|
|
|
|
sonnylax
Member
|
|
|
Joined: 30 Sep 2003
Posts: 2942
Location: Living in a lollipop and unicorn world
|
| Back to top
|
|
 Posted: 08/15/04 - 20:15 Post subject: Empty Olympic stadiums set off alarm bells
| Quote: | ATHENS (AFP) - IOC (news - web sites) officials, worried by the television images being flashed around the world of athletes competing in near empty stadiums, have told the Athens Games organisers to give tickets away for free if necessary.
On Saturday, the first full day of competition, weightlifter Nurcan Taylan became the first Turkish woman to win an Olympic gold medal but her feat was achieved in a near empty stadium.
On Sunday, tennis superstars Venus Williams (news - web sites) and Andy Roddick, used to playing to packed courts, began their Olympic quest to vacant stands.
Organising officals tried to play down the crisis, saying that they knew at the beginning of the Games some events would be badly attended because they were not popular sports in Greece.
"As we move on it will be much, much higher," said spokesman Michalis Zacharatos. "We are very pleased with our ticket sales."
But the International Olympic Committee (news - web sites) knows its brand image is damaged by the sight of near empty stadiums.
At the 1988 Seoul Olympics, the then IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch told the Korean organisers to fix the situation and within 24 hours the main stadium was packed every day as school children and soldiers out of uniform were shipped in.
Four years ago in Sydney, free tickets were given away at the start of the Games after IOC complaints that there were not enough people in the stands.
"It is very important for the IOC that when people throughout the world watch the Games on television, they see filled stands. It reinforces the claim that the Olympics is the world's biggest sporting festival.
"Hugh blocks of vacant seats suggests the opposite and the IOC is very concious of its image," said an international marketing expert here for the Games.
|
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1503&u=/afp/20040815/ts_afp/oly_2004_gre_greece_040815143723&printer=1
|
|
|
|
|
copteacher
Adjunct
|
|
|
Joined: 08 Jun 2002
Posts: 20588
Location: Teaching in the Halls of Justice
|
| Back to top
|
|
Posted: 08/15/04 - 20:41 Post subject:
Bob Costas went on a two minute lecture about it.
The competition is excellent after all the brew ha ha the Greeks made about not getting the 1996 you think they would be packing them in.
Track and field will be the real test.
|
|
|
|
|
HYPERASHEL
Member
|
|
|
Joined: 18 Nov 2003
Posts: 15397
Location: The South's Sauna, Atlanta
|
| Back to top
|
|
Posted: 08/15/04 - 21:44 Post subject:
also today is a major Reliwous holiday in the Greek Orthodox Church, they were saying that about 99% of the population is GO. I wanna see what they look like after the holiday.
The swim race between Phelps and Thorpe had packed it in, and it was only the Semi's still.
|
|
|
|
|
sonnylax
Member
|
|
|
Joined: 30 Sep 2003
Posts: 2942
Location: Living in a lollipop and unicorn world
|
| Back to top
|
|
Posted: 08/16/04 - 08:00 Post subject:
|
|
|
|
|
Pug
The Movie Geek
|
|
|
Joined: 21 Aug 2003
Posts: 8924
|
| Back to top
|
|
Posted: 08/16/04 - 09:15 Post subject:
I noticed the empty seats in several events, but i also figured that rowing wouldn't really pack them in so much, either. Everyone probably wants to see the medal rounds for the bigger sports.
|
|
|
|
|
MastrBrewr
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
|
|
|
Joined: 24 Sep 2003
Posts: 6974
Location: outside
|
| Back to top
|
|
Posted: 08/16/04 - 09:18 Post subject:
I kinda feel bad for all the athletes. They spent practically their entire lives preparing for an event and nobody shows up to watch. 
I've been trying to watch as much as possible.
|
|
|
|
|
Sahara
Member
|
|
|
Joined: 17 May 2002
Posts: 3345
|
| Back to top
|
|
Posted: 08/16/04 - 09:36 Post subject:
My brother and his family went to the Salt Lake City games. Frankly, the cost of tickets for even a preliminary event were outrageous.
|
|
|
|
|
runaroundsue
Member
|
|
|
Joined: 18 Sep 2002
Posts: 6629
Location: supporting GREENer pastures
|
| Back to top
|
|
Posted: 08/16/04 - 10:22 Post subject:
I can't get over the empty seats for gymnastics! And the crowd (or the few that are there) appear very subdued.
