Skeptical of the Olympics

[TheBoyPaj]

I live in England, and it seems the whole nation is very excited about the fact that we will be hosting the Olympic games in 2012. I'm not very excited. In fact, I fail to see how it will affect me any more than if it had been held in Paris or any of the other prospective venues.

I mentioned this in my blog recently, and the response has been heated.

"What have you got against the Olympics?" they asked in raised voices.
"Nothing," I replied, "I just don't understand why I should pay for it."

This led to me being accused of being insular and petty, when really I should be joining in the whole community thing and forking out like the rest of the nation.

So, does anyone have a reason why I should be excited by the Olympics? I live several hundred miles away from London, and will not see any of the events live. Most people around here will watch it on TV, and get the same visual experience as they would if it was hosted by a far-off country. Some businesses will benefit, but since when did I have a responsibility to subsidise hotel chains? The promotors of the event speak of "inspiring a generation of children to take up sport". I'm less confident that this will happen. It has echoes of the same lofty language which was used to promote our disastrous Millenium Dome.

I feel like a stick-in-the-mud. Can anyone persuade me to be otherwise?

 

[Ian Osborne]

I'm with you on that one. Only London will benefit from the Olympics, and given the way our metropolitan press ragged previous Olympic bids from Birmingham and Manchester, I was rather hoping it would go to Paris out of spite.

 

[TobiasTheViking]

no

 

[richardm]

The promotors of the event speak of "inspiring a generation of children to take up sport". I'm less confident that this will happen.

Now, this is where you're wrong! Children will rush to sign up to athletics classes, especially if a British athlete does well. You only have to look at the annual increase in kids taking tennis lessons if Henman's doing quite well at Wimbledon to see the truth of this.

Er, and of course, most of 'em quit again within three weeks of Wimbledon finishing, but...

 

[Ian Osborne]

Re: Re: Skeptical of the Olympics

Now, this is where you're wrong! Children will rush to sign up to athletics classes, especially if a British athlete does well.

It's the British athlete doing well that causes the increase in interest in his/her chosen sport, regardless of whether or not the UK hosts the event.

 

[Kiless]

This is just personal preference, but I love the Olympics.

I was so happy when it came to my country, even though it was too far for me to attend. It was wonderful to think that even decades and even hundreds of years of human conflict couldn't stop the Olympics from continuing.

I didn't attend. But I guess the propaganda worked on me (call it what you will) because I still have students who were inspired and I don't regret any of it. I think it's a small thing to be a part of a sign of peace, grace, athleticism and triumph in history.

 

[richardm]

Re: Re: Re: Skeptical of the Olympics

It's the British athlete doing well that causes the increase in interest in his/her chosen sport, regardless of whether or not the UK hosts the event.

I don't think that's right, actually - the increase in the number of people taking lessons increases every year when Wimbledon's on, and redoubles if Henman is doing well. We don't see this interest if he is doing well in, for example, the Kooyong Classic (where he reached the semi finals).

Much of this may be down to the extra coverage on the television that UK events have over foreign events, of course. This effect may be reduced for things like the Olympics which are pretty much shown in toto anyway.

 

[Magyar]

I was involved with the 84 olympics in LA, mostly because I could get free or discounted tickets to events. Those days the only time you heard a soccer game in English in the US is if you were in Canada, so it was great to see a doen games live.

The city and associated businesses made a PILE of money.
The average jo got some nice new venues for concerts or events that they MAY be able to attend once or twice.

There were horor stories circulating around the city about what will happen with traffic etc.

You asked most people in 86 if they remembered the olympics and you got a glass eye stare.

It's a wonderful event with honorable intent and traditions, but I am always ECSTATIC that I live in another city when the new one is anounced.

 

[Ed]

I feel like a stick-in-the-mud. Can anyone persuade me to be otherwise?

No, I happen to agree.

I would never care to personnally attend any event whatsoever but I do watch a few on TV.:

-fencing
-that soft core porn thing wherein chicks have this sort of lesbian thing going on with a very large and flaccid ball as a centerpiece
-archery
-cannon
-foot races of all kinds so I can watch the brothers clear the field of pasty europeans
-womens beach vollyball because it demonstrates that women can compete in a trying sport in brief swimsuits

That said, the coverage (TV, cable, and internet) is superb. That said it could be happening two towns over or in London, same difference to me.

