San Francisco, L.A., Boston and Washington DC will bid for the 2024 Summer Games

[Thing 342]

If it's so easy to convert stadiums to other uses, why doesn't the IOC demonstrate that by allowing host cities to convert existing stadiums for use in Olympic games?

http://www.connectsports.com/feature/what-happens-to-olympic-venues-after-the-games/


According to this article Atlanta the site of the 1996 Olympics have been reused for the Atlanta Braves and Georgia Tech Swimming teams

The Braves are moving out after the upcoming season.  20 years, while short for baseball, is not an unheard-of lifespan for a professional sports facility these days.

The city recently sold the stadium to Georgia State University in order for them to build an athletic complex (currently the football team plays in the Georgia Dome), so the area is still going to be used (although a few of the plans that I've seen involve tearing all or part of Turner Field down). The Braves decided to leave Turner because the city had largely reneged on a promise to develop the surrounding area, making it a relatively unappealing area to do anything other than watch a ball game.

[AlexandriaVA]

Didn't Atlanta benefit greatly from the Summer Olympics?

In the US, it's only worth the investment if you're an up and coming metro area that could use a boost in international profile. Boston, SF, LA and DC certainly didn't need the Olympics. Atlanta in 1996 was an example of the right place at the right time.

I thought the '94 games were considered one of the worst ever. Between the bombing and redneck aspect, I think most people hope to sorta forget about it.

[kkt]

Didn't Atlanta benefit greatly from the Summer Olympics?

In the US, it's only worth the investment if you're an up and coming metro area that could use a boost in international profile. Boston, SF, LA and DC certainly didn't need the Olympics. Atlanta in 1996 was an example of the right place at the right time.

I thought the '94 games were considered one of the worst ever. Between the bombing and redneck aspect, I think most people hope to sorta forget about it.

I don't know about "worst ever" -- 1936, anyone? -- but I don't think they improved Atlanta's reputation a whole lot either.  They came, they competed for a couple of weeks, no huge disasters occurred, they went home.

[Pete from Boston]

Didn't Atlanta benefit greatly from the Summer Olympics?

In the US, it's only worth the investment if you're an up and coming metro area that could use a boost in international profile. Boston, SF, LA and DC certainly didn't need the Olympics. Atlanta in 1996 was an example of the right place at the right time.

I thought the '94 games were considered one of the worst ever. Between the bombing and redneck aspect, I think most people hope to sorta forget about it.

Redneck aspect?

[english si]

It will be always the North Greenwich Arena for me. If they don't pay me, I don't have to name them.

It's never the North Greenwich Arena for Londoners. If they don't call it the O2 (and like Ashburton Grove The Emirates, the sponsor's name has stuck), it's the Millennium Dome (or just Dome). But the sponsor's name has stuck and it's the O2 to most Londoners (of course the other O2 concert venues in London make it confusing, but the Dome is the O2).

In the US, it's only worth the investment if you're an up and coming metro area that could use a boost in international profile. Boston, SF, LA and DC certainly didn't need the Olympics.

The 'soft' benefits are more than that. It's not just the city that gets a boost, but the part of the city.

Only Londoners (and people from Essex/East Anglia who'd stop there on the trains) knew where Stratford was. On 6/7/05 it was put on the map and is now a satellite CBD for London, all due to the Olympics (OK, it was a reasonable-sized suburban centre before, but it's soon to overtake Croydon as the forth most important business district in London behind the West End, City and Docklands).

[The Nature Boy]

Didn't Atlanta benefit greatly from the Summer Olympics?

In the US, it's only worth the investment if you're an up and coming metro area that could use a boost in international profile. Boston, SF, LA and DC certainly didn't need the Olympics. Atlanta in 1996 was an example of the right place at the right time.

I thought the '94 games were considered one of the worst ever. Between the bombing and redneck aspect, I think most people hope to sorta forget about it.

Redneck aspect?

That threw me for a loop as well. Every city south of DC isn't some backwoods podunk hillbilly town.

