Can we get rid of all this virtue signalling and just greet the athletes and get on with it!
Each country that hosts tries to make it more spectacular than the last…The expense must be mind boggling and rules out small countries from ever hosting such an extravaganza…
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Don’t watch it, Foxy. I never do which is why I missed out on Bond jumping off a plane with the Queen (was it so?) Nor could I be bothered to view Putin’s and Xi’s propaganda shows. Only those who have a smattering of the host nation’s history can make sense of what’s shown in open ceremonies. You don’t learn anything from those but might get inspired to look sth. up, which seems to be the underlying intention.
I agree - that Keeping up with the Jonses- virus apparently can’t be eradicated. Yet it is noticeable that France wants to cap expenses and is trying to host sustainable Games. Games like in Athens or a World Cup like in Qatar are hopefully a thing of the past.
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I am sure I read somewhere that they ceremonies were getting cheaper as were the games.
This morning I woke to the bloody games opening ceremony on the radio instead of my usual program. Thank gawd these games are always held in the middle of the night so I don’t have to listen to them.
It is not that I have anything against sport but, like religion, I am just not interested. Each to their own.
Anyway no one can ever top, “The best Olympic Games ever”
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. . . Although I liked John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ sung with a burning piano.
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The ceremony is almost becoming more important than the games. Maybe we could go a silly step further. Dispense with the games and just have ceremony olympics.
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Really enjoyed the 2012 opening ceremony, weren’t to bothered about the sport that followed.
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Just watched a bit of the opening ceremony from Paris. Great idea about the various countries flying their flags on the boats down the river. But oh that weather, bucketing down non-stop! What on earth was that weird bunch doing, jumping about on that bridge! That will be my total interest in the games unfortunately! 
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I do not watch it,all pomp and ceremony imo.
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When you listen to the words of ‘Imagine’ it was ‘Woke’ before woke was a thing.
Disposing of religion (tell the muslims that one) And everyone in the world living in peace and being ruled by one government? Isn’t that what’s happening now? Except Putin, China and North Korea have peed on the bonfire…Better make up a ‘Weapons of Mass Destruction’ story and attack them.
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My initial thoughts about the horse and rider walking on water was impressive, but it went on too long and the music was repetitive and boring…I’m afraid I had to watch ‘Bangers and Cash’ instead.
I have often thought that about soccer, dispense with all the tedious running back and forth, just have the penalty shoot out so that the fans can get on with the real business of beating each other up.
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I did watch some of it but was appalled that a fine piano was being played fully out in the open as the rain threw it down. As a musician, just the thought of a splendid piano being soaked turned me off completely🤬
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I’ve just watched the Rugby 7’s and Fiji thrash the Aussies …twas very entertaining:rugby_football:
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The parade of competitors and other sequences seemed interminably long. That weird hoodie tramping along in the rain. Although enjoyed the Eiffel tower display. The mechanical horse could have had a competitor like the Oxford Cambridge boat race. When’s the beach volleyball!
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My neighbors happened to be over with their youngish kids, and we turned off the television during that abomination 
of an opening ceremony. I am sure you all know to which segment I am referring.
Silly me to think that the Olympics were about athleticism and sports.
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I’ve not watched any of it, not even the equestrian sports that I love usually. Just can’t get motivated to watch it.
It’s a long time since I visited Paris, it’s nice to see some of the sites on TV today. 
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Didn’t watch the opening ceremony. About the other nky thing showing about the ceremony was the display of the last supper skit.
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There have been many complains and threats of boycott, youtube have deleted the ceremony from their playlists. Very disturbing content… 
We never bothered with the opening ceremony but I was watching the high diving for a while, I really enjoyed that.
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