 

[Drooper]

The best I could do is relate the experience of siblings and parents in Sydney during 2000.

After the initial hype of winning the Games died down and the ongoing debacle of organisation began, many people had that same view you now reflect. A lot of people organised to get out of town during the Games. My family were among the sceptics, but stuck around.

But when the Games came around their was this massive collective europhoria and everyone just sbmerged themselves in the event and the foreign invasion. Apparently most people who took off later regretted the decision when everyone told them what a great time everyone had.

 

[TheBoyPaj]

I agree that it might be a great time for the city and its inhabitants. I am not one of those inhabitants.

Some people have told me that I will not end up paying for this event and that it will be funded by a combination of business donations, a special lottery and through Londoners' local taxation methods. This seems fair enough, since they will benefit from the improved facilities.

But I doubt this, too. I find it hard to imagine that our government will not make a contribution on my behalf, whether I get to hear about it or not.

 

[Drooper]

I agree that it might be a great time for the city and its inhabitants. I am not one of those inhabitants.

Some people have told me that I will not end up paying for this event and that it will be funded by a combination of business donations, a special lottery and through Londoners' local taxation methods. This seems fair enough, since they will benefit from the improved facilities.

But I doubt this, too. I find it hard to imagine that our government will not make a contribution on my behalf, whether I get to hear about it or not.

I think there are a couple of well established facts regarding the Olympics:

1. It always costs the taxpayer.
2. The facilities are always underutilised after the event.

 

[TheBoyPaj]

Any sources for those statements? Might be useful in the debates to come.

 

[Tmy]

The olympics tend to be a boon for the host city. They manage to scam money from the entire country in odrer to clean up the city and build a bunch of new infrastructer.

 

[Libertarian]

I feel like a stick-in-the-mud. Can anyone persuade me to be otherwise?

I agree with you 100%. Who wins? The politicians and the well-connected businessmen, that's who.

It's the same thing here in the States when some millionaire cons the public into building him a new stadium for his team (of other millionaires). Who wins? The construction companies, etc.

In Jacksonville, FL, they keep talking about prestige and how the city will be big-league and garner the respect of people in other parts of the country. Who CARES???

They talk of all the business that the team will generate. I suppose that if it weren't for the pro team, people would burn their disposable income rather then spend it on other, non-team-related merchandise and/or activities?

Bottom line, it's the well-heeled and the well-connected that get taxpayers to subsidize their sport.

 

[Tmy]

Re: Re: Skeptical of the Olympics

It's the same thing here in the States when some millionaire cons the public into building him a new stadium for his team (of other millionaires). Who wins? The construction companies, etc.

Bottom line, it's the well-heeled and the well-connected that get taxpayers to subsidize their sport.

The city also benefits. I thought about this this weekend. I went down to baltimore top watch the redsox. You couldnt believe how many sox fans made the trip! 1/2 the stadium was filled with them.

Sports do alot for the local economy. During the playoffs you couldnt find a pub/bar that wasnt filled with people. During gamedays the area around the stadium is teeming with people. The teams payroll is like 100 million. Think of the income taxes alone!!

 

[Libertarian]

Re: Re: Re: Skeptical of the Olympics

The city also benefits. I thought about this this weekend. I went down to baltimore top watch the redsox. You couldnt believe how many sox fans made the trip! 1/2 the stadium was filled with them.

Sports do alot for the local economy. During the playoffs you couldnt find a pub/bar that wasnt filled with people. During gamedays the area around the stadium is teeming with people. The teams payroll is like 100 million. Think of the income taxes alone!!

But those people flocking to those games would have that money to spend on something else if the team weren't there. My objection is that it's taxpayer subsidized.

 

[Tmy]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Skeptical of the Olympics

But those people flocking to those games would have that money to spend on something else if the team weren't there. My objection is that it's taxpayer subsidized.

Cant you just turn that argument around by saying taxpayers wouldve wasted tha money on somthing else anyway!?

Im not for taxpayers footing the whole bill. But im cool with some sort of collaboration. For example the Patriots paid for their own stadium, and the state paid for the highway/infrastructer.

 

[TheBoyPaj]

Regarding the common argument that the Olympics "always makes a profit", I'm happy to loan the money to the Olympics organisers. However, I reserve the right to charge an exhorbitant interest rate.

 

[Tmy]

I dont like paying for the olympics cause its a short term event. Unlike a local team that plays year after year.