# 2024 Summer Olympics Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** olympic-sports-track\ **Created:** [July 10, 2024, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019 "2024-07-10T20:21:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 42
**Author:** ![Wallaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Wallaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallaby)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/821 "2024-08-14T06:25:59Z")
> [@DKW](#): > > Remember? How every nation in the world besides the USA considered golds the sole ranking metric 🙄, which meant that we lost something or other? As does the IOC. There is no ‘official’ table, so you can order it how you want (should team sports count as 11 or more medals - after all, that’s many medals were actually handed out). The IOC convention is to list in order of number of Gold medals won. Which is the way it has always been done. The whole idea of ‘winning’ silver or bronze medals is stupid in this day and age when nearly every competitor is a professional. Sure, you can be pleased with your effort in a competition even if you don’t win, but the sight of athletes either leaping with joy or suffering despair, depending on whether they were beaten be 2 other competitors or 3, is absurd. Very few other sports award 2nd, 3rd or 4th place trophies - OK, the runner-up in a one-on-one contest sometimes gets a ‘thanks for coming’ trophy. It’s very hard to think of a major sport today that gives any ‘minor’ trophies. Silver and Bronze medallists haven’t ‘won’ anything - they are just the ‘best losers’. And why only second and third place trophies? Who decided that? Why is 4th _so_ much worse than 3rd? In 1896, the winners got silver medals and some of the runners up got copper. Some events didn’t award medals at all. 1900 was different again, but the gold, silver and bronze didn’t start until 1904. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/822 "2024-08-14T10:39:14Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > These games were almost in Boston. A local organizing committee put together a full proposal, and it was chosen as the official U.S. bid for 2024, but then there was significant opposition from citizens here and it was withdrawn. That little phrase “significant opposition from citizens” might be quite the understatement. I remember being at a summer festival where Boston 2024 had set up a booth. They were copping consistent and serious flak from all and sundry. We were just realizing how big a financial hole the Big Dig had put us in, and no one was in the mood for another set of billion dollar flim-flam men. Well the politicians and construction firms were, but not the people. Even after the review ordered by the Governor thoroughly rubbished the cost estimates and economic benefits from the bid officials, the bid officials kept repeating their bogus figures. In the end they were a bit of a laughingstock, but I’m sure they managed to pocket a fair few millions for themselves anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/823 "2024-08-14T10:48:28Z")
And, oh the fond memories they kept. > **[Boston 2024 Olympic bid committee reunites as Games kick off in Paris](https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/boston-2024-olympic-bid-committee-reunites-as-games-kick-off-in-paris/3439881/)** > > As the 2024 Olympic Games officially kicked off Friday in Paris, members of the former committee that pushed for Boston to host this year’s Games reunited at a local tavern to reminisce and catch up. The Boston 2024 committee gathered at the Ford... ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/824 "2024-08-14T14:27:28Z")
> [@Mighty\_Mouse](#): > > That little phrase “significant opposition from citizens” might be quite the understatement. > > I remember being at a summer festival where Boston 2024 had set up a booth. They were copping consistent and serious flak from all and sundry. Strangely, I think Boston is a better choice than lots of other cities that might want to host the Games. With all the local colleges and the Convention Center, there are lots of existing locations that could host events. I think the two big things we needed, and they’re not trivial, were the athletes village and track-and-field stadium. > [@Maserschmidt](#): > > And, oh the fond memories they kept. That restaurant is not far from me. Maybe I’ll have to try it. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/825 "2024-08-14T15:39:05Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Strangely, I think Boston is a better choice than lots of other cities that might want to host the Games. One feedback from the IOC about Boston’s proposal was that they’d have to remove some of the bridge across the Charles and dedicate several lanes of Storrow and Memorial Drive to official vehicles, build many new stadiums and venues (the existing college ones aren’t up to Olympic standards) and basically shut the city down for a month. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/826 "2024-08-14T15:44:59Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > One feedback from the IOC about Boston’s proposal was that they’d have to remove some of the bridge across the Charles and dedicate several lanes of Storrow and Memorial Drive to official vehicles, build many new stadiums and venues (the existing college ones aren’t up to Olympic standards) and basically shut the city down for a month. I assume the bridges were related to a plan to have rowing on the Charles. I suspect that rather than remove the bridges, they’d have found another place to have the rowing. I don’t think Olympic rowing is quite popular enough to make such massive changes to host it close to downtown. And Storrow Drive doesn’t have several lanes. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/827 "2024-08-14T16:38:10Z")
