taal
Senior Member
lol!
It does bear an uncanny resemblance.
It does bear an uncanny resemblance.
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Toronto 2015 Pan American Games
- Thread starter FutureMayor
- Start date
wyliepoon
Senior Member
Without a really good and highly coordinated transportation plan (including regional rapid transit), the "Golden Horseshoe" 2015 Games might end up with similar problems as the 1996 Atlanta Olympics - shortage of bus drivers, athletes quitting the Athletes' Village to stay in hotels near the venue, and even rumours of athletes commandeering buses in a bid to get to their event in time.
TOareaFan
Superstar
My biggest concern about the spread out nature of the proposed games is the impact it will have on the various transit plans that are floating around.
If facilities are built in a spread out fashion it will put pressure on bodies like Metrolinx to re-prioritze projects to meet the travelling needs of athletes, officials and spectators for a two week sporting festival rather than for the long term needs of workers and commuters in the region.
If, however, the games people actually take the time to sit with the transit folks and say "ok....what will you have built and running by 2015.....we will put our facilities near those.." that would be good in, both, the long and short term.
The question is....can we set aside regional politics enough to allow that sort of rational, thoughtful planning?
If facilities are built in a spread out fashion it will put pressure on bodies like Metrolinx to re-prioritze projects to meet the travelling needs of athletes, officials and spectators for a two week sporting festival rather than for the long term needs of workers and commuters in the region.
If, however, the games people actually take the time to sit with the transit folks and say "ok....what will you have built and running by 2015.....we will put our facilities near those.." that would be good in, both, the long and short term.
The question is....can we set aside regional politics enough to allow that sort of rational, thoughtful planning?
TJ O'Pootertoot
Senior Member
On that note, I wonder if some things can be fast-tracked.
Like, if the Yonge Subway extension is supposed to up by 2016, I wonder if they can pay some overtime and get it running in time for the games (let's say, by leaving construction of the smaller stations until after or something)??
Does anyone know how they're picking the venues or when the list will be finalized?
Like, if the Yonge Subway extension is supposed to up by 2016, I wonder if they can pay some overtime and get it running in time for the games (let's say, by leaving construction of the smaller stations until after or something)??
Does anyone know how they're picking the venues or when the list will be finalized?
khris
Senior Member
Pan Am bid seen as economic salve
Toronto's plan to host 2015 Games would spur much-needed spending on infrastructure
Dec 24, 2008 04:30 AM
Vanessa Lu
CITY HALL BUREAU CHIEF
If there's any silver lining to the economic crisis, it's that governments are more willing to open their wallets. Backers of the Toronto bid to host the 2015 Pan Am Games say that change of mindset should benefit them.
"We're the solution," said David Peterson, chair of the 2015 bid committee. "Everybody is talking about infrastructure. We can deliver this stuff fast."
Jagoda Pike, president and CEO of the bid committee, said the games proposal fits perfectly into "the desire to invest in infrastructure, move projects quickly and build jobs as a result."
The games would use existing facilities where available, but others would need to be built – a velodrome, pools for swimming and diving competitions, and permanent training facilities.
"It's about building a sustainable legacy, not a crazy legacy," Peterson said. "Build what we need in the right places that can help little kids in the future, and also help high-performance athletes."
The province's lack of high-level facilities has been blamed for the shrinking number of Ontario athletes who make Canada's Olympic teams.
Ontarians used to comprise more than half of the county's Olympic teams, and now it's less than 25 per cent.
After several failed bids, including one for the 2008 Summer Olympics, Toronto is hoping this one will finally put the city on the podium.
Leading a regional bid, supported by the federal and provincial governments, Toronto wants to host the games, which bring together athletes from 42 countries across the Americas and the Caribbean every four years. It will be touted as a Toronto bid internationally, but the event will span the Golden Horseshoe, with venues dotted across the region.
Of the $1.77 billion bid, $500 million will come from the federal government, with Queen's Park promising to pick up any shortfall. Cities would be expected to contribute a share toward construction if a new facility is built in their municipality.
Peterson won't tip his hand about which cities will host which sports, including those popular with spectators such as track and field, swimming and gymnastics.
Many cities are vying for venues, especially Hamilton, which is eager for funds to refurbish the aging Ivor Wynne Stadium, now home to the CFL's Tiger-Cats.
