Monday, December 15, 2008

Chicago 2016 bid suggests building a temporary pool for the games

Their reason for building a disposable pool is that they want to: "do it for the children!"

That is to say, once the Olympics are done, they fold it up and put it in a park somewhere for kids to enjoy!

Frankly, I think that it is a tired, political, PR line they are floating here and it does not wash. I just don't believe that a temp pool will benefit Chicago kids for Illinois politicians, starting with the Governor's office, certainly don't have a history of credibility.

From the USOC: "...We worked very closely with international sports federations and national governing bodies,'' said Doug Arnot, Chicago 2016's operations chief. ``This plan is better for sport, better for the games and, perhaps most importantly, better for Chicago's youth sports legacy. This plan remains very financially responsible. ...'' [Link]

Well, Points-off, Chicago! You flunked miserably in my Olympic view of the world. I want a pool with artistic glory and a structure that is a de facto Olympic monument. Perhaps something so great that in a 1000 years it would even rival the Roman Coliseum. The Bird's Nest may be that monument that this century is remebered by but I prefer better one.

In the long run we are all dead. Let Chicago spend some money on an inspirational idea and leave it behind for us.

If Chicago's ideas are that uninspired then the IOC should pass the torch to Japan or Rio!

How bizarre that the richest nation on earth is considering building a temp-pool for the Olympics! That to me is indicitive that this nation is degrading both financially and artistically.

Boy, Japan and Rio are looking pretty good to me right now!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's a shame but this is the future of swimming in America. In the next 10 years we will be endanger of running out of pools. As more temporary pools are built and older pools shut down as upkeep becomes too much this country will have a shortage.

Steven Munatones said...

Interesting perspective. From the world of open water swimming, the Chicago bid offers a great potential venue for the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim - a course parallel to the Lake Michigan shoreline?

Steven Munatones said...

Interesting perspective. This is an issue that the open water swimming community can avoid. Perhaps the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim will be held in a course parallel to the shoreline of Lake Michigan?

Tony Austin said...

Posting this rebuttal for Clay Evans:

So what you are saying it was okay for China to spend $4,000,000 on every athlete that participated in Beijing ($40b/10k)? This attitude was how the Olympic movement went broke and nobody was bidding after Montreal (who finally paid off their debt recently from 76). It was an autocratic regime that stuffed themselves full of themselves and made a lot of poor people pay. A democracy probably would have done better with much of that cash and Michael P would have still won 8 gold.



Los Angeles 84 is often credited with saving the games with a more practical pragmatic economic approach and I think we were the only ones that bid for those games. The Olympics should be put on without costing Countries debt and should in my opinion pay for themselves. I am very happy that LA does NOT subsidize an NFL team. If people want more Water Cubes they should send contributions to biding Olympic committees but don’t take my money.

Tony Austin said...

My rebuttal: If the Olympics are a "show," or a "spectacle," or a "circus," then you would be right.

The Olympics to me are an ideal worth remembering and what better way remember it and the culture that hosted it is to leave behind a monument of man's accomplishments rather than a disposable monument as suggested.

Though the Vietnam Memorial Monument is an important memorial, the Statue of Liberty and it's ideal is far more magnificent and inspiring.

Anonymous said...

people remember the athletes and their records from the games, not the pool in which they competed. yes, the water cube was awesome, but i'm always going to remember michaels reaction after winning the 100 fly.

if AMERICA were to pay for the 2016 Games (like China did for the 2008), then I would say "make a new water cube!" but because Chicago has to fund the games, let them do there thing.

i dont think America has the same problem with pools closing like other countries do. we have the best swimmers, and other countries send their athletes here to train. if pools are closed in America, it is probably due to low interest, which i attribute to our culture.