What a fiasco. The Olympic Games shoud have NEVER been awarded to this city.

[OBenario]

The 1996 Olympic Games in ATLANTA, United States, were marred by the Centennial Olympic Park bombing on July 27. Security guard Richard Jewell discovered the pipe bomb and immediately notified law enforcement and helped evacuate as many people as possible from the area before it exploded. Although Jewell's quick actions are credited for saving many lives, the bombing killed spectator Alice Hawthorne, wounded 111 others, and caused the death of Melih Uzunyol by heart attack. Jewell was later considered a suspect in the bombing but was never charged, and he was exonerated in October 1996. In 2003, Eric Robert Rudolph was charged with and confessed to this bombing as well as the bombings of several abortion clinics and gay bars. He stated "the purpose of the attack on July 27th was to confound, anger and embarrass the Washington government in the eyes of the world for its abominable sanctioning of abortion on demand." He was sentenced to a life sentence at ADX Florence prison in Florence, Colorado.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_Summer_Olympics#Participating_National_Olympic_Committees


Note to US media: next time you try to satanize some other country olympic games, at least try to put the question of "security" under due perspective.

thank you

[NightWatcher]

1. The problems in Rio ahead of time were primarilly infrastructure related

Atlanta and the surrounding venues were way more prepared than Rio. No one was scared of the drinking water or the water where the Olympic rowing and sailing were taking place back in 1996.

[OBenario]

2. Well, nobody died due to terrorist attacks

nor hundreds were hurt in the Olympic Games in Brazil.

[OBenario]

3. And, really:

"being scared of drinking water" is pathetic.

Also:

"A report prepared by European Olympic officials after the Games was critical of Atlanta's performance in several key issues, including the level of crowding in the Olympic Village, the quality of available food, the accessibility and convenience of transportation, and the Games' general atmosphere of commercialism."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_Summer_Olympics#Venues

[BooScout]

12. Mostly Atlanta just pissed off the IOC...

Since under corporate sponsorship, they were in direct competion with the IOC. Samarach was a meglomaniac and the IOC was then and now crooked as hell.

The transportation was fine. I was there. There was no traffic on Atlanta roads for two weeks. Shuttle buses or trains ran to all the venues with easy access. The only time I sat in any traffic was when we traveled to Athens, GA via private car for the Gold Medal Soccer game and we still made it to the game with time to spare.

Atlanta came out of the Olympic games not saddled with decades of debt. Nor was the so-called commercialism as insidious as the press made it out to be. Montreal took 30 years to pay off their Olympic debt. Atlanta broke even, and got two sports stadiums, new dormitories for Georgia Tech, a new park in the city centre and a big expansion of it's existing subway system.

There is press criticism of every Olympics. It seems the press has nothing better to do than to run down the host cities. I watched them do it to London four years ago and yet again this year with Rio. It really stung when they did it to Atlanta since that is my home town...but when they started it up for London four years ago, I was able to assure my British friends and neighbors here in the UK that it was just bullshit from the press who knows that negativity sells.

My advice for those lucky enough to attend an Olympics is to ignore the naysayers and enjoy yourselves. Being at an Olympics live and in person is a once in a life time event. Enjoy the hell out of it and go with the flow.

[OBenario]

13. Nor London or Atlanta have faced a bashing campaign...

... as Rio did.

Criticism is common. What the internacional (and mostly US press) did was a real crime. Several athletes and God knows how many thousands of tourists decided not to come to the games due to the satanization of the press.

[BooScout]

17. You are so wrong!

I was there. For Atlanta and London. Both were criticised ad nauseaum by the press. Atlanta was especially hounded. I was living in Atlanta in 1996 and the UK 4 years ago. I remember clearly the press criticising everything they could think of with both cities.

[OBenario]

18. Yep, I remember the criticism.

It can not be remoteley compared. At all. It was regular criticism, not satanization.

[BooScout]

28. Tell that to the people of Atlanta and London.

Maybe you just don't remember it.....but I do. London was not as bad, but the press literally crucified Atlanta at the time.

[SwankyXomb]

61. Wasn't Romney involved with the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Games?

[JonLP24]

88. Which left SLC saddled with debt

Not to mention the bribery scandal.

[BooScout]

92. Much as I am not a fan of Mitt...

He was brought in to turn the SLC Games around.....and I don't think he had anything to do with that scandal other than trying to repair the damage done.

