# Would you visit the Sochi olympics? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 20, 2014, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-visit-the-sochi-olympics/679282 "2014-01-20T17:00:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-visit-the-sochi-olympics/679282/1 "2014-01-20T17:00:14Z")
There have been tons of reports that radical muslims are going to be targeting the winter olympics in Sochi, Russia. So, let’s say that you have been offered an all-expensed-paid trip to the 2014 Winter Olympics. Would you go? I’d have to say no. I’m not at all confident in Russia’s ability to protect the games. I wouldn’t feel safe for a minute. ---
**Author:** ![Fish\_Cheer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fish_cheer/32/17179_2.png) [@Fish\_Cheer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish_Cheer)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-visit-the-sochi-olympics/679282/2 "2014-01-20T17:05:44Z")
Never ever, but those terrorists would be the least of my worries. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-visit-the-sochi-olympics/679282/3 "2014-01-20T17:06:21Z")
Hell, yeah I would go. Why not? ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-visit-the-sochi-olympics/679282/4 "2014-01-20T17:07:59Z")
> [@Fish\_Cheer](#): > > Never ever, but those terrorists would be the least of my worries. Agree completely. Cold, crowded, and over-hyped. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-visit-the-sochi-olympics/679282/5 "2014-01-20T17:10:24Z")
No, because (a) I’ve just been to the London Olympics, so these ones don’t really interest me, plus I went to the Champions League final in Moscow (the superbowl of soccer) and there were more troops on the streets than fans, and (b) I’ve been to Russia twice and have had my fill, TYVM. Well, St Petersburg was beautiful but Moscow is awful and the people can be really unfriendly, which leads me to… © I’m gay. I won’t visit a country where the President tells me not to speak to children. ---
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-visit-the-sochi-olympics/679282/6 "2014-01-20T18:10:55Z")
No, but not because of the terrorism. Not because of the Gay thing either, although that would disincline me from a trip to Russia in general. But because I’ve already seen a winter Olympics in person, and while it was fun, it was just a “well, been there done that” thing. I’ll probably catch a few events on TV, but that’s it. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-visit-the-sochi-olympics/679282/7 "2014-01-20T18:16:51Z")
It’s in Russia. Strike One. It’s targeted by terrorists. Strike Two. It’s the Winter Olympics. Strike Three. I wouldn’t go if it was in my state, secure and free. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-visit-the-sochi-olympics/679282/8 "2014-01-20T18:28:50Z")
Fuck yeah. Olympic ice hockey, in person? I am so there! ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-visit-the-sochi-olympics/679282/9 "2014-01-20T18:49:28Z")
No. Don’t care for the Olympics (winter or otherwise); don’t care for winter sports; don’t care for winter in general, and specifically don’t care for winter in Russia [hypothetically anyway; I’ve never been there]; and won’t give a dime of my money to Russia, because of the gay thing. The terrorists are at the bottom of my list of reasons for not wanting to go. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-visit-the-sochi-olympics/679282/10 "2014-01-20T18:54:36Z")
No, but like others upthread it isn’t the terrorists who’d keep me away, it’s Russia’s treatment of gays. I love my Russian heritage and I love the Olympics, always have; I’d give my eye teeth to see them in person, but I won’t be paying attention to who wins what for this one and will avoid any media coverage of same. No one’s going to make a penny off me for this Olympics where I can help it. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-visit-the-sochi-olympics/679282/11 "2014-01-20T18:59:01Z")
© I’m gay. I won’t visit a country where the President tells me not to speak to children. And where gay men are being beaten up. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-visit-the-sochi-olympics/679282/12 "2014-01-20T19:18:13Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Fuck yeah. Olympic ice hockey, in person? I am so there! This. Absolutely. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-visit-the-sochi-olympics/679282/13 "2014-01-20T19:29:43Z")
I wouldn’t want to go there if I, or my child, was a participant! It’s one of the most dangerous places in the world right now. I fear that we’re going to have another Munich, only worse. (No comparison to the Olympic Park/Eric Rudolph thing, because that wasn’t orchestrated by a government or any terrorist organization.) ☹ ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-visit-the-sochi-olympics/679282/14 "2014-01-20T19:34:56Z")
Nope, not interested. I agree completely with silenus on this. ---
**Author:** ![James\_Toothpaste](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e56c9b/32.png) [@James\_Toothpaste](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/James_Toothpaste)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-visit-the-sochi-olympics/679282/15 "2014-01-20T19:49:53Z")
No. I hate loud, crowded, cold places. Going to the Winter Olympics would be taking this to the extreme. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-visit-the-sochi-olympics/679282/16 "2014-01-20T20:12:02Z")
Nope. Russians are eminently corruptible at present, which includes their security forces. Putin is an arrogant asshole. They’re harboring an American traitor. Sochi is a shithole. Putin is an arrogant asshole. I went to the 1984 Olympics; one was enough. Putin is an arrogant asshole. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Quatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bc8723/32.png) [@Mr\_Quatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Quatro)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-visit-the-sochi-olympics/679282/17 "2014-01-20T20:35:33Z")
If I lived nearby I would go to the winter Olympics … I figure they can’t blow up every soul there at the same time. Sure a mess they could make and perhaps 24 souls are lost, but out of how many visitors and how far inside would a terrorist make it? I know it sounds cruel to count the threat in numbers, but fear is fear and it wouldn’t keep me away. However with that said I would rather spend the $2,000 on something else that it would take to go to Sochi for a weekend … I would rather spend that much on all of the Craftsman tools I could buy at Sears 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-visit-the-sochi-olympics/679282/18 "2014-01-20T20:43:42Z")
I wouldn’t attend any Olympics, even if it were in my home state. Anything I want to see, I can see on TV and fast forward through anything I don’t want to see. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-visit-the-sochi-olympics/679282/19 "2014-01-20T20:52:23Z")
If it was all-expenses paid, then yes, I’d go. Terrorism isn’t really a concern of mine. If I had to pay, I don’t think I’d go, even if the tickets to the events were free. I’ve come to the conclusion that most sporting events are better seen on TV than in person. With HD and the use of multiple, even moving cameras, you can see things much better on TV. Most events you can only see small parts of - I’ve been to a World Cup ski racing event and if you’re on the slopes you see someone come by really fast but then they’re gone and you wait a couple of minutes to see the next person for three seconds. If you’re at the bottom of the hill, you see the finish and the time, but other than that, you’re watching it on TV on the big screen, just outside and in the cold. Most events are like that, where you can only see a small part of the course. All the sliding events, cross country/biathlon, and some of the extreme sports are like that. Hockey is about the only inside sport I’d care to watch, but unless you have good seats, it’s better on TV. I was able to go to an Avalanche/Red Wings Stanley Cup playoff game during the height of the rivalry, but the seats were nosebleed ones and you just couldn’t see much of the action. I’ll stay home. ---
**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-visit-the-sochi-olympics/679282/20 "2014-01-20T22:44:44Z")
I can think of no earthly reason why I would want to go there. At all. I’d rather go to Nigeria, at least there’s no bloody ridiculous sporting event going on there. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-visit-the-sochi-olympics/679282.md?page=2)