Should The Olympics (as we know them) come to an end?

[Motor City Sonics]

Seriously.................there is so much corruption and so much of it is political, not to mention what has happened to cities before and after the Olympics,  what's the point of it anymore?   It doesn't seem to be much about sports anymore, does it?   

I don't like the fact that countries with more money get all the advantages.   We're supposed to be finding out who is the best athlete, right?  

Seeing so many cheating scandals and blatant corrupt judges (ask Roy Jones) and corruption with the officials in charge. 

Remember when, just before Obama became President, he went to speak to the committe about Chicago hosting the Olympics (I think it was for 2016) and people said he failed to get it done?    I don't know, I think he might have intentionally made sure it wouldn't be in Chicago.

It just seems like there is more negative about it these days (including the TV ratings). 

Why do the Olympics all have to take place in one area?   Why can't we have Olympics in different venues around the world for different sports.   To me, that would be the future way to do it and still keep "The Olympics".   

[romad1]

The corruption of the process is astounding.    

[Motor City Sonics]

1 minute ago, romad1 said:

The corruption of the process is astounding.    

I don't know why it continues this way.     

How about this, you find 4 or 5 places to host all the Downhill skiing events - and rotate them every 4 years

Do the same thing with a bunch of other events,  so this way The Olympics would be taking place in several places every 4 years and it works out better for scheduling, as well.   

I think it would be cool to have Olympic Hockey games all over the U.S. in one year,  Sweden another year,  Russia another year, Canada in another -   You could have qualifying games in different arenas.   Like the World Cup. 

Have Olympic events in any given year on several continents, different time zones, make the actual LIVE Olympics like a 24 hour live event.   We go now to German for this and meanwhile in Sydney this and later today from Dallas it's this event........

Now we would still have to find a way to get rid of all the horrible corruption, but I think by not having it in one place, a place that simply has too much power, you cut down on that part.   

Don't know what to do about 15 year olds on doping programs or Ski jumpers eliminated for their outfits (has to be political),  but it is time to try something different or just end it.  It's not about sports anymore.  Not even a little bit.  Everything is a controversy and this whole national pride bullshit sucks.   I just want to see the best doing amazing things, I don't care where they are from.   

 

 

 

[Motown Bombers]

Detroit made many bids for the Olympics and holds the dubios distinction for the most ever bids without ever winning the games. Detroit came close finishing runner up an 1964 and 1968. Detroit was the front runner for the 1968 games. Can't imagine how things would be different for the city. The Lions are almost guaranteed to never move to Pontiac as they would move into the new Olympic Stadium. Do the Tigers join them? Do the riots in 1967 still happen? If so, do we see unrest during the 1968 games? Anyways, here's a video Detroit submitted for the 1968 games. It appears the new stadium would have been at the fairgrounds. 

 

[gehringer_2]

17 minutes ago, Motown Bombers said:

Detroit made many bids for the Olympics and holds the dubios distinction for the most ever bids without ever winning the games. Detroit came close finishing runner up an 1964 and 1968. Detroit was the front runner for the 1968 games. Can't imagine how things would be different for the city. The Lions are almost guaranteed to never move to Pontiac as they would move into the new Olympic Stadium. Do the Tigers join them? Do the riots in 1967 still happen? If so, do we see unrest during the 1968 games? Anyways, here's a video Detroit submitted for the 1968 games. It appears the new stadium would have been at the fairgrounds. 

 

there would have been a riverfront cookie cutter round stadium, which time would have proved to have been a terrible idea.

Edited February 10, 2022 by gehringer_2

[Motown Bombers]

Just now, gehringer_2 said:

there would have been a riverfront stadium, which time would have proved to have been a terrible idea.

I would have been in favor of a riverfront stadium where Joe Louis Arena ended up being. Positioned right, the Renaissance Center would be dead center with the rest of downtown to the left and the Detroit River and Windsor to the right. 

I know in other proposals the fairgrounds were proposed as a stadium location. I would have preferred to Ford Field's location. 

[gehringer_2]

23 minutes ago, Motown Bombers said:

I would have been in favor of a riverfront stadium where Joe Louis Arena ended up being. Positioned right, the Renaissance Center would be dead center with the rest of downtown to the left and the Detroit River and Windsor to the right. 

I know in other proposals the fairgrounds were proposed as a stadium location. I would have preferred to Ford Field's location. 

River front is wasted on a stadium, plus it means you can only have road access on one side. Open/park/walkable spaces make for a better riverfront -- roads on all sides make better stadiums. But the big thing is that all the stadiums built in the 60's turned out to be terrible - the mulitpurpose idea was dominant then and all those parks were monstrosities. We'd have had to have torn it down by now, just like StL, Philly, Cinci, etc.

[Motown Bombers]

5 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said:

River front is wasted on a stadium, plus it means you can only have road access on one side. Open/park/walkable spaces make for a better riverfront -- roads on all sides make better stadiums. But the big thing is that all the stadiums built in the 60's turned out to be terrible - the mulitpurpose idea was dominant then and all those parks were monstrosities. We'd have had to have torn it down by now, just like StL, Philly, Cinci, etc.

It would have been right next to Cobo Hall which was already there. It would have been built to host the Olympic games so not necessarily a multipurpose stadium unless they modified it to accommodate the Tigers.  And speaking of Cincinnati, their stadium is on the river. Both of them. Same as Pittsburgh. Chicago and Cleveland also have waterfront stadiums. 