[Zen Democrat]

81. Take back that credit to Romney. He had nothing to do with the Atlanta games.

[BooScout]

91. Romney didn't have anything to do with the Atlanta Olympics Games...

He is associated with the Salt Lake City Games. A good article about that can be found here: http://swampland.time.com/2012/07/18/the-real-story-of-romneys-olympic-turnaround/

The man responsible for bringing the Games to Atlanta is Billy Payne, who is now chairman of the Augusta National Golf Club (the one where they hold the Masters). He's pretty much a legend in Atlanta.

Good to see ya Raine!

[Raine1967]

93. Thank you for the correction Boo.

I will self delete!

[BooScout]

94. ...

[malaise]

4. Any major sporting event that isn't awarded to a particular group of countries is dissed big time

Given the political and economic challenges Brazil did fine. I don't go to Africa to see the US, London, Paris or Rome.

[Cicada]

5. Anybody know how much bribes cost to get Olympics?

I vaguely recall three million to committee members but that could be out of dare.

[Skeeter Barnes]

6. I know it costs $11,000 to bribe your way out of the Rio Olympics.

[jcgoldie]

82. Yes

After you got drunk, tore up some shit, then created an international incident by making up a bunch of bullshit to take advantage of everyone's fears and stereotypes in order to cover for your very unimportant immature asshole behavior... 11 k seems like sort of a bargain at that point.

[Act_of_Reparation]

99. I'm getting tired of people making excuses for this kind of shit.

The American swimmers are criminals, on top of being a national fucking disgrace. If the authorities in Brazil feel the crime is worthy of punishment, then they should fucking prosecute them. If not, let them go.

Holding onto their passports until they fork over an exorbitant sum of money isn't justice, it's fucking extortion. And if American cops were pulling that crap on the homefront, people here would be up in fucking arms.

Shit, American cops are pulling that shit here.

[ProfessorGAC]

100. Criminals?

Petty vandalism and drunk and disorderly makes one a criminal? A miscreant, yes. A criminal, no.

[jcgoldie]

102. I'm no expert on the Brazillian legal system

Based on your response, I'm assuming that you aren't either. Plea bargains in which an offender agrees to some sort of fine in order to avoid charges or jail time are not uncommon in the United States. I do not see why this similar practice in Brazil is considered "extortion" by self righteous Americans. Do people really have so little respect for the Brazillian system of justice that they think the $11 k really matters to them here? To me that premise is ridiculous.

[Act_of_Reparation]

103. Irrelevant.

Even if the plea bargaining system worked the same way (it doesn't by the way), what fucking difference would it make? Do two wrongs all of a sudden make a right? Did I miss a fucking meeting?

[jcgoldie]

104. I have no idea what that response meant

But congratulations on frequent use of the f-bomb to convey your very dramatic sense of outrage.

[Act_of_Reparation]

105. Thanks, pal.

Though I'm stunned by your inability to identify in your own rationale what is essentially the most recognizable of logical fallacies, I can appreciate that you recognize true genius when it stands before you. As a reward, I'll google a couple of things for you.

Two wrongs make a right


People who use profanity have teh bestest vocabulistics

There you go. Don't spend it all in one place.

[malaise]

7. Ask the folks in Salt Lake City

or read Andrew Jennings ' New Lords of the Rings'. Or ask the former US big man from FIFA - they are all fugging corrupt - nationality is irrelevant.

[yallerdawg]

8. These Olympics were fantastic!

The event facilities were spectacular and colorful, a visual treat!

And Rio de Janiero is one of the most naturally beautiful cities I have ever seen - otherworldly.

And the athletes - many, many epic stories of achievement and defeat!

Can't wait for the next - in Tokyo!

[malaise]

9. My mom and dad took my oldest sister to the last Tokyo

Olympics back in 1964 and then deposited her at college in Kansas, Missouri. The treat was her birthday present.

[alfredo]

70. There was a great documentary about Tokyo 64.

The Tokyo Olympiad

[RagAss]

80. Agreed.

Recall seeing it several years ago. A young Joe Frazier winning the Gold in Boxing stands out in my mind. He was a last minute substitute
as I recall.

[alfredo]

83. The opening sequence was beautiful too.

[narnian60]

10. +100

I so agree, yallerdawg.

[DonRedwood]

11. So.... The Olympic Games should not have been awarded to Atlanta because

A lone individual planted a pipe bomb several years AFTER Atlanta was named? How is that Atlanta's fault? By that reasoning Munich should not have had the games because years after choosing Munich bad people did something and people were killed. Or New York should not have had the World Trade Center because years later bad people did something bad.

