Faster

I do not think you are being a wet blanket, I think you are being a picture-perfect Swede. I really do want to believe this works. Obviously the idea of getting another one of the core European countries over the finish line for the 2030 Games to go along with Italy in 2026 would be beneficial. Italy hosting even Torino-level games, followed by typical Swedish hospitality and hosting efficiency and 2034 SLC would go along way in rebuilding the version of the games so by 2038 you could see Austria/Poland/Norway/Germany willingly host without Johan Eliasch, Tron Espeli and Luc Tardif going to a potential host and begging for them to jump in. Sweden within the last 10 years has hosted almost every major winter world championship. The venues and the know-how are there. Getting the Games on favourable terms should be enough for the post-political center of Swedish governance to get behind.

I think one thing that is being missed is the 'unprecedented' nature of what the SOK, the federations and the IOC are doing here. I do not mean to be smug, but I predicted this. Just am a bit surprised it is Sweden and not Austria. Sweden was willing to host the 2026 games under less favourable conditions. There surely is at least similar political support now as then. And in much more favourable conditions. I am not sure any potential bidder has had the power Stockholm and those sitting in the SOK have in dictating terms of the hosting arrangements. If the Norwegians do get on board and are offered 2 to 3 venues. This could be one of the more cost-certain Games ever.

There has to be more to this story then is being publicly discussed. What did Los Angeles get for taking 2028? 1.2 billion? What dollar figure did FIS, the ISU and the IIHF tell the IOC they would need to offer to get one of Sweden/Norway/Germany/Austria/Switzerland on board? What is the IOC telling the SOK they are going to be given to host these Games? The Swedish government being silent is probably telling of what kind of negotiations are ongoing and what kind of dollar figure is being discussed. If the Swedes have a plan that would be in the 2 billion range for the hosting of the Games and a billion range for security, with the Norwegians eating maybe 200 million of that total cost to host 25? events And potentially ice hockey prelims as well. The SOK, the regional governments and the national government can say, total costs for the Games would be 2 billion plus 1 billion plus 1 billion for the villages. IOC is providing 1.5 billion, Norway .2 billion. And bill it as a major investment in housing stock. You could easily get Swedes on board. Sweden does regularly host events.

I mean Latvia hosting some hockey wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. Would mean one less venue need in Stockholm.

It just sounds so pretentious. I mean I cannot stand the people Canada has used for the best part of 2 decades at this point.

For the Morocco game, the Canadian commentators were all over themselves fawning over Portugal. Morocco didn't stand a chance. And boom - Morocco! Croatia vs Morocco final would be absolutely wonderful and incredibly boring all at once. Just for perspective. Germany and France have made 4 semi-finals each since 1998 Croatia, Brazil, Netherlands have made 3 Argentina 2 Spain, Turkey, Korea, Turkey, Portugal, Uruguay, England, Italy and Morocco 1 Croatia has more semi-final births than 2 entire continents. And the same as Spain, Italy and England combined. Also can I just say how much I f-cking HATE the way anglophone commentators talk about soccer. Especially North American ones that try to mimic the ridiculously annoying vocabulary that the British use instead of using typical North American sports talk. It is obnoxious.

I mean the first true nonsense happened in 2008. But then how you view the Chechnyan wars and Russia's propensity to start or enflame conflicts in former republics followed by freezes (still currently happening in Moldova, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan). Also Russia has given blank cheques to the stans to keep their communist era leaderships intake. Until Ukraine started to go bad.

I remember that dark, cold night that a well connected Australian here posted that Russia and Qatar had secured the hosting rights. You couldn't really believe it, but you knew it to be true. And here we are almost 12 years on and the disaster that awaits is going to be astonishing.

So no discussions on the Qataris bribing the Ecuadorians to lose 1-0 in the opener? I mean it worked so well to bribe the Latinos for 4 votes during the campaign.

Not sure why Nagano would have any drawbacks. I believe every venue from 1998 is still actively in use. Japan regularly uses those venues to host World Championships and world cups. Maybe they would need to use Inawashiro for some events now given size or use an arena even in Tokyo to help out with the number of events now. But it is a very viable option. I would have to imagine the IFs might start to be a little more active in trying to get a host together. There are a lot of viable options out there that have hurdles. I think Japan, Canada, Austria and France are probably the most likely to be able to get over their various hurdles. If you are looking for a low impact games hosted by a winter nation. Why not Switzerland 2034 and have the whole country host. Would be a way to get around their political issues. Geneva to Zurich is only 3 hours.

Tone-deaf.

Sweden happily hosts many sporting events. Regularly. Sweden would also be benefiting currently from a crop of generational talents in winter sport. If the IOC had gone with Stockholm, they may of not gotten all the perks. But they would have gotten full stands and a well organized event. Instead they are getting a rehash of Torino part 2. The Piedmontese pulled off a wonderful games. Are the Lombards gonna do the same?

Mini flames are going to all the major overseas territories. So New Caledonia, Reunion, Mayotte, Guadeloupe, French Guiana and Martinique

Nope. Paris trying to be environmentally friendly.

Well I heard the flame is going to depart Greece on a sailing yacht and arrive in France at Corsica before heading on up to Montepellier to start metropolitan relay