prize money to encourage players. Outside of the Games, the provincial sports bureaus also compete behind the curtain. As a public institution, to win gold and silver medals, and to gain points in the National Games is a chief measure of their work. The National Games are the most significant metric for sports bureau workers, and greatly effect their future prospects. In addition, the pre-decision of gold medals, corrupt referees, and athletes’ abnormal quitting reflect the fact that even in many areas where China succeeds, such as diving, the administrators are both concerned with the business aspects as well as the actual sport. Altogether, these have caused a potential threat to the fairness of the National Games.
2. Large infrastructure projects launched for the National Games
Originally, the National Games were just held in Guangdong, Beijing and Shanghai and regarded as a financial burden. Now, from the coast to the inland provinces, there is an intense competition for the right to host the Games. The reason is, a city’s infrastructure gets a significant upgrade by holding the National Games. A large number of urban development and transport projects, which would normally be slow to approved, were quickly put into operation and received large bank loans. For example, before the 10th National Games, Nanjing built its first subway line. The National Games in Jinan have also led to a large number of overpasses and rapid transit systems being built. According to media reports, Zhejiang, Tianjin, Hubei and Sichuan, also announced a desire to host the next Games. In Hu’nan, the government said they would come up with 200 billion RMB to make their bid more attractive.
Russian sports have gradually abandoned the "whole nation model." Their football league is the most important event after the five major leagues in Europe. The photo shows the Russian team that won the super-Zenit 2008 UEFA Cup.
3. The National Games are planned by the government
The National Games are a show for the provincial governments, a display of officials’ performance, and an opportunity to gain face. The ultimate cause is the “whole nation” system. In this system, our sports development is “gold-oriented” and “all for the gold medals,” with the number of gold medals seen as representative of Chinese national strength and ability. This has exacerbated the utilitarian overtones of the Games.
In fact, the Games have also contributed to the “whole nation” system in sports. After the first National Games, every province and municipality established professional teams and focused on different sports. In 1979, China resumed its seat on the International Olympic Committee. The National Games projects are basically in line with the Olympic sports. The gold medals are the only metric that matters in the Olympics. The selection of back-ups for the Olympic Games involves many local teams’ interests. Since each province wants to have more Olympic athletes from their own teams, the competition among the local teams seems unavoidable.
Conclusion
Wei Jizhong, the former vice chairman of the Chinese Olympic Committee, stated that once the National Games are abolished, the “whole nation” system in the sports industry would not be feasible. After 31 years of the reform and opening policy, sport is still one of the areas controlled by the government. In fact, Russian and the Eastern European countries have already abandoned the strategy of using “the power of the whole country” for Olympic gold medals, and have introduced market mechanisms to support the sports industry. However, the Chinese National Games are still set in the old ways. As long as the “whole nation” system is not changed, the National Games will still be dubbed “the money, authority and stimulant Games”.
Comments from NetEase:
网易西藏网友：
Actually the National Games didn’t go bad. The difference is just that people said the problems out loud.
这就是牛：
Funny things happen all the time, but there are just too many recently.
网易黑龙江大庆网友：
The boring National Games. The Games would be interesting only if the famous players didn’t join the Games.
网易辽宁大连网友：
The Games truly stink, and it is a big stink!
网易浙江宁波网友：
I watched the opening ceremony, and I think it is too wasteful. Why should we compare the construction of the National Games with the Olympics? The revitalization of the Chinese nation and China’s pride are the reason why we worked so hard for the Olympic Games. The huge investment for the National Games will only increase the burden on the people.
网易江苏南京网友：
The National Games are extravagant and wasteful. It would be much better if the money is invested on education and poverty alleviation.
网易黑龙江海林网友：
Everything could be fake in China, even sports. I can’t believe it.
网易重庆南川网友：
The National Games are the true microcosm of the whole society.
喜欢美女：
I’ve never watched one game.
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I don’t see why you put up with this. In Korea, if our leaders pulled a farce like this they’d be voted out of o…..never mind.
Pusan Playa = Chinese guy pretending to be Korean.
