20 Years Ago Today

[LA84]

You didn't think I would let this anniversary go by without recognition of it  

20 years ago today the Games of the XXIII Olympiad opened.  Arguably, the Los Angeles games set the standard for all games following in how to finance an Olympics without doing into a huge amount of debt.

Here's an article from todays Los Angeles Times about Rafer Johnson, who lit the torch.  I think had it been telecast at night, the way the torch was lit would go down as one of the best.  To see the flames travel around the Olympic Rings and up to the caldroun was, at the time, very innovative.

Rafer Johnson Lights The Torch

As a side note - those rings have just been found rusting in a storage area at the Colesieum.  They have been removed and are being restored.  

[mr.x]

congrats LA '84.

[Guardian]

After reading a couple of the latest-made Olympic books at the library, it is still a question of whether "luck" or "intent" that LA 1984 happened the way it did then.

[Xu Wen-Ting]

And that's also the day that China team getting the first golden in the Olympic history. Xu Hai-Feng get the shooting golden.

   we have the same family name... :laughlong:

[ejaycat]

After reading a couple of the latest-made Olympic books at the library, it is still a question of whether "luck" or "intent" that LA 1984 happened the way it did then.

In my opinion, I think it was a little bit of both, but I really think the organizers thought every little bit through and their plan worked.

[LA84]

After reading a couple of the latest-made Olympic books at the library, it is still a question of whether "luck" or "intent" that LA 1984 happened the way it did then.

In my opinion, I think it was a little bit of both, but I really think the organizers thought every little bit through and their plan worked.

It was a little of both but luckily it worked.

Had it not been for the LA Games there was a strong chance that the Olympic movement might have faltered.  

I remember at the time that nobody wanted them after the expensive Montreal Games. After the huge success of LA, EVERYONE wanted a piece of the action.  

On another topic:

I just love how Tom Bradley, the mayor of LA at the time put the IOC in their place.

The IOC insisted that the city had to front some money and Bradley was like, "Too bad, we're not paying..  Take corporate sponsorship or move the Games."

Kinda hard to do since nobody else bid

[Pui from HK]

I still remember LA 84. It was soooo impressive.

[ejaycat]

After reading a couple of the latest-made Olympic books at the library, it is still a question of whether "luck" or "intent" that LA 1984 happened the way it did then.

In my opinion, I think it was a little bit of both, but I really think the organizers thought every little bit through and their plan worked.

It was a little of both but luckily it worked.

Had it not been for the LA Games there was a strong chance that the Olympic movement might have faltered.  

I remember at the time that nobody wanted them after the expensive Montreal Games. After the huge success of LA, EVERYONE wanted a piece of the action.  

On another topic:

I just love how Tom Bradley, the mayor of LA at the time put the IOC in their place.

The IOC insisted that the city had to front some money and Bradley was like, "Too bad, we're not paying..  Take corporate sponsorship or move the Games."

Kinda hard to do since nobody else bid

Well I find the Los Angeles 1984 Olympics to be interestingly ironic in retrospect because:

1)  The organizers introduced cost-saving measures by using venues that already existed and utilized NO public money in reaction to the very expensive Montreal Games, after which, no one wanted the Games.

2)  And because these cost-saving measures were so successful and the organizers ended up with a HUGE profit, it was then that cities started wanting to have the Olympics in THEIR backyard.  And now the Olympics have evolved into something that is totally expensive to host!  Very, very ironic, I think.  

Not that I wish any ill-will towards the Athens Games, but I wouldn't be too surprised if after this summer's Games, because of the expense, Athens might be bankrupt after the festivies end, and/or will be paying a dear price for hosting the Olympics for many years afterwards.  Maybe the pendulum will swing the other way and cities won't be too quick to jump on the Olympic-bidding bandwagon in the future.

But going back to summer 1984, I wonder if it was LA that first thought of extensively using already existing facilities.  Only 2 venues were built from scratch, both with privately donated money:  the swim stadium at USC, and the velodrome at Cal State Dominguez Hills.  Hmm, now I'm wondering if it was LA that first thought of using college campuses for venues, too.  After all, many college/university campuses already have existing athletic facilties.  Besides USC and Cal State Dominguez Hills, they used:

UCLA's Pauley Pavilion (Gymnastics) and Tennis Center for Tennis

Cal State Fullerton's Titan Gym (Handball)

East LA College's Weingart Stadium (Field Hockey)

Cal State LA's Eagle Nest Arena (Judo)

Pepperdine University's Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool (Water Polo)

Loyola Marymount University's Albert Gersten Pavilion (Weightlifting)

And of course there were 3 "olympic villages," which were the dorms at USC, UCLA and UC Santa Barbara.

[LA84]

Well I find the Los Angeles 1984 Olympics to be interestingly ironic in retrospect because:

1)  The organizers introduced cost-saving measures by using venues that already existed and utilized NO public money in reaction to the very expensive Montreal Games, after which, no one wanted the Games.

2)  And because these cost-saving measures were so successful and the organizers ended up with a HUGE profit, it was then that cities started wanting to have the Olympics in THEIR backyard.  And now the Olympics have evolved into something that is totally expensive to host!  Very, very ironic, I think.  

Not that I wish any ill-will towards the Athens Games, but I wouldn't be too surprised if after this summer's Games, because of the expense, Athens might be bankrupt after the festivies end, and/or will be paying a dear price for hosting the Olympics for many years afterwards.  

A very good point and one that I have been thinking about for awhile but never addressed.

In a matter of 20 years we have gone from making a profit on the games to the public once again having to pay off an Olympic debt.  I too will not be surprised if Athens finds itself bankrupt.  At this point if they are lucky they will end up like Sydney and only need about 10 years to pay off the debt they will accumulate.  

If the Athens Games turns into a repeat of Montreal '76 I wouldn't be surprised to see a big turnaround by the IOC and the awarding of the games going to cities that already have the existing facilities and infrastructure.