The Vancouver 2010 Olympics

[Samw]

Originally Posted by sphelps

I didn't think the arm failing was a big deal, it wasn't nearly as bad as some of the past problems in other places. From an engineering point of view it was a complex system and the recovery with 3 arms was well done. **** happens and it's easy to criticize from your couch but honestly very few people could do better. Plus they had the benefit of lighting the outside torch as well which was flawless.

Also keep in mind that no one has ever been launched out of a luge track before so let's not be too hard on those designers either. Although it could have been prevented it was far from being predictable. Above all it was a freak accident and I don't think it's far to pass blame. In the future, tracks will now be built a little different with more precautions to prevent another similar accident. The world learns by failure so let's stay positive.

Maybe better designs prevented others from being launched? It's either the athlete or the track. Well, it's not the athlete.

I don't think I said it was easy to build the arms. But with the world watching, the arm did fail. Can't argue it. Everyone is talking about it. Just because it doesn't bother you doesn't mean it was a success either.

You have to take the negatives with the positives. Why pretend there are no negatives? It happened so I and everyone else can comment on them as a negatives. They certainly aren't positives.

You write as if I am being a harsh critic when I simply wrote a few sentences on this topic.

[ScubaSteve]

Ok, just a disclaimer, this isn't a response to anyone here. More just a bit of a rant after reading some stupid article in the paper this morning.

You know, I gotta say... people just really like to bitch and find fault in everything. Aside from the luge incident, most of these problems are pretty minor in the big picture and many, the media especially, are losing sight of that. I used to be an event planner so I know what kind of crazy crap happens that you don't expect and I have to say that the organizers are doing a pretty good job at taking it in stride. Yeah, ok... they could have made a few better calls here and there but overall they're doing well.

I want to meet the guy who was able to reprogram that whole set-up to run with three arms in 30 seconds and give him a high-five and a case of beer. In show business, s*** happens but the show must go on.

So what if they had to cancel some tickets for Cypress, this isn't the first time that has had to happen for an Olympic venue. And this was done for safety reasons! I saw the standing area the other day and it wasn't looking to pretty. This was a smart call on Vanoc's behalf.

The luge incident is very tragic but it could not have been predicted. I agree that a safety wall would have been good there in the first place, though a rider coming out of the track at that part of the course is just... unbelievable. I was shocked. That was a freak accident. I feel absolutely terrible for him, his family and friends. I must say though he did make a mistake that lead to what happened. I say this not to point the finger elsewhere but more to the point that there were many factors that went it this other than some murderous sliding track that is appeased by death and destruction like it being made out to be.

One of my friends is on the Canadian Sliding team (He better win a gold!) and he said that though the track was a bit crazy he nad many of the riders actually enjoyed it as it IS challenging. He said that sliders are speed-freaks and the faster track was cool to them. He said that when you see the best of the best finding a course challenging (our track isn't the only fast one in the world by the way) it changes the dynamics of the competition. I only tell you guys this just so you can hear the other perspective rather than the one-sided story we usually get told.

And this... this really irks me. Media in London is trash-talking our Olympics, calling them the worst ever... and they are blaming us for all the things that are weather related! First of all, I think it's bad taste that an upcoming host city is bad mouthing the current host. Second of all, I have to apologize to London that we did not sacrifice enough goats to the snow god and that our wizard called in sick, so we couldn't make the weather perfect. Our bad London, our bad. I gotta say it, but when I look outside right now...

I think we are having a better summer Olympics than London will!

Ranting aside, anyone see Sean White's last run in the half-pipe? Holy S***! Dude is like Superman on a snowboard.

Later folks, I'm off to go have FUN at the Olympics!

[sphelps]

Glad to see someone else with a grasp on reality, thanks for sharing Steve. I'll also pitch on that case of beer

[toxic111]

(closest thing I could find to hand clapping)

Everyone seems to want to whine about something, from the culdron not working, to the natives, to not enough french (heck even complaining about curling (for those who have never tried it, it is much harder than it looks, and Martins team spends hours in the gym to play the way they do)

Time to move on & enjoy the show!

[Treebeard]

Great post Steve! The London media really pi$$ me off too. Not to mention the complaints about there not being enough french spoken at the games.