However, the opening and closing ceremonies would be in Toronto, likely at the Rogers Centre. Other venues would probably include the Air Canada Centre, BMO Field and the trade centre at Exhibition Place. The key question is where to put the athletes' village. Organizers want to ensure there is proximity to competition sites, preferably through transit links.
It is possible that existing university residences could be used, or a new facility would be built that could be turned into affordable housing after the games.
Toronto is competing against Bogota, Colombia, and Lima, Peru. Submissions with the technical details including venue locations are due at the end of April.
An international evaluation team is expected to visit all three cities to conduct an assessment.
The final decision by the Pan American Sports Organization Association is expected in late summer or early fall.
All 42 nations have one vote, but those who have hosted a previous Pan Am Games get an additional vote, including Canada. In all, there are 52 votes.
Peterson and Pike will travel to meetings of Caribbean and Central American Olympic committees in January to push Toronto's bid.
For the Canadian Olympic Committee, an enthusiastic supporter of the bid, the priority is creating a sports institute that can focus on athlete development. That means bringing together, under one roof, training facilities for several sports plus researchers and medical support like physicians, physiotherapists and psychologists.
"We have nothing that approaches that, other than a passion and will to succeed," said Chris Rudge, CEO of the Canadian Olympic Committee. "If you have it, you end up with high-performing athletes, training together, feeding off each other. It's a crucible for learning."
Several cities are eager to house a Canadian Sports Institute, notably Markham. Ideally, the facility could be used for recreation for everyone from children to Olympic-calibre athletes, in various sports.
Markham has already earmarked $69 million for the project, as well as a possible location near the GO station at Highway 407 and Kennedy Rd. It would still need millions of dollars from other governments.
Though the Pan Am Games are a two-week sporting event, organizers want to tie them into other cultural events. A tentative date could be in late July, which would mean the Games could be linked to the annual Caribana festival, held over the August long weekend.
Mayor David Miller said the city is fully committed to the bid, now that Ottawa and Queen's Park have given their financial support.
"I think we should be proud to put Toronto on the world stage, but if we commit to this, we need to win," Miller told city council this month. "A strong vote is important to us to show the city's enthusiasm, not just to our organizing committee, but those we're competing with."
Council endorsed the bid with only Councillor Michael Walker in opposition.
Miller said, "There's a chance for us to showcase Toronto to the world, and build those legacies in neighbourhoods that need it the most."
Source
Toronto's plan to host 2015 Games would spur much-needed spending on infrastructure
Dec 24, 2008 04:30 AM
Vanessa Lu
CITY HALL BUREAU CHIEF
If there's any silver lining to the economic crisis, it's that governments are more willing to open their wallets. Backers of the Toronto bid to host the 2015 Pan Am Games say that change of mindset should benefit them.
"We're the solution," said David Peterson, chair of the 2015 bid committee. "Everybody is talking about infrastructure. We can deliver this stuff fast."
Jagoda Pike, president and CEO of the bid committee, said the games proposal fits perfectly into "the desire to invest in infrastructure, move projects quickly and build jobs as a result."
The games would use existing facilities where available, but others would need to be built – a velodrome, pools for swimming and diving competitions, and permanent training facilities.
"It's about building a sustainable legacy, not a crazy legacy," Peterson said. "Build what we need in the right places that can help little kids in the future, and also help high-performance athletes."
The province's lack of high-level facilities has been blamed for the shrinking number of Ontario athletes who make Canada's Olympic teams.
Ontarians used to comprise more than half of the county's Olympic teams, and now it's less than 25 per cent.
After several failed bids, including one for the 2008 Summer Olympics, Toronto is hoping this one will finally put the city on the podium.
Leading a regional bid, supported by the federal and provincial governments, Toronto wants to host the games, which bring together athletes from 42 countries across the Americas and the Caribbean every four years. It will be touted as a Toronto bid internationally, but the event will span the Golden Horseshoe, with venues dotted across the region.
Of the $1.77 billion bid, $500 million will come from the federal government, with Queen's Park promising to pick up any shortfall. Cities would be expected to contribute a share toward construction if a new facility is built in their municipality.
Peterson won't tip his hand about which cities will host which sports, including those popular with spectators such as track and field, swimming and gymnastics.
Many cities are vying for venues, especially Hamilton, which is eager for funds to refurbish the aging Ivor Wynne Stadium, now home to the CFL's Tiger-Cats.
