Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Posted (edited)

My biggest problem with the Olympics is that they have become TOO BIG.  Really, 34 sports by 2028 -- just because those are the XXXIV edition of the Summer Games?  And you have megalomaniacs like Estanguet and Wasserman as the heads of the COJOs?  And then sheer hypocritical stunts like almost another "global" (it would be in terms of miles traversed and flown of the wee flame) relay and then ending up with some cheap movie prop -- amid claims of being environmental responsible and sustainable??  It all sounds so hallow.  


(As an aside, I was highly skeptical that they would pull off a great Opening Ceremony.  For all the planning that went into it, they should really have prepared for a part downpour-as that greatly reduced the effectivity of their efforts.  And then just TOTALLY gave up on the Closing.  And what maybe $250 million for Ceremonies?  That's pretty bad.) 

Sports were great; Paris, as always, stunning -- but everything should have been within reason and moderation.   Am not holding my breath for LA.  I know they'll break records again -- but so what?  Just for the raison d'etre of breaking new records?  Is that all there is?  
 

 

Edited by baron-pierreIV
Posted
26 minutes ago, MisterSG1 said:

No, the movement needs to die period, nothing good comes out of it anymore.

Barcelona was often quoted as the best Olympics ever for the infrastructure was it not? Then the question becomes what is the purpose of hosting at all if there’s nothing the citizenry gains from it.

Even if Paris conservatively spent 10 billion Euros, I can think of so many other things that 10 billion euros could be spent on, transportation infrastructure, health care, etc. Instead, the IOC fleeced Paris out of 10 billion euros so they could disrupt the lives of everyday people with nothing to gain from it.

Toronto’s olympic bids in the past were focused entirely on legacy, noticeably unlocking the Port Lands which still sit pretty much abandoned after all this time.

There are two successful models for games hosting: B92 and LA84. Both models provide different advantages for the cities which adopt them. Very few have successfully followed these models.

The B92 model focuses on infrastructure and urban improvement, using the games as a catalyst for development.

The LA84 model focuses on international promotion and affordability, using the games to redefine the city and the movement for a new generation. 

Neither of these models is superior to the other. It just depends on what makes sense for each city at the point in time they bid/host. Paris' bids for 2008 and 2012 leaned more into the B92 model while 2024 obviously copied LA84. Going forward, the IOC seems more inclined to favor cities using the LA84 model, though I would argue Brisbane seems to be much more in the B92 form.  

  • Thanks 1
Posted
1 hour ago, MisterSG1 said:

So let’s see, Paris got absolutely NOTHING out of this for its citizens, no subway extensions or anything. For the average citizen, what was the point of hosting this Five Ring Circus?

This arguably makes it worse than Athens.

You are ridiculous, besides being Canadian. Focus on your own country first before asserting totally false things about a country that is thousands of kilometers from you.

Two metro extensions (line 14, line 11), a tram extension (line 3a), an RER extension (E) accelerated expressly to be delivered in time for the Games. This represents approximately 25km of line in total.

The Seine "swimming" plan, which even if it has not yet been mitigated, already has effects on the cleanliness of the Seine (10x more fish species in ten years), as well as on the risk of flooding which is reduced, with new reservoirs built expressly to accumulate the surplus water.

6,000 homes in a department which is suffering cruelly from a lack of housing, half of which is reserved for students and social housing.

Renovated sports infrastructure throughout Paris and its suburbs that can be used by local clubs; because in addition to the competition infrastructure, there are also a lot of small structures that were in dire need of renovation and which hosted the training sessions of the delegations.

A significant effort has been made in the renovation of Paris' historical heritage. In particular, the Grand Palais, which was in a way "saved" thanks to the Olympic Games, because its renovation was very expensive and the Olympic Games were able to release the necessary funds.

And a bunch of little things that add up to a considerable legacy. But for that, you might have to live in the country in question to realize it? It's easy to write thousands of kilometers from the place in question, but it also runs the risk of quickly looking like an idiot.

28 minutes ago, MisterSG1 said:

No, the movement needs to die period, nothing good comes out of it anymore.

