OLYMPICS

Submitted by ub on

The first ancient Olympic Games were played on 776 BC. dedicated to the Olympian gods and staged on the ancient plains of Olympia. This practice continued for 12 centuries until Emperor Theodosius decreed in 393 A.D. that all such pagan cults be banned. The Games were religious festivals of the cult of Zeus, and had a secular character and aimed to show the physical qualities and evolution of the performances.

The @Olympics were transformed into a time when politics was placed aside, while the world celebrated its finest athletes. One world one dream!

That was then, but now Olympic flame arrived in Rio for opening ceremony with Brazilian security forces tossing smoke bombs during local demonstrations. We also have doping scandals and Zika virus threats.

The opening ceremony provides host cities the opportunity to put their best foot forward and highlight their rich cultures. Also, competing countries will highlight their individual history on top of the world stage and these ceremonies have only grown more exorbitant over the years. This is my vote for the top ceremony in modern Olympic history. https://youtu.be/cEJg6SX-UZM
https://www.olympic.org/videos/beijing-2008-closes-with-a-gala-full-of-…

NBC's Peacock network offers Opening Ceremonies of the RioOlympic Games on Friday night with a one-hour delay. http://www.nbcolympics.com/live-stream-schedule

U.S. women's soccer team blanks New Zealand in Olympic opener http://usat.ly/2aPnLc4 via @usatoday

The Couple Who Raise Eyebrows at the Olympic Pool http://nyti.ms/2b22jO3

Why The Olympics Probably Won’t Spread Zika http://53eig.ht/2assE69