|
|
|
|
|
rolling rock
The Pinball
|
|
|
Joined: 15 May 2002
Posts: 16218
Location: unknown zone
|
| Back to top
|
|
Posted: 08/16/04 - 10:35 Post subject:
| runaroundsue wrote: | | I can't get over the empty seats for gymnastics! And the crowd (or the few that are there) appear very subdued. |
my daughter waited all day to watch the womens' gymnastics. first thing she said was "NO ONE'S THERE" to watch them.
i feel  for the athletes.
|
|
|
|
|
cherylpf
crazy cat lady
|
|
|
Joined: 14 May 2002
Posts: 17305
|
| Back to top
|
|
Posted: 08/16/04 - 10:40 Post subject:
Makes me sick. I was listening to something on NPR about it. I think the IOC really regrets the choice of Athens. They have already reduced ticket prices and still they have more than half the tickets left. If I could get a flight to Athens (and time off of work) I would go see every event I could get into. I don't understand.
|
|
|
|
|
Pug
The Movie Geek
|
|
|
Joined: 21 Aug 2003
Posts: 8924
|
| Back to top
|
|
Posted: 08/16/04 - 10:45 Post subject:
| cherylpf wrote: | | Makes me sick. I was listening to something on NPR about it. I think the IOC really regrets the choice of Athens. They have already reduced ticket prices and still they have more than half the tickets left. If I could get a flight to Athens (and time off of work) I would go see every event I could get into. I don't understand. |
It's sad, but is it really surprising? Sahara mentioned the expensive ticket prices at Salt Lake City for the games, and if the tickets are still expensive there, people would probably only want to spend their hard earned money on those events that they are excited about, and then probably the big medal rounds. I don't know how much money i'd spend on Judo (finals or not), or the early qualifying round of gymnastics, and certainly not on men's eights (rowing) in the quarterfinals.
|
|
|
|
|
cherylpf
crazy cat lady
|
|
|
Joined: 14 May 2002
Posts: 17305
|
| Back to top
|
|
Posted: 08/16/04 - 10:55 Post subject:
| Pug wrote: | | cherylpf wrote: | | Makes me sick. I was listening to something on NPR about it. I think the IOC really regrets the choice of Athens. They have already reduced ticket prices and still they have more than half the tickets left. If I could get a flight to Athens (and time off of work) I would go see every event I could get into. I don't understand. |
It's sad, but is it really surprising? Sahara mentioned the expensive ticket prices at Salt Lake City for the games, and if the tickets are still expensive there, people would probably only want to spend their hard earned money on those events that they are excited about, and then probably the big medal rounds. I don't know how much money i'd spend on Judo (finals or not), or the early qualifying round of gymnastics, and certainly not on men's eights (rowing) in the quarterfinals. |
I might be wrong on this but I seem to remember Atlanta Olympic tickets being next to impossible to get. I'm surprised anyway. And I would go see whatever tickets I could get if I was there, early rounds, judo, whatever. But obviously thats just me.
|
|
|
|
|
sonnylax
Member
|
|
|
Joined: 30 Sep 2003
Posts: 2942
Location: Living in a lollipop and unicorn world
|
| Back to top
|
|
Posted: 08/16/04 - 10:58 Post subject:
| cherylpf wrote: | | Makes me sick. I was listening to something on NPR about it. |
Listening to NPR will do that for you! 
|
|
|
|
|
Pug
The Movie Geek
|
|
|
Joined: 21 Aug 2003
Posts: 8924
|
| Back to top
|
|
Posted: 08/16/04 - 11:01 Post subject:
| cherylpf wrote: |
I might be wrong on this but I seem to remember Atlanta Olympic tickets being next to impossible to get. I'm surprised anyway. And I would go see whatever tickets I could get if I was there, early rounds, judo, whatever. But obviously thats just me. |
Part of me agrees with you, but if tickets are $50 a piece (just a random price), i'm not sure that some events are worth that kind of money for me to see.
Track, on the other hand...
|
|
|
|
|
Sahara
Member
|
|
|
Joined: 17 May 2002
Posts: 3345
|
| Back to top
|
|
Posted: 08/16/04 - 11:05 Post subject:
| Pug wrote: | | cherylpf wrote: |
I might be wrong on this but I seem to remember Atlanta Olympic tickets being next to impossible to get. I'm surprised anyway. And I would go see whatever tickets I could get if I was there, early rounds, judo, whatever. But obviously thats just me. |
Part of me agrees with you, but if tickets are $50 a piece (just a random price), i'm not sure that some events are worth that kind of money for me to see.
Track, on the other hand... |
As point of reference, a prelim. hockey game at Salt Lake was $150/ticket. Cup rounds began at $240/ticket.
|
|
|
|
