would you like to see the olympics in austin in 2024?

[runswithscissors]

I am working in San Francisco this week, and several people asked me if Austin had a chance at getting the Olympics, which I saw on the local news here.

I thought of town lake for the rowing events, and the UT swim center, and several others areas already in existance that didn't have to be built...

Would it be good or bad for Austin?

What about traffic? Would we get new roads or expanded roads that we desperately need?

Would you go? For many, it would be a once in a lifetime chance?

Think Austin could handle it?

[GoForWillard]

It would interesting to say the least. I know it would stimulate our local economy for several years. General construction and road/bridge construction would accelerate beyond anything we have ever seen in this state. Many will get rich. Many more will get royally fucked.

I think all this will undoubtedly move north into our dear Wilco and screw up our ivory glass tower that we like to look down on everyone.

I see more international flavor options in the local hobby market and prices higher than eagle pussy! But, more poles.....more pole vaulting.

[FWR]

The city would go into debt selling bonds to build the structures needed, stadiums, housing, etc. We would still be paying it off 30 years after the games were gone. ie Montreal just finished paying off the 1976 games. Our traffic is horrible already, it would be pure standstill. If they thought the 1996 games were hot in Hotlanta, Austin in August would be the 13th level of hell for most of the athletes. Do you want to run 26.2 miles in 105 degrees?

[fun2come]

[QUOTE] would you like to see the olympics in austin in 2024? [\QUOTE]
I will on my TV set or whatever we have by then assuming I am still alive.


Oh you mean Austin hosting the Olympics?
I have lived in a city once during the Olympic phase, and I do NOT see that Austin is in a position to host such an event. BUT, they certainly could convert the F1 track into some sort of Olympic park by then, But to widen Town Lake to accommodate rowing is not going to happen. Hmmm, I think I am going to move...

[Poet Laureate]

No way Austin gets an Olympics. Not enough international support, not enough flavor, not enough reputation among the elite. In Texas, Dallas would have a better chance, Houston not so much. Austin getting the Olympics is just not going to happen.

[RALPHEY BOY]

no and hell NO!!! no freaking way!! would be impossible to get around town, plus to fuking hot!!!

Texas in August is miserable!!

[MONTANA25]

Too hot, not enough infrastructure, horrible traffic and minimal public and mass transportation system. Dallas has much better chance!

[unagi]

From what I understand, hosting the Olympics is usually a sucker bet.

[SpeedRacerXXX]

Originally Posted by Poet Laureate

No way Austin gets an Olympics. Not enough international support, not enough flavor, not enough reputation among the elite. In Texas, Dallas would have a better chance, Houston not so much. Austin getting the Olympics is just not going to happen.

Agreed. Not going to happen. Too many negative factors in Austin. The F1 race taxed our facilities to the max.

[nativetexan2708]

Originally Posted by unagi

From what I understand, hosting the Olympics is usually a sucker bet.

Yep, I think it is too. Which is precisely why the goofy ass city council here will probably be all for it. I don't see any way it happens though. Way to hot and Austin just doesn't have the roads for it. If it does happen, I can promise you that I'll rent out my house for an obscene amount of money and get outta dodge until all the damn people leave.

[GneissGuy]

Good God, NO!

Can you imagine how much money our moronic local government could waste, how much debt they'd run up, how many moronic ideas they'd use the Olympics to justify, etc.?

"For the next 3 months, in preparation for the Olympics, private vehicles will be banned within 15 miles of downtown and only tandem bicycles and solar powered buses will be allowed on the surface streets within 5 miles of downtown. The city council also announced another $5 billion dollars in bonds were sold to finance the next 2 miles of the Leslie Cochran memorial Olympic underground commuter canal. Meat products will no longer be allowed, and only free-range vegetable products will be allowed to be served in restaurants."

[runswithscissors]

Almost all of the responses are in line with what I said to everyone here in San Francisco; what has always bothered me the most is the obscene amount of money needed to host such an event...

I am heavily involved in charity work here in San Francisco and Austin, and I am reminded of stories out of almost all hosting cities that bulldoze shanty towns and bus away the homeless and hide thier social problems while spending billions on an event to glorify a few weeks of being in the international spotlight....

It will be interesting to watch how the Austin City Council go forward with a response...

[chefnerd]

I have only been in the area for a few years, but IMHO, Austin does not have the infrastructure or the various types of venues to hold such an event. I spent most of my life in SOCAL and yes that includes the 1984 Olympics held there, which had the events spread over much of the area including down into Orange County. The difference is that SOCAL, being much larger, had the infrastructure and several dozen alternate sites to host events that Austin does not have. Also, even though in many cases they also have a much larger case of "you can't get there from here in any reasonably time frame", they were also far more adept at handling the added traffic. Also, they did not have to build any additional facilities. From what I can see Austin would have a tremendous amount of work to be done.