Didn't realize they make such fanfare out of this announcement. But good to see Houston get a little closer to the Olympic bid. How many think there's little chance of getting past New York or Washington?
Heh. Looks like Jayz and I were watching the same press conference. Anyway, here's a link from Channel 2.
I don't know about NYC. They need to replace Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium and fast. They need to build a new MSG. They also need to build a new stadium for the Jets. With the recent events that took place there, at this point in time, that is not possible. I just don't see them willing to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on getting the 2012 Games.
Why is New York going to win? Because of terrorist attacks? They're a sentimental pick?? We're talking about an event that will take place 11 years after the WTC tragedy. Although the attack will not be forgotten, by then, it will be yesterday's (and yester-decade's news). Who knows. By 2012, aliens might have already enslaved our planet and subjected the world populace to toiling in salt mines. The WTC might be rebuilt twice over. The Olympics might be held on Mars. Houston might have a light rail system (surely the most fantastic out of all my scenarios...). New York is just not fit for hosting an Olympics. Hell, I live here. I know. Too crowded. Too small. Too much traffic. No room for athletes, media, and ticket holders here. The city would be virtually shut down during the Olympics due to road closings and the like. Forget the financial windfall. It would be an absolute mess. New York has enough tourists anyway. We don't need to showcase the city. Who goes to Houston on a vacation? Houston needs the Olympics much more than New York.
NYC is the sentimental pick, but the IOC has said that it will make its determination on merit, not on sentiment because these Olympics, as Vescey Sux said, are 11 years from now. I've actually followed this fairly closely because I worked with many of the Houston 2012 people during the referendum last year. Everything I've seen has pointed to Houston and San Francisco being the top two choices with SF having a slight edge but Houston a close second. It's just nice to beat Dallas at something!
<img src="http://images.chron.com/content/news/photos/01/10/26/2012.jpg"> Former city coucil member and Houston 2012 founder, John Kelly, reacts.
Actually, this is what the Olympic athletes will look like (minus the smile) when they're stuck in traffic getting to their event because in 2012 Houston still won't have a decent mass transit system. I still think the Olympics in Houston is a terrible idea. Unless they're actually intending to turn the long-distance running events into a recreation of the Bataan Death March. But who the hell would want to watch that???
jeff.. any ideas on what we need to try and showcase or improve to beat out san francisco? maybe we will have better chance since california has already had an olympics in the last 20 years and when we go to compete against the other countries for the games they may frown upon having another games in the same state? i doubt it though just a thought.. also i wonder when considering DC how much the fact that it is the capital will be factored in.. do we want a huge event which always has security concerns to be in the capital of the country?
I think we ought to promote the hell out of NASA. I've always felt that NASA hasn't been promoted to its potential as a world-uniter to get us to the stars as a planet. Hmm....I don't really think they'd take this into account. It is about time Texas had an Olympics, though. Excellent point. This obviously hasn't been too much of a concern, seeing has how they've had a comittee to bring the Games to DC. Maybe the events of 9-11 will change this....time will tell.
lynus.... i was just hoping maybe the comittee would fear that the world wide comittee or whatever would pick another country over the US because they dont want to give it to the same state twice and since utah is in that general area and has the 2002 games... probably wont make a difference just trying to think of any type of advantage we may have haha true about the DC thing... i just think that their is always a security threat with any olympics as we saw in atlanta and the committe may be scared having it there could increase it. they make the pick next fall i think.. and our new football stadium opens in august so i hope for sure we have them tour that if they come down again after it is finished.. i just hope we have the best possible people working on this.. i wasn't sure a while ago but i'm actually now thinking this is a possiblity the more and more i think about it..... we stole our new nfl team away from california that was favored to get it.. so maybe we can steal this olympic bid away from san fran, dc, and new york...
That might be true, but after seeing that intro, it almost made me want to hand NYC the olympics. Almost... We all know Houston is the place to be!
Let me tell you guys, I'm against the whole Olympic effort for Houston. I really don't think Houston has a chance to get it, so I'm afraid that all this money will be spent for naught. HOWEVER, damn it feels good to make the cut over Dallas. I actually live in the Big D now and all the sports radio guys were b****ing and moaning and whining about how could Houston beat them. I'm sure that's a great sense of validation for the people of Houston. Dallas is cool, but HOUTON ROCKS!!
On my way to conduct a deposition this morning I stopped at a donut shop where I found a machine selling the Dallas Morning News. I had to buy it! As we were waiting to get started, I read the article titled, "why houston?" on the front page!! How great!! Houston used to win out regularly on these sorts of things...it's really only been the last 20 or so years that Dallas has seemed to have the upper-hand of texas in the eyes of the nation. No longer...with the Super Bowl becoming a regular feature..the upcoming All Star game...a nice new downtown arena...and the possibility of the Olympics, Houston is looking good! I'm pumped for H-Town! If it comes down to meat and potatoes, Houston has a real good shot. Everything I hear about the SF bid is that it is largely smoke and mirrors (just like the city of dallas -- little jab there!). Did you guys read the Chronicle today?? Sounds like the SF olympics would have events all over california!!! houston has all the facilities, has the financial support already locked in, and can provide for a very compact Games, easing logistics. They had a little table in the paper today outlining the needs of every city to make it happen....most cities had at least a few major hurdles to climb...houston had one: create the olympic village!! that one was shared by every other city!!
