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plusbrilliantsexploits

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Everything posted by plusbrilliantsexploits

  1. BidComp 2028: Q/A up and running, Toronto now ready for questions as well. Mr Bernham, could you clear your inbox and let me know when you have? I have a question for you - thank you.

  2. BidComp2028: Scoring criteria published, replies to Paris and Toronto 2028 posted, Q/A thread for Applicant Cities is live!

  3. 2028 Bid Comp: IOC Judges to receive formal instructions regarding scoring, Q/A thread to be opened tonight AND Paris/Toronto 2028 bids to be addressed

  4. intoronto and Baron, kindly clear your inboxes...

  5. To all IOC Exec members, Mr Bernham and BR2028: Kindly clear your inboxes, messages awaiting you.

  6. Applicant Cities and IOC Exec members: Stand by for a message from the IOC President later tonight (around 9pm GMT) #2028BidComp

  7. Bid Comp 2028: Deadline extended to 7 Feb (tomorrow), 08:00 AM, GMT. Join!

  8. Just another 21 hours to go for new Applicant Cities to submit their bid for the 2028 Olympic Games! The more, the better!!!

  9. Deadline for the first round of the 2028 Bid Comp: 6 Feb 2015, 18:00 GMT

  10. I think it's safe to say that no Middle Eastern country will (for the foreseeable future, anyway) host an Olympic Games anytime soon. Atrocious temperatures, political instability, a (and that's putting it diplomatically) rather troubled relationship to human rights across the region (including the treatment of guest workers), a penchant to use sharia law, ban alcohol and the insufficient separation of state and religion, as well as (quite frankly) the lack of a real consumer market are all things that will make the IOC run for the hills. Add to that the farce that is FIFA's masterpiece, Qatar 2022... Finally, it's the turn of others to host...
  11. None. The only thing that could get FIFA is an indictment by a well-funded prosecutor...
  12. They won't. Just like they're not going to remove Blatter. Too many people benefit from the system - most notably the developing countries... Plus, it's ironic that the Council of Europe (under whose auspices the European Convention of Human Rights was signed) calls for Qatar to be taken out, but doesn't say a peep about Russia...
  13. Well, I didn't want to be accused of just making statements without backing them up...no need to get all snarky about it. Not exactly. The Olympic Movement still has a decent range of choices, including authoritarian dictatorships and stable democracies with a stronger economic record ready to take up the baton.
  14. Here are my two cents - for the purposes of full disclosure, I support the Hamburg bid. Nonetheless, I'd like to think that I can evaluate the merits of each potential bid quite objectively. ROME: I know there's always talk of Rome being a viable Olympic City. It's not, despite the Coliseum, St Peter's, the beautiful piazzas and its rich history. Italy's citizens have much bigger worries to fight with right now, including a weak and inflexible economy which could tip into disaster at any stage. Italy's debt is catastrophically high (whilst having an economy eight times the size of Greece's), there are doubts about its ability to retain the Euro (and conversely, debates about the return of the lira), its economy projected to contract (instead of growing), its long-term credit rating cut and unemployment at 13% (youth unemployment being 43%). After the last Olympic Games in a Mediterranean country (Greece), in which it is now established consensus that Athens 2004 accelerated the country's debt burden and economic decline (and subsequent de facto fiscal administration from Brussels), would the IOC once again wish to risk a financially doubtful and irresponsible bid? The Rome City Council had to be bailed out by the central government. Talking of which, given Italy's volatile climate, it's far from assured that Prime Minister Renzi will not crash and burn politically - and be forced to abandon the Rome bid by the resurgent Five-Star movement of comedian Beppe Grillo. Expect more discussions about how the IOC is detached from reality, letting hard-working Italians pick up the tab for the Rome elite's little party and populists to get increasingly stronger. And an image loss in Europe, where bids are already declining. In an opinion poll, 60% of Italians stated that the country cannot pull off the Olympic Games. Finally, the IOC has tended to favour politically economically resurgent countries for the Summer Olympics: Seoul 1988: politically stable (military dictatorship) and great economic performance Barcelona 1992: successful transition to democracy with a stable government and fresh entry into the European Community and influx of cash Atlanta 1996: The Bush recession hadn't begun yet, America at height of its international recognition after the end of the Cold War, a big TV market Sydney 2000: Prime Minister Keating had just been re-elected for an unprecedented fourth term for the ALP and was an avowed supporter of the Sydney bid. Plus, major concerns about China's human rights record (Tienamen Square etc), with the Australian economy emerging from recession Athens 2004: The notable exception. Why? Because Greece underreported its debt figures; Plus, the country was "owed" the Olympic Games after the Centennial Games ended up in Atlanta's camp Beijing 2008: Politically very stable (nothing more stable than an autocratic dictatorship), on the ascent (Hong Kong and Macau returned, world forgetting about Tienamen) and economically rising London 2012: Despite the Iraq War, Blair's name still had a "pull" with the IOC, the UK economy was doing rather well, a strong pound sterling, plus better economic performance than EU; combine that with Chirac's comments and Paris' technically perfect, but soulless management of its bid, and you got London 2012 Rio 2016: Brazil one of the BRICS countries; young population; economy and social inequality were less of an issue than they are today; Tokyo 2020: Whatever you might say about the whole Fukushima thing, within a weak field (a disastrously positioned Istanbul bid and a financially untenable Madrid one), Tokyo still had the strongest cards to play No financial stability, no political stability and no image gain - there are more reliable candidates, in Europe and elsewhere. Bach would have to be seriously desperate to seriously (beyond politeness for the cameras) entertain the idea of Rome 2024. Considering the IOC's emphasis on sustainability (re: Agenda 2020), Rome should be completely, utterly dead-on-arrival. PARIS: Won't bid, according to Mayor Hidalgo. I take her at her word, especially as President Hollande's popularity was in the toilet prior to Charlie Hebdo (granted, there has been an upswing to 40% after the attacks - but the numbers are likely to drop off after the period of national mourning is over) and his support of the bid looks like a desperate attempt to distract from disastrously high unemployment rate, a major economic crisis and the country's growing debt. France has no narrative of aspiration or growth to offer to the IOC. DOHA: Two words: Qatar 2022. Three more words: FIFA World Cup. One more word. Corruption. The atrocious climate aside, the horrific reputation of Qatar in regard to treatment of its guest workers, its location on the perennially unstable Arabian peninsula and issues with things like beverages, dietary requirements, dress codes and the like (can you imagine the Qataris standing for beach volleyball played in the type of skimpy attire regularly featured in the Olympics?) make Qatar a no-go. Forget it. Plus, the Middle East isn't exactly a growth market right now. ISTANBUL: Syria's proximity kills any chances of the IOC contemplating another bid. Oh, and Prime Minister Erdogan - apart from being a religious zealot, a historical revisionist and authoritarian who refers to protestors as "terrorists", the kind of country he is turning Turkey is about to hand over its greatest unique selling point: being a bridge between West and East. GERMANY: Strong and best-performing economy in the Eurozone; scheduled to balance its budget this year (ahead of schedule), inflation relatively low; unemployment at a low 5%; strong Olympic tradition (to be fair, just like France and Italy); Minus points: Mass media tends to focus on risks of projects; white elephants of Athens and Beijing have been registered; plus, TV channels adopted a rather moralizing (and frankly, annoying) social commentary on Sochi and Beijing; every small decision (like Games Lanes) etc would be dissected into oblivion; Count on populist movements from right and left to condemn any Olympics bid as being part of a major plot by corporatists to consolidate their evil power (I know, I'm exaggerating - but you get the drift) BERLIN: The population there doesn't really back the bid (47% are already against it, and that's prior to any discussion). The city is structurally left-wing in its politics, which makes a bid even less likely (that's a fact of life; Germany's Greens are naturally opposed to anything that smells of "international corporations" or "big business" - as is the country's Left Party); no real industry or commerce of note (most corporate headquarters are in Munich, Frankfurt or Hamburg); massive public debt, huge welfare rolls, structurally high unemployment; scepticism towards new construction projects after the city government bungled the construction of the international airport; plus guaranteed resentment against the capital from the rest of the country; given that the mayor has already announced that a public referendum will take place, Berlin (despite its technical strengths) is dead on arrival. The last time Berlin ran a bid, the federal government only lukewarmly supported it. I wrote about the Berlin v Hamburg issue almost three years ago - and I believe it's still valid. HAMBURG: Strong middle class, prosperous city (with one of the highest per capita GDPs in Germany) where Social Democrats might as well be conservatives. Broad support exceeding 70%; drawback: those guys bungled the construction of their Philharmonic; here too, a referendum might derail the bid - but based on opinion poll has a better chance at winning. Intriguing idea of Games by the sea. BOSTON: I firmly believe that it's not the best foot America could have put forward... One more strong point about Germany: Its infrastructure (roads, railways, airports) is first-class...Rome's - not so much, if you believe Romans
  15. Deadline for new Applicant Cities to join the 2028 Bid Comp: 6 February 2015

