Thank you, Russia!

[BayStreetBully]

What exactly does the annexation of Crimea have to do with how the Olympics were run? They are totally unrelated.

Your post reads like a Fox News talking point......a list of any and every possible thing that could be construed in a negative manner. Seriously, why else bring up the topic of Ukraine?

John McCain would be proud of your post.

As this is a sports forum, I refrained from elaborating on politics in my reasons why Sochi was a flop. Suffice to say that the invasion of Crimea is just one of many events that have to be considered on a whole in the context of the Sochi Games.

And I care more about sporting performances. Mens' hockey was ok, but underwhelming for the most part. Ladies' figure skating was one big farce. So we had disappointment in two of the Games' more significant events. Where was the equivalent of Crosby's golden goal? Where was Crosby's Canada v. Ovechkin's Russia like in Vancouver? Where was the Tre Kronor and the celebration of Sundin/Forsberg/Lidstrom and their avenging of Salo's flop? Where was a powerhouse's first gold in 50 years, while avenging a neighbour rival that beat them 6 years earlier? Where was the sublime dominance of Hasek? Where was Forsberg's postage stamp goal?

How about ladies' figure skating? Where was Kim Yu-Na's world-record setting grace combined with technique? Where was the beauty of Katarina Witt?

What about the passion and feel of the Games? Sochi was never going to be a city Games like Vancouver, but where was the fervor of Lillehammer? Where was the magical snowy atmosphere? Is that even possible by the Black Sea? Where was the international gathering of visitors? From what I can tell, the Sochi Games were predominantly Russian with less international visitors in comparison to Vancouver, Torino or Salt Lake.

Why do you take it so personally, anyway? Why am I being accused of being a drone of the western media so many times in this thread? I thought the Sochi Games sucked, and I gave my reasons on a topic I care about, as I do care deeply about the Olympics. I thought my reasons were well-thought out. What's the big deal? You aren't going to convince everyone the Sochi Games were the greatest ever.

 

[Xokkeu]

I care that their $50 billion price tag put a sour taste in the mouths of every future Olympic bidder of any democratic country that has to answer to the people. Any bid that has to go through a referendum (pretty much every European country) doesn't stand a chance. Munich had sufficient support for 2018 bidding, yet were completely scared off for 2022. And it wasn't just Munich. It was Switzerland, Sweden and Norway. Now it's up to Korea and China to bring the Winter Olympics back to a positive light.

And rightly they should be. The IOC and FIFA want to fleece locals of their money, and the only way to stop that is to say no. Which is what they are doing. But if countries like Russia and China, funny you expect them to be the ones to reign in the spending ($40 billion for 2008), want to spend billions. Not my cash, not my problem.

 

[Xokkeu]

As this is a sports forum, I refrained from elaborating on politics in my reasons why Sochi was a flop. Suffice to say that the invasion of Crimea is just one of many events that have to be considered on a whole in the context of the Sochi Games.

And I care more about sporting performances. Mens' hockey was ok, but underwhelming for the most part. Ladies' figure skating was one big farce. So we had disappointment in two of the Games' more significant events. Where was the equivalent of Crosby's golden goal? Where was Crosby's Canada v. Ovechkin's Russia like in Vancouver? Where was the Tre Kronor and the celebration of Sundin/Forsberg/Lidstrom and their avenging of Salo's flop? Where was a powerhouse's first gold in 50 years, while avenging a neighbour rival that beat them 6 years earlier? Where was the sublime dominance of Hasek? Where was Forsberg's postage stamp goal?

How about ladies' figure skating? Where was Kim Yu-Na's world-record setting grace combined with technique? Where was the beauty of Katarina Witt?

What about the passion and feel of the Games? Sochi was never going to be a city Games like Vancouver, but where was the fervor of Lillehammer? Where was the magical snowy atmosphere? Is that even possible by the Black Sea? Where was the international gathering of visitors? From what I can tell, the Sochi Games were predominantly Russian with less international visitors in comparison to Vancouver, Torino or Salt Lake.

