The USOC selects Boston as U.S. bid to host the 2024 Olympic & Paralympic Games

mauf

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Comfortably Lomb said:
Walsh is not a smart man. General observation.

This looks deader by the second. Fantastic day!
 
How so? Assuming this ends the way both of us expect, Olympic opponents will be happy with the results, and supporters aren't likely to blame Walsh for the bid's failure. Whether you agree with his handling of the matter or not, Walsh has played his cards shrewdly.
 

Mooch

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What US city would be dumb enough to bid for the Olympics at this point? 
 

soxhop411

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Mooch said:
What US city would be dumb enough to bid for the Olympics at this point? 
I would think Los Angeles would be one of the few able to handle it no?
 

Fred not Lynn

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Any word on any replacement bid, or will the US just sit this out?

I am not personally disappointed that the 2024 Games won't be in Boston. That wasn't the outcome I was hoping for anyway. I was hoping for a moderately competent bid which managed to gain public support and end up in disappointment when another city was chosen by the IOC...thus setting the stage for an ultimately successful bid for a Winter Games in the near future.

Unfortunately, I think this group managed to poison that water for some time to come.

And yes, New England could use a modest velodrome like they have in numerous cities and towns across America. And there need to be upgrades to the T. Let's go ahead and do that shit anyway without having to slap a five-ring logo on it.
 

Fred not Lynn

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I also suspect that this decision was made at a higher level - I think IOC is eager to be back in North America, and USOC got some back-channel communication that this bid isn't what they had in mind.
 

JimD

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I hope we all enjoy the T with no updates for the next decade to two decades.
 
The MBTA was not going to benefit from this.  Last i checked, Boston2024 was counting on the public to pay for 100 percent of public transit improvements.  They also were counting projects already in the pipeline such as new fleets for the Red and Orange Lines as 'benefits' from the Games, while planning to use the MBTA's bus and train yards in the South Bay area without ponying up any money that I could see.
 
Last winter was all the impetus that the citizens of Greater Boston needed to fix the mess that is the MBTA.  If that wasn't enough to convince people that gas taxes need to rise and public funds need to be found to invest in the region's public transit system, nothing will.
 

NortheasternPJ

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Thank god. Walsh stepping up and putting his foot down on overrun costs is a great move. The opposition comment was pretty dumb about Twitter though.
 
The MBTA comment from Jim D is correct what I've seen .
 
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2015/06/30/boston-the-mbta-needs-fixing-olympics-not/UPyZutn4fMU1ixevjX2nrN/story.html
 
 
 
But Boston2024 pitched little more than goodwill for that better transit future in yesterday’s Bid 2.0 presentation, however. The new bid doesn’t include any money, relying instead on public and private funding for improvements to the system. “They’re offering no dollars to help with the problems with the MBTA,” said Evan Falchuk, an Olympics critic. “The issues with the MBTA need to be fixed now, not 10 years from now.”Regardless of the Olympic dreams, Massachusetts has almost $2 billion in MBTA improvements in the works, including more Red and Orange line cars, power and signal upgrades, and more buses.
 

Cellar-Door

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Mooch said:
What US city would be dumb enough to bid for the Olympics at this point? 
It's not dumb for plenty of cities. However this late in the game it would probably have to be L.A. if they even really want it.
A city in a situation like Atlanta was pre-Olympics, or SLC before their bid can really benefit from a well planned games.
 

Fred not Lynn

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Summer and winter are totally different animals.
 
Summer has quite honestly, gotten just too damn big. Hard for any but a mega-city to host. Personally, I think Washington, DC is the right US bid for the foreseeable future - there's something to having this huge international event in your nation's capital - plus, DC actually needs a new stadium...and our country should have a "National Stadium" where you can have Olympic Games, World Cup Finals, World Track & Field Championships.
 
Bonus points that the presumptive "regular season" NFL tenant needs some encouragement to make certain changes to their product...
 
(Toronto, by the way, seems to be in the process of jumping into the race - makes sense, having just completed a fairly successful Pan Am Games [even though no one much cares about the Pan Am Games anymore]. They still would need that big stadium - but the more arcane venues like the velodrome are already in place. Plus NBC gets the favorable time-zone.)
 

soxhop411

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“@jeffphowe: Boston’s Olympic bid has died at the age of 6 months and 18 days.

