These games should have been in Calgary!

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by OldDutch

Count me in the group against "Own the Podium". This program has done nothing but ratchet up the pressure on everything about these games. It has put out an atmosphere of competition on everything about these games:

1. Constantly remind people that no one won gold in Calgary or Montreal. Like that counts as a measure of success in hosting a games?

I think it bears mentioning that the "gold medal count" statistic for the past two Olympic games hosted by Canada usually fails to take into consideration how much the Olympics—and the Olympic events—have changed even just in the past 20 years. At present Canada's two gold medals and four of its six medals in total have been won in events that were not part of the winter games in Calgary. Events in which Canadians are expected to do well (including snowboarding double slalom, skeleton, arials, curling and short-track speed skating) are relatively new to Olympic competition. Oh, and then there is that little matter about having NHL players in the Olympic games since only 1998.

Originally Posted by OldDutch

2. Questionable ethics used to block other countries from using our venues to practice.

Yeah, that seems wrong.

Originally Posted by OldDutch

3. All round make it clear that if we do not win the medal count these games are a failure in some way.

When did Canadians become like this? This hyper competitive nature is something out of a US games. It has nothing to do with Vancouver, or the great city it is. It all got so politicized so fast, now everyone is fighting with each other, over stupid things like gold medal counts. How sad.

This is true, and it is also pretty ridiculous when considering who the competition is. Does Canada honestly think that they can compete with the MUCH larger, wealthier, more seasoned United States? They are regular winners in the Olympics for reasons that Canada can't really claim, including the hyper-competitive element that seems engrained in American culture as well as a very high—perhaps even irrationally high—commitment to athletics.

As usual, I think that if Canada finishes in the top-three in the final medal count we should all consider that a fantastic accomplishment.

[Resolute 14]

Actually, Canadian officials were more inclusive of allowing foreign athletes to train than previous Olympic hosts were. Not so much "questionable ethics" as it is "par for the course".

[Pastiche]

Originally Posted by transplant99

This thread is still alive?

Simple refute to the original point..Calgary did not bid on these games, therefore it should not be hosting them.

Calgary did bid on them actually. It was a competition between Calgary and Vancouver at the national level.

[JD]

Originally Posted by Pastiche

Calgary did bid on them actually. It was a competition between Calgary and Vancouver at the national level.

Yup, and I think that's where a lot of the bitterness and jealousy comes from. Some folks were just unable to let that go once Vancouver was awarded the right to go through the IOC bidding process.

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by SeeBass

If you paid attention to the Calgary bid it was several hundred million dollars less costly than the Vancouver bid.

Really? I didn't know Calgary bid on the 2010 games. Neat!

[nik-]

Originally Posted by JD

Yup, and I think that's where a lot of the bitterness and jealousy comes from. Some folks were just unable to let that go once Vancouver was awarded the right to go through the IOC bidding process.

I don't think there's a "lot" of bitterness and jealousy. To be fair, most of the negative crap, media stuff not included obviously, has come on these boards. No one I've talked to personally has said anything bad about Vancouver hosting the games.

I think a lot of people worried about the weather, and fairly, but I don't count being worried as negative.

[Flashpoint]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

This is true, and it is also pretty ridiculous when considering who the competition is. Does Canada honestly think that they can compete with the MUCH larger, wealthier, more seasoned United States? They are regular winners in the Olympics for reasons that Canada can't really claim, including the hyper-competitive element that seems engrained in American culture as well as a very high—perhaps even irrationally high—commitment to athletics.

Great post.

As usual, I think that if Canada finishes in the top-three in the final medal count we should all consider that a fantastic accomplishment.

I would say the final placement in medal count is less important than the fact we already have 2 gold. If our hockey teams manage to do the same, I would imagine most Canadians would consider this our most successful Olympic team ever.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Flashpoint

Great post.
I would say the final placement in medal count is less important than the fact we already have 2 gold. If our hockey teams manage to do the same, I would imagine most Canadians would consider this our most successful Olympic team ever.

I don't know about that. Canadian winter athletes have been steadily raising the bar, so I would expect that most Canadians would want to see at least a comparable showing their very impressive medal count in Turin, which included 7 gold and 24 medals overall.

[Flashpoint]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

I don't know about that. Canadian winter athletes have been steadily raising the bar, so I would expect that most Canadians would want to see at least a comparable showing their very impressive medal count in Turin, which included 7 gold and 24 medals overall.

I was unaware we won that many.

God DAMNIT! WTF is wrong with our team??!

[Vinny01]

Have we ever even bid on a second Olympics yet?

[MelBridgeman]

Originally Posted by JD

Yup, and I think that's where a lot of the bitterness and jealousy comes from. Some folks were just unable to let that go once Vancouver was awarded the right to go through the IOC bidding process.

Why we had them first....