Chinese people regularly lie about their nationality in order to provoke people. Look at this Chinese guy who pretends to be Korean.
http://www.chinasmack.com/videos/korean-gamer-makes-video-criticizing-chinese-china/
Sure, no Korean could possibly be a racist troll spouting ignorance and hate that consistently makes himself look retarded, therefore couldn’t possibly be anyone but a Chinese person pretending. Please, remind us again how Korean people have the highest IQ in the world, yeah, that will impress everyone.
Actually there are a number of Korean racist trolls on the net. I’ve argued with a few myself. But Pusan Playa tries waaay too hard to look like a nationalistic a$$hole. He is more like a parody of a Korean racist troll. Hating on non Koreans then bragging about driving a Hyundai? I know a couple of Koreans who drive Hyundais, understandably they never brag about it. They just shrug and say its affordable. It’s funny how whenever people start bashing China, Pusan Playa suddenly shows up and spouts off like an idiot thereby redirecting all of the ire away from China. Black people bash China for the Lou Jing incident, boom Pusan playa shows up mouths off and people stop going after China to go after Korea. Pretty convenient. If a certain Chinese American need to invent a Pusan Playa to make China look less horrible. That’s just laughable.
I drive a V6 Genesis Coupe that does 0-100kph in less than 6 seconds, it’s not just any old Hyundai you dumb fuck.
Korean people do have the highest IQ in the world, if you believe IQ tests and the results. I personally do not believe in IQ tests so I dont care.
You Chinese people should quit lieing about your nationality or making up lies about Koreans. Like how Koreans are stealing Confucius and Chinese medicine. The Korean professor who claimed that Confucius was Korean was a typical Chinese lie. His name was Park Jungsoo and he was a professor at Seoul National University. However, such a professor does not exist. His name does not register within Seoul National university data base and there are no records of such a person ever working at Seoul national university.
Another Chinese lie exposed.
Its typical of Chinese people to fabricate and distort because the truth is too painful for them. Thats probably the reason why 95% of Koreans hate China and Chinese people.
I have also heard the story about the imaginary Korean professor making wild claims. From what I can find online it did originate from some Chinese blog/online news site. Whoever made it up is probably an insecure fenqing who is too sad to have self-confidence w/o resorting to some ancient glory. But it’s hardly typical of Chinese in general, most of whom have better things to do than flame back and forth and make up stuff on the internet.
I was being half serious half sarcastic asshole (single cheek?)earlier, the IQ stuff is preposterous, and most people wouldn’t care. Also, I don’t think 95% Koreans hate Chinese people, they probably have better things to do too.
[comment hidden for too many negative votes -- click to view]
You’re an idiot.
Thanks, I love you too.
And -14, really? Did I really deserve that? Wow, harsh crowd.
lol, don’t worry, dude! You should be thankful of not getting the sofa haha.
Now that I’ve actually read it, maybe I can add something. I watched the opening ceremonies (just a little bit) – and I can’t believe how ornate they were! Seriously, it was comparable to the real Olympics in scale. Is it really worthwhile to do that much for the national games?
It’s interesting what he said about the infrastructure, which may in fact answer my own question. If it’s a way to get city X a subway system, highways and overall improvement to city infrastructure, I’m not surprised they’re all fighting over the right to host.
Interesting article, good post!
Ahhh China sports my favorite. I will never forget the
“China Olympics” (which by the way don’t count. Take a look at a country full of cheaters everyone!!! In the 08 games I was able to see an american who won a bronze medal after a match and I asked her who took her urine test (all athletes are tested if they win a medal). She informed me that a “Chinese person” took it. Where in the history of the Olympics has the host country been able to take the urine sample and give it to the IOC?
Gymnasts too young; change their passports. Story about their true age on a CHINESE website, say there were “mistaken” (BTW I know a guy who knows them, they are 12)
70% of all medals in China in 08 were won by WOMEN!!! and 70% of those were in “judged” sports i.e. diving, gynmastics, etc…
Chinese weightlifers were not only riddled with acne, but lifted on average 5 KILOS more than their competition hmmmm (dont forget who takes the urine test)
I watched the boxing on TV: Tell me how this sounds. French fighter obviously beats Chinese fighter in semi finals yet somehow manages to lose the match to him. Mongolian fighter obviously loses to U.S. Figher in Semi Final but is awared the decision. Mongolian fighter fights Chinese fighter for gold medal. Mongolian “quits due to “injury” and Chinese fighter wins medal.