So you want the Olympic movement to die, but you're registered on a forum that only talks about that (and which, logically, doesn't want it to die at all)? But what are you doing here?

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 1
Posted
26 minutes ago, sebastien1214 said:

You are ridiculous, besides being Canadian. Focus on your own country first before asserting totally false things about a country that is thousands of kilometers from you.

Two metro extensions (line 14, line 11), a tram extension (line 3a), an RER extension (E) accelerated expressly to be delivered in time for the Games. This represents approximately 25km of line in total.

The Seine "swimming" plan, which even if it has not yet been mitigated, already has effects on the cleanliness of the Seine (10x more fish species in ten years), as well as on the risk of flooding which is reduced, with new reservoirs built expressly to accumulate the surplus water.

6,000 homes in a department which is suffering cruelly from a lack of housing, half of which is reserved for students and social housing.

Renovated sports infrastructure throughout Paris and its suburbs that can be used by local clubs; because in addition to the competition infrastructure, there are also a lot of small structures that were in dire need of renovation and which hosted the training sessions of the delegations.

A significant effort has been made in the renovation of Paris' historical heritage. In particular, the Grand Palais, which was in a way "saved" thanks to the Olympic Games, because its renovation was very expensive and the Olympic Games were able to release the necessary funds.

And a bunch of little things that add up to a considerable legacy. But for that, you might have to live in the country in question to realize it? It's easy to write thousands of kilometers from the place in question, but it also runs the risk of quickly looking like an idiot.

So you want the Olympic movement to die, but you're registered on a forum that only talks about that (and which, logically, doesn't want it to die at all)? But what are you doing here?

Thousands of kilometres....supposedly we are a metric country, but thousands of miles from Toronto to Paris rolls off the tongue much better.

As for the Metro, nice try, those plans go back to 2007......long before Paris was awarded the Olympics, and it was clear they were going to build that.

It's like the UP Express in Toronto, some like to say that the UP Express was built because of the Pan Am Games, but it was in the works long before that.

This leads to the question as to why it requires the Five Ring Circus to get anything done, restoration, or whatever. 

Toronto could have very well had 2028 if they wanted it, as there was some Olympic fever during the Pan Am Games, but when they realized the outrageous cost to even entertain a bid to the IOC, they told the IOC to go jump in the river and I think the vast majority of people in the area would agree.

Posted
53 minutes ago, mr.bernham said:

Seb, I fear he's just a miserable troll. I probably should not have even fed into his nonsense. 

Nothing I said was nonsense, but go ahead, see how much you like the Olympic Lanes in a few years.

Posted

I think the Olympics offers a lot of intangible benefits and externalities, that although aren't apparent in immediate infrastructure improvements can still benefit a region long term. Tokyo '64 and Seoul '88 were pretty important transitions for the cities into a service/tourism-based economy, whereas in the past they were primarily perceived to be industrial. For the Paris games that just ended, I feel like there has been strong cultural and artistic creation, like the statues of women that will be scattered across the city or the rugby/track bell that will become part of Notre Dame. Some things you can't measure directly in terms of value to locals, but still contribute to local heritage. And also there is a broader economic impact as well, like how Team USA had training in various sites in Europe in the few days leading up to OV move-in. We're already seeing it with the Dutch Team setting up base in OC. No doubt the local businesses that hosts these teams get nice business security. 

33 minutes ago, MisterSG1 said:

Nothing I said was nonsense, but go ahead, see how much you like the Olympic Lanes in a few years.

I'm pretty excited about the Olympic Lanes for LA28. I think it is going to be a good chance to showcase Bus Rapid Transit in the region. Roll it out for just a few weeks, let people ride it, if it works efficiently and people like it then boom there is political will for Metro to invest more into BRT. Since the infrastructure of lane markings and planning of routes has already been done for the games, it's pretty easy to just have the Olympic lanes become permanent BRT. LA freeways have a ridiculous amount of lanes to them, to where I feel embarrassed having visiting friends make comments on it (ok, I concede, OC is more insane). This is a nice FU to CalTrans and go against their one more lane model and actually see how converting existing lanes play out. It's like how restaurants during COVID turned parking spaces into outdoor seating temporarily, until people loved them and then it became permanent. Or how Time Square getting closed to car traffic was just a temporary test, until people loved it and then it became permanent. 

