# Civic Matters > Suburban & Other OK Communities > Tulsa & Suburbs >  Tulsa: bidding for Olympic Summer Games 2024.

## okclee

http://www.news9.com/global/story.asp?s=13046483

Good Luck to Tulsa. This would be incredible if Tulsa were chosen as the host city.

----------


## semisimple

Tulsa doesn't have a chance in hell of being chosen.

----------


## Jesseda

It could happen... I mean look at the last u.s city that hosted it, It wasnt L.A, new york, Houston etc it was a medium size city back then

----------


## Spartan

> It could happen... I mean look at the last u.s city that hosted it, It wasnt L.A, new york, Houston etc it was a medium size city back then


Atlanta.

And in recent years both Houston and Chicago have been turned down as a host city.

----------


## SkyWestOKC

Disclaimer: This post is not OKC vs. Tulsa.

There are several reasons working against them. Starting off with their airport. It'd need to be able to represent the United States, just not Oklahoma, or just Tulsa. It represents the entire United States to foreign travelers, etc. Their airport is still in the 1960's and 70's. They could probably upgrade it within 10 years in time for it. Second: arena space. They don't have a big enough arena, and I doubt they have the money to build one big enough within the amount of time available. Third: hotel space. They are pretty similar to OKC when it comes to hotel space, and we really don't have that much. 

It'd take a MAPS1 and MAPS3 type of investment over the next 14 years all in to airport, transportation, infrastructure, arena, etc. 

I wish Tulsa good luck, but I think this is a pretty big dream and hopefully OKC won't be blamed for stealing (lol) all of Tulsa's funds when they are not selected.

----------


## Thunder

Tulsa? *laughs hysterically* Not a chance!  OKC has a far better chance.  Tulsa... *laughs hysterically*

----------


## bluedogok

> It could happen... I mean look at the last u.s city that hosted it, It wasnt L.A, new york, Houston etc it was a medium size city back then


Atlanta is not a "medium sized" city, they boast one of the busiest airports in the world. They also had Coca-Cola and Ted Turner money behind their bid. Atlanta is the 9th largest MSA, Tulsa is 53rd.

----------


## z28james

You would think the city of Tulsa would spend their time and money elsewhere considering all I hear is bad news from their own paper on spending cuts.

----------


## semisimple

> It could happen... I mean look at the last u.s city that hosted it, It wasnt L.A, new york, Houston etc it was a medium size city back then


http://www.census.gov/popest/archive.../MA-99-03b.txt 

Metropolitan Atlanta had about 3.5 million people when it hosted the Olympics in 1996.  If you consider 3.5 million (now 5.4 million) "medium size," fine.  But, by comparison, Tulsa is downright "small" at 930,000, which by 2024 might be around 1.1 to 1.2 million given its slow growth rate.  

More importantly, consider that Atlanta had urban rail, one of the country's busiest airports, multiple pro sports teams with large stadiums, etc., back in 1996.  Tulsa's infrastructure simply does not compare and it is a waste of time and money to even pretend like Tulsa is capable of hosting an event of this magnitude.

----------


## semisimple

> Tulsa? *laughs hysterically* Not a chance!  OKC has a far better chance.  Tulsa... *laughs hysterically*


OKC doesn't have a chance either, for the same reasons mentioned for Tulsa.  I'm curious as to what gives OKC "a far better chance" than Tulsa?

----------


## Easy180

> OKC doesn't have a chance either, for the same reasons mentioned for Tulsa.  I'm curious as to what gives OKC "a far better chance" than Tulsa?


Simple really...The global power and influence of Mary Fallin

----------


## Spartan

> Simple really...The global power and influence of Mary Fallin


Of course, she's on Olbermann all the time... #

----------


## Thunder

> OKC doesn't have a chance either, for the same reasons mentioned for Tulsa.  I'm curious as to what gives OKC "a far better chance" than Tulsa?


I realize that OKC do not have a chance, but OKC still have a greater chance than old-age Tulsa (where Sally Kern resides).

