Toronto Olympics and The Star: Do You Smell Something?

I'm sensing a pattern here.

Is The Toronto Star, the only media in Toronto to publish a totally pro-Olympics piece (by Royson James, below), systematically shutting down anti-Olympic comments?

Every story I could find on a possible Toronto bid has had it comments closed.

Oddly, the overwhelming majority of comments are unreservedly NEGATIVE.

August 13, 37 comments, closed.

August 12 6 comments, closed.

August 12, 57 comments, closed.

August 12, 12 comments, closed.

August 12, Royson James, 16 comments, closed. The most recent comment is dated "10 days ago," which would be before the dateline, but whatever.

August 6, a poll showing Torontonians want Olympics but ONLY IF they don't have to pay for them, 133 comments, closed.

August 1, 104 comments, closed.

And, perhaps not co-incidentally, comments on stories about what many see as an alternative to 2024 Olympics, Expo 2025, are also being slammed shut when they go negative.

Expo stories
July 25, 37 comments, mostly negative about Olympics, closed.

July 28, 45 comments, mostly negative about Expo, closed.

I ask again: Does The Star have an agenda? A financial interest? A friendly relationship to maintain?

The #NoTO2024 campaign is gaining steam. Website and petition.

Here's Canadian Olympics expert Janice Forsyth on costs to Toronto of a bid.

And here's the think-tank report on the spectacular failure of the Boston 2024 bid, ordered by the state of Massachusetts (pdf).

The report details the many exaggerations and downright lies of the Boston boosters. Mainly, that despite the many assurances of the millionaire hucksters, the financial burdens would fall squarely and uniquely on taxpayers.

On Twitter, some city councillors seem to be paying attention, in particular to The Guarantee that Boston Mayor Walsh ultimately REFUSED to sign.

ADDED: The Star's endorsement of Tory for mayor. Lest we forget.

"No Toronto Olympics" Say 10 People on Twitter

They did it. Ten people on Twitter got the Boston 2024 Olympic bid pulled.

Olympic officials hate an argy-bargy and the good people of Boston put up a heckuva rumpus.

So, they took their ball and went elsewhere. Probably Los Angeles.

Toronto, chuffed from pulling off a second-rank sporting event -- for which the costs and overruns will not be revealed for months -- at which Canadians won the second-most medals after the US's less-than-star athletes, is again contemplating a bid for the 2024 Olympic Games.

To which we say, NO FUCKING WAY.

A few points to start.

First, it's expensive.

But the Olympics are a much bigger event. This summer, more than 7,000 athletes from 41 delegations travelled to compete in Toronto. That's at least 3,000 athletes and 164 delegations fewer than what London managed during the 2012 Summer Olympics.

The city would need to galvanize public support to spend taxpayer dollars this way. The bid process could run the city between $50 million and $60 million, while a successful bid could cost up to $6.9 billion, according to a 2014 feasibility report.

"They're always looking to open up new markets for the games," says Janice Forsyth, former director of Western University's International Centre for Olympic Studies. That could explain why many recent host cities have never staged the Olympics before.

Got that? It costs at least $50 million to buy a lottery ticket to this bunfest and if we win, we get to spend up to $7 BILLION more.

Second, the cost overruns. Since 1976, cost overruns have averaged more than 200%.

This is largely a factor of estimated costs being pulled out of various assholes to begin with.

Next, Toronto already said no thanks. At that committee meeting in January 2014, not one person showed up to support a bid.

Not. One. Person.

What's changed?

Mainly the mayor, who wants the Games, but who is playing it cozy so far saying people would have to be "reasonably interested" for Toronto to bid.

Now this is the really clever bit. If we want to mortgage our city for 30 years, we must act fast. A letter of intent has to go to the IOC by September 15.

Classic huckersism. Buy now! These prices won't last long! Deal of a lifetime!

No.

Let's strangle this notion in its cradle.

I have more to say about the brilliant, hard-working people of Boston, but their advice is: get to the councillors.

Here are their Twitter accounts.

@cllrainslie

@JustinDiCiano

@PamMcConnell28

@MariaAugimeri

@FDiGiorgio12

@mary_margaret32

@Ward18AnaBailao

@DoucetteWard13

@joemihevc

@CouncillorMB

@JohnFilion23

@DenzilMW

@jon_burnside

@PaulaFletcher30

@ron_moeser

@TorontoRobFord

@shelleyCarroll

@Mark_Grimes

@JamesPasternak

@rcho42

@stephenholyday

@gordperks

@JoshColle

@jimkarygiannis

@PeruzzaTO

@CllrCrawford

@norm

@JayeRobinson

@joe_cressy

@m_layton

@vcrisanti

@CncllrChinLee

@Thompson_37

@Janet_Davis

@kristynwongtam

@JoshMatlow

@Campbell4Ward4

David Shiner, Glenn De Baeremaeker, and Giorgio Mammoliti seem not to have Twitter accounts.

Other contact info here.

On Twitter, use the hashtag #NoTO2024.

Just to forestall any accusations that I'm a Negative Nellie, I want to go on record as in total, ethusiastic support of Matt Elliott's Fakelympics.

Let's get this done.