1323 replies to this topic

[arwebb]

There you go again with your disgraceful closet racist theory. Africa not hosting isn't down to me. Perhaps it's down to the CGF not believing any previous African bid has presented the best option at that time. Or is that all too convienient for you and your conspiracy theories?

Damn right I'm offended by your comments, because I am not, never have been, and never will be a racist. It disgusts me in all its forms and there is no worse insult anyone can throw at me than that. How bloody dare you.

[Rols O'Bertilsson]

Jim, are you trying to convince people here or piss people off? Resorting to calling anyone who disagrees with your opinions pukka neo-colonialist racists is not the way to win hearts and minds, or to trump them in debate.

These various international games aren't a charity that are given out to regions whose "turn" it is. They're a bit like lavish catered parties where those who can afford to do so put on a celebration for all their friends so they can demonstrate their hospitality and hope everyone has a good time. A country that wishes to host one has to first show that it is within their means to do so. I have travelled through Africa, and as exotic as it would be to have the CWGs or the Olympics go there, I've yet to see any evidence that any nation there (bar, perhaps, South Africa) has even the basics in place to be able to do so, much less do so responsibly.

And before you go on with your "but Nigeria has huge cash reserves" argument, just how much of this is actually going to help improve the lot of the average Nigerian. With 90 per cent of the population still living in pretty poor conditions and basic infrastructure rarely extending outside the prosperous areas of a few major cities, not much.

After that, your arguments in favour of Abuja seem to revolve around a few basic mantras:
* You don't want Halifax to host; and
* Abuja has hosted a regional sports meet before (never mind that it wasn't one of the shining moments of sports hosting history); and
* The afro-asian voting bloc is solid and impregnable (jeez, if that was the case, it's a wonder that any former white Dominion has ever hosted the CWGs).

I'm not necessarily against an Abuja hosting. I even think there is a chance they can win. But they are far from being annointed by popular acclaim, and quite frankly the strident tone of your arguments just make me, and I suspect many others here, instinctively want to oppose you.

[Rafa]

With a velodrome that had its roof blown away, a stadium of which part of collapsed, a 50m swimming pool and other mediocre venues I would not be too quick to suggest that Abuja has better facilities. Nigeria is not the honey and milk and roses city you make it out to be. It barely coped with the 200 games, and that was just the All africa games. On a votes I believe Abuaj will win, but thats apart from the point of whether i believe they are more capable than Glasgow. I do believe that Glasgow would host a higher quality games, but i dont believe it is impossible for Abuja to host.

Im really not sure which nigeria or Abuja Jim has visited, and im sure roltel who has also visited through africa would be able to comment on this.

[jim jones]

Mo Rush, on Sep 28 2006, 06:17 PM, said:

With a velodrome that had its roof blown away, a stadium of which part of collapsed, a 50m swimming pool and other mediocre venues I would not be too quick to suggest that Abuja has better facilities. Nigeria is not the honey and milk and roses city you make it out to be. It barely coped with the 200 games, and that was just the All africa games. On a votes I believe Abuaj will win, but thats apart from the point of whether i believe they are more capable than Glasgow. I do believe that Glasgow would host a higher quality games, but i dont believe it is impossible for Abuja to host.

Im really not sure which nigeria or Abuja Jim has visited, and im sure roltel who has also visited through africa would be able to comment on this.

Mo rush show something that says the stadium partially colapsed? They had the roof blow off the velodrome which was good old european engineering from germany. A 50m pool is standard competition length and it is a wonder that the Halifax committee didnt pick up on the fact that the city would like to build 15,000 seat ice hockey arena and that an aquatic centre constructed for change over to a facility afterwards would be logical.
Thing is people who cant see the forest for the trees in regards to the voting are also including their view of Abuja by old world thinking that the poor black nation cant win a bid from two countries that have had these games on many occasions. There is no convincing argument except small white minds who are the minority in the commonwealth for these games not to be held in Abuja plain and simple. The simple view that "we whities wouldnt allow the colored part of the commonwealth to host the games" is what runs thru the convo here. There is no veto for the white anglo saxon crowd the numbers are clear. Nations of color will vote for Abuja and glasgow and halifax will just divide the vote . Facts are Fact and the question is what does the commonwealth games do the average person for halifax if awarded? Nothing absolutely nothing but raise the taxes and have us with white elephants that we can even afford to maintain. There is no great rush of foriegn visitors to a city hosting the commonwealth games as melbourne proved that.
You pay 40 million us to subsidize the TV coverage to the developing commonwealth. And merchantdizing is worthless at a 40 million us dollar price tag as the melbourne sports depot found out.
Send the games to abuja they are best equiped in everyway and Africa deserves it LOL.

jim jones

[arwebb]

It is not fact. It is your opinion, which is clouded by your own insolent prejudices.

