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Old July 9th, 2006, 09:33 PM posted to rec.travel.europe
Jim Ley
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Posts: 862
Default Madrid to bid for 2016 Olympics

On Sun, 09 Jul 2006 11:57:03 -0700, Citizen Ted
wrote:
Thus, it is to the Greeks that Coubertin, Brookes and the
rest of us "tip our hats when we consider the spirit of the Games" -
your naysaying notwithstanding. Bitch.


I certainly do not, I don't see much correlation with the rise of
sport in 19th Century England and Europe, with previous events a few
thousand years before.

I'm not confusing anything, and your statement doesn't make any sense
in reference to my post. There is ample evidence of graft, bribery and
cronyism when it comes to hosting the Games.


So? There's ample evidence of all of those things in all walks of
life, and there would be no less if it was held in Athens every 4
years.

Is it really NIMBYism when a community decides that its
taxes and sacrifices are better spent on meaningful infrastructure,
rather than pork barrel construction projects with limited long-term
viability?


Except they don't of course, the community decides that it should host
an olympics, of course it's only yourself who's calling it "pork
barrel construction projects"...

Your refence to 15 years of delays eludes me - I don't know
what you're talking about.


It's the typical delay in getting funding and planning permission for
the sort of travel infrastructure projects in London, which has now
been removed, because there's a cause people get behind.

With financing from all countries interested in playing
the games, Greece would be freed of the cost burden while enjoying the
economic benefits.


Why would any country want to subsidise a wealthy european nation like
that?

But I guess your post
demonstrates that there are people who don't care about that and are
more interested in the "prestige" of hosting the Games. IMHO, the
"prestige" should be garnered in WINNING MEDALS, not winning bids to
host.


Not at all, I just don't see how gifting some nation the benefits of
hosting in no way a solution, neither something which is good, you're
focusing on a tiny negative in the whole process of running an olympic
games. I don't find medals all that interesting, I'm massively
impressed by those that do win, the only one I've met sacrificed a lot
to do it.

Please note that I'm still leaving the door open to bids for hosting
the Winter Olympics.


Which is of course silly, as only a small minority of the worlds
country could hold a winter olympics, snowy mountains are kind of
important.

Jim.