However, the opening and closing ceremonies would be in Toronto, likely at the Rogers Centre. Other venues would probably include the Air Canada Centre, BMO Field and the trade centre at Exhibition Place. The key question is where to put the athletes' village. Organizers want to ensure there is proximity to competition sites, preferably through transit links.
It is possible that existing university residences could be used, or a new facility would be built that could be turned into affordable housing after the games.
Toronto is competing against Bogota, Colombia, and Lima, Peru. Submissions with the technical details including venue locations are due at the end of April.
An international evaluation team is expected to visit all three cities to conduct an assessment.
The final decision by the Pan American Sports Organization Association is expected in late summer or early fall.
All 42 nations have one vote, but those who have hosted a previous Pan Am Games get an additional vote, including Canada. In all, there are 52 votes.
Peterson and Pike will travel to meetings of Caribbean and Central American Olympic committees in January to push Toronto's bid.
For the Canadian Olympic Committee, an enthusiastic supporter of the bid, the priority is creating a sports institute that can focus on athlete development. That means bringing together, under one roof, training facilities for several sports plus researchers and medical support like physicians, physiotherapists and psychologists.
"We have nothing that approaches that, other than a passion and will to succeed," said Chris Rudge, CEO of the Canadian Olympic Committee. "If you have it, you end up with high-performing athletes, training together, feeding off each other. It's a crucible for learning."
Several cities are eager to house a Canadian Sports Institute, notably Markham. Ideally, the facility could be used for recreation for everyone from children to Olympic-calibre athletes, in various sports.
Markham has already earmarked $69 million for the project, as well as a possible location near the GO station at Highway 407 and Kennedy Rd. It would still need millions of dollars from other governments.
Though the Pan Am Games are a two-week sporting event, organizers want to tie them into other cultural events. A tentative date could be in late July, which would mean the Games could be linked to the annual Caribana festival, held over the August long weekend.
Mayor David Miller said the city is fully committed to the bid, now that Ottawa and Queen's Park have given their financial support.
"I think we should be proud to put Toronto on the world stage, but if we commit to this, we need to win," Miller told city council this month. "A strong vote is important to us to show the city's enthusiasm, not just to our organizing committee, but those we're competing with."
Council endorsed the bid with only Councillor Michael Walker in opposition.
Miller said, "There's a chance for us to showcase Toronto to the world, and build those legacies in neighbourhoods that need it the most."
Source
toforumer
Active Member
This bid is a waste of Toronto's time.
It's imminent that Hamilton will be getting a brand new stadium and Veledrome out of this.
What is Toronto getting? Nothing really.
This bid is looking like a joke. They're using Toronto's name to market this bid internationally. Meanwhile, they're just deceiving the international community into believing this.
What events will Toronto be hosting?
-Opening/Closing Ceremonies at Rogers Centre
-Basketball at ACC
-Football at BMO Field
-Baseball at Rogers Centre
-Gymnastics at Direct Energy Centre
Fun Fun Fun...lol
At least give the city that your using their name for the bid "Athletics" and "Aquatics". And build up a couple of new sporting venues here. It seems like Toronto is getting the short end of the stick here.
Waste of time in my opinion. Hamilton should have bid for this third-tier sporting event on their own. Instead they're just using Toronto's name to get recognized because no one really knows of Hamilton outside of those that live in Southern Ontario.
It's imminent that Hamilton will be getting a brand new stadium and Veledrome out of this.
What is Toronto getting? Nothing really.
This bid is looking like a joke. They're using Toronto's name to market this bid internationally. Meanwhile, they're just deceiving the international community into believing this.
What events will Toronto be hosting?
-Opening/Closing Ceremonies at Rogers Centre
-Basketball at ACC
-Football at BMO Field
-Baseball at Rogers Centre
-Gymnastics at Direct Energy Centre
Fun Fun Fun...lol
At least give the city that your using their name for the bid "Athletics" and "Aquatics". And build up a couple of new sporting venues here. It seems like Toronto is getting the short end of the stick here.
Waste of time in my opinion. Hamilton should have bid for this third-tier sporting event on their own. Instead they're just using Toronto's name to get recognized because no one really knows of Hamilton outside of those that live in Southern Ontario.
Tuscani01
Senior Member
If I remember correctly, Toronto is the only city that does not want to put any money into this event. Toronto is getting the short end of the stick because that is all it wants.
