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Hydrogen
Guest
Do yourself a favour and read read post #70 very slowly.
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Toronto Strong Contender For Olympic Games - IOC President
- Thread starter Kitsune
- Start date
Do yourself a favour and read read post #70 very slowly.
H
Hydrogen
Guest
Is there something unrealistic about finding the Olympics a silly exercise in sporting nationalism? And considering the money spent of anti-doping investigations (and getting around such investigations), it's hardly just a celebration of athleticism alone.
Personally, I find it silly that so many people will end up and whining and complaining about Canada's metal standings at the end of every olympics, and then demand that millions be poured into supporting athletes so as to get a few more gold, silver or bronze awards.
These games are simply too rich for most cities.
scarberiankhatru
Senior Member
It's certainly not sillier than the World Cup (which most nations don't even get to compete in). Did I say it was a celebration of athleticism alone? Nope, just that the emphasis is there.
Some host cities have tied too much urban development to the games but there's no law that says this must be done. The Olympic legacy of burdensome costs lies almost exclusively on Montreal's stadium. At least cities get infrastructure out of the deal if they blow their budget. Most cities can't host the Olympics, anyway, since it takes a large urban region to handle the huge crowds and the many events. So there'll be no Flin Flon 2020 bid...so what?
The oneupmanship may not continue. It's also possible that by the time Toronto wins a games, we may not be looking to the Olympics to trigger urban developments, in which case we may seek the Olympics to celebrate the city we have instead of the city we could have (it's no secret that there was a hint of Melgalomania in past bids).
TOareaFan
Superstar
I did....I found the implication that the World Cup is not commercialized and is, somehow, purer to be quite humerous....also (as I keep reminding people) no city in the world bids for or hosts the world cup. The World Cup is awarded to countries and there are limits placed on how many matches/groups can be based in any one city.....so we really have to leave the World Cup out of any discussion within a thread called "Toronto Issues"
Good thing I read it slow...the subtleties of your post were lost on me at full speed!
TOareaFan
Superstar
Every country with a football/soccer organization affilliated/recognized by FIFA gets to compete in the World Cup....and that means just about every country in the world.
The problem is that the 3 - 4 week event that most North Americans call "The FIFA World Cup" is actually "The World Cup Finals" and there have been 3 - 4 years of competition leading up to it.
As an example, Canada's 2010 World Cup campaign started on the 15th of June 2008 and ended on November 19th 2008. The competition for the right to represent this part of the world wraps up in October 2009.
But, as I have said, there is not much point discussing the World Cup in a Toronto Issues thread....World Cups are not awarded to cities they are awarded to countries.
H
Hydrogen
Guest
I did....I found the implication that the World Cup is not commercialized and is, somehow, purer to be quite humerous....also (as I keep reminding people) no city in the world bids for or hosts the world cup. The World Cup is awarded to countries and there are limits placed on how many matches/groups can be based in any one city.....so we really have to leave the World Cup out of any discussion within a thread called "Toronto Issues"
Good thing I read it slow...the subtleties of your post were lost on me at full speed!
If you had actually read post #70 slowly as I suggested to you, you would have noted that I never said anything about the World Cup not being commercialized. In fact, like all other professional sports it is heavily commercialized. There was nothing particularly subtle there to confuse you.
At no point did I compare sporting events like the Olympics as being the same as the World Cup. Again, you just read too much into my post. Neither the Olympics nor the World Cup are awarded (selected) without some form of bidding, statement of interest or something to that effect.
So read slowly.
scarberiankhatru
Senior Member
You know perfectly well that I'm talking about the finals. No one cares about the qualification (just like no one cares about the umpteen Olympic qualifying events).
TOareaFan
Superstar
Actually, it sounded like you did not know the tournament was a 3 - 4 year thing....sorry for mis-reading it.
