When the NBC TV network, a subsideary of defense contractor General Electric and the IOC voice "displeasure" over an USOC Olympic channel, I suspect that "voiced displeasure" is a euphemism for the threat of a lawsuit and/or forget holding an Olympics in Chicago if you do go live with that cable channel!From IndyStar.com:I personally do not want Chicago to get the Olympics for evey thing I have read from the USOC, they want to do it on the cheap. i.e. a temporary pool,
It's uncertain when -- or if -- the U.S. Olympic Committee's proposed new television network will launch. But by postponing the network, the USOC is trying to avoid any harm to Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympics.
Bringing the games to Chicago is being viewed as a near-necessity to maintain U.S. interest in the Olympics. "..."
The USOC's original move brought sharp reaction from the IOC and TV partner NBC. After meeting with IOC president Jacques Rogge on Sunday, USOC chairman Larry Probst announced the network startup would be delayed.
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From the USOC:I prefer the games go to Japan - they obviously have more taste than Chicago and will try to out-do Beijing!
"...Chicago 2016 organizers unveiled on Friday several venue changes they say will benefit athletes and the community, and make their bid more attractive. In addition to moving the aquatic center and making the swimming pool a temporary facility, the sailing, canoe/kayaking, track cycling and BMX cycling venues all will be moved under Chicago's retooled bid plan.
"... The warm-up pool, a permanent venue, will be adjacent to the temporary competition pool and the two will be separated by a deck, much like they were in Beijing. There also will be a separate diving well and a pool for water polo. All temporary pools will be moved to other Chicago parks after the games. ..."
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We certainly won't be able to throw an awesome Olympics when the USOC is bragging not about the venues but rather how "smart" their budget is!
16 comments:
If this is true I'd think it was the blatant chutzpah shown by the USOC, a child of the IOC no less, trying to steal the American revenues from NBC. No need to threaten a lawsuit as the IOC owns all rights to the Olympics. It would merely have to state it would stand by its long term relationship with NBC and continue granting Olympic rights under competitive bid. Which it evidently did.
P.S. Aren't you being a tad hard on Chicago? Don't get me wrong, as I think the U.S. has had more than its fair share of Olympic games and therefore believe the 2016 Games should go elsewhere, but there's no practical need for another two 50m pool facility in the States. One permanent pool is enough of a legacy I think.
I think every host city owes it to their community and the world a 50-meter pool as a token of respect to the Olympic ideal.
I find the Olympics more impressive than the UN when it comes to bringing the world together.
The temporary pools are not cheap - and they are FAST!
Omaha and Long Beach both hosted The USA Olympic Trials in a temporary pool.
That being said, I agree with Tony in that an Olympic competition pool in a city can inspire and serve the sport for years to come.
There is a certain pool in the city of Los Angeles which is just begging to host a masters swim meet!
Scott? ARE YOU KIDDING?
The swim facilities with two 50 meter pools are a dream for any club.
That is... if there is a quality facilities director that understands how to fully utilize the pool time.
The way the sport of swimming has been booming since the last Olympic year, swim meets and water polo tournaments are bigger than ever.
Finding a championship facility that can handle hundreds of swimmers entered in the season ending meets is becoming more difficult than ever. Ask any age-group coach or Championship Committee Member who has to make meet location selections.
There are smaller cities like Clovis who offer these two pool venues. Even then people complain about it being too expensive and far away to travel.
Swimmers have to fully support building and renovating swimming pools.
And in a big city?
Open it up to inner-city kids and create more great ways to get people in the water.
i actually think its GOOD that chicago wants to use temp pools because they plan to relocate these pools to city parks of Chicago. chicago really needs these pools (especially if they are LCM) to spark interest in the sport! the only 50 meter pools I can think of in chicago are at the University of Illinois at Chicago and at Northwestern University (in Evanston) AND there arent any "major" clubs in the city of chicago! for such a big city, there really arent any swim clubs. THIS NEEDS TO CHANGE, and i think the Chicago Olympics (with temp pools) can do this!
Then build a city park with the pool as it centerpiece or take an existing park and make into a swim stadium.
Let's be honest, Chicago politicians are not really known for their honesty.
When Chicago says they want to do an an Olympics on the cheap for the sake of the kids, grab your wallet and don't let go. Here is why:
Chicago has had three governor jailed since 1970 and a fourth one who may go to jail next year:
Otto Kerner, a Democrat who was governor from 1961 to 1968, jailed for bribery, tax evasion and other stuff. He was convicted of arranging favorable horse racing dates as governor in return for getting horse racing association stock at reduced prices.
Dan Walker, a Democrat who was governor from 1973 to 1977, served 1 1/2 years of a seven-year sentence after pleading guilty in 1987 to bank fraud, misapplication of funds and perjury.
George Ryan, a Republican who was governor from 1999 to 2003, was convicted of corruption in 2006 for steering state contracts and leases to political insiders and helping cover up bribes paid in return for truck drivers licenses while he was secretary of state and then governor. He is serving a 6 1/2-year prison term.
They just impeached their current governor, Rod Blagojevich, and he will probably go to jail too.
I don't trust Chicago, I don't like their pool plans and I trust the Japanese will do something better.
