[Newsbot]

Title: Vancouver, Whistler and First Nations to explore feasibility of 2030 Olympics bid
Category: Sports
Posted By: Strutz
Date: 2021-12-11 10:33:30
Canadian

[Strutz]

Japan is apparently the front-runner for the bid. I say let them have it.

[CDN_PATRIOT]

1) Let Japan have it. The Olympics are a waste of time and money.
2) Didn't Vancouver learn from the last time around?
3) Why are the aboriginals involved in the bid, anyways?
4) Spend the money on more useful things, like THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES.

-J.

[JaredMilne]

Montreal Mayor Jean Drapeau claimed that the 1976 Olympics could no more run a deficit than a man could have a baby. Cue a bunch of political cartoons depicting him getting pre-natal testing, buying diapers, etc.

Is there any recent Olympics, aside from maybe the 1988 one in Calgary, that wasn't a complete money pit that left a bunch of decaying white elephants when it was all over?

[rickc]

JaredMilne JaredMilne:

Montreal Mayor Jean Drapeau claimed that the 1976 Olympics could no more run a deficit than a man could have a baby. Cue a bunch of political cartoons depicting him getting pre-natal testing, buying diapers, etc.

Is there any recent Olympics, aside from maybe the 1988 one in Calgary, that wasn't a complete money pit that left a bunch of decaying white elephants when it was all over?

The 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, UT finished with a surplus of $40 million dollars. It was such a success that it relaunched the political career of the man responsible for putting together the 2002 Winter Olympics: Mitt Romney. Later that year he would go on to be elected Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

[bootlegga]

JaredMilne JaredMilne:

Montreal Mayor Jean Drapeau claimed that the 1976 Olympics could no more run a deficit than a man could have a baby. Cue a bunch of political cartoons depicting him getting pre-natal testing, buying diapers, etc.

Is there any recent Olympics, aside from maybe the 1988 one in Calgary, that wasn't a complete money pit that left a bunch of decaying white elephants when it was all over?

Vancouver 2010 apparently had positive numbers (assuming you believe the IOC and VANOC):

$1:

VANOC’s final financial accounting reports both revenues and expenses of approximately CAD 1.9 million, with all suppliers paid and all revenues collected. As promised in December 2010, the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver have been concluded free of debt, and with no additional government funds needed.

https://olympics.com/ioc/news/vancouver ... al-figures

The financial problems typically are typically in places that host the Summer Olympics, which are two or three times the size of the Winter Olympics, and because they require venues for sports that may not be in high demand in the host nation (a baseball stadium in Athens or the BMX track in Beijing for example):

https://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyl ... ic-venues/

FWIW, I'm fine with Whistler wanting to host it, but I think the Games (Summer and Winter), the Olympics should find a permanent host city and keep them in one place.

That would remove the ability of dictatorships to leverage them for propaganda purposes AND ensure that facilities are used and maintained after the Olympics are held. However, that would require finding a city to support hosting them AND the IOC to adequately fund the Olympics out of their profits, neither of which is likely to happen.

[Zipperfish]

It's great that the local First Nations are on board, but I don't think the people here will go for it. It's just a big circle jerk privileged athletes flying around the world on other people's money, run by a deeply corrupt organization.

Like I say, there's always a few heartwarming stories, but they are not sweet enough to cover the smell of rot coming from the IOC.

I won't be watching the China Olympics either. Fuck 'em.

[JaredMilne]

bootlegga bootlegga:

Vancouver 2010 apparently had positive numbers (assuming you believe the IOC and VANOC):

$1:

VANOC’s final financial accounting reports both revenues and expenses of approximately CAD 1.9 million, with all suppliers paid and all revenues collected. As promised in December 2010, the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver have been concluded free of debt, and with no additional government funds needed.

https://olympics.com/ioc/news/vancouver ... al-figures

The financial problems typically are typically in places that host the Summer Olympics, which are two or three times the size of the Winter Olympics, and because they require venues for sports that may not be in high demand in the host nation (a baseball stadium in Athens or the BMX track in Beijing for example):

https://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyl ... ic-venues/

Whereas, given the number of cities that can realistically host a Winter Olympics the ones that apply are probably already going to have a lot of the infrastructure in place necessary for the events and maintain them well. Places like Mexico City and Miami might apply for the Summer Olympics, but when was the last time a place south of the Mediterranean or Mason-Dixon Line applied to host a Winter one?

[DrCaleb]

They limit it by holding the Winter Olympics in February. Change that to include July, and you gain the southern hemisphere.

Edit: My bad, it's not the month that is limited, it's climate. The southern hemisphere simply has few places where there is enough 'winter' to hold a Winter Olympics. Parts of Chile and New Zealand seem to be the best, but they are not rich enough to bid on the games.