Owe-lympic Myths: Olympics Are a Good Investment for Host City

Today's Owe-lympic Myth:

Myth 1: The Olympics are a good investment for Toronto

Economists that have looked at the Games see no long-term economic benefit.  In a recent NYTimes story, Philip Porter, an economist at the University of South Florida who has studied the impact of sporting events was quoted saying: “The bottom line is, every time we’ve looked — dozens of scholars, dozens of times — we find no real change in economic activity.”

Another specialist in sports economics, Andrew Zimbalist, in his recent book, Circus Maximus: The Economic Gamble Behind Hosting the Olympics and the World Cup concludes that there are "no net economic gains." The wealthy, aka Millionaire Hucksters, profit; the rest of us pay. (In fact, Zimbalist wrote in The Wall Street Journal that Boston would be "lucky" to lose the Games. May Toronto be so lucky.)

Zimbalist cites the London 2012 Games.

They spent over $18 billion (all figures in USD). They took in $5 billion in Olympic revenues, leaving a deficit of $13 billion.

In a preliminary analysis of the just-ended Toronto Pan Am Games (in so far as it's possible without final numbers yet), The Globe and Mail pointed out that while there were winners among local businesses, there were losers as well.

It was a wash.

John Barber, in his column "The case against an Olympic bid," discusses cases, then cites yet another sports economist.

“Public opinion is catching up with the economic evidence,” Stefan Szymanski, professor of sports management and economics at the University of Michigan, noted recently with respect to Boston's abandoned bid.

Yes, the public does seem to be twigging to it: Taxpayers pay. Elites profit.

There is no argument about this.

Seriously. Try to find a reputable economist who will argue against it.



*Third in an ongoing and irregular series.

Previous posts:

Owe-lympics Myths: Reuse Pan Am Venues.

Owe-lympics Myth 5: Health and Fitness Legacy.

Toronto Star and Olympics: Something Stinks

Toronto Councillors' Twitter Accounts

10 People on Twitter

Owe-lympics Myths: Reuse Pan Am Venues*

One of the biggest porky pies hyped by Toronto's millionaire hucksters is that we're good to go for the Olympics because of all the dandy new Pan Am venues.

Or, Myth 5 at NoTO2024.

Myth 5: We can re-use most of the Pan Am venues
Some sites can be re-used, but even under the relaxed Agenda 2020 guidelines there will be major holes. The ACC and Rexall Centre should be ok, but the velodrome and aquatic centre are too small and too inconveniently located. The Rogers Centre is exactly the wrong size for everything.  The athlete's village will have been converted to housing and we need to find somewhere to stick a $1B+ 80,000 seat track and field stadium. The Olympics are much larger than the Pan Am Games and that level of infrastructure just wasn't built.

Mayor John Tory seems to have been sold this bill of goods.

The mayor added that he’s asked for a report from city staff on the usability of Pan Am venues for a potential Olympic Games.

“It would disappoint me if all that investment we made in very excellent facilities was not to be, under these new rules, something to be taken into account, if one wanted to bid.”

Prepare to be disappointed, Mr Mayor.

Chris Selley of the National Post pointed out that "the Pan Am organizers have always been frank: their facilities are not designed for the Olympics." He also says of the 80K+ seat stadium: "Toronto has no earthly need of such a facility."

John Barber weighs in:

Meanwhile in Ontario, taxpayers just spent $450 million on the four most expensive venues for the Pan Am Games, none of which will be good enough for the Olympics, all of which will have to be replaced by larger facilities if Toronto hopes to host in 2024. There is a long list of new stadiums and every variety of gold-plated facility to be built.

Not only are these venues too small -- and will be too old by 2024 -- some are too too far apart.

. . . many of the venues built for Pan Am are so far from Toronto that they may not meet Olympic committee standards. Some events were in Minden Hills (more than two hours from the city), Welland (90 minutes) and Hamilton (one hour).

New ginormous 80-100K seat stadium, new athletes' village, new/upgraded/relocated velodrome, ditto aquatics centre. . . the list goes on.