Hey Tony:
Temporary pools allow us to demonstrate that if there are 10 to 20 thousand seats available, people will come and watch live. That's the only reason sports like football and the like can make such demands on TV.
This in turn is the way our new generaton of professional swimmers get endoursements and get their stories told. Portable pools in big stadiums are it's best marketing future.
Hi Anon, Temp pools worked great for trials but the Olympics are a more elevated endeavor.
A temp pool for the Olympic is like a conjured up ghost that is quickly seen and then evaporates. There is no gravity to it nor an artifact of that particular moment.
In this case there is no source of inspiration no context, nothing.
I am a big fan of temporary pools for the Olympics. Beijing was the last classic totalitarian Olympics where price was no object on building facilities. LA 84 worked because they were abe to avoid building new facilities and used existing buldings as much as possible.
In Chicago outdoor pools would have only limited utility during much of the year so it has to be indoor, and be a white elephant, or be outdoor and temporary. If you build an indoor pool with two pools and 20,000 seats, it is a white elephant the day the meet ends. The best choice is to use an existing indoor venue, with a temporary pool, where there is already parking, and all the necessaries for 20,000 people rather than building an entirely temporary outdoor pool.
I can't argue that your suggestion is not practical. My point of view is that legacy trumps practicality when it comes to the Olympics.
constructing these permanent pools is what "bankrupts" the cities and makes them afraid to host such events. they surpass their budgets, fall behind construction schedule, and then must complete subpar facilities.
remember all the issues athens had for 2004? we wouldnt want chicago to have the same issues!
i would love for chicago to use permanent facilties, and i was actually upset that they hadnt planned on new constructions, but i would be MUCH happier to see chicago host with temp pools, than to lose the bid!
and im sure you could care less if America hosted another Olympics, because you're from LA and have hosted like 20 olympic games! haha let the rest of America have their fun too!
Everybody appears to have missed that the Chicago bid proposes a permanent 50m pool on the site (the warm up pool), reserving the temporary 50m pool for the actual competition. That way, as Bill Ireland points out, the taxpayers aren't stuck with a white elephant. Using a proven preexisting competition pool seems only good economic sense to me.
P.S. Ahelee - I'd never disagree with you about what would be every coach's dream facility (our club's coach has been pushing forever for our main pool's long planned expansion into two 50m pools boasting a new Olympic quality ten lane pool plus the necessary stands for a major meet but he's been frustrated as of late). For him the fact that in our area (pop. 2.5 million) we already have such a facility at the University of British Columbia (one indoor and one outdoor) plus eight other long course pools (two of those being outdoor) and all with public access remains a seemingly insurmountable hurdle. Because we can't justify the expansion on community need it means the new pool is dependent on private donations and not many individuals are willing or able to hand out an amount starting at eight figures. But as long as each state has one such facility you don't really need another.
Rome left us the Coliseum
The Greeks left us the Pantheon and the Olympics themselves.
The Egyptians left us massive stone cities.
That is LEGACY!
Examples: Angkor Wat, Machu Picchu, Petra, Luxor
Do an image search and see the emotion these places evoke?
This is the 2016 Olympics, not a Cirque du Soleil show under an ephemeral circus tent that will leave town in 5-days, this is about what, who, and where we are as a culture.
Precisely.
Tony, I have noticed some MAJOR differences between your comparisons of the Roman Colosseum, Greek Parthenon, Egyptian Pyramids, and the Chicago Olympics.
1st - about 2000 years! which means completely different societies! see how many people these days would want to "donate" their tax money to build a construction to trump those of yesterday!
2nd - government! back then, most people were ruled by either a king, dictator, or pharaoh! with tons of wealth, power, and supplies, its easier to produce great constructions! all you would have to do is send out your slaves for a couple of years/decades!
3rd - use! the Colosseum was filled with over 50,000 spectators for events that would last for more than 100 days! (Trajan's celebration lasted 123 days!) Could you imagine trying to fill a natatorium with more than 15,000 people for more than a month? (The Cube could only seat 17,000.)
How many people go to Italy to see the Coliseum, or the Pantheon in Greece or the Pyramids.
Yes, a culture should leave things behind even if they are used for for just 100-days for these venues will really be "used" for centuries if they are great enough.
We just differ in opinions. I want ideals left behind, you want a practical solution
I'm supporting Chicago because, as a US Olympian, I've been asked to support the cause by friends who are involved in the process. I lend my support out of loyalty to them, and because I know what I honestly believe to be the best solution would never happen.
My belief is that many problems would be solved if there was a single, permanent location for the Olympics... and why not Greece for summer, and let the bidding begin for winter. Initial money could be spent on the absolute best facilities that are all state-of-the-art, with any additional funding that is usually used for bidding, greasing the palms, all the lavish planning that goes along with trying to GET the Olympics to your host city, be spent on keeping those existing facilities up to date.
I can only dream of the avoided corruption and money that could ultimately go to youth sports, community activity programs, athlete education, etc., that ends up just being thrown away when 4 out of 5 cities who have spent millions just for the opportunity to lose billions.
This would also mean... a permanent pool.
I remember a good friend telling me about how he changed for the finals of the Olympic Games in LA in a porta-john. He said in his mind, he always imagined the Olympics as something permanent, that stood for something real. It really took a shine off the event for him... which was sad.
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