It is survived by Deflategate (6 months, 9 days).”
 

Myt1

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NortheasternPJ said:
Thank god. Walsh stepping up and putting his foot down on overrun costs is a great move. The opposition comment was pretty dumb about Twitter though.
 
The MBTA comment from Jim D is correct what I've seen .
 
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2015/06/30/boston-the-mbta-needs-fixing-olympics-not/UPyZutn4fMU1ixevjX2nrN/story.html
 
 
 
What's more likely: that Walsh had a real philosophical about-face on the issue of a guarantee and put his foot down, or that he found out that the bid was dead (say, from the people who got him elected who work for Boston 2024) and decided to hastily arrange a press conference to tell us all that he belatedly decided to save us from himself, coincidentally on the very same day the bid died?

Like, he just woke up with a burning desire for fiscal responsibility?
 

8slim

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As someone who lives 150 miles away and was hoping to benefit by attending an Olympics on someone else's dime, I'm mildly disappointed.
 
As someone who thinks public financing for private-profit-generating sports venues and horrifically corrupt international governing bodies is obscene, I'm pleased.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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Cellar-Door said:
It's not dumb for plenty of cities. However this late in the game it would probably have to be L.A. if they even really want it.
A city in a situation like Atlanta was pre-Olympics, or SLC before their bid can really benefit from a well planned games.
 
I think the bolded is the key.  Regardless of your feelings about Boston hosting or not hosting now or in the future, this particular bid seemed poorly planned/executed from the jump.
 

axx

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Thank god. Now we can focus on stealing the World Cup from Qatar.
 

Bonus points that the presumptive "regular season" NFL tenant needs some encouragement to make certain changes to their product...
 
I had to look it up, and the stadium the 'Skins are in was built in 1997. Kind of silly that they are even talking about a new stadium.
 

Myt1

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maufman said:
 
How so? Assuming this ends the way both of us expect, Olympic opponents will be happy with the results, and supporters aren't likely to blame Walsh for the bid's failure. Whether you agree with his handling of the matter or not, Walsh has played his cards shrewdly.
I couldn't believe that you could possibly be correct, but holy shit, his cronies are blowing up Twitter thanking him for protecting the taxpayers. People are out of their fucking minds. He all but strapped us to the ACME rocket and jumped off the ship just before it hit the iceberg.

Fuck, people are dumb. This may be the most "Through the looking glass," moment I've ever seen.
 

Fred not Lynn

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Is it possible that USOC let it be known that the bid could only be saved by the guarantees that Walsh refused, and being rightfully unwilling (and not having the power) to do so under last-minute duress, knew what was going on - just in time to bail out?
 

Papelbon's Poutine

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axx said:
Thank god. Now we can focus on stealing the World Cup from Qatar.
 
 
I had to look it up, and the stadium the 'Skins are in was built in 1997. Kind of silly that they are even talking about a new stadium.
FedEx is a shit hole with obstructed views and is located where it causes tons of traffic issues on the beltway and forces half its attendees to park at a shopping mall and take a bus in to the game - once the mid season swoon comes, it's actually easier and cheaper to get a ticket than a parking pass. Or at least it used to be anyway, it's been six or seven years since I've been there. Snyder will pay for a new stadium downtown at the RFK site, it's just going to be a negotiation with the mayor over changing the name in return for the land.
 

doldmoose34

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whatever happened to Orel Miraculous?


You are absolutely delusional if you think "Boston Graft" is worse than what happens in Russia. Delusional or ignorant.

Of course you also seem to think that it's a crazy position to oppose the use eminent domain to displace poor people, so maybe delusion isn't the only issue at play here.[/]

I'm neither delusional or ignorant. I know that what half of the $ spent on Olympics ended up in the pockets of Putins cronies, it's called a joke you fucking newbie. (saw you've been around since 06 so strike newbie)

One point was that this comes up every Olympic year, in order to be a 'world class city' there is a 'blue ribbon panel' who looks into a Boston Olympics and it's found to be a possibility, but won't go any further then the study.

My other point was that ever since the bulldozing of the west end to build Charles River Park in the 60's, the backlash against taking property by eminent domain has been a lightning rod, and the bleeding heart crowd would be all up in arms over moving people from the projects to build/use as Olympic Village.