I do not watch any Olympics games, but I enjoy watching the opening event.

----------


## ljbab728

The people in Tulsa know they have no chance at hosting the Olympics.  This is, at best, a publicity move to draw attention to the city.

----------


## mugofbeer

I wonder where Tulsa plans to get the $3-4 billion it would take to construct the necessary facilities?  Where are they getting their corporate sponsorship?  They would have to build virtually from scratch.  Not to mention Tulsa has a fraction of needed hotel rooms.

----------


## rcjunkie

> I realize that OKC do not have a chance, but OKC still have a greater chance than old-age Tulsa (where Sally Kern resides).
> 
> I do not watch any Olympics games, but I enjoy watching the opening event.


Where to start, Tulsa is not "old age" and Sally Kern lives in OKC, when responding, try to get your facts straight.

----------


## Spartan

> I realize that OKC do not have a chance, but OKC still have a greater chance than old-age Tulsa (where Sally Kern resides).


Wow.

----------


## dmoor82

The only way OKC could even sniff The Olympics is if DFW was awarded The games and The rowing,kayaking,canoeing competitions were on The Oklahoma River,but even then thats a stretch! as it stands OKC already is The official Olympic training site for all three of these sports!

----------


## Oil Capital

> The only way OKC could even sniff The Olympics is if DFW was awarded The games and The rowing,kayaking,canoeing competitions were on The Oklahoma River,but even then thats a stretch! as it stands OKC already is The official Olympic training site for all three of these sports!


That analysis looks about right.  And it exactly to that extent that it could be said that OKC has a better chance than Tulsa, which is to say Tulsa has exactly zero chance.  The difference is, there is no committee or group in OKC foolish enough to spend time and money on an olympic bid that has zero future.

----------


## okclee

If Tulsa is bidding for the summer games, I think Okc should bid for the Winter Olympics.

----------


## Kerry

The Olypics are a financial disaster for every city that host them.  In the future, the games will have to scaled way down or they won't be held at all.  It is possible that by 2024 very few cities will have the financial resources to even pay for an Olympic brochure, let alone host the games.  Chicago - broke, New York - broke, LA - broke,  Tulsa - not broke.

----------


## BG918

The city won't put forth a dime for this 'bid'.  It's the work of a group of businessmen and has no chance.  A Dallas olympics is possible and in that case some events like rowing could be in OKC, kayaking in SE Oklahoma or W Arkansas, and sailing at Lake Texoma.  That would be good for our region.

----------


## okclee

Kayaking in SE Ok or Arkansas? That could be interesting. Not sure how the locals in this region would take to the Olympics coming in, especially the foreigners.

----------


## bombermwc

It's just a publicity stunt by some folks trying to get the Tulsa name out there yet again. So stop getting your panties all in a twist. The entire state of Oklahoma couldn't muster enough to host the games, so let's just back off all the comparisons. 

Not to mention the fact, like kerry said, everyone that hosts ends up HEMMORAGING on the deal. They have to spend SOOOO much money to get things ready (unless they've previously hosted) and have no use for the facilities once the games are over, they just lose money out the wazoo. 

What would need to happen, is someone would need to approve something like C2C with a 25 year plan....not 10. Then the first 10 years could be used to clear out the land and ready it for construction. You'd have to build according to the masterplan and orient the games in a way that make the facilties sustainable for the future. Things like the olympic village COULD be designed in such a way that it could be normal housing for rent after the games. But how many people need a 100K seat stadium afterward? We have world class aquatics at OCCC, but are they really olympic worthy? Is the COX center Olympic worthy? Is the State Fair Arena worthy? You do need multiple arenas for all the indoor events...gymnastics, basketball, volleyball, etc. We have some private facilties for things like Tennis, but that sort of public/private relationship is SOOOOO difficult to get right. There are just so many variables that aren't sustainable in the aftermath.

