I personally love the Olympics. I was too young to remember the Sydney Olympics, but from 2004 onwards I’ve just been smitten with the whole thing. Two weeks of watching sports, some of which you never watch unless it’s in the Olympics.
With nearly every world scale event, you always get updates on how the host country is faring with getting ready and almost every time it’s negative. Something about the stadiums, the weather, money, it’s always something. And with less than a year to go, USA Basketball President Jerry Colangelo is starting up the worry mill.
He is concerned, he said, about just how ready for the events the city of Rio will be. Reports about construction problems, light demand for tickets and concerns around pollution and security are not a surprise, Colangelo said.
“A few years ago, I was asked to serve on the Chicago committee in their bid to get the Olympics,” he said. “I was part of that effort, and the four finalists were Tokyo, Rio, Madrid and Chicago. I can be very objective when I say this: By far, Chicago had the best package. Not even close. Financial, facilities, security, infrastructure, everything. We finished fourth in the balloting. The only concern I had about the other cities was Rio, because South America has never hosted an Olympics. All of the things now that are being discussed as far as security, infrastructure, lack of hotels and pollution and everything, those were things that worried us back then. I’m hopeful, but everyone will have to overcome whatever obstacles are down there.”
We hear this all the time, this city is better than this city, it never ends. Now in this case Chicago may have been better, and don’t forget Rio just hosted the World Cup! The two biggest sporting events in the world and Rio is hosting both in a space of two years. That’s crazy!
But remember that it is basketball. One gym and you’re sorted. It’s not like the swimming events where the Rio water is apparently contaminated.