I only heard about [Rachael Gunn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachael_Gunn)’s [breakdancing performance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aiSQdRmVKs) (hard to find a good clip of it on YouTube) on last night’s episode of The Daily Show. They showed part of it, and it was _bad_. I know nothing about break dancing and even I could see that it was bad. She’s studied dance her whole life and did a PhD on cultural studies, with her thesis titled, “Deterritorializing gender in Sydney’s breakdancing scene: a B-girl’s experience of B-boying.” The Daily Show said she was the only woman to qualify to represent Australia in the event and she received no points. Watching her performance again, it looks like if I tried to breakdance. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/828 "2024-08-14T16:39:07Z")
Rowing was supposed to be up in Lowell on the Merrimack. I assume the Storrow work was a stealth effort to raise the bridges and take away our schadenfreude at seeing people Storrow’d. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/829 "2024-08-14T16:42:53Z")
I have no idea what you mean by “Storrow’d”; care to explain? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/830 "2024-08-14T16:56:54Z")
The overpasses along Storrow drive are low, and every year at move in time for colleges vans and trucks get stuck under them, causing traffic jams and a whole mess. That’s getting Storrow’d, and all the signs in the world don’t seem to stop it from happening every year. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/831 "2024-08-14T16:57:58Z")
Honestly, that sounds like something the city would want to address, even without hosting the games. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/832 "2024-08-14T17:07:28Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I have no idea what you mean by “Storrow’d”; care to explain? > [@Telemark](#): > > The overpasses along Storrow drive are low, and every year at move in time for colleges vans and trucks get stuck under them, causing traffic jams and a whole mess. That’s getting Storrow’d, and all the signs in the world don’t seem to stop it from happening every year. Thanks for explaining that, Telemark. To Dewey, there are lots of examples on Twitter, and yes it often happens at move-in time because college students driving up from (e.g.) Maryland probably aren’t even aware that bridge height is a meaningful thing. > ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/833 "2024-08-14T17:20:10Z")
We went through the Big Dig in recent memory, no need to take on a major reconstruction project again. It’ll get done if we have a major rebuild of that area, possibly in conjunction with the Mass Pike project coming up shortly. Although I don’t see any way that will fix all the overpasses on Storrow Drive. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/834 "2024-08-14T17:21:27Z")
I have _no_ idea if this would work, but is it possible to lower the road below these overpasses? ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/835 "2024-08-14T17:32:34Z")
I think it’s not a logistical resistance, rather it’s a local community resistance (which I kinda agree with) that they don’t want to suddenly have trucks on their small, local parkway. Another part of the attitude might be “we’re not gonna change our nice little road because you’re stupid” ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/836 "2024-08-14T18:11:43Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I remember ABC broadcasting them when I was young. Jim McKay was the main host, and he was great. I think NBC has had the rights since Seoul in '88. CBS had the rights to a few of the Winter games in the 90s. Believe me, they weren’t any better. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/837 "2024-08-14T18:17:03Z")
Things were always better when we were younger. Nostalgia tints all glasses rose colored. Then you watch re-broadcasts and realize, no, sports commentators have always been like that. The T20 cricket is an interesting choice for 2028. It does exist in the US now in an organized fashion but the general awareness of it is incredibly low. Should make for interesting conversations in a few years. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/838 "2024-08-14T19:23:23Z")
Actually we just finished hosting (along with the West Indies), the T20 World Cup tournament which is held every 2 years. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/839 "2024-08-14T19:38:29Z")
Someone told me yesterday that apparently she did it deliberately badly, as a protest against the concept of breakdancing as a contest and the restrictive rules of that. Seems plausible (I don’t care enough either way to fact check it). ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/840 "2024-08-14T19:40:14Z")
If true, that’s idiotic, because I’m sure there were others in Australia who actually wanted to compete rather than making a mockery of their performance. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019.md?page=41) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019.md?page=43)