mattperiolat

Speaking of, Canadian coverage of Sydney 2000 has an interesting wrinkle. In the middle of the Games, Pierre Trudeau died. I know at least the CBC broke into its coverage with the news and it cast a pall over maybe the last week of the Games.

The IOC has not been conducting above board business with bids for quite some time. We know of a past history of bribes to bring the Games to certain cities, most famously SLC. That money doesn’t just disappear. Plus, the IOC does make money off sponsorship and has done so for decades. So, even if bid bribes are a thing of the past, you can still make money of cities that have no business bidding, but the IOC will gladly take the money, please and thank you. It’s not FIFA, thank goodness, but it’s scummy as all hell. The excess really is more about the excessive spending cities like Athens, Beijing and Sochi did to host. The IOC loves a legacy program and some infrastructure reform and new venues make sense since the profile of the city changes thanks to the Games. But we have now reached a point where it’s out of hand. Granted, the IOC is not making any organizing committee spend the money on the plans, but they are less likely to win the Games without the big plan. IOC will make money off the Games anyway, what do they care what happens when the Games leave town? Not their problem, didn’t make the town do it... except they kind of did in the bidding process. The Games and the IOC are in a bad place. You’d have to be deaf, dumb and stupid to not see that now. I’m just damned if I know how to fix it.

I was talking more about cities who have to pay money up front to even present an application, then pay again if accepted as a candidate. Those cities will never see a return on the investment, sucked up into IOC coffers. This is why I grow cynical about the bid process and start to find myself agreeing more and more with critics of the IOC. I love the idea of the Games, how it can inspire, but I’m starting to see more and more the price for the party. Athens, Beijing, Sochi and Rio are just the big examples of the excess.

Oh, that’s frightening. That a sports team has the pull to try and get the person in charge of the town they are in replaced to get what they want. I’d like to see the Games back in Canada and a new stadium for the Flames. But seeing dirty pool being played and having seen the IOC involved in stuff like this before... really hoping Sion gives us something compelling because I dread a long term stay in Asia for the Olympic movement. What happens when Asia is finally bled dry financially?

Length isn’t a concern to me, it always evens out at three hours plus. But the conditions are another matter. You can not compare Albertville where it was in the 40s and no snow and SLC with similar conditions to PC where we already have snow on the ground and colder temps. I do think the organizers will work it out, but voicing worry at least proves it’s on our mind. As with all past hosts, they have time, but if this is not addressed by the beginning of January, I will start being a bit more forceful with the concern.

65 countries in Albertville, I think 69 or 70 in Lillehammer. Was even smaller before the Jamaican wave in Calgary. Seems almost quaint now and it was only twenty years ago! Upshot is it will be a minimum of three hours. I have yet to see an Opening or Closing Ceremony go less than three in all the years I’ve been watching. Bigger concern now is, for the first time in a while, it will feel like a Winter Games being outdoors in the snow. Haven’t seen that since Lillehammer. The organizers had better be ready for the true enemy of any Winter Games - the weather.

120 minutes only? That seems... short, even by WOG standards. Unless the teams are really small, it’s still going to take at least an hour for the Parade of Nations alone. As for comparisons to Seoul, I’m honestly not certain. I remember the Opening Ceremonies were only a small part of a much larger show that started in the Han and made its way to the stadium. It was really impressive, but not very well communicated what it all meant to US audiences, I’m sorry to say. I really don’t think that will be encores for PC. For one, Korea has done this before. No need to go quite as big for the second Olympics, even if it is their first Winter Games. Second, it’s going to be at least cold. I don’t think they will want to do the big show for hours on end. I could be wrong, but keep in streamlined, you got two weeks to party.

Oh, the memories of Athens. No fewer than four, sometimes five VCRs running, trying to get it all. To this day, I’ve not had a chance to review all the tape, there was SO much. And I was working at the time. But significant - Athens was really the first time NBC took what they had learned from the Triplecast misfire and have enough networks to support it all the coverage. I cannot tell you how amazing it was to see air rifle, sailing, rowing heats all on television without US athletes. It was, at the time, revolutionary. For all it’s faults, that was really where the idea of complete Olympic coverage, relatively unbiased, was realized here in the States.

Honestly, I think it’s good both for Calgary and the IOC to bid. They have been talking about replacing the Saddledome pretty frequently for the last few years, an Olympic bid may be the push needed. Conversely, it is an absolutely awful idea for the Olympics to get set in Asia for four cycles, three straight Winter Games. Nothing against Sapporo personally, it’s just bad for the Olympics in general. The problem right now is speculation. Sion is a maybe, so is Calgary. Sapporo will bid, no firm word from SLC. The IOC has got to encourage more bids or the Olympics will go over the Niagra of no one interested in the show and the barrel already has holes drilled in it from Beijing, Sochi and Rio. We could begin a massive discussion on required IOC reform, but for now, it is critical that the IOC do something to offset the cost of awarding the Games and stop fleecing bidders, period.

Question - will this location be used only for the ceremonies or would it also be used as a medal plaza during the Games? I know past hosts have waited until the evening to award medals, except for marquee sports, wondering what PC's plan is in that regard.