2008 Olympics doesn’t count. And btw, an American tourist and family member of the men’s volleyball team gets stabbed… China loses to the U.S. in basketball by more than 30 points, China calls it a “moral victory”, snoogans
1. Gee, why would the World Anti-Doping Agency employ a Chinese person when running a drug test, is it because the host country is China? Must be a communist conspiracy.
2. Despite clearance Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique, it’s obvious the Chinese faked the passports, birth certificates and family albums, entry records to schools, and the FIG were clearly unqualified to spot the forgeries. Besides who to say they didn’t trigger some minor earthquake that made Alicia Sacramone fall off on the beam?
3. Yeah, obviously if women won more medals, they must be cheating
4. Shock! The Chinese weightlifters who won lifted more than their competition?! Quick, someone check the gravitational constant where the Chinese athletes were standing. More importantly they have acne! A sure sign they are cheating.
5. Someone watching boxing on TV is obviously more qualified than the judges.
—
There are controversies at the Olympics that’s actually warrants legitimate complaint, no need to make up fake shit.
Interesting spin on the above comments but the fact remains that a CHINESE person took the urine samples from ahtletes, not a IOC representative.
Gymnastics, first of all the only people more corrupt than the Chinese is the IOC. In general I think the Olympics is a sham. almost EVERYONE takes roids… I say let them do it, fcuk it I want to see some break records.
My comments on women winning more medals has nothing to do with cheating pea brain, more of the fact that Chinese men cannot compete on the world stage with the rest of the world.
Again about acne, as a person who has been in the weight lifting community all his life there are tell tail signs of athletes on seteroids. Again, I personally don’t care but if you are going to regulate, regulate (again who takes the urine samples?)
Someone watching TV? I was THERE! and btw, it doesn’t take a professional to see who is kicking who’s ass. And it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that when the Mongolia throws in the towel, China gets a gold medal and Ulaanbatur gets new roads ;)
You must be a dousche bag ABC or one of those little robos sent to sway opinion. Again, you lose Chi Mate, we can revisit this blog when London is over and your medal tally gets cut in half
Weight-lighting being basically a product of muscular mass, it’s clear to me that if Chinese men cannot compete on the world stage, it’s because of genes, in which case who cares – it’s out of your control (this is true of the Olympics in general, btw; it’s why the whole thing is a crock).
However, it’s also clear to me that if this is the case, then there’s no reason why China would “fake the record” with women instead of men. If everyone dopes, then a Chinese win is still a Chinese win. If only Chinese women dope – why? Why wouldn’t the men dope?
Your comments are self-contradictory, if the Olympics is such a sham, and everyone is on performance enhancing drugs, then why hag over who took the urine samples?
Moreover there is nothing in the World Anti-Doping Agency guidelines that prohibits citizens of the host country from being recruited, trained, and accredited, but there is a requirement that they be proficient in the language of the host country.
Your comments on women winning medals is sandwiched between accusation of cheating without explanation, with “judged” events emphasized, but now you say it has nothing to do with cheating, okay.
Your personal experiences notwithstanding, if people could tell steroid users from looks alone then why bother testing at all?
As for the boxing matches, first your write I watched the boxing on TV…, then next post it becomes Someone watching TV? I was THERE!, should get your story straight.
There it is, it’s all about the medals. So cut the crap about cheating and shams. For West to be displaced in organized sports by an Asian people long despised as decadent, weak and inept is emotionally very difficult to accept, so the sense of cultural supremacy compels the belief that Chinese have to be cheating: bribing IOC officials, using underage athletes etc. You can call me pea brains, douche bags all you want, but eventually you will have to wake up.
—
I am not an ABC (American born Chinese), but thanks for guessing.
My Chinese wife was a former athlete (swimmer). She took steroids. She said most athletes did. She never made it onto the A – Team, she only competed at the national level. My wife and her co-workers (coaches) and friends (former athletes) all call games like these The Steroid Olympics.
People who want to pretend that the Chinese don’t cheat obviously have their heads up their asses.