[pfife]

Well.... I can't argue everything you guys are saying here about the corruption and inequities, that's all true... but I love the olympics and really would miss them.   I suspect I'm a rarity these days.   I try to watch as much of it as I can when they're happening.  

Last night on snowboarding this dude ripped a run that the commentators were saying was literally the most difficult run anyone has ever pulled off in competition before, and the judges gave him 2nd place.   Commercial, they come back, still talking about it, like the commentators are completely outraged and think it could be a mistake.... nope....    Anyways I'm not skilled enough to know whether the commentators were right but just last night you could make the case the judges screwed someone.   

I generally do think judges in sports suck but I still like the sports themselves.

[John_Brian_K]

20 minutes ago, pfife said:

Well.... I can't argue everything you guys are saying here about the corruption and inequities, that's all true... but I love the olympics and really would miss them.   I suspect I'm a rarity these days.   I try to watch as much of it as I can when they're happening.  

Last night on snowboarding this dude ripped a run that the commentators were saying was literally the most difficult run anyone has ever pulled off in competition before, and the judges gave him 2nd place.   Commercial, they come back, still talking about it, like the commentators are completely outraged and think it could be a mistake.... nope....    Anyways I'm not skilled enough to know whether the commentators were right but just last night you could make the case the judges screwed someone.   

I generally do think judges in sports suck but I still like the sports themselves.

I saw that as well...dude was LIVID.  He was like "I have been doing this for 30 years and have NO IDEA how that was not a 98...where are the deductions?"  as they showed the replay.  I am also not skilled enough in the sport to have any idea, but it was an American commentator talking about a Japanese boarder so it is not like it was a bias thing.

From my unskilled eye there were a few runs that seemed to get waay more than they should have and some who got shafted.  I turned it off after Shawn Whites last run ended with him ditching.  

[John_Brian_K]

As far as the Olympics coming to an end....I know what MCS is saying...not to stop having them just change the locations in ways that may help take politics out of it.  I think politics has ALWAYS played a part in them, but again we are in a 24 hour news cycle with the internet...everything gets out so I think it feels like there is more now, but it is probably pretty par for the course.

I do like the idea of certain areas always hosting certain things...you would have to divvy it all up though so it was fair to all the main nations of the world.  Even then someone would claim "x country" is getting the "better" events or something...I do not think there would EVER be an end to the bickering.

[Motor City Sonics]

10 hours ago, John_Brian_K said:

As far as the Olympics coming to an end....I know what MCS is saying...not to stop having them just change the locations in ways that may help take politics out of it.  I think politics has ALWAYS played a part in them, but again we are in a 24 hour news cycle with the internet...everything gets out so I think it feels like there is more now, but it is probably pretty par for the course.

I do like the idea of certain areas always hosting certain things...you would have to divvy it all up though so it was fair to all the main nations of the world.  Even then someone would claim "x country" is getting the "better" events or something...I do not think there would EVER be an end to the bickering.

I would not want the same place to have the skiing events every 4 years, but pick 4 places where the athletes say the skiing is the best and most challenging and rotate them every 4 years.  Do that with subcategories.   You could have sets of Olympic events going on in the same Olympics in Asia, North America, Western Europe, Easter Europe and South America (in the Summer) all in the same Olympics.    Ooooh, so we would lose the Opening Ceremony.............who cares about that.  Those cost more than the GDP of half the countries on the planet anyway.   Make it truly world wide every Olympics.  

Edited February 12, 2022 by Motor City Sonics

[Hongbit]

The Olympics are an aging dinosaur that doesn’t seem to acknowledge its declining interest.  It’s become more of a business and marketing venture than an athletic competition   

Even so, I’ll be staying up tonight as  there isn’t much better for a hockey fan than USA and Canada going at it on Olympic ice.  

[MichiganCardinal]

I wish more of the major sports (particularly hockey) would do what baseball and soccer have, and make their own version of the Olympics.

Have it in rotating locations or don’t, I don’t really care. Having a national pride element to the games is cool every few years, but the Olympics are just dreadful as an organizer for it.

[gehringer_2]

12 hours ago, pfife said:

Well.... I can't argue everything you guys are saying here about the corruption and inequities, that's all true... but I love the olympics and really would miss them.   I suspect I'm a rarity these days.   I try to watch as much of it as I can when they're happening.  

Last night on snowboarding this dude ripped a run that the commentators were saying was literally the most difficult run anyone has ever pulled off in competition before, and the judges gave him 2nd place.   Commercial, they come back, still talking about it, like the commentators are completely outraged and think it could be a mistake.... nope....    Anyways I'm not skilled enough to know whether the commentators were right but just last night you could make the case the judges screwed someone.   

I generally do think judges in sports suck but I still like the sports themselves.

I don't like the trend to 15 second competitions judged on 2 second subset of that. FIgure skating has gotten that way - the whole performance wins or loses based on a single feat spit second action. It's some form of entertainment but is it actually sport? There are a whole bunch of events - esp in the winter olympics but more in the summer as well,  that are all just variations of dance competitions - some in the air above the snow, some on the ice, or on mats - but basically still all just dance competitions with different geometries. I have a pretty limited taste for any of that any more. Give me a biathlon or even curling match and I'll call that sport over the rest.

[Motor City Sonics]

After this latest debacle with the Russian cheater in figure skating...........I am fully on board with getting rid of the Olympics once and for all.    It's pure corruption.    Just end it.  

[Netnerd]

I don’t care whether or not the Olympic Games end. I haven’t paid attention to them for a long time. My life already has more contrived drama than I need.