The Anti-Olympic Movement

[zekekelso]

• The numbers are all madey-uppy.

96.7% of all statistics are madey-uppy.

I think a lot of it is misinformation and misunderstanding of the IOC.

The IOC recieves no financial benefit from the Games beyond the use of what funds are necessary to run the organization, t

Plus all the graft and bribes IOC members can collect.

[Quaker2001]

I wonder if there's an anti-FIFA World Cup movement. Even though soccer/football is supposedly the most popular singular sport in the world, staging the World Cup is as much an undertaking as the Olympics and can be fraught with the same complications.

Totally different. The Olympics puts the entire onus on 1 city and asks them to deliver a long list of facilities, many of which the city wouldn't otherwise have use for. Whereas the World Cup asks for 1 main stadium in around a dozen cities (something most of those cities need anyway) and doesn't require things like an athletes village or other sport-specific facilities. So yes it's expensive, but the benefits of it touch across the entire country.

[olympikfan]

Rome, Munich, Stockholm, Toronto. The cost is the cancer of the games.

[reindeer]

Totally different. The Olympics puts the entire onus on 1 city and asks them to deliver a long list of facilities, many of which the city wouldn't otherwise have use for. Whereas the World Cup asks for 1 main stadium in around a dozen cities (something most of those cities need anyway) and doesn't require things like an athletes village or other sport-specific facilities. So yes it's expensive, but the benefits of it touch across the entire country.

I agree. There are a few countries that could organize the World Cup tomorrow if needed and a few more that wouldn't require too much of work to make some upgrades to their existing infrastructure which would be necessary anyway. Of course in some cases there is a risk of white elephants if the tournament is taken to 'wrong' places but generally one stadium in a large city isn't too much to ask for. If there is resentment towards FIFA it has to do with the way that the organization is being run and the perceived corruption of the bid process.

The difference is that there are very few cities which would not require huge work to be able to organize the Olympic Games, especially if we exclude the ones that have hosted recently. Also the infrastructure is seen redundant for post-Games use as many of the most expensive sites are for minority sports, take luge as the best example.

[reindeer]

Maybe even more important than the amount of countries able to easily host the World Cup is the fact that these countries happen to be developed, mostly democratic western nations so the tournament is not seen as a huge burden in those 'traditional' powers.

[zekekelso]

The World Cup is a 32-team soccer tournament. Just about every country on the planet (ignoring the small pacific isles type places) not only could host, but probably do host such a thing.

What makes it expensive are the extravagant requests of FIFA. They want the games held in front of massive crowds. They want lots of 5* hotels and shopping for sponsors and VIP's. But none of that is necessary. All the burden comes from FIFA itself.

Now, realistically, they aren't going to play the World Cup on a bunch of grass fields with bleachers. But there are a heck of a lot of countries that have 8-10 decent stadiums in place and could host without taking a dime away from feeding, clothing, housing, etc. their people.

[Trylon]

Sochi's results might shed some light on why there is opposition to hosting the games in some areas. The staggering Sochi cost overruns will make any future bid contender have to face some harsh economic reality. Is fifty billion (or is it 80 billion) really a reasonable expense for what amounts to a three week event? Far more ominous would be the damage an act of terror would do to Sochi and its innocent athletes, visitors and residents, and what it would do to those considering a bid. It's a nutty world and few communities may want to take on the stunning responsibility of securing and protecting the games in addition to building the venues.

[olympikfan]

I just read that many in Norway don't want 2022. The IOC better take note or this could be "the shape of thins to come" IOC prez has try to court Rome and Paris into bidding but many are getting fed up with the cost.

" the cost is the cancer of the games"

[stryker]

My theory is the Anti-Olympic movement has gained steam in recent years based on two factors. The first is the massive increase in the cost to host an Olympics (Beijing and Sochi). It's gotten way out of hand and then there's the "white elephant" issue. Second and perhaps maybe even for important, is the world is just now coming out of the Great Recession dating back to 2008. In the U.S. and Europe there's is call for government accountability in public spending, mainly don't rack up huge debts. When you look at the recent referendums that rejected a bid in both Munich and Davos, plus the pessimism surrounding Oslo, I think there's a definite fear that spending large sums of money on a two week event where the IOC foots none of the bill is irresponsible. In other words, citizens are pushing for responsible practical government spending and many don't feel the Olympics justifies that spending.

