Flat, yes. Baron? This isn't west Texas. I'm not sure you've actually been to Houston. I don't know where you get that this is some sort of desert wasteland. I don't think we'd be a good host simply because of the heat. August in Houston, or anywhere in Texas for that matter, would be not fun for anyone.
Paris hosted a huge share of Euro games this summer without a hitch. I visited during that time and the amount of armed, uniformed soldiers patrolling the streets was staggering. Friends of mine who traveled through the country said that random roadside checks were being performed everywhere and they felt safe. If the Rio games could (largely) go off without a hitch, Paris would be no problem.
With all the prestige of the athletes, the Olympics should do more help fans follow the athletes careers in the international LEAGUES they compete in. Even if its promoting professional leagues and too many business tie-ins, and just drop the whole "amateur purity" thing. Everyone will still understand that the Olympics are the highest honor, it won't work too much against themselves. It just makes the athletes seem really disposable flavor-of-the-month, propping them up on their own Olympic platform, but doing nothing to help the career development platforms that even get the athletes there
Ok maybe baron isn't the best adjective but the natural landscape is not pretty. It's not a good thing when you do a google image search and the best images are all the same of the downtown skyline. Which isn't that pretty to begin with. And yes, I've been to Houston and feel it's a great city to raise a family and live but it's just not that pretty
That's horrible for Bolt. I couldn't imagine having that conversation with Bolt if I were the one that got caught.
Love the policy. You kinda have the Olympics, Cycling, and College Football post penalyzing right now. There may be others like Tennis, but not sure. I like it, but I don't think it will deter the cheaters because they still have nothing to lose and everything to gain. It does rectify something for the losers though to a small degree. And it does hold the cheaters accountable for which there is some peer pressure. But probably not enough. I think Lance Armstrong and Jose Canseco felt it to a degree, but ultimately the money overcomes it all. When it comes to team sports obviously more difficult, but implement it, why not, it puts an emphasis on playing fair and on an equal field and the record books won't be washed, you just anoint the apprpriate champion.