The only objection i had to Vancouver being canada's bid, was that I thought the country would be better served with these faculties out East as well, only makes sense..other then that good on Vancouver...the weather, well at least the temperatures, it was much warmer on some days in Calgary in '88 then 'couver, only calgary can hit 18 in Feb, something that never happens in Van City until July

[Phil Ivey]

Originally Posted by erick estrada

so true. Albertans wouldn't dislike vancouver so much if we didn't have to hear from every vancouver person how beautiful their city is and how nice it is to not have snow. They always seem to go out of their way to have to tell everyone how great a city it is. I've never seen a city that turned so many residents into salesperson's for the city.

Personally i have nothing against the city of vancouver. I prefer the island myself but there is definately a lot of things to like about vancouver. Imo if canada was to have the winter games in the city it should have been in quebec. geographically it makes no sense to build redundant facilities so far west and nobody thinks about vancouver and winter unless the topic is 'raining and cloudy'.

lol

[Resolute 14]

I doubt very much that anyone is jealous of Vancouver, certainly not for hosting the games. The bitterness on this forum, frankly, comes from dealing for years with morons claiming to represent Vancouver trolling this place like mad. The present Vancouver contingent can whine all they want and let their insecurities show through so obviously, but they have only their own neighbours to blame for the fact that nobody here has much respect for Vancouver.

[Phil Ivey]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

I doubt very much that anyone is jealous of Vancouver, certainly not for hosting the games. The bitterness on this forum, frankly, comes from dealing for years with morons claiming to represent Vancouver trolling this place like mad. The present Vancouver contingent can whine all they want and let their insecurities show through so obviously, but they have only their own neighbours to blame for the fact that nobody here has much respect for Vancouver.

Same would be said at any canucks message board just switched around. Lets just enjoy the olympics.

[opendoor]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

I doubt very much that anyone is jealous of Vancouver, certainly not for hosting the games. The bitterness on this forum, frankly, comes from dealing for years with morons claiming to represent Vancouver trolling this place like mad. The present Vancouver contingent can whine all they want and let their insecurities show through so obviously, but they have only their own neighbours to blame for the fact that nobody here has much respect for Vancouver.

You actually base your opinion of another major city in Canada on how internet trolls act?

[MelBridgeman]

Originally Posted by opendoor

You actually base your opinion of another major city in Canada on how internet trolls act?

Yup and also living there too...there really isn't much difference. Although in person and when angry, canuck fans are much more voilent then their internet troll counterparts.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by opendoor

You actually base your opinion of another major city in Canada on how internet trolls act?

Nope, I've been to Vancouver as well and haven't found much worth staying there for. It's a nice enough city to visit, and aside from Canuck fans, the people tend to be about average, but when you get down to it, this is still a Flames message board, and its members have been dealing with idiots representing the NHL's most insecure fan base for years. The end result is a bunch of trolls with an inferiority complex rushing to prove Vancouver's greatness at all cost against people who play that same inferiority complex to their advantage.

Frankly, I think most of the people tweaking Vancouver in these threads do it because it is habit, and because it exposes the trolls so obviously.

[browna]

Originally Posted by Pastiche

Calgary did bid on them actually. It was a competition between Calgary and Vancouver at the national level.

Yeah, and to be honest, would've made more sense strictly from a venue standpoint and probably financial.

I don't think the Calgary team was as organized or as polished as the Vancouver bid (I blame that on spending too much on the white elephant bid for the 2005 World's Fair), or the fact that going back to Calgary again would have optics issues which this country/the COC seems to have issues with at some points.

Anyways, Calgary's venues would still be useable with minor or moderate upgrades. The Oval is still possibly the top track in the world. Alpine could be at Nakiska again with some upgrades to the hill and or Sunshine, or Louise (although Parks Canada and the environmentalists prevented that option the first time).

Bobsled and Luge, no issue other then small changes to COP in general to handle some more people. COP could be upgraded to host the freestyle events.

Curling was at Max Bell or Corral, and could be again given what the size is of the venue in Vancouver. The second rink Vancouver has at the PNE is better for having figure skating/short track as opposed to having it all at GM Place, especially now with Women's hockey too in there as part of the schedule.

I am guessing something would've been newly constructed somewhere, or, the new Flames arena would be have done in the past 8 years, with the Saddledome having the same role of the PNE.

A new Ski Jump will have to be used, and I would say wherever they held the skiing. Isn't Whistler's temporary and to be torn down after? Same could go with the one setup in Calgary/Kanaskis/Banff.

My whole point is, in 30- or so years when the Winter Olympics come back to North America for the second time since Vancouver, and Canada would have a hope of getting them after the US gets them in 2026-ish, Calgary would have to build new venues as they'd be 40 years old.

If Calgary had 2010 and did moderate, less costly upgrades (remember, the trust fund setup out of the 1988 Olympic profits through CODA pays for the operating expenses and upkeep, making them self sustaining already), Vancouver could get the 2034 games and build the new venues then.

[Textcritic]

^
Wasn't part of the Calgary bid for 2010 to put COP under a roof? For that reason alone I thought it was worth pursuing.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

Calm down and resume reading your copy of "How to be one of the Rob Kerrs of the Broadcasting World"