Plus it takes 30 years to get anything built around here if any small amount of public support ie$$$ is required (see seaport district)
This is all a great little PR campaign for some people (John Fish/Suffolk Const. ) but don't get your hopes up for those opening ceremony tickets it's not happening period.

Edited by doldmoose34, 03 March 2014 - 08:10 AM.

ok I'm not here to do a little victory dance on this assholes grave, eh maybe a little jig,

this thing was doomed from the start, first, that smug lucky sperm club winner John Fish as point man in the begining smelled worse then a rotting fish on the Fish (no relation) pier. Just what we need some rich asshole saying 'we know better, this will be a win win for everyone' (insert John Kerry saying the 'big dig tunnel will be a bargain' here) fat fucking chance, then you've got the whole Boston 2024 leadership, led by Richard Davey which was the Patrick Adminstration jobs in waiting... they might have pulled it off if the words didn't get out that the corrupt dwarf Partick himself stood to pick up $7500 per day to be an 'ambassador' for Boston 2024

the only ones who didnt know it was D O A was the leadership and the waterc arriers at the Globe

at least Mussolini got the trains to run on time

Thank God Marty woke up and put a big fucking fork in this before any more public money was spent

one last thing, hey Orel FUCK YOU
 

Myt1

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Fred not Lynn said:
Is it possible that USOC let it be known that the bid could only be saved by the guarantees that Walsh refused, and being rightfully unwilling (and not having the power) to do so under last-minute duress, knew what was going on - just in time to bail out?
Possible, but vanishingly unlikely. This isn't a chicken and an egg, this is an egg and a chicken parm sub.

The USOC and Boston 2024 have consistently said that the bid could not move forward without the guarantee. Nothing changed.
 

Fred not Lynn

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I am totally confused by the metaphor here...

Bottom line is, like you said before, Walsh knew the bid was done before anyone else - so it was easy for him to play the fiscal-responsibility card.

Upon re-reading Doldmoose's comments; John Fish and Suffolk Construction have lots of enemies. No doubt that was a contributing factor to the opposition to this bid.
 

Comfortably Lomb

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re: moose's post... the way the Greenway turned out it was to some degree worth shoving the Big Dig down people's throats. That chunk of Boston is now spectacular and improving every year. Whether anyone outside Boston should have had to pay for that is another story. Decking Widett? Ugh, who cares? The chunk of the Pike through the Back Bay should be a priority long before Widett if a developer is going to be "accommodated."
 

Fred not Lynn

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...and now it's dead, I might as well mention another huge red flag; Mitt Romney. No one on earth has the combined depth of knowledge on the combined subject of Boston/Massachusetts and the Olympic Games, yet it seems he had strangely little to say about Boston '24.

Regardless of how one might feel about Mr. Romney as a Presidential candidate or as Governor, the Venn diagram of people who have been head of and Olympic Organizing Committe AND Governor of Massachusetts is pretty small. You'd think the guy standing in that tiny intersection would have had more to say.
 

Toe Nash

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Myt1 said:
What's more likely: that Walsh had a real philosophical about-face on the issue of a guarantee and put his foot down, or that he found out that the bid was dead (say, from the people who got him elected who work for Boston 2024) and decided to hastily arrange a press conference to tell us all that he belatedly decided to save us from himself, coincidentally on the very same day the bid died?

Like, he just woke up with a burning desire for fiscal responsibility?
Ding ding ding!
 
He and multiple members of his staff have been in on this through the whole thing though they KNEW the risks. Heck, his "friend, campaign advisor and former COO" Joe Rull LEFT city hall to join the Boston2024 team. Crony government / capitalism of the worst sort if you ask me. He showed contempt of the opposition through the whole thing, even today.
 
My opinion of Walsh has plummeted, and it wasn't particularly high to start with.
 
Unfortunately, maufman is probably right that people will remember his putting his foot down come election time, but there is lots of fodder for an opponent to use if s/he can jog voters' memories...
 

Orel Miraculous

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doldmoose34 said:
whatever happened to Orel Miraculous?


You are absolutely delusional if you think "Boston Graft" is worse than what happens in Russia. Delusional or ignorant.

