# Which Olympics went off with the least trouble/SNAFUs/controversy? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 27, 2012, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-olympics-went-off-with-the-least-trouble-snafus-controversy/629560 "2012-07-27T13:00:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![PrettyVacant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/49beb7/32.png) [@PrettyVacant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PrettyVacant)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-olympics-went-off-with-the-least-trouble-snafus-controversy/629560/21 "2012-07-27T17:32:54Z")
Public perception is entirely based on what media decides to covers and the slant on that choice - at least two self-serving filters. How much trouble was there at the last Olympics over ticketing? Right. Where were those held? UK has an unusaully ‘vibrant’ media - some might suggest with a rottweiler mentality. ---
**Author:** ![phreesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@phreesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phreesh)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-olympics-went-off-with-the-least-trouble-snafus-controversy/629560/22 "2012-07-27T18:35:55Z")
Lillehammer seemed awesome from far away, but I have no knowledge of the local attitude. Calgary was pretty successful. Seoul and Beijing both had a lot of crackdown on opposition, which may have violated human rights. Atlanta was super-commercial. Sydney and Barcelona seemed pretty successful. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-olympics-went-off-with-the-least-trouble-snafus-controversy/629560/23 "2012-07-27T18:40:59Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I’m pretty sure he meant Peter Ueberroth. He was hailed as a genius for introducing corporate sponsorship to the Los Angeles games and bringing them in on budget. Wasn’t there also a lot of savings coming from the fact that here in LA, we used a lot of existing infrastructure to host? The Coliseum, Pauley Pavilion, and Dodger Stadium were all used for events and didn’t have to be built from scratch. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-olympics-went-off-with-the-least-trouble-snafus-controversy/629560/24 "2012-07-27T18:55:28Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > Wasn’t there also a lot of savings coming from the fact that here in LA, we used a lot of existing infrastructure to host? The Coliseum, Pauley Pavilion, and Dodger Stadium were all used for events and didn’t have to be built from scratch. Indeed, only two major venues were built for the 1984 Olympics: a swimming/diving stadium and a velodrome. And even those were built very cheaply. (I attended a cycling race during the 84 Olympics so I can attest to the cheapness of the velodrome.) Olympic hosts since then have tried to look to Los Angeles as an example of how the Games can be profitable, or at least not ruinous, but none have the sense of utter frugality required to pull it off. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-olympics-went-off-with-the-least-trouble-snafus-controversy/629560/25 "2012-07-27T18:58:52Z")
> [@phreesh](#): > > Lillehammer seemed awesome from far away, but I have no knowledge of the local attitude. Calgary was pretty successful. Seoul and Beijing both had a lot of crackdown on opposition, which may have violated human rights. Atlanta was super-commercial. Sydney and Barcelona seemed pretty successful. Lillehammer was a very well-run Olympics, however it was also the Olympics of the Tonya Harding - Nancy Kerrigan incident. If we’re talking about the Winter Games I don’t recall many complaints about Nagano 1998. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-olympics-went-off-with-the-least-trouble-snafus-controversy/629560/26 "2012-07-27T20:38:34Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > If we’re talking about the Winter Games I don’t recall many complaints about Nagano 1998. All I remember about Nagano is the monkeys in the hot tub. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-olympics-went-off-with-the-least-trouble-snafus-controversy/629560/27 "2012-07-27T20:42:55Z")
Calgary '88 went pretty well - I lived here at the time and don’t remember any particular angst. Most of the infrastructure built still exists and is generally well regarded by the citizenry. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-olympics-went-off-with-the-least-trouble-snafus-controversy/629560/28 "2012-07-27T21:41:24Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > Olympic hosts since then have tried to look to Los Angeles as an example of how the Games can be profitable, or at least not ruinous, but none have the sense of utter frugality required to pull it off. The problem isn’t the host cities frugality or lack thereof but the IOC. You pretty much cannot win a bid to host without promising shiny new facilities for almost everything. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-olympics-went-off-with-the-least-trouble-snafus-controversy/629560/29 "2012-07-27T21:42:07Z")
Except for the U.S. speedskating team losing its sponsor so that the Colbert Nation had to step in, I don’t recall any problems with the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Does anybody? ---
