The latest leak on the Opening Ceremony says the Olympic flame will be lit by...Phil Collins?
It appears that the attempts to clamp down on any leaks about the London Summer Olympics' Opening Ceremony have failed miserably. Not only do we know almost the entire lineup of Friday's festivities but we even know about the big "surprise" showdown between a bunch of Mary Poppins impersonators and a massive Voldemort from the "Harry Potter" novels.
There was one surprise that director Danny Boyle and company thought they could hold onto until the big night, but even that detail may have slipped through their fingers.
Every year, a major celebrity who embodies the spirit of the Games' athletic and spiritual homeland is given the honor of carrying the Olympic torch through its final paces to light the flame in the Olympic Cauldron. Past Olympics have given the honor to hockey legend Wayne Gretzky at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games, four-time basketball gold medal winner Sergey Belov for the 1980 Moscow Summer Games and legendary boxer and gold medal winner Muhammad Ali at the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta.
So who have the British people reportedly tapped to take over this mighty honor for his or her homeland? According to The Daily Bleach, the XXX Olympiad will have its mighty torch lit by none other than musician and former Genesis frontman Phil Collins.
Now I mean no disrespect to the man. He has worked very hard to earn such a high level of success and acclaim, not to mention his selfless charity work to help underprivileged children and poverty and disease stricken South Africa, but is he really the biggest name that Britain has to offer? The bald guy who got slapped around by Benny Hill is just slightly above Mr. "I Can't Dance" on England's "To-Honor" list.
Photo: L. Cohen/Wire Image/Getty Images
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What were they thinking! To actuallly have a lowly human being who actually gives of his time and talents to try and ease suffering and help those in need around the world? How dare they!!! They should have picked DGallagher instead.
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Phil Collins' charitable contributions are honorable, but he is not an athlete. How does he embody the athletic spirit of the hosting country? He spent boatloads of money in south africa, so I hope he has spent as much in his own country. We have many American who are dumping millions into africa rather than help people here. As if it is not bad enough that our government has been dumping millions of dollars into africa each year for about 30 years. As far as lighting the torch, how about Torvill and Dean?
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I love Phil Collins and all his music over the years but he is not the first person who comes to my mind when i think of the "lighter of the Olypic flame -- but,igood for him! .
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phil is a rock god!
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This has to be a joke...this the OLYPMICS where 205 countries send their best athletes to compete for their country, what does Phil Collins have to do with any of that? Common London, at least send up Beckham!
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They will not ask Beckham because they are mad at him because he came to the US. And besides, if they ask him, then his ugly, scary-*ss wife will go with him, and they don't want to look at her either.
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what about the queen, or prince william!
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Really Fox and MSN--this article is trash and you shoudl be ashamed--you should hire someone who has some knowledge about people in this world. Your writer is too young and uneducated to know that Phil Collins didnt only sing Pop music and that he played in several benefits and that he is an all around good person. Genesis was around for 40 years (and "former" may be incorrect also since they are already doing a night with Phil singing in Europe) and they wrote music that was too long and complicated and non-pop to be played on the radio. Its interesting that the writer found one pop song that was actually a Spoof "I cant dance" to put in his lame article.
Maybe Phil isnt the best person to pick but he has been successful for 40 years and gives a lot back to the world. Who is better by the way? -
why not Phil Collins
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WOW! I thought that England would want to put their top athlete in focus for all of their countrymen to admire as well as their Olympic team . Am I missing his athletice prowess after all of these years? I mean no disrespect to his field but he has the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and or the Grammy Awards to parade his success. Really?
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Monty Python should light the torch then toss Phil Collins in
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Phil Collins is an excellent choice to light the olympic flame. He is an orphan, worked his way up to become a successful musician and gives generously to charities that ease the suffering of children. Why can't reporters simply report the news instead of always throwing in their two cents' worth?
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This is only a rumor. He is not an excellent choice. He is not an athlete.
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You know this is all a joke, right? Everyone knows the Olympics are being held in Detroit this summer.
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Way too funny! Can you imagine the events they would have?
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Last I heard Phil was living in Canada???? You know, to avoid the taxes in England. Damn reminds me of that American Romney.
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FIRST OFF ... to who ever wrote this ... the Olympics ARE NOT held every year.
As for Phil Collins ... got me there, he must really know the Right People. -
yeah, the problem w/ England is you can only use McCartney so many times then he needs a nap! Phil Collins ... ehhh ... Eric Clapton would have been better. England is going to be a great Olympics ... great place .... great weather to run in ... hope England even wins a medal ... GO USA!
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Clapton is not an athlete, and neither are Phil Collins and that annoying idiot Paul McCartney. The person who lights the torch has to "embody the athletic spirit of the Games' homeland".
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no offense but if I'm not mistaken all those who have lit the flame in the past were athletes and former olympians, I mean the olympics are about sports athletecism and sportsmanship, not fame and fortune and entertainment let him perform in the opening or closing ceremonies, the the singular honor of lighting the torch belongs to and should always belong to and olympic athlete past or present. What next let the rich buy the right to light the torch