Of course you also seem to think that it's a crazy position to oppose the use eminent domain to displace poor people, so maybe delusion isn't the only issue at play here.[/]

I'm neither delusional or ignorant. I know that what half of the $ spent on Olympics ended up in the pockets of Putins cronies, it's called a joke you fucking newbie. (saw you've been around since 06 so strike newbie)

One point was that this comes up every Olympic year, in order to be a 'world class city' there is a 'blue ribbon panel' who looks into a Boston Olympics and it's found to be a possibility, but won't go any further then the study.

My other point was that ever since the bulldozing of the west end to build Charles River Park in the 60's, the backlash against taking property by eminent domain has been a lightning rod, and the bleeding heart crowd would be all up in arms over moving people from the projects to build/use as Olympic Village.

Plus it takes 30 years to get anything built around here if any small amount of public support ie$$$ is required (see seaport district)
This is all a great little PR campaign for some people (John Fish/Suffolk Const. ) but don't get your hopes up for those opening ceremony tickets it's not happening period.

Edited by doldmoose34, 03 March 2014 - 08:10 AM.

ok I'm not here to do a little victory dance on this assholes grave, eh maybe a little jig,

this thing was doomed from the start, first, that smug lucky sperm club winner John Fish as point man in the begining smelled worse then a rotting fish on the Fish (no relation) pier. Just what we need some rich asshole saying 'we know better, this will be a win win for everyone' (insert John Kerry saying the 'big dig tunnel will be a bargain' here) fat fucking chance, then you've got the whole Boston 2024 leadership, led by Richard Davey which was the Patrick Adminstration jobs in waiting... they might have pulled it off if the words didn't get out that the corrupt dwarf Partick himself stood to pick up $7500 per day to be an 'ambassador' for Boston 2024

the only ones who didnt know it was D O A was the leadership and the waterc arriers at the Globe

at least Mussolini got the trains to run on time

Thank God Marty woke up and put a big fucking fork in this before any more public money was spent

one last thing, hey Orel FUCK YOU
 
Ouch?? Sure, why not. 
 

Myt1

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whatever happened to Orel Miraculous?


You are absolutely delusional if you think "Boston Graft" is worse than what happens in Russia. Delusional or ignorant.

Of course you also seem to think that it's a crazy position to oppose the use eminent domain to displace poor people, so maybe delusion isn't the only issue at play here.[/]

I'm neither delusional or ignorant. I know that what half of the $ spent on Olympics ended up in the pockets of Putins cronies, it's called a joke you fucking newbie. (saw you've been around since 06 so strike newbie)

One point was that this comes up every Olympic year, in order to be a 'world class city' there is a 'blue ribbon panel' who looks into a Boston Olympics and it's found to be a possibility, but won't go any further then the study.

My other point was that ever since the bulldozing of the west end to build Charles River Park in the 60's, the backlash against taking property by eminent domain has been a lightning rod, and the bleeding heart crowd would be all up in arms over moving people from the projects to build/use as Olympic Village.

Plus it takes 30 years to get anything built around here if any small amount of public support ie$$$ is required (see seaport district)
This is all a great little PR campaign for some people (John Fish/Suffolk Const. ) but don't get your hopes up for those opening ceremony tickets it's not happening period.

Edited by doldmoose34, 03 March 2014 - 08:10 AM.

ok I'm not here to do a little victory dance on this assholes grave, eh maybe a little jig,

this thing was doomed from the start, first, that smug lucky sperm club winner John Fish as point man in the begining smelled worse then a rotting fish on the Fish (no relation) pier. Just what we need some rich asshole saying 'we know better, this will be a win win for everyone' (insert John Kerry saying the 'big dig tunnel will be a bargain' here) fat fucking chance, then you've got the whole Boston 2024 leadership, led by Richard Davey which was the Patrick Adminstration jobs in waiting... they might have pulled it off if the words didn't get out that the corrupt dwarf Partick himself stood to pick up $7500 per day to be an 'ambassador' for Boston 2024

the only ones who didnt know it was D O A was the leadership and the waterc arriers at the Globe

at least Mussolini got the trains to run on time

Thank God Marty woke up and put a big fucking fork in this before any more public money was spent

one last thing, hey Orel FUCK YOU
Marty didn't put a fork in a fucking thing. He just jumped into a lifeboat as his ship was going down.
 

