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Post by mtnme on Jan 15, 2009 13:39:12 GMT -5
What's really tragic, is the residents of this fair city that is gonna get stuck footing the bill for years to come, can't seem to get tickets to the thing. Now that's just not right! When we were in Vancouver last fall, we talked to many Vancouverites who couldn't get a single ticket. (meanwhile, my understanding is the IOC - who argueably are the ones who send these cities into hock with demands - commandeer a large majority of the tickets.) Is it me, or does this entity need to be scrutinized more closely and some serious changes made? ...like starting with they don't get such a large bulk of those tickets, ( I read 40%) and if they want the lions' share, then they can d*mn well pay for 'em like the rest of us! The 'idea' of the Olympics is the concept of one, big, happy, world party (at least that is the opinion of people I've known who have been lucky enough to have gone to one) ....not just a party for the elite of the IOC. Just my  ...and then again, I may not really know what I'm talking about and this is just some sour grapes because hardly anyone I know can get tickets to this thing. (and if you got one - and I DO mean only 1- now really - was this something you wanted to experience all by yourself?) |
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Post by number1fan on Jan 15, 2009 16:02:00 GMT -5
thanks for posting this article breidy!
i knew in my gut something wasn't quite right with the absurdly controlled ticket sales for these games.
now IS the time for an investigation...there's still time to clean things up. 
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Post by skaterswaltz on Jan 15, 2009 17:56:08 GMT -5
Thanks, breidy, for the article. I always thought athletes stayed in the Olympic Villages during games, so I was wondering why they were being housed in regular hotels, but that article does explain why. Geez, I may need to rent a van when I'm there and sleep in the van in the parking lot if the rooms are at such a premium.
Regarding ticket sales -- I understand there will be some more going on public sale after they sort out the presales, so who knows what else will become available then.
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Post by wags on Jan 15, 2009 20:07:52 GMT -5
Geez, I may need to rent a van when I'm there and sleep in the van in the parking lot if the rooms are at such a premium. Or better yet...let's all rent vans and offer them as "mobile" housing for the USA ST team. I guess I could stand to double up if it's just for a week or two. And I promise I won't peek while they're gearing up. (hee hee hee) |
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Post by skaterswaltz on Jan 15, 2009 22:00:00 GMT -5
Geez, I may need to rent a van when I'm there and sleep in the van in the parking lot if the rooms are at such a premium. Or better yet...let's all rent vans and offer them as "mobile" housing for the USA ST team. I guess I could stand to double up if it's just for a week or two. And I promise I won't peek while they're gearing up. (hee hee hee) Excellent! That's wags -- always thinking and coming up with the great ideas. If anyone can pull it off (so to speak) -- it's her!  |
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stfan
Junior Member
Posts: 51
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Post by stfan on Jan 16, 2009 23:13:51 GMT -5
Hey Wags, if I remember correctly , I think you have seen a little too much already, heh? But I'm sure the team will have a blast rooming with you!
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Post by sk8on on Jan 18, 2009 18:40:51 GMT -5
A bit of a follow-up I came across to the article breidy posted... Vancouver gets OK to borrow to finish Olympic Athletes' Village
City charter amended after marathon debateLast Updated: Sunday, January 18, 2009 | 3:23 PM ET The City of Vancouver has been given the go-ahead to borrow the money it needs to complete the Athletes' Village for the 2010 Winter Games. After 20 hours of debate, the B.C. legislature on Sunday approved Bill 47, which gives the city unlimited borrowing power, as long as it uses the money solely for completion of the development that will house Olympic athletes, and is expected to total more than $1 billion. The city is renegotiating a loan with the developer of the project — consisting primarily of about 1,100 condos — and a U.S. lender, but will need to borrow up to $458 million if those negotiations fail. However, the bill places no cap on the amount Vancouver can borrow or lend. Community Development Minister Blair Lekstrom, who introduced the bill, dismissed the idea it sets a dangerous precedent. "This was a very extraordinary circumstance. I think that's fair to say. I don't think anybody would disagree with that. This bill is precise to this project and no other," Lekstrom said. "I recognize the concern that was expressed. I think people did recognize that what was in the best interests of the taxpayer for the City of Vancouver was to move as quickly as we could and allow the local government, who is accountable to the taxpayer, ultimately, to act on their best interest." On Saturday, house Speaker Bill Barisoff ruled the debate was an emergency so that the bill could be passed in one sitting, but that didn't prevent the opposition New Democrats from talking as long as rules allow. NDP Leader Carole James and her caucus ultimately supported the bill, but James said the party is not happy with the way it was rushed through. "It was important that we ask questions of this government. Voting in