Why it requires a five ring circus to get anything done is probably lack of political will. Because of a combination of NIMBYs, election timelines, political culture, whatever some places just don't have the political will to spend a lot of money on long term investments. Yes, a lot of infrastructure projects associated with the Olympics were going to get done anyways, but because of low political will, it probably would've taken decades longer for them to finish without the games. The appeal of the games in this situation is that it gives a set deadline with actual consequences if something isn't completed on time (international embarrassment, logistical chaos, possible disruption to emergency services if the infrastructure isn't ready in time). In contrast, if a city can't finish their projects in time for a, let's say, 2050 plan they set themselves, then it's "oh well bummer, let's aim for 2075 then." There are no immediate consequences, just the continuation of usual problems so it flies under the radar of most people living their lives because they already expect those problems to happen. think this all should be more a critique of the political system than the Olympics itself. The Olympics is just a medium where we realize how poorly the system works.

Posted
16 minutes ago, antiperspirant said:

 

I'm pretty excited about the Olympic Lanes for LA28. I think it is going to be a good chance to showcase Bus Rapid Transit in the region. Roll it out for just a few weeks, let people ride it, if it works efficiently and people like it then boom there is political will for Metro to invest more into BRT. Since the infrastructure of lane markings and planning of routes has already been done for the games, it's pretty easy to just have the Olympic lanes become permanent BRT. LA freeways have a ridiculous amount of lanes to them, to where I feel embarrassed having visiting friends make comments on it (ok, I concede, OC is more insane). This is a nice FU to CalTrans and go against their one more lane model and actually see how converting existing lanes play out. It's like how restaurants during COVID turned parking spaces into outdoor seating temporarily, until people loved them and then it became permanent. Or how Time Square getting closed to car traffic was just a temporary test, until people loved it and then it became permanent. 

Says the one who probably doesn't have any background in traffic engineering, everyone seems to be an expert in this era of YouTube, just asked that condescending youtuber, Not Just Bikes.

LA will have less traffic because there will be a significant amount of people who will escape the city because of fear of the games. This precisely happened in Toronto during the Pan American Games, and they even talked of making the HOV lanes permanent here, but it never happened thankfully. It was easier to drive downtown during the Pan Am Games because everyone purposely avoided it, go ask businesses that survived COVID what their time during the Pan Am Games was and they won't give you positive feedback.

Ever seen Toronto's main east-west freeway, Highway 401, some parts have higher AADTs than the busiest freeways in Los Angeles, when a few lanes are closed, the effects are catastrophic around here, the same city that has the highest usage of transit outside of NYC in North America.

Extra lanes are needed when growth inadvertently happens which it always does, if you believe in the induced demand nonsense that so many Youtubers go on about, go ahead and knock all LA Freeways down to 2 lanes per direction on each one and see how the city functions then. What will happen after is a spillover effect to other arterials as it would be foolish to try and take the freeway.

Any introductory traffic engineering course will teach you about Braess' Paradox, and some seem to misunderstand that as applying to all situations, Braess' Paradox refers to certain situations where building roads can make traffic worse, but it's a situation you almost never encounter, except maybe with bridges and rivers.

BRT for a better word sucks, as there is no grade separation on normal streets, and is thus bound by traffic lights like normal vehicles are, true rapid transit and expanded commuter rail is a different story however, but this discussion is solely based on BRT.

Posted

Back to the question of the thread: My verdict

Of course I'm completely biased because I finally made it to the Olympics (after failing to find reasonable accomodation in Athens 20 years ago and having to sell my tickets back then on ebay, those were the days!).

But I honestly think it was the (quote JAS sr.) "best games ever". The organisers knew exactly how to set the stage and use existing venues and the sights of Paris for a great experience for both visitors and athletes (let's not talk about the food). Iconography was absolute perfection, and the whole setting inspired incredible performances.