----------


## Kerry

> Kayaking in SE Ok or Arkansas? That could be interesting. Not sure how the locals in this region would take to the Olympics coming in, especially the foreigners.


What is that supposed to mean?  Is it anything like how someone from rural Arkansas would be treated in NYC?

----------


## Kerry

> They have to spend SOOOO much money to get things ready (unless they've previously hosted) and have no use for the facilities once the games are over, they just lose money out the wazoo..


The only Olympic stuff left in Atlanta is the Olympic Village (now housing for Georgia Tech), a portion of the Olympic Stadium (now Turner Field), a downtown Park, and a parking lot with the Olympic flame in it.  It is almost as if the game were never there (except for the bill).

----------


## OKCisOK4me

If anything, this is a Tulsa vs. OKC ploy.  This is their only way of one upping Oklahoma City.  Unfortunately this is way out of their league.  If they did receive it, it would be an amazing testament but it's not going to happen!

----------


## okclee

I still think Okc should bid for the winter Olympics.

----------


## Thunder

> I still think Okc should bid for the winter Olympics.


Too late.  All the snow was for last year.

----------


## ljbab728

> I still think Okc should bid for the winter Olympics.


Of course.  If Dubai can do this, so can we.  LOL


http://images.search.yahoo.com/searc...+indoor+skiing

----------


## bombermwc

We can ski on Mt. Trashmore!!!!

----------


## Jesseda

wow I just love how oklahomans act out when one of the largest cities in the state is just putting a bid in for the olympics, God forbid anything good happen in this state, and nothing probably will because of oklahomans who complain and whine about everything. If certain okies want to stay in the the past and not try for anything then so be it, I would rather see Tulsa try and Fail (maybe) then to not try at all..

----------


## semisimple

> wow I just love how oklahomans act out when one of the largest cities in the state is just putting a bid in for the olympics, God forbid anything good happen in this state, and nothing probably will because of oklahomans who complain and whine about everything. If certain okies want to stay in the the past and not try for anything then so be it, I would rather see Tulsa try and Fail (maybe) then to not try at all..


Yeah, right, god forbid anything good happen in Oklahoma...it's bring in the Olympics or bust...

Please.  There's a difference between wanting to stay in the past and being realistic about progress.  Tulsa has practically zero chance of hosting the Olympics, for reasons I pointed out above.  I think all of us here (Okies and non-Okies alike) want to see both Tulsa and OKC make progressive strides, but this delusional pursuit might ultimately be counterproductive.  

You can only justify this bid through ignorance, and given that you implicitly likened Tulsa (currently) to Atlanta twenty years ago (which was, as I pointed out, very far from reality), it's hardly surprising to see you maintain this position.