Fred not Lynn

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Myt1 said:
Marty didn't put a fork in a fucking thing. He just jumped into a lifeboat as his ship was going down.
The more I think about it, the more I believe that USOC put out an ultimatum within the past week, or even just the past 72 hours or so; "Sign the contract or we're killing the bid" and depending on what side you're on he either refused to be bullied, or didn't have the stones to back up those he's been loyal to so far.

Not to say USOC wasn't going to kill it anyway - just that not having the contract agreed to makes it easier to justify (until the next city balks at the contract too).
 

jose melendez

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I have kind of mixed feelings.  First, I don't live in Mass anymore, so this doesn't really effect me one way or the other.  I really liked the idea of my town, America's finest city, getting the global spotlight.  On the other hand, assuming the financial risk is absolutely nuts.
 
I guess in general I agree with those trying to avoid fiscal calamity/poor planning, but disagree with those who didn't want it because of Boston's classic "can't do" attitude, that opposses having anything there that might cause an hour of traffic.
 

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jose melendez said:
I have kind of mixed feelings.  First, I don't live in Mass anymore, so this doesn't really effect me one way or the other.  I really liked the idea of my town, America's finest city, getting the global spotlight.  On the other hand, assuming the financial risk is absolutely nuts.
 
I guess in general I agree with those trying to avoid fiscal calamity/poor planning, but disagree with those who didn't want it because of Boston's classic "can't do" attitude, that opposses having anything there that might cause an hour of traffic.
There are low-information folks in the latter category but most of the opposition was in the former (but was painted by supporters as just NIMBYs and "naysayers"). And the Boston2024 team was shown to have lied over and over, which didn't go over well.
 
Honestly, I don't feel like Boston's "naysaying" is any worse than another large US city. We're building things everywhere in downtown, Kendall, Seaport so somehow all that got done. Neighborhood groups gripe about parking and neighborhood character whenever someone wants to build apartments but that's nothing new. It's impossible to build in most of the suburbs, which is a big reason why there are housing cost issues (but again, that is happening in NY, DC, SF, Seattle, etc., too)
 

jsinger121

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jose melendez said:
I have kind of mixed feelings.  First, I don't live in Mass anymore, so this doesn't really effect me one way or the other.  I really liked the idea of my town, America's finest city, getting the global spotlight.  On the other hand, assuming the financial risk is absolutely nuts.
 
I guess in general I agree with those trying to avoid fiscal calamity/poor planning, but disagree with those who didn't want it because of Boston's classic "can't do" attitude, that opposses having anything there that might cause an hour of traffic.
 
They chose the wrong games to go after. They should have put forth an effort for the Winter Games in 2026 which would have been much easier to host and many less facilities to build and put Boston on the global spotlight.
 

jose melendez

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Toe Nash said:
There are low-information folks in the latter category but most of the opposition was in the former (but was painted by supporters as just NIMBYs and "naysayers"). And the Boston2024 team was shown to have lied over and over, which didn't go over well.
 
Honestly, I don't feel like Boston's "naysaying" is any worse than another large US city. We're building things everywhere in downtown, Kendall, Seaport so somehow all that got done. Neighborhood groups gripe about parking and neighborhood character whenever someone wants to build apartments but that's nothing new. It's impossible to build in most of the suburbs, which is a big reason why there are housing cost issues (but again, that is happening in NY, DC, SF, Seattle, etc., too)
 
My general sense over 32 years there is that every time people talk about doing a big event, every one pisses and moans and laments how we'll screw it up.  In general I think Boston does big events really, really well.  All-Star Game 99 was epic, the 2004 DNC was very well done (some of the security stuff was crap, but that was more nation than city), and the marathon is one of the nation's great events.
 
When it comes to construction, I think generally the city has been served well by skepticism, and it should be skeptical after the West End and city hall plaza debacles.  
 
Ultimately, this is probably the right outcome.
 

JimD

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It would be great if the lasting legacy of Boston2024 is a willingness to a have a public discussion on what the region’s needs are and what the city should become.  My opposition to this event was always based on the financial shenanigans surrounding the IOC and the idea of spending billions in public dollars on a two-week party while other more critical needs are left unmet.  Perhaps the region is ready for some big thinking on what types of projects the city and state should be undertaking if not the Olympics.
 