At least the opening ceremony was also not what we were used to but with all its flaws, it was still breathtaking in many ways and unique. The closing...well, not so much, but all is forgiven for the rest of these spectacular 16 days.

Organisation, volunteers, everything and everyone was perfect from my point of view, and it also came across like that in the second week when I was again at home watching on TV.

Posted
25 minutes ago, MisterSG1 said:

Says the one who probably doesn't have any background in traffic engineering, everyone seems to be an expert in this era of YouTube, just asked that condescending youtuber, Not Just Bikes.

LA will have less traffic because there will be a significant amount of people who will escape the city because of fear of the games. This precisely happened in Toronto during the Pan American Games, and they even talked of making the HOV lanes permanent here, but it never happened thankfully. It was easier to drive downtown during the Pan Am Games because everyone purposely avoided it, go ask businesses that survived COVID what their time during the Pan Am Games was and they won't give you positive feedback.

Ever seen Toronto's main east-west freeway, Highway 401, some parts have higher AADTs than the busiest freeways in Los Angeles, when a few lanes are closed, the effects are catastrophic around here, the same city that has the highest usage of transit outside of NYC in North America.

Extra lanes are needed when growth inadvertently happens which it always does, if you believe in the induced demand nonsense that so many Youtubers go on about, go ahead and knock all LA Freeways down to 2 lanes per direction on each one and see how the city functions then. What will happen after is a spillover effect to other arterials as it would be foolish to try and take the freeway.

Any introductory traffic engineering course will teach you about Braess' Paradox, and some seem to misunderstand that as applying to all situations, Braess' Paradox refers to certain situations where building roads can make traffic worse, but it's a situation you almost never encounter, except maybe with bridges and rivers.

BRT for a better word sucks, as there is no grade separation on normal streets, and is thus bound by traffic lights like normal vehicles are, true rapid transit and expanded commuter rail is a different story however, but this discussion is solely based on BRT.

It's so good that you said probably because I have a degree in urban planning and am a practicing professional in the field! A number of my peers work in transportation planning and engineering specifically, in both the public and private sector. You will be so happy to hear that the last time we had lunch together we were smacking on parking and how it should not be free anywhere. The future in our hands is your nightmare muahahaha

Also I dislike Not Just Bikes a lot because his rhetoric has just turned into mindless anti-car spewing. He sucks, but unfortunately some of the points he makes is rooted in literature.

  • Thanks 1
Posted
6 minutes ago, antiperspirant said:

It's so good that you said probably because I have a degree in urban planning and am a practicing professional in the field! A number of my peers work in transportation planning and engineering specifically, in both the public and private sector. You will be so happy to hear that the last time we had lunch together we were smacking on parking and how it should not be free anywhere. The future in our hands is your nightmare muahahaha

Also I dislike Not Just Bikes a lot because his rhetoric has just turned into mindless anti-car spewing. He sucks, but unfortunately some of the points he makes is rooted in literature.

This 1000Xs. Ran out of likes, other wise I'd like this.

2 minutes ago, venuedesignlover said:

spot on.

Thank you friend. I do planning consulting for stuff like this now (so insane that Gamesbids ended up defining my life trajectory and career... spirit of the games I guess!) and yeah, LA and Paris are like dream scenarios now. Thanks to how London hosted in 2012, Tokyo in 2021, and Munich in 1972 all three cities could easily join those ranks. 

Will have my verdict in later tonight. Busy day in the office today. 

Posted
7 minutes ago, mr.bernham said:

This 1000Xs. Ran out of likes, other wise I'd like this.

Thank you friend. I do planning consulting for stuff like this now (so insane that Gamesbids ended up defining my life trajectory and career... spirit of the games I guess!) and yeah, LA and Paris are like dream scenarios now. Thanks to how London hosted in 2012, Tokyo in 2021, and Munich in 1972 all three cities could easily join those ranks. 

Will have my verdict in later tonight. Busy day in the office today. 

oh wow! Not to be too invasive, but in general what does consulting for things like the olympics even entail?

Posted
2 hours ago, sebastien1214 said:

You are ridiculous, besides being Canadian. 

