The major clubs would be stupid to do this (now, they may be stupid). As currently structured, all the big clubs win most of their games, so they all look like really successful organisations. Even if you get knocked out at the Round of 16 in the Champions’ League, you still came third or fourth in your national…

London pissed about ten billion in a hole.

The difference is that London can afford it. It’s just spent fifteen billion on a new underground railway line so there’s one named after the current Queen before she dies (there is already one named for her silver jubilee).

BBC ratings were pretty solid. Down a bit on London because the live events were at less convenient times - swimming finals were at about 2am.

Of course, the BBC showed live sport. Live.

Not even the forgotten stepchild. The deliberately abused for being uppity stepchild. Might have faded a bit, but just read their history for the first century after independence.

Nine relays.

They did the shot put there in 2004.

There is only one other time I’ve seen a crash as bad as that one: Fabio Casartelli in 1995 - when he went head-first into a solid concrete block without a helmet on.

“Vai Vai Vai Forza Italia” “Go Go Go, C’mon Italy”

I *love* track cycling. But I live an hour’s walk from a world-class (as in, hosted the World Championships three times) velodrome.

I’ve been to all sorts of sporting events. I’ve seen Manchester United play extra-time in the Champions’ League at home. I’ve been to a rugby league Grand Final. I’ve seen a playoff…

I love handball. I’m British, and we make the Americans look good at it. Because we were hosting in 2012, we got automatic entry. We lost. Every single game. By a lot. In both men’s and women’s. And it was still awesome. I’d go back to the Copper Box and watch it any time you like.

Most dangerous events if you’re a total novice:

If you want to watch the single maddest sporting event of the entire Olympics, watch the first three-quarters of the Modern Pentathlon riding. It’s total carnage, as a bunch of people who can kinda ride a horse, just about, get on whatever cheap horses the organisers could lay their hands on that morning.

And the English. Don’t forget the English.

No, these were the post-Chindit deep raids by the regular army after Orde Wingate died and the Chindits proper were wound up. They were shorter (1-2 week raids) and not as deep as Chindit raids, and they didn’t require the same cleverness with air resupply, but that’s where the intelligence for the 1944 and 1945…

European cities have narrow streets, heavy traffic and expensive parking. Driving in most of them is about as sensible as driving in Manhattan.

European cities have narrow streets, heavy traffic and expensive parking. Driving in most of them is about as sensible as driving in Manhattan.

I live less than a mile from the ground and the (controlled) explosion was just barely audible from here.

I live less than a mile from the ground and the (controlled) explosion was just barely audible from here.

I live less than a mile from the ground and the (controlled) explosion was just barely audible from here.

Of course, it was originally the Alexander the Great year. /1st century hipster.