i more excited about olympic than the olympics
Personally I have never been big on Olympics. Back some years the rivalry between USSR and USA was of some interest, but lately I have lost interest. Greatest Olympic (summer) moment for me was in 1968 when Bob Beamon shocked the Track and Field world with a record shattering long jump of an incomprehensible 29 feet, 2½ inches. IMO. Of all Olympic records, none is as impressive as the one Beamon stunningly set Oct. 18, 1968 in Mexico City. It stood for 23 years. Beamon didn't just set a record; he shattered one. He had leaped where no one had gone before. Not only did he become the first 29-foot long jumper that evening; he became the first to pass 28 feet, too.
Bob Beamon soars at Mexico City in 1968.
wil.
Bob Beamon soars at Mexico City in 1968.
wil.
I don't follow the Olympics much. First, the IOC is so corrupt that they make boxing's alphabet soup organizations look like choir boys.
Second and more importantly, I can't stand NBC's coverage. I don't like tape delayed events of any kind and they also don't show enough of actual competition. Far too many stories and far too few actual sports.
Second and more importantly, I can't stand NBC's coverage. I don't like tape delayed events of any kind and they also don't show enough of actual competition. Far too many stories and far too few actual sports.
I'll never forget the 1970's Soviet super-heavyweight weightlifter Vasily Alexiev hoisting those incredible weights over his head while the perspiration ran down his face and neck and it seemed like his head would explode.
As far as being "scared" about this year's games....I think you fellows are giving those little dipshit Muslims college-dropouts WAT TOO MUCH CREDIT.
As far as being "scared" about this year's games....I think you fellows are giving those little dipshit Muslims college-dropouts WAT TOO MUCH CREDIT.
Denver Post article on cloud of terrorisim hanging over upcoming Olympics.
Article - Denver Post
wil.
Article - Denver Post
wil.
Oh, please. The threat is the same for every Olympics. This one is no different. There is just as good a chance that there would be a terrorist attack by an American. The Olympic bombing in Atlanta was done by an American. So was Okla. City.
If you want to worry about what MIGHT happen, my advice is to stay in one's house and never leave it.
If you want to worry about what MIGHT happen, my advice is to stay in one's house and never leave it.
LONDON (AP) -- Guarding against terrorism and natural disasters in Athens, the IOC took the unprecedented step of buying insurance in case the Olympics are called off.
The International Olympic Committee's $170 million policy guarantees that the organization and affiliated national committees and sports federations have enough money to continue operations.
The policy also doesn't cover corporate sponsors and TV networks, which have billions of dollars riding on the Athens Games. Many have their own insurance, and city organizers underwrite their own liability coverage.
IOC president Jacques Rogge said Tuesday insurance was "standard prudent judgment" and reflects no lack of confidence in the Aug. 13-29 games, which have been troubled by construction delays and security worries.
The IOC would not be covered if the games are called off because of the delays, IOC finance chairman Richard Carrion said.
The Athens Olympics, the first Summer Games since the Sept. 11 terror attacks, will be the most heavily guarded in history. The security budget is nearing $1 billion -- more than three times the amount spent on protecting the 2000 Sydney Games.
Aside from terrorism, insurance experts say the main risk in Athens would be from earthquakes. The city straddles a fault line, and 143 people died in a quake in 1999.
Athens 2004 spokesman Stratos Safioleas said the organizing committee had no comment "on an IOC policy that concerns not just Athens, but the Olympic Games in general."
The IOC is paying about $6.8 million for the policy, and the syndicate is led by New York-based insurance giant American International Group Inc., according to two Olympic sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Joe Norton, spokesman for AGI in New York, declined to comment, saying the company had a policy of not breaching clients' confidentiality.
The policy covers full and partial cancellation for a "whole range of issues such as terrorism, earthquake, flooding, landslides, things like that," Rogge told The Associated Press by phone from Lausanne, Switzerland.
Carrion said the IOC negotiated the bulk of the coverage before the March 11 bombings in Madrid, Spain, that killed 191 people.
Rogge said the IOC also will negotiate individual cancellation policies for future Olympics, including the 2006 Winter Games in Turin, Italy, 2008 Summer Games in Beijing and 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
Rogge said security has long been the IOC's top priority and that Greece has done "everything humanly possible" to safeguard the games.
The Athens policy protects the bulk of the 28 international sports federations on the Olympic program and the 202 national Olympic committees represented at the games. Many of those organizations rely heavily on games-related revenue.
Rogge said the IOC needs just more than $200 million to keep running in the event of cancellation, and it has about $160 million in financial reserves.
"We will certainly have the required amount after the successful completion of the Athens Games," Carrion said.
Rogge said the IOC began exploring insurance coverage in 2001, but the industry was reluctant to offer terrorism coverage after the Sept. 11 attacks. The IOC had no coverage for the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City.