I guess I don't understand how you can compare a lone person's actions to Rio not cleaning up their sewage problem like they promised, or providing safe water.

But I think the true issue here is most countries that have hosted the Olympics already had the infrastructure in place or, like many Winter Olympics, were held in a place where there was not a huge metropolitan city with existing issues and problems in place to work around. The Olympics place a huge burden on the host city and Rio already had a lot to fix and deal with without the influx of troubles the Olympics create. A wealthy country can absorb some of those losses more easily but a country in the midst of modernization is already dealing with huge costs.

My apologies though if what I write offends you. To be honest I was Estonia, Finland and Latvia for most of the Olympics and the coverage there was mostly about the sports and the athletes and aside from water quality and a few robberies I didn't see anything negative (though, again, much of the broadcasting was not in English). The main thing I saw that caused me concern was the huge number of empty seats--which made me fear Brazil was losing large amounts of money and hurting their economy by undertaking such a huge fete.

So, pardon me if I don't understand your attack against Atlanta based on one person's actions. But if it makes you feel any better the coverage I saw was very positive and Brazil was credited for being friendly, welcoming and for doing their best.

[OBenario]

16. I'm not attacking Atlanta, I'm being sarcastic.

I've seen this "Rio should NEVER have been awarded the games because it's a shithole" THOUSANDS of times in the US press and even here, at DU.

I have nothing against Atlanta, I remember the games and I found them great.

[DonRedwood]

24. I am truly sad that the Paraolympians are getting shafted

Just like what happens to special needs people every day...treated as an afterthought, the money for special Ed programs running out while football programs and basketball programs have equipment, busses and plenty of money for coaches, uniforms, cheerleaders, gyms, fields, funding for night games and sodium lights.... While special Ed assistants live on poverty wages and teachers are making their own PT equipment out of duct tape and foam...

The Olympics should be absolutely ashamed for that... And if Rio can't pick up the tab, then the IOC should be making it up. Shame on everyone involved for treating the Paraolympians like second class citizens.

[OBenario]

25. Well, maybe if the US had not done so much effort...

... in satanizing Rio de Janeiro and Brazil, we could have attracted more tourists and supporters for the Paralympics.

Not like this hysteria has helped anything.

[DonRedwood]

32. So....

Let me get this right... It's all the fault of the U.S.?
The collapsed bike path and the body washing up and the bus being shot at and the robberies and the polluted water and that the Paraolympians are getting treated like garbage and the neighborhoods being bulldozed and the green stinky pool, and zika mosquitos. If the press hadn't discussed those things they wouldn't have happened? Or they just shouldn't mention them because it's wrong to point out that week's before the start they were still pouring cement?

I have another theory about empty seats. The local people couldn't afford them and unlike Athens or Tokyo there were not large nearby population centers there to easily fly in to enjoy the Olympics and buy the tickets. Rio was relying on rich People willing to fly 20 hours from Europe and eat with jet lag in a tropical country with a whole different level of infrastructure. It's not like Norway where there were millions of people only a few hours away by plane. Rio is not an easy destination to get to and August temperatures and blazing sunshine might have also has something to do with it.

American media is vicious... But there is more to it than that.

[OBenario]

40. Yep, the satanization has cost Brazil

MILLIONS in financial support, contracts and tourists, as well as dozens of athletes who decided not to come.

[DonRedwood]

63. Excuse me? How else do you explain all the empty seats?

If the costs were accessible to the locals why didn't they go? Maybe they were avoiding the dead bodies and polluted water....

Many events were over $300. I can't afford that and its the reason I've never attended the Olympics. What is offensive about saying a $300 is expensive to locals or anybody?

[mythology]

79. The blazing heat when the average temperature in Rio in August is 72 degrees?

As opposed to Atlanta where the average high in July is 89 degrees.

Awkward.

[DonRedwood]

84. My bad.... It looked hot on tv

But I do know to stay out of the south this time of year. Though Oregon was in the 100s this week so our rainy summers might be a thing of the past.

[citood]

35. Seven years ago, Brazil was doing well

I remember the nation of Brazil was buying major assets in Portugal...as Portugal was one of the 'pigs' that were close to insolvent (Portugal, Italy, Greece, Spain). This was a source of huge national pride, to be buying up assets from their old world colonial lord. Things were good.

Then they got the Olympics. Even better.