Whoaccio
Senior Member
I am inclined to agree with toforumer on this. The PanAm bid is stupid. Everything about it. If the Ontario Liberals are just looking for a way to spend money on stadiums in their bread and butter regions, I would rather they just built Hamilton a few stadiums and left these games be. Let Lima have it.
J
Janbe
Guest
GTA Needs the facilities. Hamilton is asking for 220 Million dollars worth of facilities out of a total 1.8 Billion dollars. The rest of the money will likely be built around the GTA.
Automation Gallery
Superstar
When it comes to worldwide events like Olympics or World Fairs this province and city have proven through out the past years to have weak bids and weak leadership from our politicians.They all want an easy term in office with not to much stress and then a tasty appointment in the private sector.Let the next guy do it.Its all about survival.
J
Janbe
Guest
Toronto actually has a very good shot at winning this bid.
khris
Senior Member
Toronto in line for Pan Am athletes village if Games bid successful
The final submission for the Golden Horseshoe 2015 Pan Am Games bid is still a few months away, but if the bid is successful the city of Toronto could be in line for one of the biggest prizes.
In anticipation of winning the Games, the organizing committee will release within the next few weeks a list of where the hundreds of millions of dollars for new athletic and housing facilities would be spent.
As many as four new swimming pools would be built, along with other facilities to accommodate track and field and other sports. The venues would be spread across the Golden Horseshoe, from Niagara to Durham.
But the biggest prize would be the athletes village, and one source has told CBC News that the village would be built in Toronto, either on the West Don Lands or at York University.
The total cost of the village would be close to $1 billion.
The president of the Pan Am bid, Jagoda Pike, said the other regions would also benefit. The new facilities would be spread across the region and mean an investment of a further $1 billion.
"I think folks understand they can't have [everything] they would like. There's a longer wish list than there is money to fund it. But so far it's been very constructive," she said.
The new sports infrastructure would also help boost the economy in the Golden Horseshoe.
The final bids are due to be submitted to the organizing committee by April.
The final decision on which city will get the 2015 Games is due this fall.
The Golden Horseshoe bid is up against three South American cities: Bogota, Colombia; Caracas, Venezuela; and Lima, Peru.
If the Ontario bid is successful construction could start in the spring of 2010.
Source
The final submission for the Golden Horseshoe 2015 Pan Am Games bid is still a few months away, but if the bid is successful the city of Toronto could be in line for one of the biggest prizes.
In anticipation of winning the Games, the organizing committee will release within the next few weeks a list of where the hundreds of millions of dollars for new athletic and housing facilities would be spent.
As many as four new swimming pools would be built, along with other facilities to accommodate track and field and other sports. The venues would be spread across the Golden Horseshoe, from Niagara to Durham.
But the biggest prize would be the athletes village, and one source has told CBC News that the village would be built in Toronto, either on the West Don Lands or at York University.
The total cost of the village would be close to $1 billion.
The president of the Pan Am bid, Jagoda Pike, said the other regions would also benefit. The new facilities would be spread across the region and mean an investment of a further $1 billion.
"I think folks understand they can't have [everything] they would like. There's a longer wish list than there is money to fund it. But so far it's been very constructive," she said.
The new sports infrastructure would also help boost the economy in the Golden Horseshoe.
The final bids are due to be submitted to the organizing committee by April.
The final decision on which city will get the 2015 Games is due this fall.
The Golden Horseshoe bid is up against three South American cities: Bogota, Colombia; Caracas, Venezuela; and Lima, Peru.
If the Ontario bid is successful construction could start in the spring of 2010.
Source
wyliepoon
Senior Member
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/...or-pan-am-games-would-be-a-loss-for-city.aspx
Urban Scrawl: Winning bid for Pan Am games would be a loss for city
Posted: January 19, 2009, 8:00 AM by Ronald Nurwisah
Urban Scrawl
Comment by David Menzies, National Post
If you believe the promoters of the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games Committee, snagging the athletic gala will prove an enormous shot in the arm for the city.
For starters, the committee claims the Pan Am Games could generate close to $2-billion in economic activity; building the facilities will create 17,000 jobs; and the games will lure an estimated 250,000 tourists to the GTA.
