In their latest plan for hosting the games, DC and Baltimore have now proposed building a new Olympic centerpiece, built around the existing RKF Stadium site on the Anacostia River. My first thought is I like it -- gives more of a nucleus for athletes and fans; second thought -- how much is this gonna cost??

Originally many events would be spread out across DC, NoVa and Maryland -- now a bunch of these would be focused on the DC Olympic center.

Read more here in the Washington Post.

Bucky, while the revisions sound decent on the surface the same question immediately crossed my mind -- how many hundreds of millions of dollars are these proposed projects going to cost the taxpayers, especially when you are only talking about two weeks of use?....unless DC itself gets a MLB team to play in Anacostia (not the best part of town, either, to say the least even with the accessibility of the subway system now) or the Redskins move back (fat chance of Danny Snyder moving from 80K FedEx field to a smaller seating capacity and less revenue) these structures will be filled for two weeks TOTAL!....while I am certainly not opposed to DC/NoVa/Baltimore getting the 2012 Olympics, there are some major economic issues that need to be addressed if these proposed stadiums are going to be built, particularly if no major professional team will continue to play there after the Olympic games end....IMHO despite the longer distances between the sites, with the number of existing sports arenas within a 45 mile radius (FedEx field, Ravens Stadium at Camden Yards, MCI Center, Patriot Center, not to mention the first-class collegiate sports facilites at numerous campuses in and around DC) I'm not sure this revised proposal is as wise as some may initially believe....with New York, Houston, and San Francisco also in the running to be the U.S. candidate for the 2012 Summer Games, it should be interesting to see how the process develops in the upcoming months.

[ April 12, 2002: Message edited by: gamecock ]

Realizing that the actual vote is 3 3/4 years away, do y'all think that a US city has a real chance of winning? (I stress the 'winning' as I'm assuming that whichever US city is the official selection will present a good bid).

Especially with Rogge having replaced Scam-aranch, my initial feeling would be that it's at least one Olympiad too soon for the US to get it again. With South America and Africa never having hosting an Olympiad, I'd look for a contender from there *IF* a national committee couls put together a strong enough package.

Plus, although people might say that 2012 would be too soon after Athens for another European city to be chosen, Athens sems to have a sort of "ex-officio" status (home of the first modern era Games, the historical connection to the Ancient Games, etc) that sort of "makes it not count" in the usual geographical considerations.

And lastly, even though the IOC is one member, one vote, the Executive Committe, which still holds disproportionate sway, is still significantly Euro-centric.

ALso a question - was the CapitalCentre/USAir Arena torn down when the MCI Center opened, or does it still exist? Thanks!

[quote]Originally posted by Wurm:
was the CapitalCentre/USAir Arena torn down when the MCI Center opened, or does it still exist?

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Wurm -- I wasn't too sure either (I never get out to that part of the metro area) -- last I heard, Magic Johnson was a lead investor in a movie theatre / entertainment complex to replace the old arena.

However, I called the arena phone number -- it's still standing and is the home of the Washington Power indoor lacrosse team -- plus it hosts tractor pulls and "entertainment" like that

As to whether the US will get the 2012 bid, your guess is as good as mine -- I'm wondering if 9/11 won't play into it (much like the Super Bowl)?

[quote]Originally posted by DCBucky:



As to whether the US will get the 2012 bid, your guess is as good as mine -- I'm wondering if 9/11 won't play into it (much like the Super Bowl)?

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Did I miss something? Was there a chance that the Super Bowl would be held anywhere BUT the USA?

No, utahman, I think what dcbucky is referring to is all of the discussion lately (initiated by Paul Tagliabue) of holding a future Super Bowl in New York/NJ or DC....the obvious downside associated with that idea is the cold winter climate and the unpredictable weather of playing in an open-air stadium in late January....personally, I'd like to see the NFL move in that direction -- not that the Super Bowl needs any more hype or help with viewership but the Oakland-New England AFC Divisional Playoff game played in the snowstorm was not only highly entertaining but also was one of the highest rated NFL playoff games ever!

Also, to answer Wurm's question (which Bucky briefly addressed) USAirArena (formerly Capital Centre) IS still standing and in clear view while driving on the Beltway in Prince George's County, MD....it is primarily used for concerts and indoor soccer but is another viable alternative to spending hundreds of millions of dollars unnecessarily while nearly a dozen reasonably high quality stadiums and arenas exist within a 45 mile radius of DC....having said that, presuming that DC/Baltimore will even be awarded the 2012 Summer Games is a LONG way from being assured!

[quote]Originally posted by gamecock:
No, utahman, I think what dcbucky is referring to is all of the discussion lately (initiated by Paul Tagliabue) of holding a future Super Bowl in New York/NJ or DC....

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I know... the smiley at the end was my hint that I was kidding.

Having lived in the DC area for 5 years and still visiting often, I would love to see them get the games. I'd also love to watch a marathon run in 90 degree heat with 95% humidity.
(beware the smiley)

actually that marathon idea doesn't sound so bad, utahman....it would at least add some excitement to the competition and would be sure to bring out more fans (not unlike the NASCAR fans who go to the races each week waiting to see a wreck)....how about adding a few strategically placed land mines throughout the marathon course to enhance the level of excitement a bit?