[AlexandriaVA]

The opening ceremonies proudly featured pickup trucks, in the manner of a truck rally or something, along with some cheerleaders. Throw in the bombing by the arch-conservative lunatic, and you coudln't be more hick.

from wiki:

"A report prepared by European Olympic officials after the Games was critical of Atlanta's performance in several key issues, including the level of crowding in the Olympic Village, the quality of available food, the accessibility and convenience of transportation, and the Games' general atmosphere of commercialism"

[Pete from Boston]

The opening ceremonies proudly featured pickup trucks, in the manner of a truck rally or something, along with some cheerleaders. Throw in the bombing by the arch-conservative lunatic, and you coudln't be more hick.

from wiki:

"A report prepared by European Olympic officials after the Games was critical of Atlanta's performance in several key issues, including the level of crowding in the Olympic Village, the quality of available food, the accessibility and convenience of transportation, and the Games' general atmosphere of commercialism"

I still don't see where that paragraph bears out your opinion of a "redneck aspect," but whatever. 

[The Nature Boy]

The opening ceremonies proudly featured pickup trucks, in the manner of a truck rally or something, along with some cheerleaders. Throw in the bombing by the arch-conservative lunatic, and you coudln't be more hick.

from wiki:

"A report prepared by European Olympic officials after the Games was critical of Atlanta's performance in several key issues, including the level of crowding in the Olympic Village, the quality of available food, the accessibility and convenience of transportation, and the Games' general atmosphere of commercialism"

Drive about 100 miles south on I-95 and you'll see the "redneck aspect." If you think that you couldn't be more "hick" than that, then you clearly need to see the rest of Virginia.

I don't see how pickup trucks and cheerleaders are the "redneck aspect." But even if the Olympics in Atlanta somehow exhibited Southern culture, how is that a bad thing? Do we hate other host cities who show an aspect of local culture? Why is Southern culture somehow seen as lesser? You live in a Southern state, you know.

[AlexandriaVA]

The opening ceremonies proudly featured pickup trucks, in the manner of a truck rally or something, along with some cheerleaders. Throw in the bombing by the arch-conservative lunatic, and you coudln't be more hick.

from wiki:

"A report prepared by European Olympic officials after the Games was critical of Atlanta's performance in several key issues, including the level of crowding in the Olympic Village, the quality of available food, the accessibility and convenience of transportation, and the Games' general atmosphere of commercialism"

Drive about 100 miles south on I-95 and you'll see the "redneck aspect." If you think that you couldn't be more "hick" than that, then you clearly need to see the rest of Virginia.

I don't see how pickup trucks and cheerleaders are the "redneck aspect." But even if the Olympics in Atlanta somehow exhibited Southern culture, how is that a bad thing? Do we hate other host cities who show an aspect of local culture? Why is Southern culture somehow seen as lesser? You live in a Southern state, you know.

Yeah you really hear Dixie around Northern Virginia alot...

I'll put it this way...I've been to NY a lot more in my life than I've been to Richmond.

[Pete from Boston]

The opening ceremonies proudly featured pickup trucks, in the manner of a truck rally or something, along with some cheerleaders. Throw in the bombing by the arch-conservative lunatic, and you coudln't be more hick.

from wiki:

"A report prepared by European Olympic officials after the Games was critical of Atlanta's performance in several key issues, including the level of crowding in the Olympic Village, the quality of available food, the accessibility and convenience of transportation, and the Games' general atmosphere of commercialism"

Drive about 100 miles south on I-95 and you'll see the "redneck aspect." If you think that you couldn't be more "hick" than that, then you clearly need to see the rest of Virginia.

I don't see how pickup trucks and cheerleaders are the "redneck aspect." But even if the Olympics in Atlanta somehow exhibited Southern culture, how is that a bad thing? Do we hate other host cities who show an aspect of local culture? Why is Southern culture somehow seen as lesser? You live in a Southern state, you know.

Yeah you really hear Dixie around Northern Virginia alot...

I'll put it this way...I've been to NY a lot more in my life than I've been to Richmond.

It might be time to broaden your horizons.  There are a lot of lovely people down south who not only showed the world a warm welcome in Atlanta but also just have a rich and proud culture just like us refined, stick-up-the-butt northerners do.

[vdeane]

Why is Southern culture somehow seen as lesser? You live in a Southern state, you know.

NoVa and the rest of Virginia don't really have much in common.

[Rothman]

I would have thought 1980/1984 would have been considered as contenders for worst with the silly U.S./U.S.S.R. boycotts.

[1995hoo]

Pretty much everything from Fredericksburg north has been annexed.

[The Nature Boy]

The opening ceremonies proudly featured pickup trucks, in the manner of a truck rally or something, along with some cheerleaders. Throw in the bombing by the arch-conservative lunatic, and you coudln't be more hick.

from wiki:

"A report prepared by European Olympic officials after the Games was critical of Atlanta's performance in several key issues, including the level of crowding in the Olympic Village, the quality of available food, the accessibility and convenience of transportation, and the Games' general atmosphere of commercialism"

Drive about 100 miles south on I-95 and you'll see the "redneck aspect." If you think that you couldn't be more "hick" than that, then you clearly need to see the rest of Virginia.

