walei

Maybe it's just me but I never got the same feeling from London/Vancouver/Beijing/Torino/Athens/SLC/all other ceremonies I think it's because the two sides are empty and not surrounded by people, and the stage is a bland open area with no shapes or curves. The movement of the show is mainly moving pieces from right to left so I guess the camera work couldn't do much also for the in-between segments.

Watched the OC again over the weekend. I loved the use of music and the props, they were magnificently Russian. One thing I didn't like though was how empty the stage looked in-between... I think it's the way the spectators were seated, the stage floor looked like a huge empty street waiting for the marching parade to come through. The cauldron lighting sucked though... huge disappointment after the best ever from London.

I'm ethnically Chinese but was born in Taiwan so I consider my original nationality Taiwanese or Republic of China, and my family immigrated to Toronto when I was 9. I think Toronto really need to think of a way to play up the multiculturalism and tie it into why this is important to the IOC.

Is a compact game a top priority? Rio won 2016 despite being the least compact bid. That's not to say Toronto shouldn't focus on a compact bid, they absolutely should but this alone won't be THE attraction imho.

Well they were planned that way so I wouldn't call it glitches.

The waterfront concept is great but I don't think it's THE trump card Toronto needs to have in its hands also. Is a scenic waterfront concept more compelling or close to compelling as what other cities can come up with? I really don't know. I feel Toronto needs something along the line of what olympicsfan97 said ON TOP of the technically excellent compact waterfront plan and the legacy of cleaning up the Portlands. The diversity of Toronto, a metropolis where every nationality can be found (I think I read that somewhere), home game for every nation, the living success story of the Olympic ideal that different ethnicity and race come together and building a peaceful community. Make the IOC think coming to Toronto is the same thing as padding themselves on the back... we all know how the IOC likes to do that LOL.

So, if Toronto 2024 bid is a reality what do you think Toronto should do to improve its narrative besides an excellent technical bid to make it compelling? In 2008 it was pretty much a game by athletes for the athletes and it obvious wasn't enough to match the Juggernaut that was Beijing and China. If Toronto go ahead with 2024 our possible opponents will be Durban/South Africa, the last frontier for the IOC; Paris and their Centennial, and USA the biggest market for the IOC. What narrative direction should Toronto go for?

I'm talking about the stadium announcers. They miss the cue after the first runner and the names they called out didn't match whoever was actually holding the torch during the lap run, and finished way behind. World feed commentator was indeed horrible but that's independent from the OC.

I loved London's cauldron lighting segment but the two announcers totally screwed up their cue when announcing the young athletes.

Me too! Tired of looking at that maxipad...hope it contains strong Asian flavours.

Hi Gucci, can you please clear your inbox

Some valid arguments but the last Olympic Games in NA is 2002 SLC? Journalism fail especially from a Canadian press.

Is this the massively abridged version of the ceremonies?

What IS that thingy? Snow? Foam? Is the organizing committee expecting mass smog during the Pan Am?

A lot of people here regret that BC Place wasn't refurnished before the games but IMHO, the new look is fug... I prefer the old marshmallow look myself. None of those spires sticking out like porcupines... are they permanent or just for construction purposes?

The IOC brasses certainly thought Vancouver 2010 was right there at the top from their comments in Vancouver's final report presentation in Durban. Yeah there are problems here and there. However I think only the fanatics like us would find them detracting enough from the good things brought by VANOC. For instance the cauldron mishap. To the general public (from my experiences chatting with people), it was unfortunate but quickly forgettable. Only a minority of people (like us who spent posts after posts speculating to the last details on everything Olympics) thought it was so 'embarrassing' that the world would see Canada as a laughing stock. It was not. I even loved the ceremonies, thought it was so appropriate and VANOC did it on their own terms. Compare to Beijing's grandeur yeah it may seem underwhelming but again a lot of people loved the Human-ness from the OC compare to Beijing's robotic execution. Vancouver is the new Golden Standard for Olympic Winter Games. IOC's words.

Where have I ever said Sweden is a poor country???? Where have I ever said Sweden CAN'T put up a good bid? Again stupid b*tch putting words in my mouth. Sweden can put up whatever grade level bid they want, just as long as they are better than the rest of Europe. And we all know from Tulsa/Nature how sexy and public fervor-filled other Euro cities can be Now I hope Munich/France/Sweden will bid for 2022 so we can sit back and watch Nature/Tulsa/Pillan gnaw each others heads off LOL

Wow went on a five days vacation and this thread explodes No, we Canadians are not oppose of a Sweden Games like Pillan would like to believe. It's just that speaking for myself, I do not think Sweden "deserves" a game over any other regions. Not one city does! If Sweden put up an excellent bid for 2022 then yeah of course they should win. The problem will be if Sweden CAN put up a bid that will be technically AND emotionally charged up the IOC over other very strong Euro cities. And for the record Pillian, I never said Canada deserves another OWG soon, just as I never said the Games should be awarded based on medal rankings as you accused me of. Stop putting words in other people's mouth.

LOL Pillan CHILL. Where did I ever say # of medals are a criteria for winning the hosting rights? That's right I didn't. Learn to read. YOU are the one that said why should North America host 8 years apart and Europeans can't when there are "Stronger nations" without ever hosting once. Allow me to say, LOL...just LOOOOOOOL. Spin it whatever way you want and things may change in Sochi. However as of Vancouver 2010, Canada won the most Gold and USA won the most medals over all. Europeans aren't "stronger" than North Americans. Why don't you just lie to yourself and say China isn't a Summer Sport power too because ZOMG they don't win ANY medals until the 80's!!!!!!

Not that I think Munich 2022 won't have a chance (I think they will be the favorites really...), but Canada won the most gold medals ever in Vancouver, and USA won the most overall medals ever. As the record shown from Vancouver 2010, OWG powerhouses are the two in North America.

I agree that it's senseless to define where Sochi lies. It's not like the IOC would dig THAT deeply into geography. As for Quebec, if they do have the goods to host, I'd like to see Quebec to host a OWG after Toronto's summer one. I didn't exist when Montreal hosted in 76, and I think a OWG in Quebec will give the French Canadians a 'voice' and showcase their cultural identity to the World and the rest of Canada. Even though I was raised in Toronto, I always thought the Francophone are as important to Canada's roots and identity as the Anglophone or the Natives. Something a good number of Canadians don't always appreciate IMHO...

Well, at the end of the day Vancouverites are still "Canadians". A bunch of them (about 17000) took up upon themselves to clean up the rioting areas by bringing their own brooms, plastic bags and rubber gloves. Some posted message online to apologize to Boston fans for the ugly behaviors that happened in Vancouver Link Messages on the boarded up windows This is Vancouver Those that caused havoc are not true fans. True fans are those who stood up in the arena and cheered when Boston was handed the cup, and cheered when Tim Thomas was awarded the MVP trophy.

Was this worst than the one in 94? It seems that there are opportunists taken advantage of the situation to wreck havoc...

I recall reading articles at the time that Pound wasn't fully supporting Toronto 2008 because he wanted the presidency and no way the IOC would give Canada both the Games and the top job in the same year. Love reading all the discussion on Toronto 2020! Although I am still reserved with my feelings on the chances of Toronto bidding and actually winning, it would be one of my life's biggest dream to see Toronto host a Summer Games before I am 40. Toronto 2008 had one of the best bid logo IMO, Toronto 1996...not so much and Toronto 2015 PanAm has one of the worst logo ever. Wonder what the next iteration would look like?