Why do you take it so personally, anyway? Why am I being accused of being a drone of the western media so many times in this thread? I thought the Sochi Games sucked, and I gave my reasons on a topic I care about, as I do care deeply about the Olympics. I thought my reasons were well-thought out. What's the big deal? You aren't going to convince everyone the Sochi Games were the greatest ever.

You claimed the event sucked and the facilities sucked, but you were not there. So basically you just read what the media said and repasted it.


I do agree that the hockey was better in 2010 than 2014.

 

[sdf]

As this is a sports forum, I refrained from elaborating on politics in my reasons why Sochi was a flop. Suffice to say that the invasion of Crimea is just one of many events that have to be considered on a whole in the context of the Sochi Games.

And I care more about sporting performances. Mens' hockey was ok, but underwhelming for the most part. Ladies' figure skating was one big farce. So we had disappointment in two of the Games' more significant events. Where was the equivalent of Crosby's golden goal? Where was Crosby's Canada v. Ovechkin's Russia like in Vancouver? Where was the Tre Kronor and the celebration of Sundin/Forsberg/Lidstrom and their avenging of Salo's flop? Where was a powerhouse's first gold in 50 years, while avenging a neighbour rival that beat them 6 years earlier? Where was the sublime dominance of Hasek? Where was Forsberg's postage stamp goal?

How about ladies' figure skating? Where was Kim Yu-Na's world-record setting grace combined with technique? Where was the beauty of Katarina Witt?

What about the passion and feel of the Games? Sochi was never going to be a city Games like Vancouver, but where was the fervor of Lillehammer? Where was the magical snowy atmosphere? Is that even possible by the Black Sea? Where was the international gathering of visitors? From what I can tell, the Sochi Games were predominantly Russian with less international visitors in comparison to Vancouver, Torino or Salt Lake.

Why do you take it so personally, anyway? Why am I being accused of being a drone of the western media so many times in this thread? I thought the Sochi Games sucked, and I gave my reasons on a topic I care about, as I do care deeply about the Olympics. I thought my reasons were well-thought out. What's the big deal? You aren't going to convince everyone the Sochi Games were the greatest ever.

Yes yes you right im just about this to. ****ing Putin's games, ****ing farce

 

[Atas2000]

Yes yes you right im just about this to. ****ing Putin's games, ****ing farce

The only effing farce are the guys like you.Just leave already if you don't like it here. We're etter off without whiners like you.

 

[Fantomas]

The Sochi games were great. But giving Russia credit would be wrong.

 

[Xokkeu]

The Sochi games were great. But giving Russia credit would be wrong.

Russian people deserve credit. Never see a sporting event's locals be so hospitable.

 

[ovikovy817]

The games were great, just one thing missing (If you know what I mean )

The last day could be greater than it was with a gold medal over Canada in the hockey final.
Zubkov's gold in bob + Russian podium on the 50km.

 

[Siberian]

I care that their $50 billion price tag put a sour taste in the mouths of every future Olympic bidder of any democratic country that has to answer to the people. Any bid that has to go through a referendum (pretty much every European country) doesn't stand a chance. Munich had sufficient support for 2018 bidding, yet were completely scared off for 2022. And it wasn't just Munich. It was Switzerland, Sweden and Norway. Now it's up to Korea and China to bring the Winter Olympics back to a positive light.

You shouldn't worry about the price tag. The way you say it is exactly how anti-Russian propaganda was feeding it to the readers back in 2014 trying to imply that 50 billion were burned for 2 weeks of Olympics. It is quite contrary - Russia had a plan to invest heavily in beautiful area of Krasnodar region and Olympics was a great reason to do it. The infrastructure that will be used by Russian citizens and tourists will serve there for decades. Roads, hotels, sanitary systems, better water systems all of that was greatly needed for Sochi, one of the most amazing places on earth.