  16. daveypodmore, can you clear your inbox asap? Thanks!

  17. Deadline for new Applicant Cities to join (with a 5-page summary) in the 2028 Bid Comp: 6 February 2015. Join the competition!

  18. Citius Altius Fortius and Rob: If you have a moment, could you get back to me about the emails I sent to you? Thanks guys!

  19. Hey intoronto! Can you clear your inbox? I've been trying to reach you for the past 24 hrs or so! Cheers!

  20. The 2028 Bid Comp wants YOU! Apply with your bid to host the Summer Olympics!

  21. Looking for more Applicant Cities for the 2028 Bid Competition! Come and join us!

  22. The IOC is a lot of things, but stupid they are not. What credible narrative could Doha even run with for an Olympic Games? The Nepotism and Elite 1% Olympiad? Good luck getting anyone inspired for that...and running the marathon in 45°C heat. The calendar alone (remember, it's the Olympic Summer Games) combined with the atrocious climate there will never let these games happen. Someone give me whatever those Qataris are smoking - because that's the only way I could explain their belief that Doha might get the games. It won't happen. Period. Then again, FIFA is worse than the IOC under Samaranch...and that's saying something!
  23. Steering this away from what could be a very contentious discussion about the merits of capital punishment: I think that we all agree that Jakarta is quite simply unsuitable for reasons of woeful infrastructure, Indonesia's lack of contribution to the Olympic Movement and/or sporting achievement, as well as a lacking explanation why the IOC should pick the Indonesian capital over such potential opponents as Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Shanghai and others....
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