In short, existing Pan Am venues are just not viable for Olympics. They will need to be upgraded, expanded or replaced.

All costing mega-bucks.

In other words, a successful Olympic bid would create white elephants like the totally ridiculous baseball stadium in Greece (pictured above).




*Second in an irregular and ongoing series.

Previous posts:

Owe-lympics Myth 5: Health and Fitness Legacy.

Toronto Star and Olympics: Something Stinks

Toronto Councillors' Twitter Accounts

10 People on Twitter

Memories of Past Prime Ministers.

All this loose talk about security detail and *boy in the bubble* makes me ∧NOT∧ nostalgic for those days when Canadian prime ministers weren't afraid to get up close and personal. First, Liberal PM Jean Chrétien demonstrating his notorious *Shawinigan Handshake*.

And then, Contempt Party leader Stevie Pervie Peevie showing off his very own Grouse Mountain Grope during the 2010 Owe-lympics.

Eeeeeww! Yeah I know. Brain bleach time.

Blame @SusanFelicity who provided me with the above, via her tweet with fellow Twitter folks whilst discussing how to vote strategically - and progressively - in the current elections.

The Most Subversive Song Ever

This must be shared.

Beijing York said in the comments here:

I don't know what these three comics cover in their routine but I would love to see a stand-up routine that skewers Christians for their misuse of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah". I was listening to some Songs in Season concert on CBC and sure enough they had to sing it.

Anyway, this person does a good job of skewering this gross misunderstanding of what the song is about:

http://www.politicalgroove.com/archive/index.php?t-18984.html

I love this line:

And yet the song itself is never appropriate where it’s placed. It’s like putting a poster of Geurnica up in a nursery. Yes, beautiful, but utterly inappropriate. Hey kids! Look at the mutilated horsey head! Freaky, huh?

Here's the link made clickable.

The discussion thread's title is 'The Most Subversive Song Ever?'

I liked this bit.

Yet the song with its haunting melody and refrain like a stiffy at a funeral keeps popping up in all the most inappropriate spots (the exception being the movie “The Watchmen” in which it was actually shown during a sex scene. That’s the only version in any movie I’ve ever seen that used the original version by Leonard Cohen rather than a cover. I think the director was sending a message: we understand what it’s REALLY about.)

The commenter thinks Jeff Buckley does the best cover of it.

Me, I just loooooove k.d. laing's version of it, even though the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Owe-lympics was another stunningly inappropriate venue for it.

My xmas gift to DJ! readers:

OMFG! There were inflatable beavers???11!1???

Apparently so.

I had the telly on but left the room after the embarrassment of the rekindling of the flame. (Have I ever mentioned how much I loathe mimes?)

When I heard 'O Canada' for what seemed like the fifteenth time, I came back and turned it off.

And missed the inflatable beavers.

Thank the goddess for small mercies.

'We' Didn't Win Anything

A bunch of talented and dedicated athletes named Hayley and Sid and um, other names (I follow only the hockey) won.

I find it totally weird and more than a little sad when sports fans, however fair-or-foul-weathery, shriek 'We won!'

Both gold medal hockey games were awesome. Both could have gone either way.

Congratulations to all.

And STFU you wankers claiming that 'we' won anything beyond the obligation to pay for this extravagant bunfest.

Pravda Blames Canada!

OK, it's Pravda, but wow. In an article titled 'Vancouver: Mutton Dressed as Lamb', the author -- who is British, according to The Star (h/t) -- looses a long litany of laments about the treatment of Russian athletes at the Owe-lympics, then poses a possible reason:

We all know Canada has problems with the future lines drawn on Arctic maps and we all know Canada lives in the shadow of its larger neighbour to the south. The abject cruelty shown by Canadian soldiers in international conflicts is scantily referred to, as indeed is the utter incapacity of this county to host a major international event, due to its inferiority complex, born of a trauma being the skinny and weakling bro to a beefy United States and a colonial outpost to the United Kingdom, whose Queen smiles happily from Canadian postage stamps.