:lol: And a lot of them were exactly like this around here when Toronto was bidding for 2008 in 2001. That's why I'm totally turned-off by any prospect of any Toronto Games. And it's so obvious that some are still butt-hurt by that loss, as evident by this one here now.

2 hours ago, sebastien1214 said:

But what are you doing here?

2 hours ago, mr.bernham said:

Seb, I fear he's just a miserable troll. I probably should not have even fed into his nonsense. 

Yeah, for someone who keeps insisting that the Olympic Movement should cease to exist because it's nothing but a "five ring circus", but yet continues to harp-on about how Toronto could've, should've, would've hosted the 2028 Games "if it wanted to" is just laughable & down right contradictory, to say the least. And is simply just butt-hurt that L.A. is hosting 2028 instead of Toronto. Plain & simple. Why else would they posting when an actually Olympic Games just came & went in Paris, & is now critiquing what "legacy" it left behind.

But man (& I've said it before, & I'll say it again), in the only sense that the IOC messed up, is in the double-allocation back in 2017. Cause had 2028 been a traditional "old-norm" bidding process, GB's would've been more active for the 2028 race on here than what it was for the Paris 2024 Games!

Between obnoxious Canadians (like this one here), pretentious & snarky Angelenos (like PuFF), & Australian loons (like a certain you-know-who is for Brisbane), & maybe throw in those pesky Castillian's (if Madrid would've been dumb enough again to try & follow Paris 2024, like they foolishly tried to follow London 2012), then these boards would've been EPIC!!! :lol:

2 hours ago, MisterSG1 said:

Thousands of kilometres....supposedly we are a metric country, but thousands of miles from Toronto to Paris rolls off the tongue much better.

That's about the only sensible thing that you have said. :lol:

Posted

For me, Paris 2024 had a mix bag of moments. There was awesome moments and controversial moments. The 2 Koreas and China talking a selfie together at the podium and Chinese players being engaged. The bad moments for me was the situation with Jordan Chiles, it’s just unfair for her honestly🤦🏻‍♀️. Other than that, I absolutely loved how Paris used Iconic landmarks as the venues. I loved how Paris used the Purple backdrop for the fencing, indoor volleyball, badminton, and other venues. Those purple backdrop used at Paris 2024 venues really gave me flashbacks from the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics. Overall despite it’s flaws, Paris did the best they can with this years Olympics. Paris 2024 is the post pandemic olympics and also the first normal olympics since PyeongChang 2018. 

Posted
6 minutes ago, FYI said:

But man (& I've said it before, & I'll say it again), in the only sense that the IOC messed up, is in the double-allocation back in 2017. Cause had 2028 been a traditional "old-norm" bidding process, GB's would've been more active for the 2028 race on here than what it was for the Paris 2024 Games!

Between obnoxious Canadians (like this one here), pretentious & snarky Angelenos (like PuFF), & Australian loons (like a certain you-know-who is for Brisbane), & maybe throw in those pesky Castillian's (if Madrid would've been dumb enough again to try & follow Paris 2024, like they foolishly tried to follow London 2012), then these boards would've been EPIC!!! :lol:

Would've been made even spicier by me moving to LA too :lol:

My first bid race on here was back in 2013, but the first I watched on here from genesis to execution was the 2024 race. What a wild time. Surreal to think that nine years ago I was sitting on a balcony in Paris scrolling through this forum and our speculations on how a Paris games would look, and now I'm watching replays of those games because I miss Paris already.

Posted
6 hours ago, Cyriln said:

My verdict will probably looks different. I'm French, I have been waiting for Games at home since 2001 (I was 10 but I remember where I was when I learnt that Paris 2008 lost vs Beijing) and I had a dense programme in Paris: one event on site each day, generally a morning session, and both ceremonies (and of course watching Olympics on TV as soon as I was back at the hotel).