It was the comment you made "most nations don't even get to compete in"....i guess you meant "most nations aren't good enough to qualify for" because all nations do get to compete...just some (like us!!!) aren't good enough to be around for the finals (it is a lot like the NCAA basketball championships in the states....if you follow the tournament you follow every round but the casual fan thinks of it as a 2 day event at the end of March between 4 teams....or, to Canadianize it, the Memorial Cup....those of us who are Junior hockey fans know that there are over 60 teams playing all fall/winter to be one of the 4 teams in the Memorial Cup....the rest of the country hears about the one week tournament and thinks of it as a 4 team event)..
A lot of people do care about the World Cup Quaulification...the crowds are large and passionate and the broadcast revenues huge (for the big areas like Europe and South America).
scarberiankhatru
Senior Member
Everybody knows that there are qualifying events, just like everybody knows March Madness involves more than 4 teams.
TOareaFan
Superstar
Then everybody should know a that all nations (if they want to) can compete in the World Cup
Anyway....lets move on, we are arguing over something that can't happen....Toronto (any city) cannot host a World Cup (no matter if you define it as a 3 week tournament or a 3 year tournament).
scarberiankhatru
Senior Member
Then everybody should know a that all nations (if they want to) can compete in the World Cup
Anyway....lets move on, we are arguing over something that can't happen....Toronto (any city) cannot host a World Cup (no matter if you define it as a 3 week tournament or a 3 year tournament).
No, only a few dozen nations get to compete in it, just like only a few dozen or fewer nations get to compete in any single Olympic event (but virtually every nation sends athletes because there's many events). We were only ever talking about or defining the World Cup as the quadrennial championship, which is the only part anyone cares about hosting.
TOareaFan
Superstar
It is all semantics....everyone "gets" to compete...just only 32 at a time are good enough to get to the finals.
True...which makes it all the more frustrating that we ended up arguing about this....as I said, no city can host the World Cup so we should have just dismissed the notion of Toronto bidding to host it on that basis alone.
scarberiankhatru
Senior Member
Toronto could host a CONCACAF qualifier, which your semantics would interpret as Toronto hosting "the World Cup."
jn_12
Senior Member
which we did host quite well last summer. Probably the greatest sporting event I've ever attended. The crowd and atmosphere was amazing. It's only too bad the best Canada could do was a draw (despite the fact they should have won), but considering it was game one of six there was a lot of hope and optimism in the crowd that fueled the energy.
I think it showed that Canada is starting to develop a following at the international level. Toronto FC has a lot to do with that. The problem is that people look at something like this and think "maybe we (Canada) can get a World Cup" and they don't realize all the logistical issues behind it.
I think a CONCACAF Gold Cup could have some potential here. Unfortunately, it seems like the US has a stranglehold over this event, but I think Canada (with games in Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton and maybe Vancouver or Ottawa depending on their ability to get an MLS team) could hold an event of this size with a far bit of success. At least it's a tournament we regularly do well in.
I think it showed that Canada is starting to develop a following at the international level. Toronto FC has a lot to do with that. The problem is that people look at something like this and think "maybe we (Canada) can get a World Cup" and they don't realize all the logistical issues behind it.
I think a CONCACAF Gold Cup could have some potential here. Unfortunately, it seems like the US has a stranglehold over this event, but I think Canada (with games in Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton and maybe Vancouver or Ottawa depending on their ability to get an MLS team) could hold an event of this size with a far bit of success. At least it's a tournament we regularly do well in.
Irishmonk
Senior Member
I think once Iggy and the Liberals take command Toronto will do much better on the infrastructure front.
On a different note, I think that Cities Bidding For an Olympics would make for one hilarious reality TV show. Imagine Richard Pound in the Simon Cowell role, delivering snark to the quivering mayors as they grovel on stage, while Count Jacques Rogge tries to buck them up with saccharine encouragement and promises that next time they could win it all.
On a different note, I think that Cities Bidding For an Olympics would make for one hilarious reality TV show. Imagine Richard Pound in the Simon Cowell role, delivering snark to the quivering mayors as they grovel on stage, while Count Jacques Rogge tries to buck them up with saccharine encouragement and promises that next time they could win it all.