**Author:** ![Grapefruit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@Grapefruit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grapefruit)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-olympics-went-off-with-the-least-trouble-snafus-controversy/629560/30 "2012-07-27T21:43:50Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Except for the U.S. speedskating team losing its sponsor so that the Colbert Nation had to step in, I don’t recall any problems with the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Does anybody? Snow had to be shipped in… ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-olympics-went-off-with-the-least-trouble-snafus-controversy/629560/31 "2012-07-27T21:47:53Z")
As well as Zambonis, no? ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-olympics-went-off-with-the-least-trouble-snafus-controversy/629560/32 "2012-07-27T21:51:32Z")
> [@Grapefruit](#): > > Snow had to be shipped in… Lack of snow, riots the week before the Olympics and the death of the luger. ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-olympics-went-off-with-the-least-trouble-snafus-controversy/629560/33 "2012-07-27T22:26:01Z")
How about Sapporo? I was young and all I remember is my little black and white TV and throwing up a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-olympics-went-off-with-the-least-trouble-snafus-controversy/629560/34 "2012-07-28T00:32:57Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > During the games, the only controversy I remember was sprinter Ben Johnson being stripped of his gold medal in the 100 meters, due to failing a drug test. Ahh yes. [The dirtiest race in history](http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Dirtiest-Race-History-Johnson/dp/1408135957). ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-olympics-went-off-with-the-least-trouble-snafus-controversy/629560/35 "2012-07-28T01:49:39Z")
> [@Lord\_Mondegreen](#): > > Sydney 2000 seemed to go off without many hitches or controversies. In the lead-up there were doubts, but the actual event went quite smoothly. [Yep, and the head of the Olympic committee at the time declared it the best Olympics ever in his closing ceremony speech.](http://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/02/sports/sydney-2000-closing-ceremony-a-fond-farewell-from-australia.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm) ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-olympics-went-off-with-the-least-trouble-snafus-controversy/629560/36 "2012-07-28T02:35:56Z")
In keeping with the theme of ‘higher, farther, stronger’, pronouncing a certain edition to be ‘the best ever’ was a bit of a tradition under Samaranch ([cite](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Antonio_Samaranch)), although one that apparently was retired after 2000 which I think is when Samaranch stopped, so it looks like Sydney’s not yet been topped. Several other Games have been pronounced ‘the best ever’, though - only Atlanta 1996 wasn’t. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-olympics-went-off-with-the-least-trouble-snafus-controversy/629560/37 "2012-07-28T03:39:16Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > [Yep, and the head of the Olympic committee at the time declared it the best Olympics ever in his closing ceremony speech.](http://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/02/sports/sydney-2000-closing-ceremony-a-fond-farewell-from-australia.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm) He usually does, though. It was considered noteworthy that he didn’t specifically call Atlanta “The best Games ever.” Considering that the event keeps getting bigger, I’d argue every one is a more impressive logistical achievement than the last. Comparing the regular Olympics to the Winter Games isn’t a fair comparison. The Winter Games are a much smaller thing, involving about one quarter as many athletes in fewer than half as many events. ---
**Author:** ![Mdcastle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@Mdcastle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mdcastle)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-olympics-went-off-with-the-least-trouble-snafus-controversy/629560/38 "2012-07-28T03:51:59Z")
In Vancouver part of the torch didn’t work. Sidney they had the gymastics vault set up incorrectly resulting in several fails. ---
**Author:** ![Corcaigh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Corcaigh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corcaigh)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2012, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-olympics-went-off-with-the-least-trouble-snafus-controversy/629560/39 "2012-07-28T13:30:34Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > [Yep, and the head of the Olympic committee at the time declared it the best Olympics ever in his closing ceremony speech.](http://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/02/sports/sydney-2000-closing-ceremony-a-fond-farewell-from-australia.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm) Seoul was IIRC also declared to be the greatest Games ever. AFAIK they’re not allowed to say that about a Games any more (don’t have a cite, just read something somewhere). Didn’t the cauldron stutter rather badly after Cathy Freeman lit it, at Sydney? ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2012, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-olympics-went-off-with-the-least-trouble-snafus-controversy/629560/40 "2012-07-30T19:16:17Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Which Olympic Games of the past, Summer or Winter, have gone the most smoothly, with the least trouble, the least controversy, the least scandal, the least mistakes? Just wondering. I would imagine the 1896 games that started the whole shebang. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-olympics-went-off-with-the-least-trouble-snafus-controversy/629560.md?page=1)