Olympics 2016
August 5th, 2016 at 10:11:37 AM permalink | |
Nareed Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 346 Posts: 12545 |
I favor a budget Olympics. I recall seeing on TV that the Olympic villa in Lake Placid would serve as a prison after the winter games. Should Budapest need a new prison, why not get Olympic sponsors to pay for it? Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER |
August 5th, 2016 at 11:08:00 AM permalink | |
Pacomartin Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 1068 Posts: 12569 |
The 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics The first Summer Olympics since 1932 to make a profit Final Operating Budget US$320 million Total Costs US$413 million Taxpayer Contribution $75 million Profit/Loss Year US$250 million But compare that number to the reported costs of recent Olympics 2008 China Beijing Summer Olympics US$44 billion 2010 Canada Vancouver Winter Olympics US$6.4 billion 2012 United Kingdom London Summer Olympics US$14.6 billion 2014 Russia Sochi Winter Olympics US$51 billion I don't know if it is possible to have a budget Olympics This wikipedia article lists the cost of Olympic Games https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cost_of_the_Olympic_Games |
August 5th, 2016 at 11:17:43 AM permalink | |
Ayecarumba Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 89 Posts: 1744 |
I saw an interesting documentary the other night about the 1932 games as the foundation of the modern olympics as a huge national spectacle. According to the historians in the documentary, Adolph Hitler and the Nazi's get the credit for turning the games into an "Our country is bigger and better than any before" spectacle due to the huge venue construction projects, and first use of cutting edge technology (zeppelins to carry newsreels overseas, shortwave radio to live broadcast around the world, and the first television broadcast). They were also the first to introduce the torch relay of a flame from Greece. Whodda thunk it? |
August 5th, 2016 at 12:05:35 PM permalink | |
Nareed Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 346 Posts: 12545 |
Funny that the Communist countries spend way more than the Capitalists.
I recall reading that until 1984, interest by cities to host the Olympics had declined sharply due to financial losses, and that Seoul got the 88 games largely because no one else wanted them. After 1984, which made a profit, interest roared back up. Did Seoul, Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney Athens, Beijing and London make any money at all? Will Rio? Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER |
August 5th, 2016 at 12:51:04 PM permalink | |
Pacomartin Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 1068 Posts: 12569 |
I suppose that depends on who is doing the accounting. Pravda reports that "development of the city infrastructure, the transport system and the ecology from 2001 to 2008"should be included in the accounting, in which case the Olympics in Beijing have no chance of breaking even.
19.34 yuans ~$3 billion USD
The United States won the race to the moon . The final price tag was $195 billion in 2011 dollars. http://gizmodo.com/5805457/kennedys-crazy-moon-speech-and-how-we-could-have-landed-on-the-moon-with-the-soviets |
August 5th, 2016 at 12:59:05 PM permalink | |
Nareed Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 346 Posts: 12545 |
Oh, sure. I've no doubt many local merchants earn crazy amounts of money during the Olympics. Hotels and restaurants near the venues, Olympic souvenir sellers, pin traffickers, etc. But the city might not recoup its investment in taxes, fees, etc.
NO, but if they took care of necessary infrastructure projects and overhauls, then the citizenry scores a rare win. Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER |
August 5th, 2016 at 1:49:30 PM permalink | |
Evenbob Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 146 Posts: 25011 |
The hookers in Rio have doubled their rates for the next two weeks. Pickpockets and hotel room thieves with fatten their wallets, with help from the police and hotel staffs, of course. Rio is a 3rd world city, after all. If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose. |
August 5th, 2016 at 2:24:37 PM permalink | |
AZDuffman Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 135 Posts: 18211 |
I believe it totally. Hitler was a pretty good motivator and understood that for Germany to rule the world the Germans had to believe that was possible. On their back 15 years before to hosting a world-class games would do wonders for that. Same as it would in Tokyo the same short time after Japan was on their back. Totalitarian regimes generally put on awesome shows. Compare a 4th of July parade in the USA to the May Day parade in the FUSSR. The President is a fink. |
August 5th, 2016 at 2:35:47 PM permalink | |
AZDuffman Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 135 Posts: 18211 |
How do you define "crazy?" For a smaller country the Olympics are a bigger deal. The average American probably can't name 10 current athletes on the team and how many can you really remember from all-time. Compare that to the other celebrity in the USA. Same for other big nations. But those smaller places with 2-6 athletes, those guys are the local stars of the first order. They can and do finish last and it does not matter. For some the trip is an actual hard expense for the host nation. Hungary is not that small, but having the games would be an all-time thing to remember. We remember in the USA but not in a huge way. In an LA they host so much stuff it is just one thing of many. But in Budapest it would feel way different for the locals. Financially it would be a senseless disaster. But poor folks make senseless disasters on all kinds of scales. Think of the broke guy with the fancy car. Think the poor guy who uses his tax refund to go to a very fancy place then lives broke the rest of the year (I saw that one!) Small town raises money for a huge clock tower or some other fancy building that will be there for a century but its biggest utility is appearance. It is part of why I cheer when the USA gets turned down for the games. Waste for show. The President is a fink. |
August 5th, 2016 at 3:14:41 PM permalink | |
Evenbob Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 146 Posts: 25011 | The robberies are even happening in the Olympic Village, touted as the safest place on earth for the athletes. The Danish team is also saying cell phones were stolen. http://edition.cnn.com/2016/08/01/sport/fire-thefts-olympic-village/ If you take a risk, you may lose. If you never take a risk, you will always lose. |