----------


## Jesseda

oh god so you are saying atlanta 20 years ago was a big ticketed city hmmm, wow just wow..let me see you atlanta huge airport which 95% of the people going to that port are just using that city as a change over... So tell me why atlanta metro which takes up a whopping 28 counties,, heck tulsa metro which is what 6 or 7 counties , Atlanta has a big metro population but has over 2,000 more sq miles then tulsa metro.. now how big is the city of atlanta itself..hmmm  this is a list of cities and towns atlanta has in its whopping 28 county metro..•Roswell: pop. 87,657
•Sandy Springs: pop. 82,674
•Marietta: pop. 67,562
•Johns Creek: pop. 59,431
•Alpharetta: pop. 49,903
•Smyrna: pop. 49,854
•East Point: pop. 43,418
•North Atlanta (CDP). Includes parts of Brookhaven: pop. 42,302 [4]
•Dunwoody: pop. 39,583 [5]
•Redan (CDP): pop. 37,106 [6]
•Gainesville: pop. 35,668
•Peachtree City: pop. 34,788
•Mableton (CDP): pop. 33,481 [7]
•Kennesaw: pop. 31,628
•Douglasville: pop. 31,035
•Tucker (CDP): pop. 30,107 [8]
•Lawrenceville: pop. 29,258
•Duluth: pop. 26,125
•Griffin: pop. 23,719
•Carrollton: pop. 23,291
•Woodstock: pop. 23,141
•Canton: pop 22,724
•Forest Park: pop. 21,726
•Flowery Branch: pop. 21,394
•Belvedere Park (CDP): pop. 20,773 [9]
•Newnan: pop. 30,474
•Snellville: pop. 20,112
•North Druid Hills (CDP): pop. 20,099 [10]
•College Park: pop. 19,969
•McDonough: pop. 19,768
•Acworth: pop. 19,476
•Cartersville: pop. 19,010
•Decatur: pop. 18,986
•Sugar Hill: pop. 17,204
•Union City: pop. 16,961
•North Decatur (CDP): pop. 16,743 [11]
•Suwanee: pop. 16,277
•Powder Springs: pop. 15,614
•Riverdale: pop. 15,279
•Milton: pop. 15,156
•Fayetteville: pop. 15,136
•Covington: pop. 14,980
•Stockbridge: pop. 14,360
•Winder: pop. 14,064
•Druid Hills (CDP): pop. 13,970 [12]
•Conyers: pop: 13,545
•Monroe: pop. 13,381
•Panthersville (CDP): pop. 12,928 [13]
•Villa Rica: pop. 12,838 [14]
•Vinings (CDP): pop. 12,383
•Lilburn: pop. 11,559
•Buford: pop. 11,378
•Chamblee: 11,202
•Fairburn: pop. 11,024
•Norcross: pop. 10,737
•Candler-McAfee (CDP): pop. 10,580
•Doraville: pop. 10,268
•Thomaston: pop. 9,638
•Irondale (CDP) pop: 8,789 [15]
•Clarkston: pop. 7,836
•Stone Mountain: pop. 7,650
•Auburn (CDP): 7,496
•Centerville (CDP): pop. 7,240
•Austell: pop. 7,062
•Conley (CDP): pop: 7,038 [16]
•Tyrone (CDP): pop. 6,942
•Hapeville: pop. 5,978
•Cumming: pop. 5,710
•Morrow: pop. 5,539
•Hampton: pop. 5,295
•Dacula: pop. 4,662
•Jonesboro: pop. 4,131
•Palmetto: pop. 3,400
•Bonanza (CDP): pop. 3,303 [17]
•Lakeview Estates (CDP): pop. 3,051 [18]
•Lake City: pop. 2,682
•Lovejoy: pop. 2,495
•Loganville: pop. 2,591
•Lithonia: pop. 2,367
•Berkeley Lake: pop. 2,096
•Mountain Park (Gwinnett) (CDP): pop. 11,753


how many towns andd cities does ulsa have in its handful of counties?

----------


## dmoor82

^^ In NO WAY shape or form is Tulsa even close to The ATL MSA!You'd have to add OKC in with Tulsa then multiply it by two to get even close to Atlanta's MSA,Atlanta has alot of Fortune 500 companies,Tons of hotel rooms,infastructure and One of The biggest airports in The World, while Tulsa,OKC and Atlanta have a comparable city proper populations that still means nothing it's all about The MSA!To even try to compare Tulsa to Atlanta is just plain stupid,it stacks up in NO way shape or form!Atlanta 20 years ago was still larger and more powerful than OKC and Tulsa combined!

----------


## bluedogok

Atlanta is the commerce center of the southeast, Tulsa isn't even the commerce center of its own state, it and OKC share that and combined aren't up to the level that Atlanta is on its own. 

