British Olympics - a money making racket?

Biggins · 02-04-2012 09:11PM #1

Apologies if posted in the wrong section.
Mods, please move if ye feel its necessary.

Once again, it seems the British organising of the Olympics for London might have turned into more partial farce.

Short version:
* Torch bearers having to buy their torch.
* Shoe names covered up to a daft extent.
* Billions in public money spent to benefit primarily giant corporations.
* Goldman Sachs set to also profit.

Long version:

LONDON—The notion that the Olympics have anything to do with the spirit of amateur athletics is one that corporations gleefully stabbed to death not too long before Michael Jordan and the Dream Team won gold in Barcelona in 1992, when Jordan almost boycotted the medal ceremony because his team's warm-up outfits bore the Reebok logo instead of the Nike swoosh.

Poor Reebok. A similar thing has already happened to them this time around. Last week, Aidan Kirkwood, a British war veteran and charity hero who will be one of the Olympics torchbearers in June, was forced to cover his Reebok tennis shoes in white tape at an event because they weren't made by Adidas, the official cordwainers of the torchbearing team. From The Telegraph:

Such is the level of paranoia at ambush marketing at the London Olympic Games that a soldier injured in Afghanistan was required to cover up the logo on his trainers when he appeared at an Olympic torch relay event this week.
...

Source: http://deadspin.com/5896548/the-goldman-sachs+y-group-behind-the-london-olympics-is-making-torchbearers-buy-their-own-torches?tag=goldman-sachs

I can understand having to cover the cost of many an item including torches but its seems very expensive and frankly, a bit of a cheek when the people that are being allowed to carry torches, have been awarded that honour for good deeds they have previously done and/or the high respect a community hold of them.

AngryBollix · 02-04-2012 09:14PM

Its almost guaranteed that any olympics will lose money.

Factoring that the organisers will have to invest heavily in infrastructure its almost inevitable that the games will be a losing proposition

hairyprincess · 02-04-2012 09:14PM

How much are they willing to pay for the torches? I have a few here they can buy

im invisible · 02-04-2012 09:17PM

A cordwainer (or cordovan) is a shoemaker/cobbler who makes fine soft leather shoes and other luxury footwear articles

ya learn something new every day

44leto · 02-04-2012 09:19PM

That is the rules of sponsorship, companies pay for the space, not the space for their competitive rivals. That sponsorship in turn recoups some of the massive public expense of staging the games. I personally see nothing wrong with that, otherwise the British taxpayer will have to foot the WHOLE bill.

Biggins · 02-04-2012 09:21PM

AngryBollix wrote: »

Its almost guaranteed that any olympics will lose money.

Factoring that the organisers that the organisers will have to invest heavily in infrastructure its almost inevitable that the games will be a losing proposition

Very true.
Certainly in the short or medium term, the government will definitely lose out.
The likes of Goldman Sachs, they being a business thou, seem to be making sure they reclaim as much as they can.
Understandable to some extent but as in the above case, maybe leaving a bad taste in the mouths of those participating?

Its just a thought.

Over the last few months I read of other cases of daftness.
One was in London where boat racing will be going on, a local council there decided to erect a long massive wall along a public quay and public park so that the public couldn't see the racing going on.

Daftness!

Doc Ruby · 02-04-2012 09:23PM

im invisible wrote: »

A cordwainer (or cordovan) is a shoemaker/cobbler who makes fine soft leather shoes and other luxury footwear articles

ya learn something new every day

Probably has something to do with sailors' shoes, which were soled in cord or rope at one stage.

Taco Corp · 02-04-2012 09:24PM

The most ironic thing has to be that McDonalds is the "official restaurant"

amacachi · 02-04-2012 09:26PM

Is this really news? All government exists to do is funnel money into their mates' companies.