favour of this bill doesn't mean you give up public scrutiny," James said. Hedge fund cuts off paymentsThe city stepped in after the waterfront project ran into financial problems and a New York hedge fund that was to lend the $750-million budgeted for the project cut off payments to the developer in September. Since cash advancements to builder Millennium Development Corp. from Fortress Investment Group stopped, the city has been covering construction costs with a $100-million bailout loan approved during an in-camera council meeting on Oct. 14. Cost overruns have pushed the project cost to $875 million. The Southeast False Creek development site, where the village is being built, is on city-owned land worth $200 million, putting the value of the whole development project at more than $1 billion. The City of Vancouver planned to sell some of the 1,100 condos following the Olympics to recoup its investment, but the worldwide recession has caused housing prices to drop. Under the city charter, Vancouver had been prohibited from borrowing all of the money needed to complete the project without holding a public referendum. The bill relieves the city of that responsibility by amending the charter. Premier Gordon Campbell said the legislation will allow almost 2,000 construction workers to keep their jobs in tough times, adding the project will enhance the city's waterfront for years to come. The 2010 Olympics are in Vancouver and Whistler from Feb. 12 to 28, with the Paralympics going March 12 to 21 in those cities. www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2009/01/18/olympic-funding.html* unlimited borrowing power  * |
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Post by skaterswaltz on Jan 20, 2009 12:54:26 GMT -5
Apolo is "Athlete of the Month" on the Team USA 2010 website. You may need to cut and paste the link: www.teamusa2010.org/Default.aspx?tabid=462Here's the text: Name: Apolo Ohno State: Washington Event: Speed Skating Apolo Ohno is an American short track speed skater from Seattle. As a teenager, short track speed skating gave Ohno an outlet for his irrepressible energy. He quickly showed a talent and determination unusual in skaters his age, becoming the youngest U.S. speed skating champion at age 14 in 1997. Ohno has won five Olympic medals over his career, including two gold medals. He’s one of only four Americans to win three medals in a single Olympic Winter Games: two bronze and one gold in Torino. In 2008, Ohno won his first World Championship overall title. Considering his legacy and drive, he’s one to watch at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver! ------------------------------------------------ GO APOLO GO! (I wonder if Apolo dropped the "Anton?" I see just Apolo Ohno a lot more now.) |
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Post by ohno911groban on Jan 20, 2009 13:58:44 GMT -5
Apolo is "Athlete of the Month" on the Team USA 2010 website. You may need to cut and paste the link: www.teamusa2010.org/Default.aspx?tabid=462Here's the text: Name: Apolo Ohno State: Washington Event: Speed Skating Apolo Ohno is an American short track speed skater from Seattle. As a teenager, short track speed skating gave Ohno an outlet for his irrepressible energy. He quickly showed a talent and determination unusual in skaters his age, becoming the youngest U.S. speed skating champion at age 14 in 1997. Ohno has won five Olympic medals over his career, including two gold medals. He’s one of only four Americans to win three medals in a single Olympic Winter Games: two bronze and one gold in Torino. In 2008, Ohno won his first World Championship overall title. Considering his legacy and drive, he’s one to watch at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver! ------------------------------------------------ GO APOLO GO! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D |
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Post by gasp on Jan 20, 2009 23:40:14 GMT -5
The ticket mess is so disheartening. Will there be ST tickets in Phase 2? Probably not. There has to be a better way.
But props to those who ran the CoSport gauntlet and received tickets.
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Post by skaterswaltz on Jan 27, 2009 22:31:15 GMT -5
379 days...30 hours...29 minutes...56 seconds until 2010. April posted the countdown clock at some point at the top of his website: www.apoloantonohno.com |
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Post by A.O.Freak on Jan 29, 2009 18:13:05 GMT -5
Apolo Ohno Posted Thursday, January 29, 2009 6:39 AM ET Sport: Short track Country: USA Hometown: Seattle, WA Residence: Seattle, WA Birthdate: May 22, 1982 Height/weight: 5'8"/165 lbs At the top Two-time Olympian Apolo Ohno has been the top short-track skater in the United States since 2001, when he became the first American to win the overall World Cup, for the 2000-01 season. Ohno has since won the overall title twice more, in 2003 and 2005. He also has won five Olympic medals, two gold, tying speed skater Eric Heiden for the most career winter medals by a U.S. man. Ohno has at least one medal in each of the Olympic distances: gold in the 500m; silver and bronze in the 1000m; gold in the 1500m; and bronze in the 5000m relay. Ohno has won every national title since 2001, earning his eighth consecutive win in December 2008, and has 10 overall national titles. Short track beginnings Ohno became interested in short track at age 12, while watching the 1994 Lillehammer Games. Despite his late start, it took Ohno only two years to become the best short-track skater in the United States. At 14, after training under