I also wondered who, in Greyjing 2008, was taking the unrine samples. It is disappointing that the IOC was stupid enough to let the cheating locals manage the unrine tests.
whichone, did you actually take the time to locate and read the Sample Collection Personnel: Recruitment, Training, Accreditation and Re-Accreditation Guideline just to make an argument on a blog??
You’re a)unemployed, b)don’t have a wife or girlfriend, or c)just sad.
Canton Pop:
heh, I looked up a lot of this stuff last year because couple of friends and I were going to volunteer at the Olympics, but I see your point, by look up anything when it so much easier to just make shit up?
and I object to your limited multiple choices, how do you know I’m not gay?
whichone, how would being gay have any bearing on this??
homophobe
mgkp
I meant, there is no choice for d)don’t have a boyfriend, husband
Just more good examples of the same “Chinese characteristics” that supposedly built this country.
Stop the presses.
China is not promoting sport in a healthy way but actually destroying the spirit of sport itself. It is all about showing off the achievements of the country as a whole, only winners are accepted no matter if they make use of drugs or not. It is normal the same people who won medals the year before become then phisically and mentally wasted.
ren wenjia kicked that dudes ass all over the place.
I feel bad for the athletes, years of hard work only to get knocked down by a ref who gets a little red envolope.
For shame..
What’s even worse is when you consider these athletes’ lives: taken out of school at a young age, put through draconian and medieval training programs, and, if they’re lucky enough to avoid serious injury caused by their ‘training’ and good enough to get to the top of their field, find out in the end that the thing is rigged. No wonder Ren Wenjia was ticked off. He’s got nowhere to go after this.
Umm 2000 billion yuan…that’s 2 trillion yuan…for a sports complex…somehow I think that’s a typo.
What a waste of money. I am kinda glad that London has decided to hold a more low key version of the Olympics since most people have realised that it’s actually about sports and not about showing off. China will get there too some day,, I can kinda accept the pomp and the showoff thingy but cheating is totally unacceptable.
I’m not suggesting that London/England had any intention of treating their Olympics like Beijing/China treated their’s (as a big “look at what we can do!” coming out party), but honestly, what part of London’s hosting plans are born out of a DESIRE to hold a “low-key version of the Olympics” than simply real-world constraints limiting what they can do vis a vis China? Real world constraints like…money?
Hosting the Olympics has always been about showing off, for the host city and the host nation. It has never been anything less. London’s Olympic plans aren’t as grandiose as Beijing China’s because 1) they can’t afford to splash that kind of cash, 2) they don’t have the emotional and political desire to go so far. Beijing did. Beijing wanted to make a big statement with the first Olympics to be hosted in their country, about their country. Did you expect anything less? How many times has the Olympics been in London? 2012 will be it’s THIRD time.
I’m not so sure I’d say “most people” have realized that the Olympics is about sports and not about showing off. It’s what most people will profess, yet at the same time, why is so much attention (by host organizers and audiences) placed upon precisely the things that revolve around showing off, around opening and closing ceremonies, around venues and locations? Is Rio de Janiero winning the 2016 host city more about sports…or more about it being the first Olympics in South America? Are the host cities judged for how sporty they are? Or about what makes their city special? What does a double-decker red bus, reality TV Leona Lewis, and guitarist Jimmy Page have anything to do with sports? Nothing, they have to do with showing off London and England.
London isn’t going to be as “big” as Beijing. Part of it is because it indeed doesn’t feel a need to go that big. Another part is because they couldn’t justify it financially anyway. China could. Let’s not turn it into London being genuinely humble, modest, and “it’s all about the sports!” next to the Beijing braggart. There’s no need for such false pretenses to put down China. It just makes one sound bitter and insecure. If it’s really about the sport, stop comparing the national displays.
Yet another good Captain Obvious But Missing The Point yawner from Kai. Grats.
1. Sorry, what point am I missing here?
2. I responded directly to your statement: “I am kinda glad that London has decided to hold a more low key version of the Olympics since most people have realised that it’s actually about sports and not about showing off.” This statement of your’s does not reflect any of the things I related in my response. So how was it “obvious” to you for you to march out the “captain obvious” line?
I have to agree with Kai here. If it was London’s first time to host the olympics and they had deep pockets then im pretty sure it wont be as ‘low key’.
how many people do you know would buy a hot sports car just to show off to his/her grandparents?
i read somewhere before something about why Michael Jordan comes as a bit of arrogant in the court? the answer? –well its because his michael jordan -why not?
