Off-Topic

[Majingir]

An idea I heard years back would be great.

Instead of countries bidding for the Olympics, you bid on each individual event. So if Canada and US want to bid to host basketball, let them. If Spain and England and Brazil want to bid to host Soccer, go ahead.

Sure, all teammates won't be together since they'll be spread out, but it makes it a truly global event, and the countries with the most interest in the sports, knowing fans will attend to, that'll bring in most money while wasting as little as possible.

Also, give networks rights to footage already! I hate how IOC charges so much for footage so any network wanting to show highlights of past olympics can't. Some of the greatest sporting moments in various countries history cant ever be shown on TV ever again because of this.

[l3ulvl]

Quote: Originally Posted by pietasterp

The Olympics in general need a bit of a reset, since they've gotten to be such money-losers and boondoggles for the host countries, and very few countries even want to host them any more. I think the last Winter Olympics host country selection process, there were only like 2-3 viable bids or something like that. The days of making political statements or 'announcing' yourself on the world stage through the Olympic games are long over. Most countries have gotten wise to what a tremendous waste of money and resources hosting the games has become, and it's no longer worth the time/effort to do so. Tokyo might as well go ahead an cancel right now. If they can't have fans/attendees, the economics of it make even less sense than they normally do (and they barely make sense under normal circumstances). They're better off eating their current losses and not incurring any more by forging ahead. I'm sure those calculations are going on as we speak.

I had to google "boondoggle" lol, your vocabulary is brobdingnagian

[pietasterp]

Quote: Originally Posted by Majingir

An idea I heard years back would be great. Instead of countries bidding for the Olympics, you bid on each individual event. So if Canada and US want to bid to host basketball, let them. If Spain and England and Brazil want to bid to host Soccer, go ahead. Sure, all teammates won't be together since they'll be spread out, but it makes it a truly global event, and the countries with the most interest in the sports, knowing fans will attend to, that'll bring in most money while wasting as little as possible. Also, give networks rights to footage already! I hate how IOC charges so much for footage so any network wanting to show highlights of past olympics can't. Some of the greatest sporting moments in various countries history cant ever be shown on TV ever again because of this.

Interesting idea, although as you point out, some obvious downsides in terms of not being able to have an entire team together, the parade (which apparently still gets some of the biggest ratings for some reason...), and fans not being able to hop from volleyball to track to golf or whatever in 1 trip. But any and all ideas should be taken seriously by the IOC.

Of course, the IOC is a whole other conversation in and of itself. The IOC makes FIFA look like a small time petty thief by comparison. If there's anything more comical than a bunch of guys who operate entirely on bribes and kick-backs pontificating about the highest ideals of sport and humanism, I have yet to see it. It's like getting a lecture about the importance of amateurism from Jerry Tarkanian (RIP).

Quote: Originally Posted by l3ulvl

I had to google "boondoggle" lol, your vocabulary is brobdingnagian

Jonathan Swift fan? Haven't heard that one in forever...

[Speedy]

Quote: Originally Posted by Bullit

Bologna is just Hot Dog pancakes

This is both hilarious, correct and yet oddly disgusting.

[l3ulvl]

Quote: Originally Posted by pietasterp

Jonathan Swift fan? Haven't heard that one in forever...

nope

[Majingir]

Another moment that makes me feel old.

I was reading someones comment online about a TV show. They were mentioning how much of an adjustment it is to them to watch SD quality shows since they've only watched HD in their life.

Which made me realize anyone under the age of 18 years old probably doesn't remember life before HD, many of which were born after HD became the norm. 18 years old!

It was an adjustment for me when it first happened since I bought an HDTV but so many shows were in SD so it felt weird seeing a screen with black bars, but I adjusted.

And networks tried adding graphics on the 4:3 videos so there wouldn't be black bars, but just some graphic banners instead, or some blurred bar video too. Seems like most ditched that. Although some still have fully zoomed in versions of shows like Simpsons and Fresh Prince which isn't always so good.

[kehlis]

Quote: Originally Posted by Majingir

Another moment that makes me feel old. I was reading someones comment online about a TV show. They were mentioning how much of an adjustment it is to them to watch SD quality shows since they've only watched HD in their life. Which made me realize anyone under the age of 18 years old probably doesn't remember life before HD, many of which were born after HD became the norm. 18 years old! It was an adjustment for me when it first happened since I bought an HDTV but so many shows were in SD so it felt weird seeing a screen with black bars, but I adjusted. And networks tried adding graphics on the 4:3 videos so there wouldn't be black bars, but just some graphic banners instead, or some blurred bar video too. Seems like most ditched that. Although some still have fully zoomed in versions of shows like Simpsons and Fresh Prince which isn't always so good.

If that's what makes you feel old, you're not old. I can promise you that.

[l3ulvl]

I remember watching HDNet just because it was HD, it didn't matter what was on