Someone on TV when asked if they were going to the Olympics said they were looking forward to going to the world's largest Mcdonalds.
They were not joking.
The Olympics is a complex issue.
We love sport.
All sport.
We even love the shot-put- I used to train in the same gym as a girl on the fringes of the GB shot-put team and marvelled at her power and her determination- she would get up at 5/6 in the morning and train before work.
She was tough. And I respect that.
The application of the athletes is stunning and whether they win or lose I respect them all. The paraplegic olympics even more so- massive respect to those taking part in that.
Stunning event.
I come from the time when the Olympics was about taking part, or that's what we were brought up to believe- I have no problem with the athletes making millions- they put everything on the line to compete and I respect the ones that came last as much as the ones that come first- anyone who gets in a gym and trains is getting my nod.
Like many I'm getting a bit uncomfortable with the corporate bullying and a tiny bit baffled with what sport benefits there are offering. Maybe I'm missing something there. I'm not sure what the criteria are for sponsors but why not get everyone involved like the tobacco and alcohol companies as well?
It's now against the law to have an Olympic logo made out of bread in your shop window, there are special lanes for the Merc driven dignatries and the valiant efforts of the sports people have been shunted aside in the corporate free for all- could you get a better analogy for the bankrupt banker wasteland of modern society!
I know we live in a time of sponsorship and we all need to deal with the devil. I know it's not the late seventies any more but there is a whiff of something ugly going on beneath the noble and valiant pursuit of sporting excellence by the athletes.
The same happened in rock n roll years ago and none of us are pure- we are all prostitutes as someone once sang. Every day we have to do a deal with the devil and try and remain untainted- but we endlessly fail!
It's in the light of this that we are planning to produce this new Goldblade T shirt for my band. Lawyers have said don't do it and printers are backing off. It's not for money. it's to make a point if we ever get them printed.
In the meantime can we have our culture back?