Alas, the estimated cost of the games is pegged at nearly $2-billion, to be split by the provincial and federal governments as well as Toronto and other municipalities. Yet, surprisingly, according to Toronto’s Pan Am prophets, going full-speed ahead with a multi-billion investment during a dire economic meltdown actually makes good fiscal sense.
“We are the solution,†notes David Peterson, former Ontario premier and current chair of the Toronto Pan Am Games 2015 bid committee. “It is about building a sustainable legacy.â€
Hate to be a party-pooper but, as the saying goes, “Don’t believe the hype.†Here’s a Top Four list as to why Toronto should pull its bid to host the Pan Am Games:
1 Wrong place, wrong time, wrong economic conditions
Funding a bread-and-circuses gala such as the Pan Am Games is a bad idea in good times. During a recession, it’s truly awful. When Winnipeg hosted the games in heady 1999, the city reported an operating loss; meanwhile, a hoped-for increase in tourism to offset this loss never did materialize. Keep in mind that Toronto’s debt-load is already pegged at nearly $3-billion.
In addition to all levels of government investing hundreds of millions, the Toronto committee is counting on corporate sponsorship money. But from whom? The economic crisis has seen the likes of NASCAR and Formula One lose blue chip sponsors.
2 What “legacy�
Proponents of the Pan Am Games speak glowingly of the “legacy†the facilities will have long after the games are over. Really? One of the required multimillion infrastructure nuggets Toronto must construct for 2015 is a velodrome for cycling. How curious that less than 15 years after Montreal hosted the 1976 Olympic Games, a chainsaw was taken to the teak track of the Montreal velodrome to convert that facility into a zoological garden. That city’s now-obsolete Olympic Stadium, meanwhile, has been already abandoned by its major tenants.
3 Mega-Project Economics 101
As just about every Olympic Games has proven, the estimated budget for constructing facilities is always ridiculously low only to balloon into the stratosphere once the concrete starts to pour. Guess who’s always left holding the bag?
Indeed, in Five Ring Circus: Myths and Realities of the Olympic Games (New Society Publishers), author Christopher A. Shaw notes the original estimate for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games was $1.68-billion in construction costs plus an additional $580 million in operating costs. Today, the construction costs alone are pegged at an astounding $5.077-billion.
Torontonians have already experienced mega-project sticker shock courtesy of SkyDome. The multipurpose stadium was supposed to cost about $150-million although the final tally was closer to $600-million. Oddly, unlike every other piece of Toronto real estate over the past two decades, SkyDome’s market value plunged over the years, allowing Rogers Communications to but it for a mere $25-million in 2004.
4 Nobody cares
Finally, the most prevailing argument against staging the Pan Am Games is nobody cares about the Pan Am Games — including the athletes who compete in the Pan Am Games.
Indeed, at the 1999 Pan Am Games in Winnipeg, the U.S. team was comprised of second stringers. Meanwhile, media coverage of the event was virtually non-existent.
Toronto, spurned twice by the International Olympic Committee, doesn’t need such an unconsoling consolation prize.
Indeed, the spectre of brand new, multi-million dollar taxpayer-funded edifices devoid of spectators for athletic events nobody wants to see (handball, anyone?) is surely a vulgar concept in this day of fiscal restraint.
The decision as to which city gets to host the games is expected sometime in the summer. Hopefully the Pan Am powers-that-be will do Toronto an enormous favour: namely, award the 2015 Pan Am Games to Lima, Peru or Bogota, Colombia. Toronto can ill-afford to take posession of such a “prize.â€
National Post
Urban Scrawl: Winning bid for Pan Am games would be a loss for city
Posted: January 19, 2009, 8:00 AM by Ronald Nurwisah
Urban Scrawl
Comment by David Menzies, National Post
If you believe the promoters of the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games Committee, snagging the athletic gala will prove an enormous shot in the arm for the city.
For starters, the committee claims the Pan Am Games could generate close to $2-billion in economic activity; building the facilities will create 17,000 jobs; and the games will lure an estimated 250,000 tourists to the GTA.
Alas, the estimated cost of the games is pegged at nearly $2-billion, to be split by the provincial and federal governments as well as Toronto and other municipalities. Yet, surprisingly, according to Toronto’s Pan Am prophets, going full-speed ahead with a multi-billion investment during a dire economic meltdown actually makes good fiscal sense.
