Just a thought provoking question. Why is it that the IOC is out to drop so many events after the 2004 Olympics? One of the most common things I have heard regarding the shooting sports is the expense involved in constructing the venues and their necessary accoutrments. The last time I heard anything about the host country for the Olympics was that they were raking in millions in revenues from all 6400 mils in a circle. I am sure Salt Lake City didn't go bankrupt by hosting the Winter Olympics---I'll bet a lot of the Fat Cats (Utah'ns also) walked away with their pockets well lined with greebacks. And Salt Lake City et environs and the State of Utah salted away quite a few of those millions. So what is the problem? I'll make a guess---it's called profit---if you cut a few events the profit margin rises with the fat cats walking away with a bigger percentage. Frankly the Olympics bore me, because since the Eastern bloc nations turned the games into a "professional" circus---all nations with any interest have quickly followed suit, the USA included. From weight lifting, to ice skating, gymnastics, shooting etc. etc etc.. The whole nine yards is a series of corrupt organizations (USOC) all paying a high price to send these teams of professional athletes to the quadrennial games, but raking in billions in the meanwhile. The entire spirit of the Olympics has been bastardized to a quadrennial series of events similar to the 3-Ring circus. IMHO
fishnshoot-at-optonline.net.42767.0
Olympic Drop-Outs
Moderators: rexifelis, pilkguns
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Paul
Re: Olympic Drop-Outs
Yeah, but the fixation of "our" ISSF aparatchiks on this useless olympic stuff and equally useless TV-quotas will kill sport shooting for good. Just wait another 5 years. A lot of people are grinning because ORF (which they didn't understand in the first place) is being beaten to death right now, but somebody will be next, and next and next... and then it will be too late.
pkuemin-at-gmx.net.42768.42767
pkuemin-at-gmx.net.42768.42767
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Mike McDaniel
Re: Olympic Drop-Outs
The reason the IOC keeps giving is to keep the number of competitors down.
The host city is on the hook not only to provide venues, but ot provide housing for the competitors, judges, coaches, and staff. At a Summer Games, this is a good 20,000 people. And between security requirements and tradition, you have to house everybody in a single location (i.w. Olympic Village). This costs a lot of money. The venues you can reuse. The housing? Much harder.
Now, there are other factors. Specifically, the demand for new sports. There are a bushel of non-Olympic events that want a place at the Olympic table. There's a lot of prestige, direct support, and fund-raising opportunities available.
The nasty problem is, some of those sports involve spandex - and the Really Dirty Little Secret of the IOC is that it has become a wholly owned subsidiary of NBC Sports. Which wants spandex.
So they get spandex - and sports like shooting and fencing get hosed.
HMSLion-at-aol.com.42824.42767
The host city is on the hook not only to provide venues, but ot provide housing for the competitors, judges, coaches, and staff. At a Summer Games, this is a good 20,000 people. And between security requirements and tradition, you have to house everybody in a single location (i.w. Olympic Village). This costs a lot of money. The venues you can reuse. The housing? Much harder.
Now, there are other factors. Specifically, the demand for new sports. There are a bushel of non-Olympic events that want a place at the Olympic table. There's a lot of prestige, direct support, and fund-raising opportunities available.
The nasty problem is, some of those sports involve spandex - and the Really Dirty Little Secret of the IOC is that it has become a wholly owned subsidiary of NBC Sports. Which wants spandex.
So they get spandex - and sports like shooting and fencing get hosed.
HMSLion-at-aol.com.42824.42767