That Munich will not be bidding is a bitter, bitter disappointment for me. This is twice now that the projected front runner for a Games (Rome for 2020, now Munich in 2022) have not even been at the starting gate. It is such a shame mainly since I am not sure when the stars will align for Munich or any German city to get a better shot. Well, as I said some time ago, I have no problem shifting my support to the Oslo bid now since I would love to see the Games back under the Northern Lights and to bask in the warm glow of Norweigan hospitality. It is sooner than I thought the opportunity would come, but it is an opportunity none the less.

Well... I'm very torn on this. See, I'd love to see a SOG in Toronto. I think the city is more than capable, it's in a geographic area that assures lots of ticket sales and as long as the economy does not belly up, the city of Toronto and the nation of Canada should handle it. BUT... 2024 is a hard race to predict right now. One assume Tokyo will be back since I do not see them getting 2020, especially with the 2018 WOG going to Korea. Assuming Rome wins 2020, that takes Paris out of the running, along with other European cities. If not, one assumes Paris would be willing to do anything including human sacrifice to get the Games at this point. Also very safe to say that an African bid will come forward, either from Durban or Cape Town, maybe elsewhere depending on how things shake out in 2020 and in developing nations. And then there's the elephant in the room: us, meaning the United States. ASSUMING Reno/Tahoe or Denver is not successful for 2022, I am fairly certain a US city will come forward. God only knows which one it will be right now, but it would make the race interesting. You could hold a gun to my head and I would not make a prediction here. It would be tough, it would be interesting, but I'd love to see Toronto make the race.

How fitting, given Evian is 'Naive' spelled backwards.

How has the bid changed since this video was made? Because, as it looks to me, this is not a single city concept, it's two - Annecy and Chamonix. So who is hosting these things? See the problem?

I have no idea, they LOOK like they could have been based off a mascot idea for Beijing. Actually, I think Coke missed an opportunity here. Their last commercial of the Games should have had one of the birds fly down, pluck a "twig" off the nest and fly off... ... and we see it land in London, adding the twig to the next Stadium for the 2012 Games.

Been watching the Games for so long, most of my favorites have already been mentioned, especially the McDonalds Past Olympians ad from 1992. There was an ad, I think from the 2006 Games, that I was fond of, I believe by Chevy, where you heard the trucks blowing their horns in the mountains and the sound of the horns eventually merged into the Olympic theme. Oh and there's this ad, overly sweet as it is, that I liked from Beijing:

Absolutely amazing. Nice to look back on what an awesome job the ceremonies and BC place teams did to put all that together. Yes, even with the balky cauldron.

Another article talking about fallout from Delhi, specifically the delays of teams departing, the possiblity of an alternative swim meet in NZ and some interesting comments by IOC member Dick Pound:

Sorry to be coming late to the funeral... excuse me, party, but I saw this story from the AP: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100922/ap_on_re_as/com_commonwealth_games_problems Hate to say it, but I have a feeling in my gut that the Games are gonna get scrapped. I think between what I've been hearing about problems at the Village, compounded with the bridge collapse... it's starting to feel unavoidable. And this effectively kills any chance India has of even trying for a SOG for at least the next 40 years or so, I'd say.

I've seen some speculation that the Vancouver Games means it's unlikely for Toronto to be considered for 2020. I respectfully disagree. The SOG haven't been in Canada since 1976 for one and I would think that given what great hosts the Canadians were for Vancouver that that would be a plus for a potential Toronto bid. Plus, the bid plan for 2008 was very solid and, actually, one I favored, just JAS decided the Chinese were due. I need to see who else is deciding to seriously bid, but I am at least interested in seeing the Olympics in Toronto, sooner rather than later.

Here's the problem I have with the Russians leading: The program wasn't as challenging as some of the others were. That's one thing. The other, and I have to bring it up, is their original program was quite possibly the most offensive thing I've seen in my history of watching the Winter Olympics. They made the aboriginal people of Australia look like Captain Caveman for crying out loud. I thought those sort of in bad taste things went out with Amos 'n' Andy. Ice Dancing is growing on me, but stuff like what the Russians pulled is just not good. I'm not saying disqualify for a bad choice, but their scores were inflated in spite of a performance that wasn't up to scratch at best and quite honestly, left everyone watching feeling like the audience of Springtime for Hitler.

It's got to be out of fear of protests, there's no other reason to basically lock up the cauldron. Disappointed they don't have the BC Place cauldron still in place as a back drop for the medal ceremonies, but so goes the world.

Welcome to the Winter Olympics. This stuff happens all the time.

Well done for Sweden, but what on earth happened with the start? How did the Canadian and the American get released early? Could have led to an ugly incident especially if the Canadian had finished in the top three.

Indeed, I say 'yay' to the German sliders, performing exceptionally under difficult circumstances. Loche was especially brilliant and I hope he can hold on for Sochi, barring injury. Now, what could be a surprise is if the German pairs can pull off a medal. Given their short program, why on earth not?