First, the opening ceremony. I bought the cheapest possible ticket, in a zone with no seated places. But a little bit later, I received an email asking if I wanted to join the supporters' square. You've certainly seen huge athletes faces on cardboard during events: that was part of the supporters' squares that were put in place to support French athletes, and one of them has also been set up for the ceremony. So, I wasn't placed at the very start of the parade as expected but close to the end, just before the Passerelle Debilly that was on my left, the Seine in front of me, a giant screen of my right, the top of the Eiffel tower behind me and a French flag given at the entrance.

spacer.png

It started calmly, looking at the screen for the first acts. Then, the Greece boat arrives, those who were the closest to the river started to applaude and waving their flags for every boat.

Then, the Festivité segment started. It was an incredible party, culminating with the arrival of the French delegation (a few minutes before, we received bigger flags to welcome them)

spacer.png

Unbelievable feeling to have a party all around: looking at the river, then the bridge, checking the giant screen and looking back at the Eiffel tower, with spectators dancing and partying.

Oh yeah, it rained too. Nobody cared.

 

I attended 19 sports events and absolutely no problems, the biggest hiccup was a delay for the doors opening at the Stade de France the very first day. Nobody noticed the intruder just before the men 100m final, just wondering why the start took so long. Everything was well indicated, volunteers were on top, Phryges were phryge-ing... Excellent mood everywhere.

However, shame to Coca-Cola. Before the Games, they claimed they'd reduce their plastic consumption by using fountains and reusable cups. I haven't seen a single functioning fountain: when you ordered a drink, a bottle was taken out of a fridge, poured into a cup and the bottle was thrown. Completely stupid.

There were an extra event for me: the Marathon pour tous. I took part to the 10km run and once again, incredible atmosphere. A lot of spectators considering that it's an amateur race. When I say "a lot", it means that, at 2am, there were so much people cheering that I wonder how professional athletes deal with so much noise. Also, it's a Paris tour by night so you can imagine the panorama.

And now, I have a medal with Olympic rings on it. Wonder if I can add OLY to my name...

spacer.png

Finally, the closing ceremony. I haven't seen the TV version yet, so it's only from what I've seen from my seat. I thought the artistic part would be more important and more integrated with the others parts of the ceremony. That was great but I expected even better. Probably too long too, some people started leaving during the LA sequence.

As a whole, these 19 days were extraordinary, a period out of time and space. If you are in the US, in Australia or in any future host countries, I hope you'll be able to enjoy these future Olympics as much as I did. And try to be fitter than me, I covered 140 km despite the dense public transportation network, my feet and my back need to rest before Paralympics.

Wow @Cyriln! Two ceremonies, 19 events and a 10k marathon! You sure win the GamesBids gold medal for the Olympics.

so, so glad you had the time of your life. It reminded me of how I felt and enjoyed Sydney. I always advise people living in host cities to make the most of the time, and it sure sounds like you certainly did and more! It was an incredible games, France can rightly be proud and overjoyed at the experience. Treasure those memories.

Posted
53 minutes ago, FYI said:

:lol: And a lot of them were exactly like this around here when Toronto was bidding for 2008 in 2001. That's why I'm totally turned-off by any prospect of any Toronto Games. And it's so obvious that some are still butt-hurt by that loss, as evident by this one here now.

Yeah, for someone who keeps insisting that the Olympic Movement should cease to exist because it's nothing but a "five ring circus", but yet continues to harp-on about how Toronto could've, should've, would've hosted the 2028 Games "if it wanted to" is just laughable & down right contradictory, to say the least. And is simply just butt-hurt that L.A. is hosting 2028 instead of Toronto. Plain & simple. Why else would they posting when an actually Olympic Games just came & went in Paris, & is now critiquing what "legacy" it left behind.

But man (& I've said it before, & I'll say it again), in the only sense that the IOC messed up, is in the double-allocation back in 2017. Cause had 2028 been a traditional "old-norm" bidding process, GB's would've been more active for the 2028 race on here than what it was for the Paris 2024 Games!

Between obnoxious Canadians (like this one here), pretentious & snarky Angelenos (like PuFF), & Australian loons (like a certain you-know-who is for Brisbane), & maybe throw in those pesky Castillian's (if Madrid would've been dumb enough again to try & follow Paris 2024, like they foolishly tried to follow London 2012), then these boards would've been EPIC!!! :lol:

That's about the only sensible thing that you have said. :lol:

There is no one in Toronto who wants an Olympics, no one from the left or right, this is an article from the left wing Toronto star I posted somewhere else on the forum and was ignored…..this article is spot on with how I think with the matter.