I don't see how pickup trucks and cheerleaders are the "redneck aspect." But even if the Olympics in Atlanta somehow exhibited Southern culture, how is that a bad thing? Do we hate other host cities who show an aspect of local culture? Why is Southern culture somehow seen as lesser? You live in a Southern state, you know.

Yeah you really hear Dixie around Northern Virginia alot...

I'll put it this way...I've been to NY a lot more in my life than I've been to Richmond.

As much as you might be able to insulate yourself from Southern culture in Alexandria, you can't escape its effects. Your state legislature still has sizable representation from people in the rest of the state and the laws that they make certainly affect you. Your life is influenced more by Southerners than someone across the Potomac.

I've lived on both sides of the Mason-Dixon (including in the DC area) and I find that Southerners are more likely to appreciate the cultural contributions of Northerners than vice versa. It's sad really.

[TXtoNJ]

Didn't Atlanta benefit greatly from the Summer Olympics?

In the US, it's only worth the investment if you're an up and coming metro area that could use a boost in international profile. Boston, SF, LA and DC certainly didn't need the Olympics. Atlanta in 1996 was an example of the right place at the right time.

The '96 Olympics were the Coca-Cola games, no more, no less. That it happened to be in Atlanta was more of a historical accident than anything.

[Buck87]

I thought the '94 games were considered one of the worst ever. Between the bombing and redneck aspect, I think most people hope to sorta forget about it.

Redneck aspect of the 1994 games?

I guess these guys must have been there:

[Pete from Boston]

I've lived on both sides of the Mason-Dixon (including in the DC area) and I find that Southerners are more likely to appreciate the cultural contributions of Northerners than vice versa. It's sad really.

My experience is too anecdotal to have a clear understanding of that, but there is no shortage of seemingly educated, worldly, and tolerant people in the Northeast that still, "among friends," will still snidely put down the, you know, "redneck aspect" of the whole interior and south of the country. 

There's something to be said for being unsophisticated rather than being a jerk.

[jbnv]

I've lived on both sides of the Mason-Dixon (including in the DC area) and I find that Southerners are more likely to appreciate the cultural contributions of Northerners than vice versa. It's sad really.

I'll second this. I lived in Wisconsin for about 18 months. My first child's mother is from Ohio. My first wife was originally from Michigan but now lives in Texas. I worked for a while with a creative firm in Los Angeles.

[Bruce]

One huge benefit of the Olympics is increased infrastructure investments from the federal government.

[kkt]

One huge benefit of the Olympics is increased infrastructure investments from the federal government.

Our federal government?  Really?

[jbnv]

One huge benefit of the Olympics is increased infrastructure investments from the federal government.

Our federal government?  Really?

Yes, the same federal government that added $9 trillion to its debt over the last 7 years and yet still lectures us about crumbling infrastructure?

[Rothman]

One huge benefit of the Olympics is increased infrastructure investments from the federal government.

Our federal government?  Really?

Yes, the same federal government that added $9 trillion to its debt over the last 7 years and yet still lectures us about crumbling infrastructure?

Are you saying that our infrastructure isn't crumbling because the federal government is so much in debt, so they had to spend the money on it?  Kind of a warped way of thinking given the variety of areas the federal budget is split into and how the gas tax has stayed put as costs have risen over the years.

[bing101]

You can convert stadiums to other purposes, you know?

West Ham will use the Olympic Stadium in Stratford (paying through the nose for the privilege as unlike the US, the UK doesn't spend money to build stadiums for profit making businesses - other than the IOC and their ilk, where then the money is recouped by moving a sports team there). But there's already been a ton of stuff there anyway - various athletic meets and so on.

http://abc7.com/news/garcetti-trump-presidency-could-hurt-las-2024-olympic-bid/1460115/

In fact the Los Angeles Coliseum is being converted to hold Home games for the Los Angeles Rams

Also this new story came out about Los Angeles bid for the Olympics in 2024.

[jbnv]

"I think for some of the IOC members they would say, 'Wait a second, can we go to a country like that, where we've heard things that we take offense to?'" Garcetti said.

Thankfully we tailor neither our speech nor our votes with the aim of not offending the IOC.