Oklahoma's has four Fortune 500 companies.
209 - Oneok - Tulsa - 11,111.7M
261 - Devon Energy - Oklahoma City - 8,960.0
276 - Williams - Tulsa - 8,255.0
296 - Chesapeake Energy - Oklahoma City - 7,701.9

Georgia has fourteen, Oneok would rank between 7/8 in Georgia, Devon, Williams and Chesapeake would be between 10/11.
29 - Home Depot - Atlanta - 66,176.0
43 - United Parcel Service - Atlanta - 45,297.0
72 - Coca-Cola - Atlanta - 30,990.0
84 - Delta Air Lines - Atlanta - 28,063.0
113 - Coca-Cola Enterprises - Atlanta - 21,645.0
130 - AFLAC - Columbus - 18,254.4
145 - Southern - Atlanta - 15,743.0
224 - SunTrust Banks - Atlanta - 10,420.0
236 - Genuine Parts - Atlanta - 10,057.5
250 - First Data - Atlanta - 9,313.8
337 - AGCO - Duluth - 6,630.4
373 - Newell Rubbermaid - Atlanta - 5,577.6
392 - Mohawk Industries - Calhoun - 5,344.0
451 - NCR - Duluth - 4,612.0

2010 Fortune 500

----------


## Jesseda

congrats, on georgia.. how many 500 companies 20 yrs ago with there olympics plus may 20 plus years ago when they put a bid in for the olypics.. atlanta probably was close to what tulsa metro is now when atlanta put the bid in for those olypics 30 plus years ago.. plus this is about the olympics not a fortune 500 run off.. atlanta metro in the 80s was around 2 mil.. needless to say, if the state builds what is need to get the olypics, tulsa will change a whole lot just like atlanta did, this is about tulsas chance on getting the olympics, and I started by saying if atlanta back when they where bidding and won olympic city bid if atlanta could do it, why not tulsa..A LOT OF PEOPLE ALSO SAID ATLANTA HAD A LONG SHOT OF GETTING THE OLYMPICS

----------


## semisimple

> congrats, on georgia.. how many 500 companies 20 yrs ago with there olympics plus may 30 plus years ago when they put a bid in for the olypics.. atlanta probably was close to what tulsa metro is now when atlanta put the bid in for those olypics 30 plus years ago.. plus this is about the olympics not a fortune 500 run off


Scroll back to the previous page where you can see the link to the Census Bureau which shows that in 1996, when Atlanta hosted the Olympics, the metro area had 3.6 million people (2.9 million in 1990, and I can't find data before that).  In any case, Tulsa has 900,000 _now_ (and wouldn't have but 1.2 million at best by the time it would host the games), which is much less than what Atlanta had when it bid the games.  That's just the tip of the iceberg, though, as I pointed out earlier as well.

----------


## semisimple

> plus this is about the olympics not a fortune 500 run off


So it's not a Fortune 500 run off, but it's a population and infrastructure run off.  Got it.  Thanks for the ground rules.

Now, here's some more data for you to choke on.  

http://www.demographia.com/db-atl1960.htm

As you can see, in 1970 (!) the metropolitan area had over 2 million people which is well over twice the size of Tulsa.  It's probably quite fair to say that the bidding process was started after then, but that's just to give you some (much-needed) perspective.

----------


## bluedogok

The Georgia companies that are in the Top 100 were either founded in or have been based in Georgia for a very long time except UPS which moved there in 1991. OKC and Tulsa combined have never been as big as Atlanta (metro areas all) even going back to the turn of the last century (1900) let alone 14 years ago when the Olympics were held.




> Home Depot - Our History: The Beginning
> The Home Depot was founded in 1978 by Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank. Along with investment banker Ken Langone and merchandising guru Pat Farrah, the founders’ vision of one-stop shopping for the do-it-yourselfer came to fruition when they opened the first two Home Depot stores on June 22, 1979, in Atlanta, Georgia.


UPS relocated their HQ to Atlanta in 1991 from Greenwich, Connecticut.
Coca-Cola started in Atlanta in 1886, CCE is a spin off of Coca-Cola, the corporate owned bottling company.
Delta Airlines traces its roots to 1924 in Macon, Georgia.

----------


## dmoor82

This is NOT going to happen,Tulsa is just putting on a pr bit!OKC and Tulsa combined could not pull it off!Atlanta is The Hub of The SouthEast and Tulsa is The Hub of Green Country,One last time so people here or in Tulsa who think this is possible-NO WAY IN HE**!