Biggins · 02-04-2012 09:26PM

Surley wrote: »

The most ironic thing has to be that McDonalds is the "official restaurant"

:eek:

Fast food, sick quick?
New world records for throwing up? :pac:

44leto · 02-04-2012 09:26PM

Surley wrote: »

The most ironic thing has to be that McDonalds is the "official restaurant"

LOL

Maybe a cigarette company could sponsor the swimming.

AngryBollix · 02-04-2012 09:28PM

Biggins wrote: »

Very true.
Certainly in the short or medium term, the government will definitely lose out.
The likes of Goldman Sachs, they being a business thou, seem to be making sure they reclaim as much as they can.
Understandable to some extent but as in the above case, maybe leaving a bad taste in the mouths of those participating?

Its just a thought.

Over the last few months I read on other cases of daftness.
One was in London where boat racing will be going on, a local council there decided to erect a long massive wall along a public quay and public park so that the public couldn't see the racing going on.

Daftness!

Sponsors and investors are far more likely to make a killing. They are in a far better position to do so.

The government have to invest in the facilities will be long term losers (Velodromes, Swimming and diving facilities etc) Even the stadium may prove to be a white elephant.

But it would be foolish for sponsors or investors to front up their cash without reasonable expectation of a positive return.

Latchy · 02-04-2012 09:28PM

According to some news reports ,several million people who live in the greater London and surrounding areas (and other brits) plan to take their holidays abroad for the duration of the Olympic games and who can blame them because it's beginning to sound more like an over hyped , political football /headache of a security operation for the privileged than a sporting event, with the tab for any extra security picked up and paid for by the british tax payer.

I will watch probably watch the opening ceromony but am going to avoid all the OTT tv hype

Taco Corp · 02-04-2012 09:30PM

Biggins wrote: »

:eek:

Fast food, sick quick?
New world records for throwing up? :pac:

If anything it has to be some form of punishment for the athletes. You're about to run in the 100 meters and someone is munching down a Big Mac in the stand behind you. Cruel

Biggins · 02-04-2012 09:32PM

Surley wrote: »

If anything it has to be some form of punishment for the athletes. You're about to run in the 100 meters and someone is munching down a Big Mac in the stand behind you. Cruel

Actually sounds like fun - at least for sadistic viewers!

:pac:

Maybe there is a new Olympic sport - how fast you can eat a McDee's meal!

Gordon · 02-04-2012 09:37PM

My understanding is that the torchbearer may buy the torch if they wish, but they don't have to buy it if they don't want to. There are thousands of torches as the flame is being passed around the country, not one single torch.

Anyway, what made you think that the Olympics is a charity?! Marathons are similar, there are many money making marathons that employ questionable tactics to get runners/charities in to the event.

sock puppet · 02-04-2012 09:42PM

Biggins wrote: »

Very true.
The likes of Goldman Sachs, they being a business thou, seem to be making sure they reclaim as much as they can.
Understandable to some extent but as in the above case, maybe leaving a bad taste in the mouths of those participating?

There's nothing in that article to suggest that Goldman Sachs have anything whatsoever to do with the Olympics.

realgirl · 02-04-2012 09:44PM

The short answer is yes, but its not confined to the British Olympics. Any major sporting event now seems to revolve around the money that pours into the pockets of the governing body via sponsors, tickets etc.

Biggins · 02-04-2012 09:45PM

Gordon wrote: »

My understanding is that the torchbearer may buy the torch if they wish, but they don't have to buy it if they don't want to. There are thousands of torches as the flame is being passed around the country, not one single torch.

Anyway, what made you think that the Olympics is a charity?! Marathons are similar, there are many money making marathons that employ questionable tactics to get runners/charities in to the event.

As I said,

I can understand having to cover the cost of many an item including torches but its seems very expensive and frankly, a bit of a cheek when the people that are being allowed to carry torches, have been awarded that honour for good deeds they have previously done and/or the high respect a community hold of them.

Thats all.
Have no personal problem with the Olympics and/or how they are running it.
Just observing that sometimes in funny ways, things seem a bit odd.

Have sister in law living in central London with four kids, they are thinking over moving back here while its on.
They are dreading it!

