Pan Am Games disaster!

[GirlySports]

Is this going to be one of the worst sporting events in the country's history?

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...ticle25187488/

These games start in 9 days, yet as of today, the left lane of all highways within 40 miles of the city are HOV - 3 or more passengers or Pan Am officials or athletes only.

Also, these restrictions will be in force even after the Pan Am Games end (July 26) and before the Parapan Games (yes, there's a Pan Am Games for the disabled - not making fun in any way, shape or form, but how big will the crowds be for these events) begin on August 7th. They will be in place until after the parapan games end on the 15th.

So basically, the region in and around Toronto (an area of close to 6 million people) will be brutally inconvenienced for 49 days of which only 19 days will be during these games and 9 further days for the handicapped version.

There will be no crowds, Torontonians have gone full anti-Pan Am which is a shame. Why did Toronto even bid for this? I recall when it was in Winnipeg it was a success.

[lazypucker]

I just realize that Canada really is a global force, with back-to-back world class sporting events in the Women's World Cup and now the Pan-Am Games!!

Watch out world, here we come!

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

WTF?

Quit whining. If anything, the change should be permanent to encourage HOV's. Hell, we should have the same thing here.

[Tyler]

Few things are more Canadian than Canadians thinking the worst whenever they host events

[Johnny199r]

Originally Posted by Tyler

Few things are more Canadian than Canadians thinking the worst whenever they host events

Our inferiority complex and self loathing knows no bounds sometimes.

[Handsome B. Wonderful]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

So basically, the region in and around Toronto (an area of close to 6 million people) will be brutally inconvenienced for 49 days of which only 19 days will be during these games and 9 further days for the handicapped version.

I'm ok with this.

[Vulcan]

Taking the PanAm games is probably a stage in an Olympics bid. They do well here and it gives them a proven track record.

[Jets4Life]

How have ticket sales been? In Winnipeg, it was quite a success, but then again, the only major sporting games the city has held, have been the Pan AM Games. I loved the fact that the city build one of the best minor league baseball parks, for the Games.

[starseed]

I am NOT ok with this. Toronto traffic is already terrible because of their terrible transit system, poor planning, and crumbling infrastructure that always needs to be shut down for maintenance. This city did not properly prepare for this volume of people. They should have had more and longer subway lines years ago.

Toronto is a garbage city for transit and commuting. They should fix this before showcasing this garbage to the whole world. Thankfully, no one knows what the panam games are anyway, but imagine if this were an event that people actually knew about? ...like the Olympics? What an embarrassment Toronto would be to the guest countries.

I am in disbelief that Toronto made up a sports event, called it the 'panam games' and shutdown the whole city because of it. Oh well... time to spend 3 hours and 30 minutes commuting every day for much of the best season of the year. I hate Toronto. (can you tell I just got off the gardiner/427?)

[chemgear]

Well, the Pan American Games has been around for nearly a century now. Toronto didn't make it up. Being the Center of the Universe(tm), I can see why they might think that though.

If the commute is that bad and the city such garbage, maybe you might want to look at moving away from said garbage.



(I kid. Well, maybe just a little)

[bluejays]

I work in the downtown core and they're expecting it to be crazy busy, but frankly nobody is really talking about it for its sport aspect - more the inconvenience it may cause. I don't know who's going to any event either. If anyone talks about it it's just to make small talk. One of the benefits is that it's not just in Toronto, but in many surrounding cities, so for that, and lack of overall interest, I don't think it'll be that busy. The HOV thing isn't a big deal I don't think as there are already highways leading to downtown with those in place in stretches.

On a side note, I personally don't believe in funding amateur athletics. Sure, national pride is good during the Olympics, but I don't see how funding so many ridiculous sports is inspiring or at the day, pays enough dividends to justify the cost.

[NSFL]

Originally Posted by starseed

I am NOT ok with this. Toronto traffic is already terrible because of their terrible transit system, poor planning, and crumbling infrastructure that always needs to be shut down for maintenance. This city did not properly prepare for this volume of people. They should have had more and longer subway lines years ago.

