I respectfully disagree with this.
I beleive hosting the olympics is an accomplishment.
how is it not?
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Remembering the Olympics
- Thread starter bmc
- Start date
I respectfully disagree with this.
I beleive hosting the olympics is an accomplishment.
how is it not?
Any developed country should be equipped to host the Olympics. What's the big deal?
Bob Lee (QSC)
In case you missed it, I work for QSC Audio!
- Jul 3, 2001
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- Former Technical Communications Developer, QSC Audio
The Olympics, to my mind, is not supposed to be all about the country hosting the event. The Games do not exist to provide the host with a platform upon which to strut. Own The Podium was, indeed, a goal - a goal that eschewed the true Olympic spirit of amateur competition. Many of Canada's Olympic athletes have complained about the undue pressure placed on them as a result of the Own The Podium initiative. I think the whole thing was a disgrace. And to not allow the Canadian teams to train with athletes from other countries? Ridiculous. These games were nothing more than a pissing contest for Canada and that is pathetic. There's nothing wrong with pride, but pride is not necessarily the opposite of shame. I'm happy to be a Canadian. Canada is a wonderful country in many respects. Proud to be a Canadian? No. Proud of Canada's performance in the Olympic Games? Maybe if I actually had something to do with it... the poor sportmanship I referred to was not necessarily directed at the athletes (although some responses on the parts of some athletes were less than respectable, in my opinion) but rather at Canada's Olympic Committee.
I thought the games were great. I was glad for Canada and it seems all positive to me. Nothing wrong with wanting your country to get some recognition. I don't think Canada is bland at all. Having been there many times, it's a beautiful country as long as you aren't stuck in the wrong place, especially when it's cold. I have met many Canadians (especially while in Canada) who seem to have an inferiority complex around Americans for some reason. It's like they go out of there way to prove to you that Canada is a cool, happening place. Their efforts are wasted on me as I really dig being up there already! Maybe that's what you mean by "the wrong reasons?"
Not to get political, but IMHO if it's up to government to equip a country to host the Olympics, it's not going to work. You do need a certain amount of infrastructure to support an undertaking like that, but it goes far beyond what government can do. There has to be some level of free enterprise it seems. Government can't build hotels, restaraunts, and all the other things necessary to support the millions of dollars people will spend to come to the games. At the same time, local and federal governments have always put large amounts of money into these types of things to get the games into their country. Atlanta spents gobs of money in 96 to prepare for the games. But that money was easily recuperated in revenue. Still, Atlanta had a lot of infrastructure in place before this to make their task doable. Same goes for Vancouver or Beijing.
I'm sure living right there, it's perhaps easy to see a lot of the things that were wrong about the Olympics. I think you're making too much of it though personally. For the rest of the world, they just got to see the Olympics broadcast from a beautiful part of the world that they might not have been exposed to before. I think it was all positive. No one is going to hold a competitive spirit against Canada. You play to win.
I don't even know what to say to people with those kinds of thoughts.
There are probably about 3 billion people in the world who would gladly trade places with you. And all countries that host the Games use the Olympics to promote their athletes and their countries.
Yes, you're right about the free enterprise aspect of the Olympic Games. As far as playing to win, sure. But not at any cost. The Own The Podium initiative was simply too much, and the ridiculous ad campaigns that pushed the "winning" agenda were, to me, sickening (I'm pretty sure you would not have been exposed to much of that in your neck of the woods).
I know even know what to say to people with those kinds of thoughts.
You don't get it, do you? I'm quite happy to be living in Canada. That doesn't mean I have to be patriotic or express pride in the country in which I live.
Yes, and there's a way to do that tastefully.And all countries that host the Games use the Olympics to promote their athletes and their countries.
Maybe it would help us understand if you would explain more about this initiative and what was so disgusting about it. I've not seen anything that would cast it in a negative light at all.
On a side note, have you played competitive sports yourself? Might help us understand your perspective on this.
The 'Own the Podium 2010' was started in 2005 (so the location for the 2010 Olympics was already set, correct?) after Canada failed to win any gold medals the last 2 times that Canada hosted the olympics. I dont really know all about it, just read for a few seconds from a wiki page. I suggest a google search.
Yes the Own the Podium program came to be after Vancouver was awarded the 2010 Games.
As with a lot of countries our "amateur" athletes have typically been underfunded. The Own the Podium program was a program where private sponsors and the various levels of governments kicked in money to try and give them access to the best training possible; to give them enough money to live comfortably plus train at the level required to compete on the world stage. It targeted sports that we were competitive in but just shy of being world class.
I have "amateur" in quotation marks because if you follow the Olympic style sports at all you will quickly learn that there are very few true amateur athletes left. Maybe downhill skiing is not huge in North America but in Europe the top guys are like rock stars or NFL players over here. If you are good or very good in your sport there is a lot of money available through sponsorships and the various countries sports federations.
Yes the end goal was to win medals; to do well in the Games being held at home. Very few Olympic athletes get to compete in a Games held at home. Canada as a nation set the bar high for ourselves and our athletes.
I am sad for you that you don't feel any of that for your/our country.
I have the Canadian flag tattooed on my leg.
Listen up! 
It's my thread. It's about a stunning performance by KD Lang that I wanted to share with musicians that have an appreciation for artistry.
If you can't behave, go to your room or you'll get a spanking.
It's my thread. It's about a stunning performance by KD Lang that I wanted to share with musicians that have an appreciation for artistry.
If you can't behave, go to your room or you'll get a spanking.
I am sad for you that you don't feel any of that for your/our country.
I have the Canadian flag tattooed on my leg.
Don't feel sad for me, and I'm sorry about your leg.
Listen up!
It's my thread. It's about a stunning performance by KD Lang that I wanted to share with musicians that have an appreciation for artistry.
If you can't behave, go to your room or you'll get a spanking.
That performance was fantastic. K.D. Lang is a wonderful singer with a whole lot of soul.
Not every Olympic game can a country recuperate the cost to host it. Beijing spend a glob of money to host the game, and left behind a stadium too big to host any events. The "bird nest" stadium by itself cost Beijing a price tag of 9 million dollars a year for maintenance. Greece spent 5% of it's national GDP to host their Olympic, and it took Montreal 30 years to pay off the 1976 Olympic game. Undoubtedly, sporting events are a great way to bring a country together, but what you do in the long term is more important than a fleeting moment of passion.
I did enjoy watching the female curling competition. I came to a lost to which country I should cheer, since each country bring forth the "best" they have to offer.
As a Canadian I have to say that I hope this country never hosts the games again. WAY too much hype and I really got the sense that the reason so many Canadians got so excited is that Canada is such a bland country in general. These games just seemed to mean too much to too many for all the wrong reasons.
You my friend are a very bitter person. You might try wear pants that aren't so tight.