Carrion said the IOC also considered taking out a credit line to absorb the bulk of the risk, or a combined insurance-credit arrangement for Athens and Beijing. The executive board decided in February to go with the standard contingency insurance.
The International Olympic Committee's $170 million policy guarantees that the organization and affiliated national committees and sports federations have enough money to continue operations.
The policy also doesn't cover corporate sponsors and TV networks, which have billions of dollars riding on the Athens Games. Many have their own insurance, and city organizers underwrite their own liability coverage.
IOC president Jacques Rogge said Tuesday insurance was "standard prudent judgment" and reflects no lack of confidence in the Aug. 13-29 games, which have been troubled by construction delays and security worries.
The IOC would not be covered if the games are called off because of the delays, IOC finance chairman Richard Carrion said.
The Athens Olympics, the first Summer Games since the Sept. 11 terror attacks, will be the most heavily guarded in history. The security budget is nearing $1 billion -- more than three times the amount spent on protecting the 2000 Sydney Games.
Aside from terrorism, insurance experts say the main risk in Athens would be from earthquakes. The city straddles a fault line, and 143 people died in a quake in 1999.
Athens 2004 spokesman Stratos Safioleas said the organizing committee had no comment "on an IOC policy that concerns not just Athens, but the Olympic Games in general."
The IOC is paying about $6.8 million for the policy, and the syndicate is led by New York-based insurance giant American International Group Inc., according to two Olympic sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Joe Norton, spokesman for AGI in New York, declined to comment, saying the company had a policy of not breaching clients' confidentiality.
The policy covers full and partial cancellation for a "whole range of issues such as terrorism, earthquake, flooding, landslides, things like that," Rogge told The Associated Press by phone from Lausanne, Switzerland.
Carrion said the IOC negotiated the bulk of the coverage before the March 11 bombings in Madrid, Spain, that killed 191 people.
Rogge said the IOC also will negotiate individual cancellation policies for future Olympics, including the 2006 Winter Games in Turin, Italy, 2008 Summer Games in Beijing and 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
Rogge said security has long been the IOC's top priority and that Greece has done "everything humanly possible" to safeguard the games.
The Athens policy protects the bulk of the 28 international sports federations on the Olympic program and the 202 national Olympic committees represented at the games. Many of those organizations rely heavily on games-related revenue.
Rogge said the IOC needs just more than $200 million to keep running in the event of cancellation, and it has about $160 million in financial reserves.
"We will certainly have the required amount after the successful completion of the Athens Games," Carrion said.
Rogge said the IOC began exploring insurance coverage in 2001, but the industry was reluctant to offer terrorism coverage after the Sept. 11 attacks. The IOC had no coverage for the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City.
Carrion said the IOC also considered taking out a credit line to absorb the bulk of the risk, or a combined insurance-credit arrangement for Athens and Beijing. The executive board decided in February to go with the standard contingency insurance.
American - fwiw I am not saying IF there will be a major security problem one way or another. I certainly hope the games go smoothly, and are a great success for everyone involved. The fact is that the Olympics are the world's biggest stage, and seemingly the perfect target for terrorists. Throw in the fact that anti-American sentiment may be at an all-time high, especially after recent revelations of abuse against Iraqi prisoners of war, and you can see why U.S. athletes, and their families may be a bit skittish. Greeks have come to accept violence as part of their lifestyle. After three bombs exploded Wednesday in Athens (but didn't kill anyone), Greek minister of public order George Voulgarakis even said: "If it were not for the Olympic Games, it would not be in the newspapers." The city is a crosroads from the Midddle East into Europe, anything is possible. Again I sincerely hope nothing tragic does happen.
wil.
wil.
As for the the TV coverage, CBC does a far superior job of coverage and usually its carried lived.
And when it comes to the anti-american sentiment, I believe these sentiments are more towards our government. Hell those sentiments already exists here pretty strongly and probally getting stronger. I have been to Europe numerous times and have never felt unsafe or any resentment towards me. Always have been treated well.
And when it comes to the anti-american sentiment, I believe these sentiments are more towards our government. Hell those sentiments already exists here pretty strongly and probally getting stronger. I have been to Europe numerous times and have never felt unsafe or any resentment towards me. Always have been treated well.
Hard to get excited about them with the crappy TV coverage. I have no interest in a lot of events like gymnastics or some of those blowout basketball games that will get shown half the time. Add to that the "homer" coverage and its so easy to get bored with it. I think I watched maybe 5 hours of Sydney and 10 hours of Atlanta coverage. Even in Salt Lake where I went to see events for a few days I didn't watch that much. Not that I don't love my country, but why must these things be nothing but patriotic flag waving events? This is supposed to be about the joy of sport, not the thumping of one's chest.
I was hoping with the internet maybe they could come up with some sort of package so I don't have to watched their canned replays of events, but probably not going to happen.
I was hoping with the internet maybe they could come up with some sort of package so I don't have to watched their canned replays of events, but probably not going to happen.
