[Xela M]

Bobby Charlton

[Mr Jazzman]

Originally Posted by baroquepop

It's not a question of talent. I have a problem being forced to listen to somebody croking out Hey Jude for the 10,000th time as if Britain has no other singers and no other songs. I think it's dull, boring and predictable.

I don't think he even sang Hey Jude at the Jubilee. I'd be interested to see who you'd chose to represent the country in a singing event. If you've ever seen McCartney live you might understand what an honour it is to see the man that pretty much paved the way for most music we hear today.

Back on topic, how on earth would watching Daley Thompson light a flame be in any way more entertaining than Redgrave? He's not gonna do the fricking high jump..

[Frood]

Originally Posted by Xela M

Bobby Charlton

No

Originally Posted by baroquepop

Perhaps they should ask if anyone outside of Britain (or the BBC) has even heard of Steve Redgrave, great Olympian he may be. Coupled with Paul McCartney singing, it would represent a dull choice.

Please, it simply MUST be Daley Thompson.

Irrelevant.

Can you tell me, without google, who Sohn Kee-Chung, Rafer Johnson and Victor Sanyev were/are and what events they competed in.

[End-Em-All]

Tulisa from N-Dubz

[baroquepop]

Wow, some serious McCartney fans here! It's pointless to mention any names as you'll only attack further.

Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Steve Redgrave would be boring choices. Too predictable. That's my opinion folks. I thought that's what we did round here.

[grassmarket]

Originally Posted by baroquepop

Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Steve Redgrave would be boring choices. Too predictable.

Right, why would you want the host country's greatest Olympic athlete of all time performing a ritual honouring Olympic athletes in front of thousands of aspiring Olympic athletes when you could do something unpredictable instead?

[Ambassador]

McCartney is embarassing now, his voice has completely gone.

Redgrave is a bit meh, I mean rowing, it's all a bit dull. Not really one of the A-List sports is it. We just like it a little because we're quite good at it. Hardly an inspiring Olympic legacy

Someone like Cathy Freeman had the whole backstory and she was inspiring and groundbreaking and good at a decent A-List sport.

I'd rather have Daley Thompson or hell, if we're going for the real mantra of the Olympic Games...is Ronald McDonald free?

[Rich Tea.]

Pssst....I have it on good authority that the name of the person who has been overwhelmingly nominated by those in high places to light the London 2012 Olympic flame is;

ZARA PHILIPS.

[Ambassador]

Originally Posted by Rich Tea.

Pssst....I have it on good authority that the name of the person who has been overwhelmingly nominated by those in high places to light the London 2012 Olympic flame is;

ZARA PHILIPS.

Does she know people in high places?

Is anyone from any actual real sports that people want to see available? Running etc?

[Rich Tea.]

Originally Posted by Ambassador

Does she know people in high places?

Is anyone from any actual real sports that people want to see available? Running etc?

Well with the sycophancy that runs wild in this country at times, nothing would surprise me, after all, both she and her mother won the Sports Personality for heavens sake.

[johnF1971]

Originally Posted by Ambassador

McCartney is embarassing now, his voice has completely gone.

Redgrave is a bit meh, I mean rowing, it's all a bit dull. Not really one of the A-List sports is it. We just like it a little because we're quite good at it. Hardly an inspiring Olympic legacy

Someone like Cathy Freeman had the whole backstory and she was inspiring and groundbreaking and good at a decent A-List sport.

I'd rather have Daley Thompson or hell, if we're going for the real mantra of the Olympic Games...is Ronald McDonald free?

I thought Cathy Freeman was a bit of a strange choice for 2000, as she was competing in that Games, and I thought it was generally supposed to be someone who'd been in previous Olympics from years gone by. I guess they wanted someone with an Aboriginal background and she was the only one who fitted the bill.

I agree that it should be someone from an A-list sport, like Daley. I don't want to diminish Redgraves great achievements but I think in the UK we tend to think he's perhaps bigger than other countries who don't see rowing as a major sport.

Surprised Seb Coe himself hasn't been mentioned more, or is he not eligible?

"It's my party and I'm lighting the flame!"

[Rich Tea.]

Originally Posted by johnF1971

I thought Cathy Freeman was a bit of a strange choice for 2000, as she was competing in that Games, and I thought it was generally supposed to be someone who'd been in previous Olympics from years gone by. I guess they wanted someone with an Aboriginal background and she was the only one who fitted the bill.

I agree that it should be someone from an A-list sport, like Daley. I don't want to diminish Redgraves great achievements but I think in the UK we tend to think he's perhaps bigger than other countries who don't see rowing as a major sport.

Surprised Seb Coe himself hasn't been mentioned more, or is he not eligible?

"It's my party and I'm lighting the flame!"

The trouble with Coe is that he is considered a political kind of figure isn't he, having previously been a Tory MP in the 90's.

[sarahcs]

Originally Posted by Mr Jazzman

I don't think he even sang Hey Jude at the Jubilee. I'd be interested to see who you'd chose to represent the country in a singing event. If you've ever seen McCartney live you might understand what an honour it is to see the man that pretty much paved the way for most music we hear today.

Back on topic, how on earth would watching Daley Thompson light a flame be in any way more entertaining than Redgrave? He's not gonna do the fricking high jump..

Ray Davies.