[olympiaki-agones]

My theory is the Anti-Olympic movement has gained steam in recent years based on two factors. The first is the massive increase in the cost to host an Olympics (Beijing and Sochi). It's gotten way out of hand and then there's the "white elephant" issue. Second and perhaps maybe even for important, is the world is just now coming out of the Great Recession dating back to 2008. In the U.S. and Europe there's is call for government accountability in public spending, mainly don't rack up huge debts. When you look at the recent referendums that rejected a bid in both Munich and Davos, plus the pessimism surrounding Oslo, I think there's a definite fear that spending large sums of money on a two week event where the IOC foots none of the bill is irresponsible. In other words, citizens are pushing for responsible practical government spending and many don't feel the Olympics justifies that spending.

Actually I like the attitude of many people from full-developed countries. They don't need any sort of advertisement overseas in order to host the Olympics. I wouldn't be surprised if Oslo withdraws soon.

[Trylon]

I do not oppose the Olympics. But I am disgusted with the extravagant amounts spent on a two week event. The argument that the games spark tourism, training centers, other events and competitions is only partly true. A recent report indicates tourism in London is not at all at the expected levels Olympic organizers had predicted. I don't know what the answer is, but as long as the IOC is has the whiff of corruption about its practices and as long as cities fork over billions to build facilities, there is a scent of the surreal to these events. They make for great television spectacles and they spark national pride and even a sense of global harmony. They also spawn staggering cost over runs, massive stadiums that are often white elephants, useless post game venues and stunning taxes placed on the heads of the poor saps in the host nation or city. Those people foot the bills but cannot afford a ticket to an Olympic venue. Those poor souls are going to pay the 50 billion price tag for Sochi and it will take decades. Sochi makes Montreal's fiasco seem like a bargain basement event.

[mr.bernham]

I do not oppose the Olympics. But I am disgusted with the extravagant amounts spent on a two week event. The argument that the games spark tourism, training centers, other events and competitions is only partly true. A recent report indicates tourism in London is not at all at the expected levels Olympic organizers had predicted. I don't know what the answer is, but as long as the IOC is has the whiff of corruption about its practices and as long as cities fork over billions to build facilities, there is a scent of the surreal to these events. They make for great television spectacles and they spark national pride and even a sense of global harmony. They also spawn staggering cost over runs, massive stadiums that are often white elephants, useless post game venues and stunning taxes placed on the heads of the poor saps in the host nation or city. Those people foot the bills but cannot afford a ticket to an Olympic venue. Those poor souls are going to pay the 50 billion price tag for Sochi and it will take decades. Sochi makes Montreal's fiasco seem like a bargain basement event.

The sad part is that I'm sure international interest in London is way up, but people simply can't afford to travel.

Actually I like the attitude of many people from full-developed countries. They don't need any sort of advertisement overseas in order to host the Olympics. I wouldn't be surprised if Oslo withdraws soon.

Not with the extreme professionalism Norway is already showing, I'm expecting after Sochi for the public support to go higher.

[olympikfan]

Very well stated Trylon!

[Trylon]

Thank you, olympikfan.

[olympikfan]

So the people of Krakow spoke is this a surprise, no I always believe that " let the people have a say" well they did. Lets face it Games bids Nation. Many don't want the Olympics.

[Alexjc]

Lucky we got the Commonwealth Games then.

[paul]

...most.

[Alexjc]

Are we going to see the resurgence of those regional games to a more relevant level?

Also what happend to the World Games? These were a paired down Olympics with those obscure sports dropped.

The Commonwealth Games was a copied example elsewhere but really only the Pan Ams, Asian Games, and European Games stand out as a multisport alternative. Singular tournaments like IAAF are equally grand, BUT not grand enough to cost a horrendous fortune an Olympics now are.

[zekekelso]

Or we could bring back

[Alexjc]

The GW games died a natural death BUT considering the global tensions out there, especially between USA and Russia, the original protagonists for the GWGs, probably time to bring them back?