Then an economic downturn and political upheaval in Rio - wasn't the mayor booed by Brazilians at the opening ceremony?

Then basic committments were not kept - such as reducing the amount of raw sewage flowing into the body of water that hosted the venues. Then they ran out of money and the rooms in the olympic village were spartan and didn't even have permanent furniture.

This has nothing to do with Atlanta and one terrorist...especially in a pre 9-11 world. I actually thought NBC went out of their way to not highlight Rio's problems...although difficult to hide when Brazilian fans were booing olympic athletes in a show of olympic spirit.

Brazil did not put their best foot forward, and that shouldnt be blamed on anyone else but the UOC and Brazilians.

[OBenario]

38. There's no one to "blame" for anything. Nothing went wrong.

The games were great. It was all fearmongering, as always.

[citood]

42. Well...lets just say the games won't give tourism a long term boost

Plenty went wrong...everybody knows it.

[OBenario]

44. I really don't care about what you think, sorry.

Everybody loved it.

Except Americans at DU. Pretty sure the problem must be with them.

[citood]

47. Everybody loved it

...except the pole vaulter booed by Brazilian fans
...except the divers facing the fart green water
...except the team who had their uniforms stolen by firemen
...except the teams who stayed in a hotel because the village wasnt ready
...except those who had to sail in sewage
...except those in the equestrian media tent when a bullet went through

[OBenario]

49. I heard no one complaining about those things, except for you, Americans, for a change. n/t

[citood]

54. Let me enlighten you

This french pole vaulter had a few complaints after being BOOED on the MEDAL STAND.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.scoopwhoop.com/amp/French-Pole-Vault-Star-Renaud-Lavillenie-In-Tears-After-Being-Booed-At-Medal-Ceremony/?client=ms-android-att-us

[OBenario]

56. I know.

He deserved it. When you don't respect the hosting country and their athletes, that's what they get.

[citood]

59. Ok now you're just being obtuse

[OBenario]

60. Nope.

If we knew the racist comments he made after, we would have booed him even louder. He deserved it.

[ProfessorGAC]

101. Brazilian Is A Race?

Huh. I would have thought it a nationality.

[Odin2005]

97. Right, and we've always been at war with Eastasia, too!

[JonLP24]

89. Oil

Brazil depends heavily on the oil & gas sector so when prices fell they weren't doing as well as the time when they were awarded in 2009.

[Blue_Tires]

72. Well, I haven't seen any DUer say that, personally...

Remember we have a lot of trolls, socks and piss take accounts here... If you search long enough, you'll see a lot of crazy things on here...

[George II]

14. I don't get your point.

[OBenario]

22. This is my point

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028115015

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028115060

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028115034

[DonRedwood]

27. There are similar posts for Sochi and Athens Greece

Sochi was ripped to shreds on DU and Greece didn't do much better....

Search Sochi Olympics and you'll see

[citood]

55. As a matter of fact

Sean White showed up in Brazil, and reminded Bob Costas of how bad the Sochi half pipe was...peolle are still bad mouthing Sochi.

[DonRedwood]

30. An example of Sochi posts on DU

Terror 'Surprise' for Sochi Olympics? Purported Suicide Bombers' New Threat
Are The Sochi Olympics Heading For Disaster?
Sochi is a ridiculous shitshow from a to z.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

37. I remember when London was "going to have a terror attack, bank on it"

[BooScout]

15. Pardon me but Bullshit....

Signed,

A native Atlantan.

PS - One lone madman/terrorist does not get to take away the medals won by the athletes, the challenges overcome by the athletes to get to compete in Atlanta, the pride of Georgians in hosting the Olympics or my memories of how wonderful the games were for those of us privileged to attend.

[malaise]

19. He is merely playing with those who are dissing the Rio games

because the same is true here. These were great games

[BooScout]

23. Rio has been great!

The Brits racked up some medals! I loved every minute of them!

The green pool was a shame though, lol

[Ace Rothstein]

20. My only complaint is that a lot of events were poorly attended.

But we saw that before in Athens so it isn't specific to Rio. Otherwise the games seem like they were a huge success.

[Xolodno]

21. Rio did a good job...

...despite the bullshit the media hyped.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

26. Right Wing terrorism. You never see the Right Wing admit that. . . nt

[Dreamer Tatum]

29. Atlanta was a fiasco? Bullshit. nt

[Funtatlaguy]

31. Atlanta did a great job!

I was there.
Ur post sucks.

