The Vancouver 2010 Olympics

[BlueWorldAquatic]

Just finally got a chance to read this thread.

The "Own the Podium" ideal is when the Canadian sport technical program launched in January 2005 to prepare Canada to become the top winter sporting nation in the world by 2010. Most of the top countries already support their athletes in more ways then Canada has ever. Our athletes before this relied mostly on fundraising and corporate sponsorship.

If one of our athletes win gold, they are awarded $20,000 for the win. Other countries give their athletes a salary for life, as in Korea and Japan.

Incentive to be best in the world is always there, but financial incentives help more.

Among all Olympics there will be highs and lows, unfortunately in my personal opinion. The Olympics have become too commercialized, and they have forgotten the base roots of competition.

In '88 we seen the likes of "Eddie the Eagle" and the "Jamaican bobsled team", that is the true gift of the Olympics, the "Olympic" experience for all.

Unfortunately, as in all competition, everyone strives to be faster stronger, etc... they have weed out the likes of the above for safety reasons.

Furthermore they have taken the Olympic experience away from the regular person. You have to pay to see the medals ceremony from the spectators of that specific sport, awarding most of the medals at GM place at a cost of $20-$55 a person.

You cannot even get a clear picture of the Olympic flame because it is surrounded by a chain link fence, keeping the people away. Why didn’t they put it on a barge like they did the rings? At least this way it doesn’t make the common person feel like they are locked away.

Did anyone try getting tickets for any events? That alone was a horror story in itself. After the IOC, Vanoc, corporate sponsorship, what tickets were left available for the average person? Not many.

As for London, let them say what they want. We have better weather here in winter than they have in the summer. The British media always love a chance to criticize Canada for anything that they can. The probably do the same for Australia also.

Just my opinion,

Ken - BWA

[Kryptic4L]

Originally Posted by BlueWorldAquatic

Did anyone try getting tickets for any events? That alone was a horror story in itself. After the IOC, Vanoc, corporate sponsorship, what tickets were left available for the average person? Not many.

Ken - BWA

I did, but I work for GE, I even had gold medal hockey game tickets sitting in my cart. But they were discounted 8% and were still 2 k for a set of 2.

So I passed on them, as I dont believe in buying ticket's for profit.

this whole thing goes back to the corperate sponsership.

Working for large corperation's who are very structured on pay, based on global average's etc... is more of a reverse union. Make's these prices out of reach for your average employeee.

[dsaundry]

How about some modifications for the next winter olympic's? Full contact curling? Roller derby rules for the short track speed skating?? Figure skating with the politics out of it?? Let the women ski jump! And finally have the ticket scalpers and huge corporations that bought out and overpriced all the tickets put in bobsleds that go off a cliff somewhere, so that regular people have a chance at tickets.As for the weather, Cypress was the only one really hit hard and they still did ok., Weather here is fantastic and nobody could have predicted these warm temps 4 years ago. As for the Georgian athlete, hindsight is 20/20, nobody could have seen that and it's amazing at those speeds there haven't been more fatalities. Opening ceremonies were a bit long, but overall entertaining even with the few faults. Seeing the Australian mens mogul athlete pouting was hilarious, he can go back to Australia and sulk there. Well he's worth millions so I don't feel sorry for him at all, What an A$$clown! As for all the nay sayers about the Olympics, this isn't the worst olympics and the spin offs should pay off in the long run. no point blaming the politicians, it's over and done with. The games are here and thats all. Could the money have gone somewhere else, you betcha, but we all vote the politicians in so stop crying about it. Time to move forward, cheer on your country and have a great time doing it....

[Jamieh]

When the ticket packages came out I looked up about 5 or 6 events that I wanted to attend and priced out the various packages that I would need to purchase to attend these events. Once in a lifetime chance I thought?? Total price would have been almost $20,000 for Wife and I!!!! That obviously did not include transportation or accomodation. I quickly abandoned Olympic trip!!!

Have spent 2 months in Phoenix and have spent less than half that in total including plenty of NHL and NBA games???

[Lance]

Kicked some German butt tonight. hehe. Look out Russia, here we come!

[Doug]

Yesterday was pretty good with the gold medal and that great skate last night.

However even with the hockey tonight, {its a bloody shame we have to loose one of the two best in the world before the semi,s even}, our girls two man, or is it two girl, bob sled team, was the most impressive with that record run and sitting in first place heading into tonights final two runs.

[Lance]

Wow, impressive so far, Canada is out scoring, outhitting, out everything Russia. Good thing that Canada is almost scoring at will because Luongo has not looked that good though.

[Doug]

and we sitting first and third going into the last run.