Are the Olympics dead?

[fattwins]

Ok maybe not dead but... The last 2 games summer and winter
have had next to no spectators. How can the games be sold to
cities that cant make the money back?

[cj001f]

How can the games be sold to
cities that cant make the money back?

National Pride - see 2008 games (Beijing) and list of canidate cities for 2014:
* Sochi, Russia
* Salzburg, Austria
* Jaca, Spain
* Almaty, Kazakhstan
* PyeongChang, South Korea
* Sofia, Bulgaria
* Borjomi, Georgia

Coupled with substantially cheaper costs of doing business.

[runethechamp]

Just give the winter games to Norway and all the events will be sold out, and in addition you will have 20-30000 out in the slopes for the cross country skiing and biathlon events.

[LeeLau]

canucks will come out for 2010 in droves. I'm trying to get on the volly list for xc-skiing and ski-jumping. Would love to get hockey tix but they'll be gone pretty quick I would bet

[Franz Klammer]

Salzburg in 2014 will be insane: just like Alpine Championships in St. Anton in 2001, Saalbach in 1991 and Olympics in Innsbruck in 1976 and 1964. And I'm pretty sure the Canucks will do an excellent job in 2010.

[Bum Z]

SLC made money on the Olympics, and I'd say that overall, hosting the games has provided a longterm benefit to the area. No hard numbers, but I do recall reading that all taxpayer money that was supposed to be recovered from the games was recovered, and then some.

It's likely that we are bitching so much because we can't see much of games live.

[verbier61]

having been in turin few days ago, I can tell you that this is NOT a good town for olympics. People there has no real passion for this stuff. It's almost like organizing a sailing race in a swimming pool in tibet...

[Core Shot]

If only smoking and coffee drinking were made into olympic events.




PS - is it that the events did not sell out?
Or that folks that bought tickets just don't feel like attending?

PPS - the real money is not made in the stands.
Just like pro sports, the real money is in the broadcast rights and licensing.

[ill-advised strategy]

If only smoking and coffee drinking were made into olympic events.

and icefishing

[smmokan]

I think the Olympics are still doing well... but I think NBC is blowing everything for the US. Their coverage (combined with the results being posted everywhere on the net) makes watching the events 12 hrs afterwards pretty boring.

[Skidawg]

People only care about the Olympics for 17 days out of every 4 years. I don't think that's going to improve any.

[pechelman]

I think the Olympics are still doing well... but I think NBC is blowing everything for the US. Their coverage (combined with the results being posted everywhere on the net) makes watching the events 12 hrs afterwards pretty boring.

right, but how else can NBC commentators have so many interesting and witty remarks.

barf

id also like to add I think the olympics are too friendly.
I mean back in the day when we were at East Germany and the USSRs throat during the cold war made it much more interesting.
Kinda had more of a "IM GONNA KICK YOUR ASS" feel as opposed to the "Hey, lets be friends" feelings.
I reference Rocky IV. case and point.

although i must also say I like not having nukes pointed at us from cuba

[smmokan]

I'm not sure who it was announcing during the figure skating last night, but I've never heard more negative comments. At one point he bashed one of the Japanese skaters, then had the balls to say "I hope that didnt come across too harsh". What a jackass.

[BigKuba]

They would improve if NBC just hired the bobsled announcer guy to do all the events. Has anyone else noticed how stoked he gets? He's my MVP for these games so far.

[Marshall Tucker]

People only care about the Olympics for 17 days out of every 4 years. I don't think that's going to improve any.

that's the damn truth.

[Snowy Wintergarden]

It's likely that we are bitching so much because we can't see much of games live.

Well, the Italians can see it in person, but they're not exactly doing that.

Gold medal speed-skating was just on and the stands were half-empty. The Athens olympics were worse. Atlanta had spectators but was horrible, otherwise. The Olympics aren't dead, but they are bloated and fat.

The opening ceremony bullshit with the IOC president coming out with the local head of state as if they were kings of olden times is a laughable. What the hell is that??? That garbage has got to go. What a bunch of self-congratulatory wankers. No one watching cares about them or wants to see them, but they insist on making a big show of themselves.

Holding Olympics every 2 years made them half as special, too.

So did including:

• junk 'sports', like softball
• judged sports, like prancing on skates
• sports very few countries play, like baseball and sand volleyball
• sports that are too underdeveloped, like snowboardcross.