[GummyBearz]

33. Yea when Atlanta's diving pool turned green it was an obvious fiasco

Oh wait... I got that backwards

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

36. Fart Pool will be my takeaway from the Olympics

[OBenario]

39. LOL

Yep. Green poll due to chemicals (quite a normal thing for swimmers)... TERRORIST ATTACK with deaths hundreds of people injured.

Right on. Ahaha

[GummyBearz]

46. Great comparison

Do you know how to stop a lone mad man that wants to drop a home made bomb in a trash can? Because so far no one else has come up with that particular solution. On the other hand, keeping an in door pool's water blue is fairly strait forward. I even kept an outdoor pool's water blue for several summers. It's all about the pump, filter, and proper chlorine. I know its very complicated to some, but it is possible

[DonRedwood]

48. Don't forget poisoned ocean water full of garbage and feces

and broken contracts and promises that it would be cleaned up so that athletes from every country in the world wouldn't have to swim in the city's poop.

That's my takeaway from all this... Rio's beaches are poisoned because they can't be bothered to treat their own sewage like responsible human beings.... and then blame the media for talking about it instead of just doing the right thing for their people and stop dumping raw feces in the water.

I think on the moral scale of judging Athens for a lone nut job setting a bomb or Rio for poisoning their oceans when they know people are going to be swimming in them.... i'm going to have to judge Rio more harshly. I hadn't thought about it that way until your posts but suddenly I'm getting a really bad taste in my mouth about Brazil... almost like i got a mouthful of its nasty poisonous water.

And I felt pretty positive about the Olympics in Rio up until today.

[OBenario]

74. How about stop being the world's 2nd largest polluter...

... after making this little eco-theater?

Or do you really believe your own waters are not full of garbage and feces?

"Exceptionalism".

It's good that you got a "mouthful of nasty poison". You know the reaction this attitude is causing to others now.

[DonRedwood]

76. Rio promised to clean it up before the olympics

that's the issue here.... Brazil only got the Olympics because it agreed to certain terms and did not meet them in this case.

[roamer65]

34. London did a great job in 2012.

Tokyo will do a great job in 2020. Rio did the best they could given the economic and political situation in Brazil.

The Olympics won't be going back to South America for a long time. There are no other cities down there safe enough or who could handle the financial burden of hosting the Games.

[roamer65]

50. Brazil is in severe recession.

They did a good job given their economic and political circumstances.

That's reality.

[OBenario]

51. Spare me your bigotry. I don't care about your "ideas'. Thanks. n/t

[roamer65]

53. And I don't care what u think either.

We have that in common.

[OBenario]

57. Then go spread hate and xenophobia in somebody else's thread, thank you. n/t

[roamer65]

62. Np. Your thread is stupid anyway...LOL.

[DonRedwood]

65. so you can spread it on DU in peace?

[OBenario]

68. Oh... you guys don't like it?

Then you should not to others and should be more vocal about it when you see other doing the same.

I'm absolutely disgusted to what I've seen at this place in the last months.

[DonRedwood]

71. I've never posted a negative word about Rio or the Olympics until you started this discussion

And, if you did your homework, you would know that most Olympics run short of money, incur huge debts and mess up the finances of the host country for years and the media attacks them non stop. Brazil is no different in that.

So my problem is not with Rio, I enjoyed every minute of the Olympics I got to see and thought the people were gracious and did their best. My problem is with you attacking us because you don't like what OTHER people have said in the news.

And then, of course, you calling me a Nazi doesn't help me have better feelings about you or your post but you'll notice I don't hold other Brazilians accountable for the ugliness you are spewing.

[Lefthacker]

77. For all the

Negative comments and worry about Brazil being able to pull this off I got to say they did a helluva of a job.

[DonRedwood]

52. Because we don't judge a city because of a lone madman?

Why not take it a step farther and condemn all of us for the Atlanta bomber? Why stop at Atlanta? Why not say the whole US should never have an Olympics because of the Atlanta bomber?

Our issue is we like rational thought and we don't like being attacked.

[OBenario]

58. Why not? Americans are the only ones allowed to do that? How cute you are. n/t

[Blue_Tires]

64. What the hell are you bringing Atlanta into this for?

Might as well mention Munich if we're going this route...

[OBenario]

67. ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_pot_calling_the_kettle_black

[Blue_Tires]

69. So because something happened in Atlanta twenty years ago

We're not allowed to criticize Rio at all? Okay...