Toronto is a garbage city for transit and commuting. They should fix this before showcasing this garbage to the whole world. Thankfully, no one knows what the panam games are anyway, but imagine if this were an event that people actually knew about? ...like the Olympics? What an embarrassment Toronto would be to the guest countries.

I am in disbelief that Toronto made up a sports event, called it the 'panam games' and shutdown the whole city because of it. Oh well... time to spend 3 hours and 30 minutes commuting every day for much of the best season of the year. I hate Toronto. (can you tell I just got off the gardiner/427?)

Lol, starseed. Made up the pan ams. Also, your hate. Hahaha.

[starseed]

Originally Posted by chemgear

Well, the Pan American Games has been around for nearly a century now. Toronto didn't make it up. Being the Center of the Universe(tm), I can see why they might think that though.

If the commute is that bad and the city such garbage, maybe you might want to look at moving away from said garbage.



(I kid. Well, maybe just a little)

I would move if not for the food.

[Joborule]

Originally Posted by starseed

I am NOT ok with this. Toronto traffic is already terrible because of their terrible transit system, poor planning, and crumbling infrastructure that always needs to be shut down for maintenance. This city did not properly prepare for this volume of people. They should have had more and longer subway lines years ago.

Toronto is a garbage city for transit and commuting. They should fix this before showcasing this garbage to the whole world. Thankfully, no one knows what the panam games are anyway, but imagine if this were an event that people actually knew about? ...like the Olympics? What an embarrassment Toronto would be to the guest countries.

I am in disbelief that Toronto made up a sports event, called it the 'panam games' and shutdown the whole city because of it. Oh well... time to spend 3 hours and 30 minutes commuting every day for much of the best season of the year. I hate Toronto. (can you tell I just got off the gardiner/427?)

[GirlySports]

I heard no tickets have been sold.

[getbak]

I don't understand.

On one hand, there are complaints about the crowds and traffic caused by the Games. On the other, there are complaints that no one cares and no one is going to any of the events.

[Northendzone]

So the organizers expect 250,000 people to come to these games.....wow, that number sure seems high to me, but what do I know.

Sure glad these games are not being held in calgary

[tete]

Funny - I lived in Winnipeg during the Pan Am Games in 1999 and don't remember any huge kerfuffles. I worked at a tourist site outside the city and we had a larger influx of visitors, but I don't remember any huge traffic jams or anything - I lived in essentially downtown Winnipeg and drove to work every day. Because I worked through it, I never saw any events, but did hit up a few free concerts.

I know some people personally who got shafted pre-reserving tickets - they reserved tickets for the gold medal diving competition and then when the tickets were issued, they received bronze medal tickets. When pressed for a reason, the excuse given by Pan Am was that the event times changed, and they were given tickets to the event time they chose, not the event itself. Pretty crappy excuse, I think.

[craigwd]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

I heard no tickets have been sold.

I'm making the trip to Toronto for a week to the games and am planning on attending several events. Whenever I check Ticketmaster the tickets are nearly all gone. So I don't understand the whole "nobody is attending thing".

I'm excited for the Games, I enjoy watching them every 4 years just like the CWG and OG. My friends in Toronto are also excited.

People need to realize that sometimes it's worthwhile to put up with a little inconvenience once in a while when the payoff is so worthwhile. What is the probability of another multisport games occurring in the near future?

So what if it takes a few more minutes to get to work? Leave earlier, take trandit, enjoy the summer day, take some time off to see a sport you've never seen live before.

Sure it might take longer to go home but how about hanging around downtown and seeing a free Serena Ryder, or Jann Arden or Lights concert?

There is more to life than work, there is more to sport than hockey. I fully expect to have a great time and I expect those with an open mind and those who embrace sport to have a great time as well.

I for one cannot wait.

[Peanut]

I'm still laughing about that weird hole they found in the ground and law enforcement/media was all "OH MY GOD!!! A terrorist plot to sabotage the PanAm Games has been foiled!! We found their underground headquarters. Or bomb assembly site. Or something. But what a close call for the huge PanAm games event. Terrorists."

And then it turned out to just be some dude's secret underground man-cave/masturbation hideaway.