From my perspective as an observer of the transportation scene, I would love to see the Urban Ring project resurrected but as a rail transit line using the proposed tunnel through the Longwood Medical Area and a connection to the Grand Junction railroad line that runs across the Charles River at the BU Bridge and through Cambridge to Sullivan Square and beyond.  A high capacity ring line connecting major employment centers and transit lines around Boston has the capability of being a true game-changer.
 

The Napkin

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jose melendez said:
I guess in general I agree with those trying to avoid fiscal calamity/poor planning, but disagree with those who didn't want it because of Boston's classic "can't do" attitude, that opposses having anything there that might cause an hour of traffic.
 
Resist the temptation to say this confirms Boston is a “just say no” kind of place. Those like Shirley Leung will do it (again) but you don’t have to be that way. This episode is an example of civic engagement and tough questions that ultimately had inadequate answers. That’s it. It is not connected to any past episode of us doing whatever we did when other things happened in the past. Our narrative is whatever we want it to be. It is not a destiny that makes us naysayers. Calling us that is cheap headline writing and just plain old beneath us.
 

Fred not Lynn

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For what it's worth - the IOC moves on without Boston on Friday in Kuala Lampur and will select between Almaty (formerly Alma-Ata), Kazakhstan and Beijing for the 2022 Winter Games. This is a choice they didn't want - but after Oslo and Stockholm (and others) pulled out of the running, that's who was left. The whole mess seems to have been a wake-up call for the IOC, precipitating the Agenda 2020 reforms designed to make hosting a little more manageable (but, based on our recent experience, still not manageable enough).
 
Beijing is pretty far from any actual snow, but if Sochi can do it, so can Beijing (with a little help from some high speed rail). A Beijing Winter Games will be a skating games, with the snow sports an afterthought (every Winter Games is one or the other at heart).
 
Almaty has a long history of winter sport, best known for the Medeo skating rink, where legendary tailwinds push behind speed skater's backs all the way around the track. Almaty was host to the 2011 Asian Winter Games - which isn't the Olympics, but at least there's some experience. Like Beijing, there's a fairly authoritarian government, so you're going to get an open-opposition free environment. Kazakhstan should have had plenty of money to pay for all this - until the price of oil collapsed.
 
I think I prefer Almaty here, but that Beijing is the favorite. My only problem with Almaty is that if they host the Games, they will have to enclose the Medeo rink. That's pretty much sacrilege in my world...might as well go touch up the Mona Lisa to fix that goofy smile.
 

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Fred not Lynn said:
For what it's worth - the IOC moves on without Boston on Friday in Kuala Lampur and will select between Almaty (formerly Alma-Ata), Kazakhstan and Beijing for the 2022 Winter Games. This is a choice they didn't want - but after Oslo and Stockholm (and others) pulled out of the running, that's who was left. The whole mess seems to have been a wake-up call for the IOC, precipitating the Agenda 2020 reforms designed to make hosting a little more manageable (but, based on our recent experience, still not manageable enough).
 
Beijing is pretty far from any actual snow, but if Sochi can do it, so can Beijing (with a little help from some high speed rail). A Beijing Winter Games will be a skating games, with the snow sports an afterthought (every Winter Games is one or the other at heart).
 
Almaty has a long history of winter sport, best known for the Medeo skating rink, where legendary tailwinds push behind speed skater's backs all the way around the track. Almaty was host to the 2011 Asian Winter Games - which isn't the Olympics, but at least there's some experience. Like Beijing, there's a fairly authoritarian government, so you're going to get an open-opposition free environment. Kazakhstan should have had plenty of money to pay for all this - until the price of oil collapsed.
 
I think I prefer Almaty here, but that Beijing is the favorite. My only problem with Almaty is that if they host the Games, they will have to enclose the Medeo rink. That's pretty much sacrilege in my world...might as well go touch up the Mona Lisa to fix that goofy smile.
 
 
There will be no greater sign of the deserved crisis the Olympics are headed for than awarding the winter games to Beijing almost right after awarding the summer games to the same city. As I said back on the first page of this thread, an Albertville-style N.E. region winter games could be doable, though doing business with the IOC always involves some of those Bob Kraft uncomfortable compromises.   
 

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Jun 3, 2005
15,568
California. Duh.
2018 Winter Olympics: PyeongChang, South Korea
2020 Summer Olympics: Tokyo, Japan
2022 Winter Olympics: Beijing, China
 
Don't they usually try to distribute the games worldwide a bit better than this?