Perhaps you're a bit too young to remember, but I was living in Atlanta during the '96 games, and the city got a pretty heavy amount of criticism before, during and after the games... Samaranch could barely hide his contempt in public for what he saw as a cultural backwater...

[DonRedwood]

73. Shhhhh...or he will call you a Nazi too.

[Blue_Tires]

75. I understand he wants to defend his home city

It's a great city (one of my personal favorites) and while there have been slip-ups, there has been a lot of unjustified/stereortypical criticisms, too... I'm just not sure this is the best way to go about it.

[roamer65]

78. Samaranch cooked his goose at the Sydney 2000 games.

When he made that comment on the Sydney Games being the "best ever", he took a collective dump on all the previous host cities. That didn't play well at the IOC.

Samaranch was the former minister of sports under the Franco regime in Spain. Enuff said.

[BooScout]

95. That's not accurate....

Samaranch always called each city's Olympic Games the "Best Ever"......except for the city of Atlanta. It was a major insult to Atlantans and we never forgave him for it. He was a Class A Arrogant Snob and the IOC was rife with corruption, scandal and bribery under his tenure. I have nothing nice to say about the man. He was a nasty, spiteful bastard.

[Takket]

85. Your anti-American bias is shining through in this thread

I credit the people trying to reason with you for their valiant effort, but no rational objective discussion of the games will get through to you.

I found these games to be more entertaining than I expected. Rio did a decent job but the problems were undeniable. Not sure why the mere mention of them by the press upsets you so much, but it isn't like they were just made up.

[Dreamer Tatum]

86. Every four years, some people think it's cool to hate on America because it wins.

Just like every year on August 6, someone pops off about Hiroshima.

Just ignore it. People who hate themselves need to pull everyone down with them.

[JonLP24]

87. Hosting the Olympics is a terrible investment

Billions are spent for facilities & luxury condos which many of which are unlikely to be used again meanwhile the host city's share of the revenues is at the discretion of the corrupt IOC.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

90. I'm originally from Atlanta and the city was bashed. Trust me.

[Odin2005]

96. Let it go, already.

You seem to have a thin skin when it comes to people criticizing Brazil.

[alarimer]

98. The olympics are always a fiasco

For everyone. Only the 1984 games made money for LA. For everybody else, it comes at a great cost. People are moved out of their homes against their will. Cities try to get rid of all of the problems or sweep them under the rug, just to provide a sanitized version of themselves. Brazil is not paying its police officers and other public service workers and has many other serious problems, including a lot of public corruption. To say nothing of the IOC's corruption. They make FIFA look like amateurs.

http://www.economist.com/news/books-and-arts/21645114-hosting-olympics-and-world-cup-bad-citys-health-just-say-no

But even appropriately jaded readers are likely to be shocked by the evidence in “Circus Maximus”, a brief polemic by Andrew Zimbalist, an American sports economist, which reveals the magnitude of the deception that precedes these events and the disappointment that follows. The book’s misleading subtitle calls hosting the competitions an “economic gamble”, implying it is a risky bet with a potentially high return. In fact, “Circus Maximus” leaves little doubt that under current conditions, prudent city governments should avoid the contests at all costs.

In principle, there is no reason why hosting such events needs to be an economic own-goal. Between television rights, ticket sales, licensing and sponsorships, the most recent summer Olympics, in London, generated $5.2 billion in revenue. In a city with sufficient existing athletic, hotel and transport infrastructure, it would be easy to stage the competition for less than that figure and come away with a healthy profit—as Los Angeles did in the highly successful 1984 summer games. But over the past few decades, the IOC, in particular, has appropriated an ever-greater share of the proceeds for itself: the most recent public data reveal that it now pockets more than 70% of Olympic television revenue, compared with less than 4% between 1960 and 1980 (see chart). And there is little evidence to support the projections that hosting will bring a surge in tourism: Beijing and London both attracted fewer visitors during their summer Olympics in 2008 and 2012 respectively than they had in the same period a year earlier.

http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/hosting-the-olympics-is-a-terrible-investment/

When Rio de Janeiro won its bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics back in 2009, the Brazilian government estimated that costs directly related to hosting the games would run just shy of $3 billion. But by the time Vanderlei de Lima lit the Olympic torch at last week’s opening ceremonies, the country had already spent some $4.6 billion on venues, administration, transportation and the like, putting the games roughly 50 percent over budget. By the time the games close on Aug. 21, the tally for the games will likely be higher still.

[clarice]

106. They should have added Twerking as an event. That would have filled the seats .lol.nt