Pat Wetland in Lake Placid for just six months, Ohno claimed his first overall title at the U.S. Championships, becoming the youngest national champion ever. Ohno's success made him a likely candidate to make the 1998 U.S. Olympic Team, but he struggled with his fitness after leaving the Lake Placid training center and finished 16th at the Olympic Trials. Decision time After failing to make the 1998 Olympic team, Ohno, 15, had to decide whether to continue skating. Ohno's father feared he would make a rash decision after the disappointment at Olympic Trials, and brought his son to a secluded cottage three hours northwest of Seattle. With no distractions from TV or telephone, Ohno passed the time by taking long runs. It was during one of his runs, when he stopped and sat on a rock in the pouring rain, that he realized he wanted to continue skating. Name game Ohno's unique first name was given to him by his father, who combined the Greek words "Ap", meaning "steering away from", and "lo", meaning "look out, here he comes." Yuki says his son's middle name, "Anton", means priceless. Ohno also goes by "Chunky ", a holdover from his youth, when he was one of the stockier members of his roller skating team. Champion dancer Ohno became a mainstream celebrity by winning season four of the hugely popular show "Dancing with the Stars" in 2007. Ohno is one of several athletes to win the title, including former Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi, NFL player Emmitt Smith and auto racer Helio Castroneves. Ohno and partner Julianne Hough beat celebs Joey Fatone and Laila Ali in the final round. In the final, Ohno and Hough received perfect 10s from all three judges on two of their dances, and earned a 28 on the third dance. Ohno also appeared on Bravo's Project Runway as a guest judge in an episode that aired the week before the Beijing Olympics in August 2008. The challenge was to design an outfit for the U.S. Olympic team to wear at the Opening Ceremony in Beijing. Father-son standoff Ohno was raised by his father, Yuki Ohno, who owns a Seattle hair salon called Yuki's diffusion. Yuki was the driving force behind Apolo's skating career, driving him to competitions and encouraging him to push himself. Yuki also persuaded his then-14-year-old son to move to Lake Placid in 1996 to train under Pat Wentland. Apolo was initially not pleased about the move, and skipped his flight to New York after Yuki dropped him off at the airport. Apolo had called friends to pick him up, and he remained with them for a week, until Yuki was able to talk him into it. Yuki then accompanied Apolo on the flight to Lake Placid, and personally dropped him off with Wentland.  |
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Post by 2010orbust on Jan 30, 2009 0:31:55 GMT -5
Hi everyone. I've been away for awhile, but I haven't forgotten about Apolo. My sister and I ordered 6 "A" tickets (3 events) for short track and only got 2 (1 event - 1500 Final). Out of 22 "A" tickets (11 events) we got 10 (5 events). No "B" or "C" tickets were obtained. When I asked about it, CoSport told me Canadians got alot of the lower priced tickets to encourage local attendence for the host country. The only "good" ticket events we ended up with were the 1 short track and ice-dancing. It is disappointing. We will have a chance to pick up some more on 2/5 I guess, but I'm not expecting too much at this point. The accomodation thing is a worry. Let's keep communicating on all this and give tips where we can. It seems pretty disorganized. When I was in Vancouver earlier this year, the cabs were extremely scarce. I'm concerned about transportation too.
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Post by mtnme on Jan 30, 2009 11:02:25 GMT -5
Hi everyone. I've been away for awhile, but I haven't forgotten about Apolo. My sister and I ordered 6 "A" tickets (3 events) for short track and only got 2 (1 event - 1500 Final). Out of 22 "A" tickets (11 events) we got 10 (5 events). No "B" or "C" tickets were obtained. When I asked about it, CoSport told me Canadians got alot of the lower priced tickets to encourage local attendence for the host country. The only "good" ticket events we ended up with were the 1 short track and ice-dancing. It is disappointing. We will have a chance to pick up some more on 2/5 I guess, but I'm not expecting too much at this point. The accomodation thing is a worry. Let's keep communicating on all this and give tips where we can. It seems pretty disorganized. When I was in Vancouver earlier this year, the cabs were extremely scarce. I'm concerned about transportation too. Welcome back 2010orbust  It sounds like you got a lot more tickets than the Canadians did. Maybe that's the trick, ask for the expensive ones. As for transport, we flew into Seattle for WC2 and rented a car there and drove up the couple hours to Vancouver (well, actually we went straight on to Whistler, but you got the idea) which worked out well for us and was A LOT cheaper. Vancouver is very navigatable. Public transport is rumored to be very good by others who utilized it. We had the car. I think the bigger challenge is the lodging. Musical Mom is in Vancouver and is offering lodging in exchange for a ticket/s as she didn't get a single one.  Definitely not fair to the local taxpayers who are paying for this party to cut them off at the knees.... |
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Post by apolostarr on Jan 30, 2009 12:29:56 GMT -5
I am not going to Vancouver but I look forward seeing it through the camera lenses and stories from GA and OZ members  |
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