Should Calgary Bid on the 2026 Olympics

[DiracSpike]

The deal has potential to be very valuable at the end of the day. Fact is, Calgary doesn’t have a field house and Edmonton some how has 3. The cost of a field house would be roughly $260 million. Include affordable housing along with renovations to existing infrastructure and you have yourself hundreds of millions of dollars that the city and taxpayers would eventually be on hook for anyway.

When you look at the legacy that could be created, the numerous jobs, the added tourism and worldwide marketing that the city will receive, the value is there to be a good deal. Calgary has lost a lot of luster in recent times, this could be a good way to get it back and have outsiders talking about this city and this province in a positive light again.

There is definitely such a thing as intangible benefits from having events like this, putting Calgary in the news and relevant on the world stage would have some positive effects. The downside of that though is you're assuming all we would get is positive attention and accolades, which doesn't always happen. Before the Vancouver games even started they were getting ripped by foreign reporters, there was a lot of negative attention at the start. The reports from Rio in 2016 make me never want to go there after having it be on travel list previously. When Edmonton hosted the commonwealth games it was branded "Deadmonton" by a British reporter. To me the negative attention risk is high for the following reasons:

-According to the Bidco McMahon and the Saddledome will be the main venues. It won't be ideal to host an opening ceremony in a nearly 70 year old stadium and there's high potential of embarrasment from that.
-40 year old Saddledome won't be great either
-Real threat of no snow in the City due to Chinook, Vancouver was getting crushed for Grouse mtn having no snow
-And the single biggest: Threat of disruption by eco nazi's eagerly seeking a platform. I could easily see some Green Peace assclowns rapelling down from the Calgary Tower with a TAR SANDS=MURDER banner or something.

Maybe you're of the mind that any publicity is good publicity but foreign reporters seem to make a blood sport out of poking out host city's faults and given our terrible infrastructure that will be hosting and our pariah status even in our own "country" I think they'll have no shortage of ammo. That can't be discounted when discussing intangible visibility benefits.

[Ozy_Flame]

DiracSpike - what was the negative press Calgary got from hosting the 1988 Olympics?

[OMG!WTF!]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

DiracSpike - what was the negative press Calgary got from hosting the 1988 Olympics?

What makes you think this is 1988?

[Senator Clay Davis]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

DiracSpike - what was the negative press Calgary got from hosting the 1988 Olympics?

Please don't be this obtuse. I know you're desperate for this, but undermining your own intelligence is kinda sad.

[Rhettzky]

With the fed's full funds not being met through matching it seems like a lost opportunity for the Flames to get a rink built. Let's say a rink was $500 million bucks, this would be a chance for the City to toss in $150, the Flames to toss in $150, the fed's to toss in $150 and a ticket tax to cover the rest.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Please don't be this obtuse. I know you're desperate for this, but undermining your own intelligence is kinda sad.

Alright let me put it this way - was there negative press on the 1988 Olympics?

It's pretty binary. Pretty sure heroes like you can answer it.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Was there social media in 1988? Or 24 hour cable news? You know damn well if Calgary hosts in 2026 there will be environmental protesters, rarely do they get platforms that big and they 100% will use it. To suggest otherwise is being willfully ignorant.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Was there social media in 1988? Or 24 hour cable news? You know damn well if Calgary hosts in 2026 there will be environmental protesters, rarely do they get platforms that big and they 100% will use it. To suggest otherwise is being willfully ignorant.

TV, radio and newspapers carried the message, with mainstream thoughts being funneled through those channels alone.

The fact that people can have more platforms to say things isn't the problem.

Did Calgary have bad press from the 1988 Olympics?

[Senator Clay Davis]

Alright I get it, pure troll attempt. Well done, you got two posts out of me.

[OMG!WTF!]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

TV, radio and newspapers carried the message, with mainstream thoughts being funneled through those channels alone.

The fact that people can have more platforms to say things isn't the problem.

Did Calgary have bad press from the 1988 Olympics?

I'm sure since you're hanging your hat on it that Calgary did not have bad press. Now, can you answer the equally binary question...what makes you think this is 1988?

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Alright I get it, pure troll attempt. Well done, you got two posts out of me.

The fact that you can't answer this question and instead frantically wave your arms yelling "TROLL" is hilarious.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

The fact that you can't answer this question and instead frantically wave your arms yelling "TROLL" is hilarious.

Answer mine and I'll answer yours.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Answer mine and I'll answer yours.

Was there social media in 1988? No.

Or 24 hour cable news? CNN had a 24 hour news network (Headline News), but on the whole not as many as today.

[PepsiFree]

Why everyone heff to be bad, is only Olympics

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Hockeyguy15

If I recall correctly jumpers go too far now and would be landing on 16th.

Extra points if you make it over that rusty steel art installation.

[Ozy_Flame]

Senator - instead of sending me insulting PM's, I encourage you to just answer the question.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Alright to end this ####ing charade once and for all....

The world mostly had no clue about the oil sands in 1988. They sure as #### do now in 2018. 2026 will be the biggest opportunity to ever protest, at a time where getting media coverage is easier than it has ever been. Where there protests in 1988? Nope. But this is how pathetic the Yes side has gotten. "Hey y'all, just assume everything contextually will be the same as 1988". I get that the Yes side is heading to defeat and wants to try and do anything it can to prop up it's sad bid that it can't even explain to people because the process has been so embarrassing, but making yourself seem like Simple Jack is really unbecoming. Even most Yes people are looking at those posts and thinking "Dude, you're not helping".

[Hockeyguy15]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Senator - instead of sending me insulting PM's, I encourage you to just answer the question.

Oh my god would you stop being a baby.

Maybe you both should take it to PM or just do everyone a favour and stop altogether.

MOM he's bugging me!!

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Alright to end this ####ing charade once and for all....

The world mostly had no clue about the oil sands in 1988. They sure as #### do now in 2018. 2026 will be the biggest opportunity to ever protest, at a time where getting media coverage is easier than it has ever been. Where there protests in 1988? Nope. But this is how pathetic the Yes side has gotten. "Hey y'all, just assume everything contextually will be the same as 1988". I get that the Yes side is heading to defeat and wants to try and do anything it can to prop up it's sad bid that it can't even explain to people because the process has been so embarrassing, but making yourself seem like Simple Jack is really unbecoming. Even most Yes people are looking at those posts and thinking "Dude, you're not helping".

I appreciate the response, even if purely anecdotal and opinion.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

I appreciate the response, even if purely anecdotal and opinion.

Cool, I'll bet you $10,000 there's environmental protests in 2026. I'll put it in escrow that Bingo or whoever can be the custodian of, you add your $10,000 and we wait 8 years. Since you think there won't be any protests in 2026, easiest money you'll ever make.