For those amongst you expecting one of my usual, insightful, essays on the subject of animal cruelty, forget it; this is an entirely different “dead ‘orse” that I’m flogging! 😈
It won’t be long now, before we have to suffer the couple of weeks of torture that is the Olympic Games. It’s a five ring circus of grossely overpaid ‘super sportsmen and women’ who are in it for the money, not the honour and glory of, the days of this Olympic Oath ere long gone:
” We swear. We will take part in the Olympic Games in a spirit of chivalry, for the honour of our country and for the glory of sport. “
to become this:
“In the name of all the competitors I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules which govern them, committing ourselves to a sport without doping and without drugs, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honor of our teams”
Note they keep the last bit about glory, better bung in a bit about drugs! Wonder they haven’t added “and hoping we don’t get caught”; forget honour of our country, it’s the team that counts now; what a load of hypocrisy. It’s the money they’re after!
You’ve probably gathered that I don’t have much interest in the games; this hasn’t always been the case, it’s just since television people got their grubby hands on them and polluted the games. The games needed someone of Avery Brundage’s strength and character at the helm to keep them honest!
Now I’ll start “floggin’ ‘orses“.
There are, I believe, in excess of 200 countries taking part in the Olympic Games, so I suppose there are more than 200 teams partaking too. But it’s the countries I’m interested in for this load of codswallop. 😈
Each of these countries has a flag, well if they haven’t you can bet your life they’ll make one for the occasion, and I suppose a ‘National Anthem’; you know, just in case….. but I know of a couple of countries that have a flag but no ‘N.A.’ that I know of; and how do I know? Because I’m English, and England doesn’t have one.
Neither does Scotland have one; it does have an unofficial anthem (which they’ll probably use if and when they split from the UK.) ‘The Flower of Scotland’; I don’t know why they don’t go with ‘Scotland the Brave’ probably been drinking too many wee drams.
Forget “God Save The King/Queen“; that’s not the anthem for England that’s for the United Kingdoms of England & Scotland, commonly called the UK!
The other two countries of Great Britain; Ireland and Wales, each have their own National Anthem.
There will be no “BRITS” participating at the games, just as there will be no Euro’s (not the money but the Europeans) why should they be identified as French, Belgium, German whatever if the English and Scots and Irish and Welsh have to put up with “BRITS”? Or the Asians and South American countries, but I’m not going into that…. I have a thing about being called a “BRIT” 😡
So in the event of England getting a medal requiring all the brouhaha of flag raising and anthem playing what will they do, the flags no problem, the music is, so what are they going to go with this time.
“Land of Hope & Glory“ is always a good bet, every Englishman and woman knows the first line of that number, after which it’s lah lah lah all the way to the end, which kind of makes it hard on the person on the stand with a medal round the neck who is expected to sing along, looking suitably patriotic and proud.
Then again theres always, “They’ll Always be an England” but some smartie will be caught singing the next line ‘as long as Scotlands there’; it’s not really the words but they do fit the music perfectly and it’s better than lah lah lah.
It wouldn’t surprise me if they go for the next little number, “Jeruselem“; I kid you not! I don’t know what the Israelis will think about, and I don’t particularly care. It’s a maudlin poem written in the 19th century and set to music in the 20th, by one of my arrogant countrymen. And there are plenty of us, arrogant that is, XD
Now to finish on more cheerful note.
My wish is that a Welshman or woman gets to stand on the winners box and gets to sing their ‘National Anthem’; now that would be something indeed. For those of you not familiar with the Welsh and their anthem I’m going to add a link. The Welsh love to sing and have great delight in showing their prowess in the art.
Here it is ” Land of My Fathers” :
and for those who’s body tingled with that shortened version and want to hear the full work sung by one of the worlds greatest singers Bryn Terfel giving it his all as only a Welshman can!
And there are many many more versions on YouTube. XD
LordBeariOfBow 
I’ve never asked . . . are you an Australian citizen?