[Mr Jazzman]

Originally Posted by baroquepop

Wow, some serious McCartney fans here! It's pointless to mention any names as you'll only attack further.

Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Steve Redgrave would be boring choices. Too predictable. That's my opinion folks. I thought that's what we did round here.

I'll ignore your patronising.

Fair enough, you don't like McCartney or Redgrave but surely you recognise the significance of their achievements? Surely you recognise the fact that the majority of the British public did enjoy their past success.

I respect your opinion, but to suggest that Redgrave would somehow be more 'boring' as he lights the olympic flame than another choice is an absurd statement rather than an opinion. You still haven't explained how other another person lighting the flame would be more interesting..

[ollie1004]

They were just on about this again on BBC breakfast. I think it's either Thompson or Redgrave... however, I do hope this media hyperbole we appear to be in isn't simply something to throw us off track. I don't understand why either of them would go out of their way to diss the other. I just can't see either of them stooping to the level of "my sport's better than yours so I'm the better Olympian"... etc etc.

So I'm confused to be honest. We're either looking in the wrong direction and they'll go down the "inspire a generation" route, as in choose a kid from the East End to light it.

[The Net]

Originally Posted by ollie1004

They were just on about this again on BBC breakfast. I think it's either Thompson or Redgrave... however, I do hope this media hyperbole we appear to be in isn't simply something to throw us off track. I don't understand why either of them would go out of their way to diss the other. I just can't see either of them stooping to the level of "my sport's better than yours so I'm the better Olympian"... etc etc.

So I'm confused to be honest. We're either looking in the wrong direction and they'll go down the "inspire a generation" route, as in choose a kid from the East End to light it.

Yes I saw that. Diana Modahl was definitely a rent a mouth championing the Queen to light the flame!

She also said Sir Roger Bannister wont light it because he's already carried the torch but in the next breath she was suggesting Kelly Holmes. Of course she's conveniently forgotten that she has carried it twice already! As has Recgrave, Coe etc Two who haven't are Daley and Ovett.

[Muttley76]

Originally Posted by The Net

Yes I saw that. Diana Modahl was definitely a rent a mouth championing the Queen to light the flame!

She also said Sir Roger Bannister wont light it because he's already carried the torch but in the next breath she was suggesting Kelly Holmes. Of course she's conveniently forgotten that she has carried it twice already! As has Recgrave, Coe etc Two who haven't are Daley and Ovett.

Daley Thompson will run with the flame this week...

I don't think there is a genuine row about this, I think it's just media generated hyperbole. I am sure both Thompson and Redgrave would love to have the honour, but thats rather different.

[baroquepop]

Any thoughts on Rebecca Adlington? Or Victoria Pendleton?

Is there a convention that the flame lighter has not previously been in the relay?

We're all assuming it will be a past gold medalist (which I would certainly prefer), but it need not be. I still have gloomy forebodings that it may be Beckham.

[maninthequeue]

Originally Posted by baroquepop

Any thoughts on Rebecca Adlington? Or Victoria Pendleton?

Is there a convention that the flame lighter has not previously been in the relay?

We're all assuming it will be a past gold medalist (which I would certainly prefer), but it need not be. I still have gloomy forebodings that it may be Beckham.

Both daft ideas, just like your concept that having our most famous and successful Olympian light the flame; and our most famous and successful musician perform at the Olympics opening ceremony is a bad idea, is a daft idea.

If they wanted to go left field with whom should light the flame, then I'd suggest three times Olympic champion Bradley Wiggins (for obvious reasons) or the person whom Colin Murray has been championing which the Guardian have picked up on (which during his quest on his brilliant BBC Radio5 Live series to locate all the living British Gold medallists was the least remembered from a poll carried out by the BBC to name living GB gold medallists) 1964 Rome Olympics for 20KM Walking Kenneth Matthews to light the flame.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/b7472de6-a...#axzz1xSehPdIH

[CarlLewis]

Originally Posted by The Net

Yes I saw that. Diana Modahl was definitely a rent a mouth championing the Queen to light the flame!

Bad idea.
There is such a thing as overexposure.

[ads84]

Coe just wants his chum Daley to do the honours, so for that reason, it's gotta be Redgrave.

[CarlLewis]

Just to prove our self deprecating humour it should be Ian Fletcher of Olympic Deliverance.

[hardeep]

Originally Posted by ollie1004

So I'm confused to be honest. We're either looking in the wrong direction and they'll go down the "inspire a generation" route, as in choose a kid from the East End to light it.

Darken the stadium and as they're about to announce the torch bearer spotlight a random kid in the crowd for the honour

They'll probably go for Redgrave - which is fair enough but for me a bit meh.

[KnifeEdge]

With G4S running the security, it may well be Al Qaeda lighting up the flame....and the whole stadium!

[MARTYM8]

Originally Posted by ads84

Coe just wants his chum Daley to do the honours, so for that reason, it's gotta be Redgrave.

If it has to be one of the two then it should be Redgrave. He won 5 gold medals and Thompson won only 2 - and in boycott years.

I remember Thompson and his 'is the world second greatest athlete gay T shirt' and now we have him insulting other sports as inferior to athletics. I just think he is a bit too controversial.

It may be they go for someone totally different e.g. Dame Mary Peters. We just want someone classy and non controversia who everyone respects as a legend - I just don't think Thompson fits the bill!