Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony - Friday, August the 8th.

Melbourne's ONLY Friday Night game for 2008, at home against the reigning premiers - Friday, August the 8th.

How much of a problem will this be? Thankfully the Olympic ceremony will begin at around 10.00pm AEST so there isn't a complete clash, but I imagine a lot of people will stay home rather than go to the footy and come home late for the 'second half' of the ceremony.

Best scenario is that our game gets broadcast as a kind of 'curtain raiser' for the Olympics. It's all on seven, yes? Even so we can expect a major drop in ground attendence.

Worst case is, the game gets traded to foxtel for a different game that round, seven spends all evening talking about the great anticipation for their marquee event, people stay home to make sure they see it all, and we get totally screwed on what should have been our second biggest earnings & profile match of the season.

I'm gonna puke.

I don't even like opening ceremonies.

Opening, and closing, ceremonies at these sort of events are pure drivel. It is a very good test of a person's character to discover whether or not they have an affinity with them; if they do, avoid them like the plague!

Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony - Friday, August the 8th.

Melbourne's ONLY Friday Night game for 2008, at home against the reigning premiers - Friday, August the 8th.

How much of a problem will this be? Thankfully the Olympic ceremony will begin at around 10.00pm AEST so there isn't a complete clash, but I imagine a lot of people will stay home rather than go to the footy and come home late for the 'second half' of the ceremony.

Best scenario is that our game gets broadcast as a kind of 'curtain raiser' for the Olympics. It's all on seven, yes? Even so we can expect a major drop in ground attendence.

Worst case is, the game gets traded to foxtel for a different game that round, seven spends all evening talking about the great anticipation for their marquee event, people stay home to make sure they see it all, and we get totally screwed on what should have been our second biggest earnings & profile match of the season.

I'm gonna puke.

I don't even like opening ceremonies.

Beijing right?...so there will be tanks if I'm correct, so can we safely assume that the entire Carlton [Cartel] Football Club will be attendence

Beijing right?...so there will be tanks if I'm correct, so can we safely assume that the entire Carlton [Cartel] Football Club will be attendence

On a more serious note. It will be interesting to see if there is a dramatic drop off in numbers.

It is overall in August, and its going to be bloody cold so only the die-hards [e.g. me in my thermals] will be there anyway!

Suspect it would have been a major drop-off in crowd numbers if it was a Friday night April/May than the drop off in crowd numbers would have been a real bugger.

Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony - Friday, August the 8th.

Melbourne's ONLY Friday Night game for 2008, at home against the reigning premiers - Friday, August the 8th.

How much of a problem will this be? Thankfully the Olympic ceremony will begin at around 10.00pm AEST so there isn't a complete clash, but I imagine a lot of people will stay home rather than go to the footy and come home late for the 'second half' of the ceremony.

My understanding is that the game will start earlier than a normal Friday night game, allowing Channel 7 to show the game in full before the opening ceremony. Personally, the opening ceremony doesn't interest me at all. Who wants to watch some people dancing around like pansies (read people like Nikki Webster), and watch countless athletes slowly walk into the stadium, boring!!! I don't see why people would not go to the footy. It is the actual 150th anniversary of the first game of footy after all.

Well I for one will definitely be at the footy. Nothing beats Friday night games at the G.

Yeah the games startinig earlier. Should get massive ratings on the telly too as a lead in to the opening ceremony.

Opening ceremony.........

i'd prefer to watch the Blues vs Freo game in Africa. Hopefully i will be coming home that night celebrating a fantastic Melbourne win. But as previously mentioned, the TV audience might be up a little. It will be on this elevated stage, that Juice will reveal himself to the country (if he already hasn't from his 10m leap over Neita), with a big haul of 10.

Too bad Bruce will be in Beijing, as he's gonna miss something ssspeeeeeeecial

My understanding is that the game will start earlier than a normal Friday night game, allowing Channel 7 to show the game in full before the opening ceremony. Personally, the opening ceremony doesn't interest me at all. Who wants to watch some people dancing around like pansies (read people like Nikki Webster), and watch countless athletes slowly walk into the stadium, boring!!! I don't see why people would not go to the footy. It is the actual 150th anniversary of the first game of footy after all.

"the first game of footy" was played between melbourne grammar and scotch college....dont get that fact wrong lol

I don't even like opening ceremonies.

Haven't watched one for 20 years! Usually nod off an hour in. Didn't even watch all of Sydneys'!

I will be at the footy. Good excuse to miss another although the Chinese will probably do a good job. First communist opening since 1980!

I guess that's the price we pay for having a crappy season (and being Melbourne). One prime-time, Friday night game for the year and it will be overshadowed by the opening ceremony.

Distant Demon...Could you please let us all know what Christ has to do with it?

Distant Demon...Could you please let us all know what Christ has to do with it?

Sorry, just a general expletive there.

I guess he wouldn't have much influence ye olde land o' the communist infidels, so it's probably not his fault.

Though I dare say he's not a Demons fan!

lol @ you being worried that the opening ceremony will effect the crowd. Seriously, it's not like it's the coming of Christ.

I very much doubt that people who were going to come to the footy will actually stay home to watch the opening ceremony.

If anything, it's likely to cause inflated viewing figures - at least for the last half hour or so. Really, it's probably a good thing.

oh no! half the country will be watchin channel 7 on a night that we play football, broadcast on channel 7! oh no!