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No, I’m waiting for Australia to become a Republic before taking Australian citizenship. I can’t see the point in becoming an Australian and swearing allegiance to the Queen of England when I’m already one of her subjects. I had high hopes of it happening on the 1st January 2001 but unfortunately the ALP government under Paul Keating lost power to a forlock tugging Anglophile name of john howard and put paid to any hope for the time being of an Australian Republic. As an Englishman I’m an ardent royalist but as an Australian I’m a republican through and through but I refuse to swear allegiance to a foreigner, I served in the Australian Army and think of myself as an Australian most of the time, it’s just when ignorant people sling off at the country of my birth and get me riled that I remember I’m still English. Now tell me you’re not confused XD
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Not confused. Many people hold nationalistic views (good or bad). I’ve gotten to where I tolerate it. As for the Olympics, long ago they lost all appeal and I pay them no mind. As for national anthems . . . I have mixed feelings about them. I don’t think they should be played except in rare circumstances and for truly national events and occasions. I’m in the minority on that.
At the root of my feelings is the belief that individuals are more important than governments/countries and the national anthem (and occasionally the flag) are there to remind people of the exact opposite.
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I’m in that same minority, however, being a socialist I’m for the people as a whole not as individuals, and I do love the Welsh National Anthem, it’s the most stirring piece of singing you’ll ever hear.
As for the rest of the anthems they don’t do much for me,especially the Australian, which is a load of meaningless maudlin claptrap set to the music ” God bless the Prince of Wales” no less. Can you imagine giving up singing a song about the mother/father the head honcho for the son? Ludicrous!
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No, the Olympics certainly aren’t what they were when I was a kid, back when events were televised live and no one knew who was going to win or what might happen, back when they tried to televise all the events and not just the ones THEY thought were popular, back when maybe some of the athletes were still non-doping amateurs, and back when they actually covered sports events rather than filling hours with meaningless babble about the life of every participant. It’s assumed they all loved their mothers and they all had to ovecome some difficulty to make it to the Olympics, so can we just get on with the competition, please.
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I really don’t care anymore if they get on with the competition or not.
Did you enjoy the singing?
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Yes I did. Very much.
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I must find your animal cruelty rants – methinks we have similar theme tunes!
This Olympic jazz is the same as sport generally. I remember fondly when teams for whatever comprised locals living and earning in that part of the world or country – not just on contract. They really did have the honour of their home to uphold, and it was so much more satisfying to be a supporter and fan under those conditions. Part of ‘globalisation’? As far as I’m concerned, they can stick it!
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as far up as possible. As for animal rants I doubt you’ll find many if any except about my dog Coco, did I ever tell you …….. 😉
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Listening to Bryn as I type this. Doing so after about 11 seconds of the shortened version made me think “Boring ass sanctified church choir.” At first go, Bryn’s is much, much better. I don’t speak Cymru, but clearly he does, and he’s FEELING IT, isn’t he, mate?
I’m 46, I remember when the Games weren’t all about money. I agree, a sportsman should compete for his country, not for a TEAM. And now that I’ve tacitly raved-by-rant about a seeming need for patriotism: I’m American and I am not a big fan of Murca. If Trump (somehow) prevails I shall just have to complete ignore the television and the newspapers for at least 4 years.
Fantastic post; I am hoping that you write for a periodical; that is to say: beyond cyberspace. I’m gratified you prompted me to follow you which I have now done.
Bryn’s done. I reckon he’s never miked?
-Robert Clyde Cox
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I was going to insert the 70000+ spectators at a football match singing their anthem, which is tremendous. The Welsh are the only non boring sanctified church choir, the Welsh just love to sing ALL of them, whenever I meet a Welshman I’ll say to him sing me a song and sure enough he will. They are a strange and wonderful people.
Bryn Terfel could not speak a word of English until he was “discovered” and it became necessary for him if he wanted to appear on the international stage.He’s definitely my favourite baritone.
You may notice that I’ve deleted one word from your comment, I have a thing about that I’m no prude and am a socialist atheist but it’s something I’ve got and I’m stuck with it. you may like to read the first thing I ever wrote, https://lordbeariofbow.com/about/
Hope you stay and I thank you for dropping by and your kind words. XD
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They ALL sing. Advantage: Wales!
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Always
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It’s only 1miute 30 seconds Heres the one I was going to insert, watch the crowd when they flash it, their mouths don’t just move they’re opended wide to let the words burst forth obviously oblivious to the world wrapped in the singing, I love ’em 🙂
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Watched it, and watched the next one in the queue. Shane Williams (last match); others: the men of Wales are not ashamed to cry.
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