The Olympics Are in Trouble

[longknife]

And this is just one of ten major problems facing the games due to open this coming Friday!

As teams start to move into the Olympic village or housing this week, complaints concerning plumbing and electrical are rolling in. Australia already sent 700 athletes to hotels while repairs were made. The latest reports say only 12 of 31 buildings in the Athletes Village have passed safety tests.

See all 10 @ 10 Big Problems at the Rio Olympics

 

[depotoo]

It was a failure before it began.

 

[mdk]

No Pokemon Go!? Why in the hell did that make the list?

 

[Hossfly]

No Pokemon Go!? Why in the hell did that make the list?

Read yesterday that one college is offering a course in Pokeman Go. Maybe one day there'll be a course somewhere in Creative Nose Picking or one for Zit Popping. Probably at a Pac-10 school.

 

[mdk]

No Pokemon Go!? Why in the hell did that make the list?

Read yesterday that one college is offering a course in Pokeman Go. Maybe one day there'll be a course somewhere in Creative Nose Picking or one for Zit Popping. Probably at a Pac-10 school.

At first I thought you were pulling my leg, but it appears the University of Idaho is offering it as course...for some reason.

Play 'Pokemon Go' & earn college credit

How silly!

 

[waltky]

The show must go on...

Wind, doping and VIP robbery plague Rio Games
Sun Aug 7, 2016 - Damaging wind gusts, a fresh doping controversy and the robbery of a visiting government minister presented the Rio Games with a perfect storm of problems on Sunday, forcing organizers to scramble to keep the world's biggest sporting event rolling on.

Winds wreaked havoc on the second full day of competition, forcing the cancellation of rowing races and delays to tennis and kayaking, while spectators ran for cover from flying signs, cafe umbrellas and other debris torn from their moorings. Games organizers, who were already looking to fix the long queues at security checkpoints that marred the first day, also faced new security scares. Portugal's education minister was robbed at knifepoint on Saturday at the Olympic lake. He escaped unharmed and the assailant was arrested, Brazilian authorities said.

More security was also put around the equestrian center after a stray bullet tore through the roof of the press room there on Saturday, an unexplained incident which caused no injuries. The center is near a military complex and a slum. "This is a worrying situation and is not an incident we can take lightly as the safety of everyone at our venue – athletes, horses, media and spectators – is of prime importance," said International Equestrian Federation president Ingmar De Vos. Brazilian authorities are still investigating. As powerful gusts swept across the host city, blowing debris and forcing spectators to find cover, the Rio Games was hit by a new Russian doping storm, this time involving the Paralympics, due to run from Sept. 7 to 18.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) announced in Rio it would ban Russia from the whole event due to widespread doping that it said had polluted sport in that country. "Tragically this situation is not about athletes cheating a system, but about a state-run system that is cheating the athletes," IPC president Philip Craven told reporters. "I believe the Russian government has catastrophically failed its para-athletes. Their medals-over-morals mentality disgusts me." Russia immediately announced it would be appealing against the ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The IPC's decision contrasted with the International Olympic Committee which balked at a blanket ban on Russia's athletes in Rio. The global anti-doping agency had called for such a ban after an inquiry found Russia was running a state-backed doping program for both Olympic and Paralympic athletes. "The IPC showed strong leadership today in holding Russia's state-organized doping program accountable. Their unanimous decision goes a long way towards inspiring us all," said Travis Tygart, chief executive of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.

STREET CRIME

 

[candycorn]

One could do the same “expose” on any Olympic city.

The IOC really needs to figure out if it wants to be a shepherd for the Games or a money making operation. IF it is the latter; its closer to the end of it’s life than the beginning. Why? Because like anything else, the profit motive will not always be there.

For example, in 2020 the Olympics will be in Tokyo. Anyone who wants to know who won can find out on the Internet. For American TV, that is a disaster since the ad revenues is what drives the bus. Why would McDonalds or Burger King pay a premium to sponsor the prime-time games when the outcome was known 14 hours ago?

Secondly, the Olympics are not immune from competition. It hasn’t happened yet; likely out of deference to the Olympics but I don’t think it is unfathomable to see some consortium of rich Sheiks and other moguls maybe peeling away a few marquee sports and offering prize money to teams that would come there and compete. Would the Olympics be the same without top teams participating in Soccer or some of the Track events? If you’re Gabby Douglass and you’re offered $1,000,000 to compete in an event sponsored by this consortium or going to Tokyo and competing for Team USA…I don’t think you automatically reject the $1 million. Also the competition won’t be beholden to one city. I could fathom their inviting 8 national soccer teams to an event in London for a boatload of prize money. Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, some of the best gymnasts do their stuff. Perhaps in Paris, the best tennis players have abandoned the Olympics to compete for prize money.

Lastly, the Olympic ideal is all but dead now. Trying to keep it alive will become harder over time. There are no true amateurs any longer who are going to find their way to the medal stand.

The Olympics would be smart to acknowledge that and stop having 80 divers or whatever the number is when there are only 7 or 8 elite divers who have a chance. The Olympics would be smart to confine the ‘awarding” of the Games to cities that have strong sports cultures and infrastructures outside of the scope of the Games. Los Angeles come to mind: They make a good case.



LA 2024 | Los Angeles 2024 Olympic Bid

They also would be smart to accept that the Olympics is too large for one city. It needs to either be scaled back (which I don’t recommend) or be constructed as a regional occurrence. I mean, it’s 3 hours from NY to Philly (maybe). Would it be so criminal to have events in both cities?

 

[yiostheoy]

It was a bad choice to hold the summer games in Rio.

Anyplace else would have been infinitely better.

Especially with zika there.