Maybe it is this which makes the Canadians so…retentive, or cowardly.

I find it hard to believe that the author is British. That last sentence quoted is kinda weird for a native English speaker, isn't it? That's how it appears, with the dots before 'retentive'. Meant to indicate that 'anal' was left out? And since when does retentive, either anal or not, equal cowardly?

Anyway, I look forward to more from this writer. That piece was written before the retentive Canucks whupped the Russians' collective ass last night. *smirk*

Still Baffled, with Fun Links Added

When I've occasionally watched Olympic opening ceremonies, I've been grateful for commentary that attempts to explain otherwise baffling symbols, songs, choreography, and whatnot.

Who knew I'd need such commentary for games being held in Canada?

Wasn't that one of the weirdest experiences you've ever had? I wasn't going to watch and in fact watched not much -- I hadda keep leaving the room out of embarrassment, bewilderment, or to get another drink.

First, who the hell was that broad auditioning for 'American Idol' with the Canadian national anthem? I muted it, but that wasn't enough. Her squirming was driving me batshit insane.

I left the room. Got another drink.

And would it have been too much to expect that CTV provide English translation for that terribly obscure language -- French?

I could go on. But I'll spare you.

Just two more things. Well, two and a half.

Joni wasn't available to sing her own song? Nobody could find a recording of her singing it?

And while I love k.d. laing and she did a terrific job, did anyone read the lyrics before choosing her number?

For that matter, did anyone read the lyrics to 'Both Sides Now'?

Here's my last question: What the FUCK?

For your perusal -- and that of the ijits who choose the music -- here are said lyrics.

'Hallelujah'

Now I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
It goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah

Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you
To a kitchen chair
She broke your throne, and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

Baby I have been here before
I know this room, I've walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you.
I've seen your flag on the marble arch
Love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

There was a time you let me know
What's really going on below
But now you never show it to me, do you?
And remember when I moved in you
The holy dove was moving too
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

You say I took the name in vain
I don't even know the name
But if I did, well really, what's it to you?
There's a blaze of light
In every word
It doesn't matter which you heard
The holy or the broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you
And even though
It all went wrong
I'll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah

'Both Sides Now'

Bows and flows of angel hair and ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere, i've looked at cloud that way.
But now they only block the sun, they rain and snow on everyone.
So many things i would have done but clouds got in my way.

I've looked at clouds from both sides now,
From up and down, and still somehow
It's cloud illusions i recall.
I really don't know clouds at all.

Moons and junes and ferris wheels, the dizzy dancing way you feel
As every fairy tale comes real; i've looked at love that way.
But now it's just another show. you leave 'em laughing when you go
And if you care, don't let them know, don't give yourself away.

I've looked at love from both sides now,
From give and take, and still somehow
It's love's illusions i recall.
I really don't know love at all.

Tears and fears and feeling proud to say "i love you" right out loud,
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds, i've looked at life that way.
But now old friends are acting strange, they shake their heads, they say
I've changed.
Something's lost but something's gained in living every day.

I've looked at life from both sides now,
From win and lose, and still somehow
It's life's illusions i recall.
I really don't know life at all.

ADDED: Salon snerks. Fun.

MORE: Heather Mallick enlightens the Brits.

A sample:

For Canadians, the opening ceremonies in Vancouver on Friday were like watching your dad get drunk at a party. You love the guy, but my God, he isn't going to dance. In front of everyone. Look, he's taking off his jacket. As I live and die, what is he wearing? Awww, I love him. And so on.

Not insulted enough?

by the scorn and derision heaped on Canada and Canadians by this ReformaTory government?

Go have a look at the $10 million shed -- built by Americans for just another slap in the kisser -- that represents us at the Vancouver Owe-lympics.

And read Chris Hume. He's incandescent. Every paragraph a keeper, but here's a taste:

But, in fact, the pavilion is as illustrative of this administration as is prorogation. Both show a government whose responses meet the barest technical requirements of acceptable conduct, but not one iota more. This is a regime that knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. But even if this pavilion had been built for free, it would still be worth as little.