And this just in....Christine Nesbitt just won gold for Canada in the 1000 meter long track!

[Lance]

Shaun White needs to find another level to compete in as he is far and away out of the other competitors league. The guy is amazing! And he's making about 8 mil per year to boot. Not bad for a stoner who lived in a bus with his parents.

[Crytone]

Well said Steve. I must concur with you on your points. There wasn't a single hiccup until that point. From what I hear people in the stadium had no idea there was a malfunction as they weren't informed until after.

As for London making sly remarks of the games.. It irks me a bit too. And the worst Olympics ever? That's going a bit far I think. No one can control the weather and it's just been terrible this year... Karma will get them in a few years though I feel. As someone once said "Don't dish it unless you can take it".

And as for the complaints about the lack of French.. I think that's just a minority in Quebec who won't be happy until there's absolutely NO English at all in the Olympics. I felt they had plenty of French (and yes, I speak French). We have to remember only 1 province is, what most would consider, 'francophone' and they do not represent 1/2 the population of Canada like they sometimes seem to think.

As for Snowboarding halfpipe I think it needs a small revamp on their marking scheme. I think it should be ran like other sports with 5 marks given but the lowest and highest are 'thrown out' and you get a mark out of 30 instead of 50. Might level the playing field a bit more (Shawn White would likely still place very well though but everyone else would be more leveled).

Men's Hockey going on now and it's looking good so far (1 goal Canada! whooo).

Just my thoughts.

[Carrera75]

Originally Posted by ScubaSteve

Ok, just a disclaimer, this isn't a response to anyone here. More just a bit of a rant after reading some stupid article in the paper this morning.

You know, I gotta say... people just really like to bitch and find fault in everything. Aside from the luge incident, most of these problems are pretty minor in the big picture and many, the media especially, are losing sight of that. I used to be an event planner so I know what kind of crazy crap happens that you don't expect and I have to say that the organizers are doing a pretty good job at taking it in stride. Yeah, ok... they could have made a few better calls here and there but overall they're doing well.

I want to meet the guy who was able to reprogram that whole set-up to run with three arms in 30 seconds and give him a high-five and a case of beer. In show business, s*** happens but the show must go on.

So what if they had to cancel some tickets for Cypress, this isn't the first time that has had to happen for an Olympic venue. And this was done for safety reasons! I saw the standing area the other day and it wasn't looking to pretty. This was a smart call on Vanoc's behalf.

The luge incident is very tragic but it could not have been predicted. I agree that a safety wall would have been good there in the first place, though a rider coming out of the track at that part of the course is just... unbelievable. I was shocked. That was a freak accident. I feel absolutely terrible for him, his family and friends. I must say though he did make a mistake that lead to what happened. I say this not to point the finger elsewhere but more to the point that there were many factors that went it this other than some murderous sliding track that is appeased by death and destruction like it being made out to be.

One of my friends is on the Canadian Sliding team (He better win a gold!) and he said that though the track was a bit crazy he nad many of the riders actually enjoyed it as it IS challenging. He said that sliders are speed-freaks and the faster track was cool to them. He said that when you see the best of the best finding a course challenging (our track isn't the only fast one in the world by the way) it changes the dynamics of the competition. I only tell you guys this just so you can hear the other perspective rather than the one-sided story we usually get told.

And this... this really irks me. Media in London is trash-talking our Olympics, calling them the worst ever... and they are blaming us for all the things that are weather related! First of all, I think it's bad taste that an upcoming host city is bad mouthing the current host. Second of all, I have to apologize to London that we did not sacrifice enough goats to the snow god and that our wizard called in sick, so we couldn't make the weather perfect. Our bad London, our bad. I gotta say it, but when I look outside right now...

I think we are having a better summer Olympics than London will!

Ranting aside, anyone see Sean White's last run in the half-pipe? Holy S***! Dude is like Superman on a snowboard.

Later folks, I'm off to go have FUN at the Olympics!

I totally agree with you Kevin!
This city is not a mess AT ALL....it has been a lot of fun since the Olympics started. It is awesome so see all the people from different countries and the amazing energy that they have brought to this city.

If you don't like the games then stay away and stop bitching.

[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.