If some of the venues aren't safe, how can you possibly justify Abuja hosting? Come on, let's hear a proper argument which doesn't accuse every white person on the planet of being a racist.

[Rafa]

its really going off topic. Can Abuja host a scaled down version of the CWG's? perhaps...the games arent going to Glasgow, the swimming pool in Abuja is nothing amazing, again..im not sure which Abuja you visited.

correction: games arent going to Halifax.

[jim jones]

Mo Rush, on Sep 28 2006, 07:58 PM, said:

its really going off topic. Can Abuja host a scaled down version of the CWG's? perhaps...the games arent going to Glasgow, the swimming pool in Abuja is nothing amazing, again..im not sure which Abuja you visited.

correction: games arent going to Halifax.

A 50 m pool is standard for fina sanctioned events so I dont see what you are driving at Mo? Is it ugly for architecture? or is the interior not to your liking???? I hope it doesnt spoil the south african vote LOL. Now the short course swimming is done in a 25 m pool as it was done in the censeco field house in indianapolis indianna a few years ago for the FINA world short course swimming championships. Abuja according to reports had the velodrome roof replaced under warranty by the germans weeks after the event. Still you have not explained your statement about the partly colapsed stadium ???? As to nothing amazing as a far as a pool the same could be said for the existing pool in Glasgow or the non existing pool in Halifax LOL. We are talking about the commonwealth games here where no one really watches it on TV anyways and the production values compared to the olympics are nowheres near the same level for TV. I can t think of one aerial shot of a venue in the highlight show we got here in canada for 2006 melbourne.
Hampden Park has a track with 6 lanes and not the 8 lanes required right now. How old it Hampden Park anyways ?? when was it last renovated? 2003 abuja National stadium brand new along with the velodrome designed by schearmann.

considering you have a facility in abuja today that is a scaled down version of the kuala lumpar commonwealth stadium then really the iside track is with abuja. Just an very eductated opinion opinion from a white guy.

Jim jones

[arwebb]

jim jones, on Sep 28 2006, 10:57 PM, said:

Hampden Park has a track with 6 lanes and not the 8 lanes required right now. How old it Hampden Park anyways ?? when was it last renovated?

Hampden Park was completely rebuilt in the 1990s. Lower tier seating will be removed to accommodate the running track. A bit on the small side for a national football stadium, but oozing with history and tradition, and the potential to create even more stars in 2014.

Quote

considering you have a facility in abuja today that is a scaled down version of the kuala lumpar commonwealth stadium then really the iside track is with abuja. Just an very eductated opinion opinion from a white guy.

Don't give us that claptrap. How can the "inside track" be with Abuja when there are questions about venues? And why aren't you answering these questions and instead wasting our time by insulting those of us who don't agree with you? Come on, give us some real answers.

[Rols O'Bertilsson]

jim jones, on Sep 29 2006, 04:53 AM, said:

Thing is people who cant see the forest for the trees in regards to the voting are also including their view of Abuja by old world thinking that the poor black nation cant win a bid from two countries that have had these games on many occasions. There is no convincing argument except small white minds who are the minority in the commonwealth for these games not to be held in Abuja plain and simple. The simple view that "we whities wouldnt allow the colored part of the commonwealth to host the games" is what runs thru the convo here. There is no veto for the white anglo saxon crowd the numbers are clear.

Bullsh!t! The only thread running through here is prudent questioning of Nigeria's basic capability of staging the event. And with its past less than stellar examples at the All Africa Games, and a Miss World or Miss Universe event that sparked riots and had to be moved, there's good reason to question its abilities.
We get it _ you don't want halifax to host, and you'd like to see the CWGs go to a new frontier. To then go on to accuse anyone who doesn't agree with you of racism is truly scraping the bottom of the barrel.

[arwebb]

Never mind scraping the bottom of the barrel, he's gone right through it.