In many cases, private sponsors have switched to sponsoring the Olympics and this has sucked funds out of smaller events across Canada as well. Why sponsor a community event in Kelowna, when you can be "Official Bicycle Bell Supplier to the 2010 Olympics"? In many cases, the sponsorship agreement continues for the various teams until 2012 or beyond, so many smaller events will still be hurting.
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A big killer of smaller events is also liability issues. Municipalities are sometimes on the hook for any potential liability and just don't have the ability to provide that coverage anymore. The insurance costs, not lack of actual money to hold the event, are what kill a lot of these community events.
My laugh of the day regarding the the Olympics and sponsorship is the "A Cool Sporting Event That Takes Place in British Columbia Between 2009 & 2011" clothing line by Lululemon. You can't buy advertising like this. (I'm sure they're saying "Thanks for the censure, VANOC.")
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It has to do with preservation of things that I thought were important parts of BC Heritage.
My comment is restricted to the Olympics themselves. The event has nearly bankrupt many host countries and left major debt and debris behind. Part of that debris are the very things you raise as a result of overspending on the Olympics.
The Olympics is nothing more than a bunch of wannabe athletes vying for the sweetest endorsement deal they can get. There is no longer honour left in the event, rather it is a pox on any host country that does far more harm than good.
I cringe whenever Toronto vis for an international sporting event. It's all about scoring front row seats for political cronies and little else. Traffic jams and higher taxes for me.
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My comment is restricted to the Olympics themselves. The event has nearly bankrupt many host countries and left major debt and debris behind. Part of that debris are the very things you raise as a result of overspending on the Olympics.
The Olympics is nothing more than a bunch of wannabe athletes vying for the sweetest endorsement deal they can get. There is no longer honour left in the event, rather it is a pox on any host country that does far more harm than good.
This is to me why the Olympics have lost their luster and they're not in Alberta. Now if they were in Alberta that would be a reason to get behind them. Wouldn't it?
I disagree that the woes of the Olympics is the fault of the athletes.
I think the woes of the Olympics are corporate in nature. Athletes have to respect the corporate line even if they are not directly sponsored.
If I'm hooking my brand up to the Olympic Ideal don't you dare tarnish my brand. My commercial interest trumps all.
Sporting/performance must increase every quarter just like the corporate interest. Just televise/ focus on activities/sports that have mass appeal, activities that have the best spinoff merchandizing.
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I lived in Calgary for many years prior to and during the 1988 Olympics and overall I found it to be a positive experience. The citizens of the city really got involved and it was just like Stampede, only in the winter. Lots of opportunities for volunteering and participating without cost. We got some new facilities which are still used today, and I don't believe there was a lot of debt (if any) at the end of the things.
Unfortunately the bulk of people living in Calgary now weren't there 20 years ago. The city has changed significantly since then, and not for the better.
Living out on the coast and watching the Vancouver/Whistler Olympics unfold ... completely different scenario than back in '88. There isn't the same spirit, and the Olympics seem to be geared only to the 'Olympic insiders'. More people seem to be wanting to profit personally from the games than embrace the spirit of the games. Reflects the whole 'what's in it for ME' attitude that seems to have infected society in general.
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"Without ambition one starts nothing. Without work one finishes nothing." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
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