# I pit the Olympics. This is the final straw. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 19, 2012, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-olympics-this-is-the-final-straw/622440 "2012-05-19T16:56:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-olympics-this-is-the-final-straw/622440/141 "2012-07-26T03:07:32Z")
> [@BigAppleBucky](#): > > During the 2004 RNC held at Madison Square Garden, I had to commute through Penn Station which is located under the Garden. Walking to the station I felt like I was entering Mordor with helmeted Orcs along every approach. It added about 15 minutes to my Wednesday and Thursday evening commutes. One does not simply walk into Mordor. ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2012, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-olympics-this-is-the-final-straw/622440/142 "2012-07-29T16:19:56Z")
[http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/olympics/2012/07/29/london-olympics-empty-seats.ap/index.html](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/olympics/2012/07/29/london-olympics-empty-seats.ap/index.html) > [@](#): > > LONDON (AP) – Blocks of seats at premier Olympic events are empty, and organizers promise to find out why. They say they might set up new systems to ensure those seats are filled, even if they have to be given away. > > There was widespread criticism from Saturday’s opening day of competition. Whole sections of lower-tier seats were largely empty at events, including tennis, gymnastics and swimming. By contrast, an estimated 1 million people lined the route of Saturday’s outdoor cycling, an unticketed and free event. Apparently corporate big wigs have bought out the seats and then not bothered to attend. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2012, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-olympics-this-is-the-final-straw/622440/143 "2012-07-29T17:19:35Z")
> [@BigAppleBucky](#): > > Apparently corporate big wigs have bought out the seats and then not bothered to attend. From what I hear, the problem is not corporate sponsors so much as the so-called “Olympic Family.” So for example, IOC rules would require that the delegation from the Central African Republic would be allocated X tickets for each event – presumably all for excellent seats. If nobody from the Central African Republic’s delegation is particularly interested in watching men’s table tennis, then the seats at that event will go empty. I do think that the system needs to be reformed. It’s disgraceful that hard-core fans are locked out while excellent seats sit empty. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2012, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-olympics-this-is-the-final-straw/622440/144 "2012-07-29T17:26:16Z")
> [@brazil84](#): > > I do think that the system needs to be reformed. It’s disgraceful that hard-core fans are locked out while excellent seats sit empty. Have all “Olympic Family” ticketholders check in, in person, 24 hours before the event, and if they fail to do so, release the tickets for sale to the general public. That’s just an idea; but I agree that the situation as it stands is ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-olympics-this-is-the-final-straw/622440/145 "2012-07-30T22:51:25Z")
Just to really grate the UK dopers, [here’s a](http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/datablog/2012/jul/26/london-2012-olympics-money)breakdown of the total Olympics funding. All figures in billions of pounds: Total funding - 11.3 Corporate sponsorship - 0.7 (6.19%) IOC payments - 0.7 (6.19%). Public Sector funding 9.3 (82.30%). Fuck that. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-olympics-this-is-the-final-straw/622440/146 "2012-07-31T01:55:13Z")
> [@brazil84](#): > > From what I hear, the problem is not corporate sponsors so much as the so-called “Olympic Family.” So for example, IOC rules would require that the delegation from the Central African Republic would be allocated X tickets for each event – presumably all for excellent seats. If nobody from the Central African Republic’s delegation is particularly interested in watching men’s table tennis, then the seats at that event will go empty. > > I do think that the system needs to be reformed. It’s disgraceful that hard-core fans are locked out while excellent seats sit empty. I’d be surprised if that accounted for many of the empty seats - there just are so many of them, and other big events like wimbledon have problems with corporate buyers not turning up too. It’s something I predicted would happen but I’m sure lots of other people did too, just apparently not the people organising ticket sales. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-olympics-this-is-the-final-straw/622440/147 "2012-07-31T11:53:49Z")
For what it may be worth, here is a snippet from an article I found this morning: > [@](#): > > **What has caused the problem?** > > While some empty seats were those reserved for dignitaries who did not turn up, others were among 120,000 unsold tickets allocated to foreign countries which have not returned them. Around eight per cent of tickets have been made available to sponsors and three quarters to the public. Another 12 per cent go to National Olympic Committees five per cent to the “Olympic family” of athletes and officials. While some of the unused seats are those reserved for the “Olympic family” who simply do not turn up to events they are not interested in, the greater problem comes from the agencies who handle the sale of the tickets abroad. Up to 70,000 of those tickets could be simply thrown away because it is not cost-efficient for ticket agencies to return them. Another 50,000 premium tickets are being held back by foreign ticket agencies hoping to make a killing by selling them at grossly inflated prices at the last minute. Of the 8.8 million tickets for Games sessions, around 1.2 million go to the national Olympic committees of foreign countries. Most of the Olympics main sponsors denied they had failed to use their allocation. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-olympics-this-is-the-final-straw/622440/148 "2012-07-31T11:59:45Z")
> [@lisiate](#): > > Public Sector funding 9.3 (82.30%). > > Fuck that. Yes, I’m so glad that my city did not get the Olympics. The taxpayers cough up billions so that they can be treated like second-class citizens for a few weeks. Not to mention the risk of terrorism. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-olympics-this-is-the-final-straw/622440/149 "2012-07-31T21:23:29Z")
So I’m guessing you’re not from Rio then? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-olympics-this-is-the-final-straw/622440.md?page=7)