----------


## dmoor82

Ohh One last thing! Atlanta's MSA population in 1996 was probably higher than The entire population of The STATE of Oklahoma Now!OK I'm Done!

----------


## semisimple

> if the state builds what is need to get the olypics, tulsa will change a whole lot just like atlanta did ... if atlanta back when they where bidding and won olympic city bid if atlanta could do it, why not tulsa..A LOT OF PEOPLE ALSO SAID ATLANTA HAD A LONG SHOT OF GETTING THE OLYMPICS


Thing is, it doesn't really work like that.  States don't just invest many billions of dollars into the infrastructure on a silly whim to lure the Olympics, they do so (in principle) to address the needs of the population.  Back in the 1970s and 1980s, Atlanta was a rapidly-growing city poised to become a major metropolitan area.  The infrastructural investments were done primarily to accommodate a growing population, not to bid for the Olympics (or, in any case, could reasonably be justified to serve a growing population).  Building a giant new airport might help Tulsa's bid, but what's the point?  There's only demand for 3 million (less?) passengers a year, hardly necessitating a multi-billion dollar investment in a new facility.  Tulsa's slow growth and low density mean that other things like urban rail are a long ways away.  Hey, maybe the Port of Catoosa will win the committee over?

Then there's things like the corporate presence to consider.  As already made quite evident, Tulsa does not have the corporate base now that Atlanta did then.  Unfortunately for you, the state cannot simply "build what is need[ed]" here.  Major incentives can be provided, but that's not going be enough to entice a company the size of Coca-Cola to pack up and move Tulsa.

----------


## dmoor82

^^Well said semisimple!could'nt have said it better!

----------


## Spartan

> What is that supposed to mean?  Is it anything like how someone from rural Arkansas would be treated in NYC?


Probably not only laughed at behind their back..

----------


## Yahola

Ahhh OKC people getting the vapors because of an article about Tulsa.  Yes this is a big publicity stunt for Tulsa. 99 percent chance it will not happen, however I do find it interesting how some posters on here get bent out of shape that T town is trying to do something outside the box.  Relax OKC'ers you have the NBA and all the dough.

----------


## Kerry

> Ahhh OKC people getting the vapors because of an article about Tulsa.  Yes this is a big publicity stunt for Tulsa. 99 percent chance it will not happen, however I do find it interesting how some posters on here get bent out of shape that T town is trying to do something outside the box.  Relax OKC'ers you have the NBA and all the dough.


I don't think that is the case at all.  I fully understand why Tulsa would attempt it, but when people in Tulsa think it might happen - that is where I have to draw the line.  There isn't a 99% chance it won't happen.  There is a 100% chance it won't.  See it for what it is, an attempt by Tulsa to get free national and international exposure and name recognition.

Tampa tried for the 2012 games and got laughed at by the US Olympic committee.  They even had Disney on board.  Population +3 million, over 100,000 hotels rooms, an airport that can handle international flights (customs), etc....

The Olympics were a no go but what did they get instead - The Republican National Convention.

----------


## metro

Jesseda, we're all for Tulsa and the state of Oklahoma moving forward, that's NOT the issue. You have to live in reality, as Kerry said there is 100% certainty Tulsa won't even make the initial list for consideration. This is a publicity stunt and nothing more. The entire state of Oklahoma doesn't have the money, infrastructure, population and corporate support to come even remotely close to what the Olympics take. Have you been to Atlanta in the last 20 years, seriously? Atlanta Hatsfield Airport is the busiest in the WORLD. Hartsfield–Jackson held its ranking as the world's busiest airport in 2009, both in terms of passengers and number of flights, by accommodating 88 million passengers and 970,235 flights. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartsfi...tional_Airport .  88 MILLION passengers last year, OKC did 3.5 million and Tulsa about 3 million. Atlanta Metro has over 5 million people, 5x the size of OKC or 6x the size of Tulsa which OKC is bigger than Tulsa.

