Everyone has figured out that it's a big money loser. Now, all the first world democratic bidders are exiting the process, due to voter resistance, leaving Beijing and Almaty, Kazakistan.
Man, no country whose name ends with a "stan" should be allowed to host anything, as not only will the local mullahs preach violence against it, but because everyone will come home with intestinal parasites!
Abandoned softball park in Athens.
The cure is to rotate between a set number of venues, which have already built out their infrastructure, and to hire experienced capitalists to run the thing. We will be annoyed by commercials, but at least the taxpayers won't be asked to pay, and the Olympic bank accounts might end with some money in them.
Check out Peter Ueberroth and the Los Angeles Olympics, which ended with a 200 million dollar profit, the first for a summer games since 1932, for a good example of what works.
If the Rio Olympics goes bad, expect the Olympic Committee to be forced into changing the process into something like a rotating but small number of first or near first world cities to host both the summer and winter games. It might be different, but certainly less costly and risky. And hopefully, no intestinal parasites.
the olympic games blow ...it is a politicized UN like wealth transfer. yes the middle class get to pay for something. what a novel idea.
ReplyDeleteand as for the athletes that win gold ..I don't recall seeing any of them give back the money they took from taxpayers after getting lucrative endorsements. often they hide the money offshore in tax havens.
I really don't care if the games exist I just don't like to pay for them. they are just a bunch of elitists.
But the whole point of the selection process is to enrich the selection committee who get lots of 4-star free travel, vacations and bribes. If only third world shit-holes bid, there won't be any point to the Olympics at all. Athletes are not going to work hard for years and then spend thousands of dollars for travel so they can go to South Africa and get Malaria and raped.
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