In Vancouver we have seen escalating protests around housing and other social justice issues. Many of these have been tied to the Olympics. What has been your experience in other Olympic cities? Have you seen or heard of these issues elsewhere? If so, why are they so marginally covered in the press?

Posted October 17, 2007 10:00 PM

Ian:
If media coverage is the only real experience that most British Columbians and Canadians will have of the Olympics, to what extent do you think this programming motivates public support for funding the games that they cannot afford to experience otherwise?
Thanks!

Posted October 15, 2007 04:51 PM

Q| The prices for the Olympic Events was recently released to the Public....We have given up a lot to have the games here ... certainly the pricing for Canadian or even B.C. residents can be discounted especially since our tax dollars are flipping a good portion of the bill to Host the 2010 Olympics. Is there any further discussion to be had about the pricing of the Olympic Events?

A|You are the person who can answer the question about further discussion.

I'm sure the Vancouver Olympic committee considers the matter closed and they'll put the tickets up for sale next year as planned. But you have to decide whether there is any further discussion to be had.

There was a little controversy in Vancouver when the NHL season this month over the price of tickets. Of course, the Canucks are a private business and you can choose whether you want to buy their tickets or not. But, as you mention in your question, we - the people of British Columbia and the rest of Canada- have been paying a lot of money for these games through our tax dollars. Wouldn't that entitle you to "further" the discussion?

Posted October 14, 2007 03:51 AM

Q| When will we see a return to the roots of the ancient olympics, where the games provided a common event for the broader population? We could stop our wars to play the games. Why have they dropped so significantly from the ancient to the modern games in our estimation?

Certainly there is much to debate about the Olympics and, indeed, we have been having that vigorous debate in Vancouver. Is the cost justifiable? Should professionals be competing for medals? Do doping controversies cast a shadow over all of the events?

And yet, the Olympics remain the gold standard when it comes to public attention. There is something about the Olympics that drives a lot of people to their televisions every four years to cheer on people who, for the three years and 350 days in between, they don't think twice about.

Now, I know there are exceptions. Still, how many of the millions of Canadians who shouted in celebration when Cindy Klassen won medal after medal in Turin have any idea how she fared on the World Cup circuit in 2007?

For all of the attention the men's 100 metres gets at each summer Olympics, how many people know who the "world's fastest man" is right now?

For all the debate, for all its flaws, there is something about the Olympics that stirs our passions. And perhaps the critics of the Games will be comforted by this: almost to a person, the Olympians I have met have been remarkably humble and gracious. Perhaps that shouldn't be surprising. It takes a special kind of person to train for hours, every day, for years, to represent their country for a day...or even a few seconds. And then, start all over again.

Posted October 12, 2007 01:59 PM

Q| Did you ever get out of the security bubble, and try to enter the games as a 'civilian'? Does the press ever get a layman's view of the games?

First of all, whether you're attending an event or just spending time in the city, expect huge disruptions. In all of the Olympic cities I was in there was confusion over traffic flow changes, closed sidewalks, downtown hotel lobbies that were no longer open to the public and security. Lots and lots of security, with some of the rules changing from day to day or even hour to hour.

Second, the Olympic "spirit" seemed to build in the days after the opening ceremonies. I would arrive in the host city about a week before the Games began and in each city, there were stories in the local papers about how many people seemed disinterested in the games. But by the end of the first week of events that seemed to change, with a surge of support.

Of course, this kind of assessment is completely subjective...maybe I was just getting over my jetlag. But there is no question that having athletes from the host country win gold infused the city with energy. That was certainly the case in Nagano when the Japanese ski jumpers started doing very well and in Salt Lake, when the US team climbed atop the medal standings.

Another factor in creating excitement was having places where the public could visit and feel a connection to the Olympics without having to pay or line up or go through security. In Salt Lake City, there was a public plaza with booths and displays and, yes, over-priced souvenirs, where people could visit, stroll or just hang out and feel like they were in an Olympic city.

Posted October 12, 2007 11:15 AM