Curling semi-finals

[Colin]

Hosting an Olymics is always a losing proposition. You never get back the cost of the facilities and they usually end up being a white elephant for the host city. I don't understand the need for prestige that calls for picking the publics pocket like that.

The thing that really gets me about it all bubba, is that they took a vote in downtown Vancouver to see if they wanted it. No say from the suburbs, no say from Whistler, no say from the rest of the province, and no say from the rest of the country.

The past few Olympics have shown that they don't bring in the tourist revenue that is predicted and that often hosts are left on the hook for any overruns in cost. Given the state of our Province and our country right now, I can think of a lot better things to do with these millions/billions of dollars.

Besides our new logo is ugly ;-)

Can you tell I am still a bit bitter about Team Canada's lose in men's hockey? At least I can celebrate gold in Women's hockey and Men's curling. We have had a great Olympics so far this year.

[bubba]

Colin, it's just a sport. Cheer up, there are better mens hockey days in the future. The truth is very rarely does the public really get any say in the matter, the "vote" is usually fixed. As for the finances, I doubt any modern Olympics has turned a profit for the host city. Personally, I think the whole concept should be ended as it really accomplishes nothing. It's supposed to foster good sportsmanship and international understanding and cooperation. When did any of that ever happen? The costs are too high and the benefits nil.

[646guy]

Hosting an Olymics is always a losing proposition. You never get back the cost of the facilities and they usually end up being a white elephant for the host city. I don't understand the need for prestige that calls for picking the publics pocket like that.

Probably to run the event it's a loss but I'm pretty sure the host city makes up for it tourist revenue for that 2 week period.

[bubba]

646, as far as I've ever read they never make up the cost of hosting the games. Japan still hasn't recouped the cost of just the facilities from the last time they hosted and I've read no other host city has either. That doesn't count the additional costs in providing transportation, security and the rest of the neccesary expenses.

[646guy]

646, as far as I've ever read they never make up the cost of hosting the games. Japan still hasn't recouped the cost of just the facilities from the last time they hosted and I've read no other host city has either. That doesn't count the additional costs in providing transportation, security and the rest of the neccesary expenses.

Well in my mind, I've always somewhat equated hosting the Olympics with hosting the Miss Universe Pageant. It's really just a big commercial for the country to help boost their tourism.

[GlassMan]

Hosting an Olymics is always a losing proposition. You never get back the cost of the facilities and they usually end up being a white elephant for the host city. I don't understand the need for prestige that calls for picking the publics pocket like that.

It's the same concept as building a mammoth sports stadium with the public's money so that a major league team owned by billionaires can play there and make profits. It makes no sense to me. Why should tax dollars from poor people go to building a stadium that is given to a rich person?

The new baseball stadium in DC is a case in point. The idiotic supports of that boondoggle want to build a massive stadium entirely at public expense, with only a handful of days available to the city to use it, and let major league baseball lease it at absurdly low rates, without putting a penny into building it, and without sharing any of the revenues with the City. And the cost estimates keep going up. Last time I heard it was almost $600 million an climbing and apparently it will take several centuries at the current lease rate to make the money back. All this at a time when the city public schools are crumbling, many students didn't even receive their textbooks until Christmas time, the police force can't handle the growing crime problem, city streets appear to be engineered to increase business for automechanics because of the enormous number of potholes, city buildings are crumbling, the basic sewer and water infrastructure is archaic and a danger to public health, and the city is once again on the verge of going deep into debt. But they want the prestige of a major league team so badly that they're willing to abandon the taxpayers and line the pockets of the super-rich.

[Iolaus]

646, as far as I've ever read they never make up the cost of hosting the games. Japan still hasn't recouped the cost of just the facilities from the last time they hosted and I've read no other host city has either. That doesn't count the additional costs in providing transportation, security and the rest of the neccesary expenses.

Are we talking about just winter olympics? because in 1984, Los Angeles did the summer games at a profit right away.

http://www.infoplease.com/ipsa/A0114812.html

The L.A. Olympics were the first privately financed Games ever and made an unheard of profit of $215 million. Time magazine was so impressed it named organizing president Peter Ueberroth its Man of the Year.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_Summer_Olympics

The organizers of the Los Angeles Olympics were able to produce a profit of over $200 million. The 1984 Games were the second to make a profit, after only the 1932 Summer Olympics (also in Los Angeles).

[AckZel]

To return to original subject... Well, didn't make it to gold in curling... but oh my god what a game against Russia in ice-hockey! The Swedes are gonna take a beating at sunday...

[Colin]

To return to original subject... Well, didn't make it to gold in curling... but oh my god what a game against Russia in ice-hockey! The Swedes are gonna take a beating at sunday...

Ackwell,

I was pulling for Finland on Sunday. Kudos to Sweden for the Gold, and a very impressive Olympics for the Finland hockey team.

[AckZel]

Yeah, better team won. At least it's our "Beloved enemy"