Theres also a general pessimism towards the World Cup Games in Toronto and the vast majority of citizens aren’t happy about it.

Toronto chose not to bid for 2024 or 2028 because it would have been foolish to do so.

And those praising Los Angeles, tell me this, was there any celebration when they won the bid back in 2017, nothing like the attitude in Whistler when the 2010 bid was awarded. The ship has sailed with the Olympics.

Posted
1 hour ago, venuedesignlover said:

oh wow! Not to be too invasive, but in general what does consulting for things like the olympics even entail?

Pissing away taxpayers’ money, what else?

Posted
25 minutes ago, Sir Rols said:

Wow @Cyriln! Two ceremonies, 19 events and a 10k marathon! You sure win the GamesBids gold medal for the Olympics.

so, so glad you had the time of your life. It reminded me of how I felt and enjoyed Sydney. I always advise people living in host cities to make the most of the time, and it sure sounds like you certainly did and more! It was an incredible games, France can rightly be proud and overjoyed at the experience. Treasure those memories.

Thanks Fatso! (Fun fact: in some events where a Phryge was present, the speaker called it Oly the Phryge; I don't know why because it doesn't look official at all but that's some Sydney vibes)

I know that there are Paralympics to come (with an even denser schedule for me) and Winter 2030, but one of my first thoughts yesterday after leaving the Stade de France was "well, we have to wait at least 12 years for another Summer Olympics in France" (please let me hope)

Posted
26 minutes ago, MisterSG1 said:

There is no one in Toronto who wants an Olympics, no one from the left or right,

Toronto chose not to bid for 2024 or 2028 because it would have been foolish to do so.

Right, that's why when there was even a hint of Toronto even bidding for 2024 (or 2028), there was already a mini-onslaught of Canadians on here touting their chances. I mean even you come on here now with your Toronto "could've, should've, would've's" about 2028.

And Toronto didn't actually choose "not" to bid. The IOC basically told them back then not to bother. Go figure. And as far as that Toronto Star articles goes, just sounds like the same sour grapes that you have, & misinformation taking things out of context, also like you do here. That's why I'm sure it was pretty much ignored here. Nothing ground or news breaking in there, other than twisting the narrative to suit readers like you.

31 minutes ago, MisterSG1 said:

And those praising Los Angeles, tell me this, was there any celebration when they won the bid back in 2017, nothing like the attitude in Whistler when the 2010 bid was awarded. The ship has sailed with the Olympics.

 The difference is, Vancouver 2010 won an actual bid race. And L.A. back in 2017, was double-allocated (along with Paris) to host a Games ELEVEN years out. Kinda hard to get very excited with an event so far out, particularly in a big, global city like L.A. that has so many other things going on at the same time. OTHO for smallish Whistler, winning alongside  Vancouver, was probably the winter town's biggest highlight ever. So yeah, that's going to be a very big deal to THEM.

Posted
8 minutes ago, FYI said:

Right, that's why when there was even a hint of Toronto even bidding for 2024 (or 2028), there was already a mini-onslaught of Canadians on here touting their chances. I mean even you come on here now with your Toronto "could've, should've, would've's" about 2028.

And Toronto didn't actually choose "not" to bid. The IOC basically told them back then not to bother. Go figure. And as far as that Toronto Star articles goes, just sounds like the same sour grapes that you have, & misinformation taking things out of context, also like you do here. That's why I'm sure it was pretty much ignored here. Nothing ground or news breaking in there, other than twisting the narrative to suit readers like you.

 The difference is, Vancouver 2010 won an actual bid race. And L.A. back in 2017, was double-allocated (along with Paris) to host a Games ELEVEN years out. Kinda hard to get very excited with an event so far out, particularly in a big, global city like L.A. that has so many other things going on at the same time. OTHO for smallish Whistler, winning alongside  Vancouver, was probably the winter town's biggest highlight ever. So yeah, that's going to be a very big deal to THEM.

