International sports bar

[Montegriffo]

What are peoples feelings on the Olympics. It seems like they need a reboot. I grew up loving the Olympics. But lately I have no enthusiasm for them.

I fucking love them. Even before we used to win so many medals. Makes me really miss my Dad though as we always watched them together. I really wanted to take him to the London games but he died before they came around.
I ended up going to see GB v Brazil at basketball with a Venesualan chef mate.
You beat us by 3 points Paulo Great experience though.

[Haumana]

Didn't you mention having a Samoan wife?
Those Pacific islanders( Fiji,Tonga etc) play like All Blacks. Especially when you consider their tiny populations.

1/2 Samoan to be more exact. But yeah, her dad played rugby (Stanford) and semi pro football (not the lawn ballet kine) here in Nor Cal. The nephew who keeps me abreast of rugby is full Samoan. The All Blacks are their sports heroes. Them and the Green Bay Packers for some quizzical reason.

[Haumana]

What are peoples feelings on the Olympics. It seems like they need a reboot. I grew up loving the Olympics. But lately I have no enthusiasm for them.

They need to centralize these games. Pick a spot and hold them there. All of these Olympic ghost towns are rather gross. Brazil ain't never gonna maintain all that shit that was built to host the summer games. Throwing money down a rathole.

[Montegriffo]

What are peoples feelings on the Olympics. It seems like they need a reboot. I grew up loving the Olympics. But lately I have no enthusiasm for them.

They need to centralize these games. Pick a spot and hold them there. All of these Olympic ghost towns are rather gross. Brazil ain't never gonna maintain all that shit that was built to host the summer games. Throwing money down a rathole.

No, gotto keep them moving. Preferably to more developing countries. Does wonders for tourism and if managed properly they can really boost an economy. I would like to see an international fund to help poorer countries host them. Never been held in Africa as far as I remember.

[Haumana]

No, gotto keep them moving. Preferably to more developing countries. Does wonders for tourism and if managed properly they can really boost an economy. I would like to see an international fund to help poorer countries host them. Never been held in Africa as far as I remember.

Not managed properly is the problem. Google past host cities. Their shit is in disrepair. Looking at you Greece. All of this pomp and circumstance for what? 2 weeks of glory and then years of enslavement to payback the debt? We had a program over here that fixed up houses for poor people. Problem was that they couldn't afford all the amenities that were given to them so the majority ended up losing their houses. Good for who, in the end, the viewer?

[Montegriffo]

TV rights are a lot more lucrative these days.
If you want examples of losing money look no further than 1976 in Montreal. Took them nearly 30 years to pay off the losses IIRC.
1948 London games were known as the austerity games. We were broke after the war but keen to keep the games alive. Was still food rationing here and there are lots of stories of American atheletes sharing their imported meat with British rivals as they were close to malnurished in some cases.

[Haumana]

TV rights are a lot more lucrative these days.
If you want examples of losing money look no further than 1976 in Montreal. Took them nearly 30 years to pay off the losses IIRC.
1948 London games were known as the austerity games. We were broke after the war but keen to keep the games alive. Was still food rationing here and there are lots of stories of American atheletes sharing their imported meat with British rivals as they were close to malnurished in some cases.

See. It is all a farce. A cash grab by the IOC and leading politicians in whichever country is the chosen spot. You yourself said it was about TV rights.

[Montegriffo]

I think it does wonders for international relations, sworn enemies can get together once every four years and compete with each other in a freindly and positive manner.
It's the drug cheats who threaten the future IMO.
BAD Russia, sort your act out or fuck off permanently.

[Montegriffo]

So Formula 1 then. Any of you guys into it, especially now it has been taken over by American owners. Or are you just into that round and round in circles foot to the floor accident waiting to happen nonsense.

[Ex-California]

What are peoples feelings on the Olympics. It seems like they need a reboot. I grew up loving the Olympics. But lately I have no enthusiasm for them.

I've swam all my life and still swim, I love the Olympics

Part of the problem with the general lack of enthusiasm for them in the US is the dreadful NBC coverage