Olympics

[Lemming]

Originally Posted by greg

Give em [France and it's native people] summat else to hate us for.

I reckon they hate us because they want to be just like us and can't!!

[R W S]

LATEST 2012 OLYMPICS ODDS

4-9 Paris (From 4-11)
7-4 London (Was 9-4)
10-1 Madrid
50-1 New York, Moscow
(London's odds have more than halved from 7-2 since Monday morning. Madrid are 10s from 20-1. Although still odds-on, Paris are their longest price of 2005).

[Rachael]

Originally Posted by Notts Exile

I've heard the praise and there's no doubt it would be wonderful, and I would like to see England get it.

I'd like to see a successful British bid.. but emphasis on the British: these are small enough islands to have the Olympics spread from Taunton to Aberdeen and from Belfast to Norwich.

The one place I would NOT support getting the Olympics is London...

[Richie Benauds Love Child]

But rachael, according to the popular press and anyone who lives within the M25, London is the be all and end all of the UK, with birmingham , manchester, etc are quaint little hamlets where people talk funny and eat squirrels.

Let the londoners havee it and let them fork out for it.

[Milo]

It would be impossible to coordinate any type of security operation (and unfortunately this would be required) across the entire country.

You cannot honestly believe that it would make any sense to try and encourage a bid that was based around multi centres likes Belfast, Aberdeen, Taunton etc. Who would you expect to pay for all this, and no country in the world has transport systems that could manage the sheer numbers required over such an area.

This idea might have sounded good in your head....but it would be impossible to actually get a bid off the ground.

[Maranello]

Originally Posted by Richie Benauds Love Child

But rachael, according to the popular press and anyone who lives within the M25, London is the be all and end all of the UK, with birmingham , manchester, etc are quaint little hamlets where people talk funny and eat squirrels.

Exactly! Well said RBLC, though we never think Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow etc are 'quaint' - modest, staid and provincial, yes, but never quaint

PS: If you Northerners eat squirrels, that's your own business. We believe in live and let live in the big city....

[Maranello]

Originally Posted by Milo

It would be impossible to coordinate any type of security operation (and unfortunately this would be required) across the entire country.

You cannot honestly believe that it would make any sense to try and encourage a bid that was based around multi centres likes Belfast, Aberdeen, Taunton etc. Who would you expect to pay for all this, and no country in the world has transport systems that could manage the sheer numbers required over such an area.

This idea might have sounded good in your head....but it would be impossible to actually get a bid off the ground.

My thoughts exactly. And it is for these and other similar reasons that bids are only allowed from cities, not countries or states - Olympics are held in cities. And if cities like Atlanta, GA and Seoul can host the games, London, and even the East End of London can do a much better job.

[Rachael]

Multiple centres pose no great logistical problem for the Olympics... at least not on the scale of a geographically limited country like the UK.... but the egos of the IOC big-wigs demand the supposed "prestige" of (in the case of the UK) the capital city (the UK crew were apparently told, in no uncertain terms, that no other UK centre would be entertained).

This country already has an excellent tennis facility at Wimbledon and watersports centre at Nottingham.... both of which are routinely used for International events... and similar grade facilities undoubtedly exist elsewhere for shooting, horse riding, sailing, swimming and so on. Gateshead have a proven record of running International Athletics events... and if the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff can host the FA cup final then it can surely manage any number of Olympic events.

The Olympics only becomes a complete nightmare when you start thinking about ignoring all the expertise and facilities that already exists... and dismissing facilities that are just a short bus ride down a motorway from any other venue... and looking to put all the competitors and visitors in one place.

Would it really be harder to run the Marathon through Glen Coe than through the streets of London? Does anyone really doubt that Glasgow could host the marathon runners and run such an event rather more easily than an Olympic City that's already knee deep in running several hundred other events.

[Paoli]

Originally Posted by Lemming

Who will win the vote to host the 2012 summer Olympics games?

Currently the odds are as follows:

Paris : 1-4 (fav)
London : 11-4
New York : 25-1
Madrid : 14-1
Moscow : 50-1.

Also do the English posters on this forum want the Olympics to come to London, or not? Why?

Paris for mine. Their display on the Champs-Elysses was impressive if nothing else. They've got a ready made stadium you'd think in the Saint-Denis, and it just makes sense; they've been the go-getters from the start and the arrogant attitude is being put to good use.

Also, did anyone hear Chirac say that if it went to London they'd be subject to crap food and crap weather. Kinda like that comedian, forgot his name, but he's the one who does the university tours.

[Richie Benauds Love Child]

Originally Posted by Paoli69

Also, did anyone hear Chirac say that if it went to London they'd be subject to crap food and crap weather. Kinda like that comedian, forgot his name, but he's the one who does the university tours.

Chirac - what a prick.