I remember it well, and in 2015, I even had a “NO TO 2024” image in my signature, the IOC wanted an obnoxious sum of money, I can’t remember the exact figure but at least 50 million to even CONSIDER bidding for 2024. This alone angered a lot of people coming off the heels of Sochi. 
 

And tell me what SPECIFICALLY in that article is misinformation, I consider myself a staunch conservative, and that’s clearly a left wing paper, yet it agrees with all my points.

You can look in my post history, I’ve never supported a Toronto bid for either 2024 or 2028, I was just saying that they could have had it if they wanted it.

Yes, Vancouver is no Los Angeles, but I remember London having a big celebration when they won their bid back in 2005.

Olympics were once something that people desired, now they are a poison pill….its kind of ironic too, had Toronto won 2008, the Olympics would probably be in better shape as Beijing and presumably Sochi don’t host.

Posted

Again, even with London, they actually WON an actual bid RACE that wasn't ELEVEN years out, either. But this is, yet you again, taking things out of context & what I mean about misinformation.

And one doesn't necessarily have to be a "staunch conservative" to disapprove or not like the Olympics. Plus, if you don't like the Olympics, then what are you doing here, as has been asked of you already, on an OLYMPICS board (other than it looks like just trolling)?

But I'm not telling you anything more "specifically" (not like it would make a difference to you anyway, cause your mind is already made up), cause this isn't the proper thread for it. You've already derailed it enough as it is. 

Posted
3 minutes ago, FYI said:

Again, even with London, they actually WON an actual bid RACE that wasn't ELEVEN years out, either. But this is, yet you again, taking things out of context & what I mean about misinformation.

And one doesn't necessarily have to be a "staunch conservative" to disapprove or not like the Olympics. Plus, if you don't like the Olympics, then what are you doing here, as has been asked of you already, on an OLYMPICS board (other than it looks like just trolling)?

But I'm not telling you anything more "specifically" (not like it would make a difference to you anyway, cause your mind is already made up), cause this isn't the proper thread for it. You've already derailed it enough as it is. 

Because I’m one who wants to see serious Olympic reform, it’s obvious that it’s not possible, so just either have them in Athens, or don’t bother with these extreme costs that bankrupt cities.

Toronto has an annual event called the CNE which starts in a few days, it runs for 17 days. The rest of the year, this space is practically abandoned and is known as the “Exhibition Grounds”.

Why can’t Athens have something similar, an “Olympic Grounds” that’s activated every four years and which all NOCs contribute towards, maybe that’s too good to be true.

Posted
20 minutes ago, MisterSG1 said:

Olympics were once something that people desired, now they are a poison pill….its kind of ironic too, had Toronto won 2008, the Olympics would probably be in better shape as Beijing and presumably Sochi don’t host.

Regardless, even if Toronto had won 2008, Beijing would've eventually hosted, cause there's was no way that the IOC was going to continue to keep the world's most populous country at bay indefinitely. That's why Beijing 2008 handily won, cause the IOC had already told them no once before for the 2000 Games.

6 minutes ago, MisterSG1 said:

Because I’m one who wants to see serious Olympic reform, it’s obvious that it’s not possible, so just either have them in Athens, or don’t bother with these extreme costs that bankrupt cities.

Toronto has an annual event called the CNE which starts in a few days, it runs for 17 days. The rest of the year, this space is practically abandoned and is known as the “Exhibition Grounds”.

Why can’t Athens have something similar, an “Olympic Grounds” that’s activated every four years and which all NOCs contribute towards, maybe that’s too good to be true.

There's also an argument against having the same city hosting the Games all the time, too. What city would want to put up with that kind of disruption every four years? Plus, there'd still be organizational expenses to also still consider even if all the venues were already there. It would also take the internationalism away from the Games, which is what makes them so intriguing & special ITFP (but I know that aspect is likely lost on "staunch conservatives"). 

But anyway, I'd suggest if you want to continue your rants, that you start your own thread or take it to one of the Toronto threads, where you can continue to spew your sour grapes, anti-Olympic rhetoric. Cause this is the last I'll say of it in this thread that's about totally something else.

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...