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Comment by user49598 | Hacker News Reader

The Olympics may be the single most overly commercialized event in human history. It is far and above more about brand exposure, corporate profit, and sex in the Olympic village than about athletics, sportsmanship or nations putting aside their differences.

I for one will not be watching, and 2 months after when everybody forgets everything that happened other than Michael Phelps rippin' a bong, not a soul will care.

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The last event I watched was in '96. Then I became aware of the IOC behaving like the RIAA/MPAA asshats by restricting the 'net (blogging, photos, domain names, etc.).

I've been living in SLC since that time, and my family totally boycotted the 2002 winter games.

Screw the Olympics, the IOC, the sponsors, and even the athletes who make such a juggernaut possible to begin with.

I hate people like you. People who feel the need to be so negative when others are trying to look on the bright side.

The olympics may be commercialized but they also featured amazing sports like swimming, running, gymnastics, weight lifting--- these sports aren't normally featured on TV and for 2 weeks, we get treated to the best these sports have to offer.

And people like you just have to ruin it with your 2 cents.

Can't tell if you're being sarcastic. The only reason the Olympics are so trashy is because the event itself is so awesome that people will wade through piles of trash to get to it.

As someone who's known Olympians and Olympic hopefuls (I was never quite at that level), I can appreciate the athletes. A bit.

I do feel for many of the lesser-known/followed events, and competitors from developing nations.

But the whole notion of amateur athletics was binned a long, long time ago.

I last followed the games in the late 1980s. Since then it's been a long downward spiral so far as I'm concerned.

Really, you hate people like me? Hate? I made an informed decision, and you hate me? You hate me for my opinions? On the Olympics? You really think I'm ruining the Olympics with my opinions? This is over the top.

The Olympics is disgustingly over commercialized, over sexualized, abusive to the communities it takes place in, a force contra free market and free speech and you hate me for my opinions? If a little entertainment is all it takes to get you to turn a blind eye then thats fine, but how can you hate me for not doing the same?

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