I note that Scotland also seems to be losing out on the Olympics being held in their islands soil.
Thats a bit of a bummer for them.

Biggins · 02-04-2012 09:54PM

sock puppet wrote: »

There's nothing in that article to suggest that Goldman Sachs have anything whatsoever to do with the Olympics.

My appologies - I left out the title of the article "The Goldman Sachs-y Group Behind The London Olympics Is Making Torchbearers Buy Their Own Torches"

...Would be seen on the link I gave.

I knew this anyway from my reading over the last few months, of their involvement.

Example: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/business-news/2012/02/26/bankers-to-goldman-sachs-spend-4m-on-olympics-hospitality-tickets-86908-23766599/

Sonnenblumen · 02-04-2012 09:55PM

Spare us your moaning FFS. It's not as if it's costing you one cent.

Gordon · 02-04-2012 09:56PM

Biggins wrote: »

As I said,

Thats all.
Have no personal problem with the Olympics and/or how they are running it.
Just observing that sometimes in funny ways, things seem a bit odd.

Have sister in law living in central London with four kids, they are thinking over moving back here while its on.
They are dreading it!

I note that Scotland also seems to be losing out on the Olympics being held in their islands soil.
Thats a bit of a bummer for them.

It's the London Olympics, why would Scotland expect anything to happen in Scotland?!

There are absolutely thousands of torchbearers, why would the Olympics give away thousands of these torches, isnt the pride of being a torchbearer plenty recognition? Expecting a free torch for thousands of people is a bit much. The Olympics isn't a charity.

44leto · 02-04-2012 10:01PM

Strongbow cider are sponsoring the archery.

sock puppet · 02-04-2012 10:05PM

Biggins wrote: »

My appologies - I left out the title of the article "The Goldman Sachs-y Group Behind The London Olympics Is Making Torchbearers Buy Their Own Torches"

...Would be seen on the link I gave.

I knew this anyway from my reading over the last few months, of their involvement.

Example: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/business-news/2012/02/26/bankers-to-goldman-sachs-spend-4m-on-olympics-hospitality-tickets-86908-23766599/

From their website 3 of their senior team are former Goldman Sachs employees. Quite a lot but they're not with the firm any more.

Gordon · 02-04-2012 10:05PM

B&Q are sponsoring the fencing.

Biggins · 02-04-2012 10:05PM

Gordon wrote: »

It's the London Olympics, why would Scotland expect anything to happen in Scotland?!

There are absolutely thousands of torchbearers, why would the Olympics give away thousands of these torches, isnt the pride of being a torchbearer plenty recognition? Expecting a free torch for thousands of people is a bit much. The Olympics isn't a charity.

It was just a passing thought amid many I have come across in reading of some strange things that occurring - thats all.

NOT aimed at yourself Gordon but some people posting here need to clam down!
Its just another thread with random posted rubbish in it.
Don't like the contents - then ignore this fool (me!) and carry on reading more interesting threads.
...And no, its won't cost me a cent - it might make me money too instead!

44leto · 02-04-2012 10:06PM

Supermacs are sponsoring the equestrian events.

Dubit10 · 02-04-2012 10:12PM

Have a friend who lives there and is getting out of the city for a two week holiday. He thinks the tube system will fail under the intense pressure.

No interest at all myself.

Biggins · 02-04-2012 10:15PM

I like the weight-lifting, gymnastics and throwing of various items, myself.
The rest is passable.

Chuck Stone · 02-04-2012 10:16PM

The Olympics is a way of converting public money into private profits. The Olympics rarely turn a profit and are out of reach for the average person due to the costs of obtaining tickets.

Sonnenblumen wrote: »

Spare us your moaning FFS. It's not as if it's costing you one cent.

So fucking what? If you don't want to discuss it just don't bother posting and leave to those who do.

Biggins · 02-04-2012 10:17PM

Anyone here going to it? Got tickets?

British Olympics - a money making racket?

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