At least China had something to show off. Their opening ceremony featured the great inventions of ancient China. What did England ever invent?
A whole bunch of stuff
I think you’d be hard pressed to find a country without “something to show off”.
Stacks of stuff…….
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:English_inventions
I think Canton Pop was being sarcastic.
don’t think they were able to finish the Chinese list yet on Wikipedia…
Thanks, PK. I was being sarcastic. Title of “Captain Obvious” should go to Whichone or Stan.
Look Stan, they honor us. Since I was first, the title should be mine, however you can be my sidekick, Lieutenant Oblivious, together we can link the shit out of this place with wikipedia entries.
Sigh~ China…Why do you keep doing stupid stuff like this?
The key point is that China still maintains the “whole nation” system. If they were to abolish this old practice and establish more modern and fair methods things would indeed become much better.
Fck da lu ren, I seriously really enjoyed your post. The China Olympics was the biggest joke ever.
It’s just a scheme to get stuff approved, how else would infrastructure project by pass the constraints of a balanced budget.
http://multimedia.caijing.com.cn/2009-09-28/110266827.html
http://multimedia.caijing.com.cn/2009-09-14/110248827.html
Another weird is thing, is national games is appearance more important than international events such as world cup. For example, the sport I’m in Archery: Zhang Juanjuan, the Olympic gold medalist didn’t participate in the FITA Archery World cup representing China but participate in the national games representing Shangdong. Zhao lin, ranked 9th in the olympics, represented China in the world cup and got silver in it. (Interesting, for the FITA world cup Shanghai stage, the venues was very cheaply set up in the middle of a soccer field, with sponsor message galore. A far cry from national games, and it’s a freaking international event)
“Which work unit are you from?”
Classic.
The 08 Games was a cyber illusion….they didnt take place. A very successful exercise in programming and corporate advertising.
Furthermore, if Liu Xiang had won his hurdles event (instead of crawling down a tunnel) I am quite sure some enterprising local official would have on-sold his urine sample to a medicinal company or auctioned it off in small measures on the net. God, I was bloody sick of looking at his pretty boy face on bus hoardings. I may be wrong but the day after he won the 100m crawl, many of his billboards were pulled. Cheating in Chinese sports: a bit like asking does the Bulgarian weight lifting team take steriods. The Games: who gives two shits these days except an addled bunch of fenqing. Want role models: how about the Chinese national soccer team. Useless in their mission statement (winning a game), but dab hands in the hooker/bad behaviour dept.
Really? You think Liu Xiang’s pockmarked face is a “pretty boy face”? I mean, he’s not a hideous guy or anything but hm…
All I ever saw was a vacuous pretty boy ….the joys of photoshop I suppose. The perfect vehicle for corporate sponsorship, althought he went a little feral/WWF the other day, throwing his singlet into the crowd. Should have followed through to his lolly bag, but that would definitely have lost him female fans. OMG there is nothing there.
That Henan rowing team is a group of babes!
So… P.R. China has fallen hook, line, and sinker for the opiate of sports? Given what has happened in the Americas and Europe (i.e. Soccer, Football, Basketball, etc…) – and the effect it has had on academics and culture. The real nasty twist for P.R. China is the centralized control and playing the provinces against each other for venues that will, for the most part, only be used for a brief moment of time. How many Pontiac Silverdomes can P.R. China afford? Only time will tell.
Spoken like a true NERD Potato Mr Sawtell. You don’t like professional sports? You obviously never played a sport either then.
Professional sports is not an opiate… it is SPORT BUSINESS.
STATE funded sports that have no purpose except to fly flag at international competitions is OPIATE.
Pro diving? Pro Synchro swim? We pay for those via taxes. THAT is whats wrong with this system and what is right with PRO sports.
Just watched the Opening on YouTube. Nearly as impressive as Beijing.
Quick, non-controversial question: how did they fly/suspend those birds, blossoms and sailboats in the air without seeming cables? If they were remote-controlled, how did they get so many objects in particular ‘fixed’ positions in the air?
Kindly email me at razor323@gmail.com if you have the answer. Thank you.