“We are the solution,†notes David Peterson, former Ontario premier and current chair of the Toronto Pan Am Games 2015 bid committee. “It is about building a sustainable legacy.â€
Hate to be a party-pooper but, as the saying goes, “Don’t believe the hype.†Here’s a Top Four list as to why Toronto should pull its bid to host the Pan Am Games:
1 Wrong place, wrong time, wrong economic conditions
Funding a bread-and-circuses gala such as the Pan Am Games is a bad idea in good times. During a recession, it’s truly awful. When Winnipeg hosted the games in heady 1999, the city reported an operating loss; meanwhile, a hoped-for increase in tourism to offset this loss never did materialize. Keep in mind that Toronto’s debt-load is already pegged at nearly $3-billion.
In addition to all levels of government investing hundreds of millions, the Toronto committee is counting on corporate sponsorship money. But from whom? The economic crisis has seen the likes of NASCAR and Formula One lose blue chip sponsors.
2 What “legacy�
Proponents of the Pan Am Games speak glowingly of the “legacy†the facilities will have long after the games are over. Really? One of the required multimillion infrastructure nuggets Toronto must construct for 2015 is a velodrome for cycling. How curious that less than 15 years after Montreal hosted the 1976 Olympic Games, a chainsaw was taken to the teak track of the Montreal velodrome to convert that facility into a zoological garden. That city’s now-obsolete Olympic Stadium, meanwhile, has been already abandoned by its major tenants.
3 Mega-Project Economics 101
As just about every Olympic Games has proven, the estimated budget for constructing facilities is always ridiculously low only to balloon into the stratosphere once the concrete starts to pour. Guess who’s always left holding the bag?
Indeed, in Five Ring Circus: Myths and Realities of the Olympic Games (New Society Publishers), author Christopher A. Shaw notes the original estimate for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games was $1.68-billion in construction costs plus an additional $580 million in operating costs. Today, the construction costs alone are pegged at an astounding $5.077-billion.
Torontonians have already experienced mega-project sticker shock courtesy of SkyDome. The multipurpose stadium was supposed to cost about $150-million although the final tally was closer to $600-million. Oddly, unlike every other piece of Toronto real estate over the past two decades, SkyDome’s market value plunged over the years, allowing Rogers Communications to but it for a mere $25-million in 2004.
4 Nobody cares
Finally, the most prevailing argument against staging the Pan Am Games is nobody cares about the Pan Am Games — including the athletes who compete in the Pan Am Games.
Indeed, at the 1999 Pan Am Games in Winnipeg, the U.S. team was comprised of second stringers. Meanwhile, media coverage of the event was virtually non-existent.
Toronto, spurned twice by the International Olympic Committee, doesn’t need such an unconsoling consolation prize.
Indeed, the spectre of brand new, multi-million dollar taxpayer-funded edifices devoid of spectators for athletic events nobody wants to see (handball, anyone?) is surely a vulgar concept in this day of fiscal restraint.
The decision as to which city gets to host the games is expected sometime in the summer. Hopefully the Pan Am powers-that-be will do Toronto an enormous favour: namely, award the 2015 Pan Am Games to Lima, Peru or Bogota, Colombia. Toronto can ill-afford to take posession of such a “prize.â€
National Post
Automation Gallery
Superstar
If we won this bid would we not be investing into the infrastructure and venues towards the next 2-3 years in order to have this build by 2015,whats this guy talking about recession and all the doom and gloom.I sure hope that by 2012 were out of this and into a boom by 2015.Now that Toronto looks like its a shoe-in to land this event the negatvity from all the leftie critics will commence.
Whoaccio
Senior Member
^
I don't think David Menzies would exactly qualify as a 'lefty critic.'
I tend to agree with him. This is just a really stupid idea. I can definitely see why hosting the Olympics would be a good idea, though there are certainly more than enough decent counter arguments. The Pan-Am games though are just a complete publicity dead zone. Can anybody tell me who is hosting the next PanAm games without checking wiki? I sure can't. (the answer is Guadalajara)
I don't think David Menzies would exactly qualify as a 'lefty critic.'
I tend to agree with him. This is just a really stupid idea. I can definitely see why hosting the Olympics would be a good idea, though there are certainly more than enough decent counter arguments. The Pan-Am games though are just a complete publicity dead zone. Can anybody tell me who is hosting the next PanAm games without checking wiki? I sure can't. (the answer is Guadalajara)