There is a reason they call Atlanta the New York of the south. There are mega Fortune 500 companies that our companies don't even hold a candle too. It's laughable and delusional to think there is any reality to this. In addition to the companies the poster listed below, they also have behemoth's of companies like Campbell's Soup, CNN, Weather Channel, Turner Companies, Georgia Pacific, Georgia Power and on and on and on, not to mention tons of back office operations from huge New York companies. 

I actually lived in Atlanta during the Olympics and worked them for 2 weeks. Stayed on the streets of Atlanta most of the time, especially in the 5 points area. I was there first hand. Believe me, I'd LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Oklahoma to have that much wealth, power, urban lifestyle, and pride, but forward progress and reality are two different things. It'd be a stretch for even Dallas to get it. 

Want to talk infrastructure, here is just ONE highway intersection IN SUBURBAN ATLANTA, called Spaghetti Junction. We won't talk about the highway system throughout the region, it's a mega city, not a metropolitan area. Some places the highway is 23 LANES WIDE! Bumper to bumper. I sat in traffic for 2 hours sometime and didn't even move. And that wasn't when the Olympics were in town. Tulsa doesn't have subway as well. Atlanta has MARTA.

----------


## NickFiggins

Uh have you looked at the promoters of the proposal, one of them if i'm not mistaken has a criminal record. Roscoe Turner and friends are not in tune w/ reality. The city is devoid of civic leadership, and this a terrible joke. The city streets are in horrible shape and basic public services (police, fire) are not getting met. Tulsa is on the decline, the suburbs are sucking economic vitality out of the town and TPS is becoming a urban district. When I attended just a few years ago, TPS was already declining now it has accelerated. In the ninetys their were several elementary schools that were top notch, now a just few remain: Grissom, Carnegie, Eliot etc. The city countiues to bleed good jobs Dollar/Thrifty, Alamo/National, Parker Drilling, SemGroup, through acquisition or misfortune. Many civic leaders are just too ready to rest on their laurels to do anything. One elected official remarked to me that OKC is lapping tulsa and if Core to Shore comes to fruition, Tulsa will be a permanent after thought to OKC in Oklahoma.

----------


## metro

Nick, good points I forgot to mention but was thinking about at lunch. Tulsa is devoid of a cohesive city leadership as they are too busy looking out for their individual best interests. OKC has been blessed to have strong community leadership, thus our Renaissance. Tulsa hasn't been able to pass some really nice improvement packages because of their poor leadership.

----------


## rcjunkie

How refreshing to see so many Okies bad mouthing their own state.

----------


## Yahola

Yep its all over for T town, last one out's a rotten egg!!

----------


## kevinpate

> ...
> Tampa tried for the 2012 games and got laughed at by the US Olympic committee.  ... The Olympics were a no go but what did they get instead - The Republican National Convention.


And we had hoped you'd just keep them once you got them, but noooooo.  
Bad Tampa, bad.
8^)

----------


## kevinpate

It would be fantastical for the state, but neither Tulsa nor OKC could pull off such a bid at this time.  Sadly, not even if it were a joint bid by the two.  Perhaps, some day.

----------


## SkyWestOKC

Jesseda, actually the Atlanta airport is a very strong local (not connecting) market, it is about 70% connecting however.  Which would come out to ~26.4 million passengers per year LOCAL, and ~61.6 million connecting passengers. So, no, it is not 95% connecting traffic. TUL moved 2.85 million passengers last year, while OKC moved 3.37 million.

----------


## jmarkross

All it would bring to Tulsa is financial ruin--or a watered-down version of the Games and open them up a torrent of ridicule--a no-win situation. More than that--_a pipe dream_.

----------


## metro

Jesseda, go back and read my post, #48 on page 2. This isn't even a pipe dream it's so far from reality. As jmarkross added, it would bring financial ruin to the state after the games as well. Sure, it'd bring in new business to the state and a few corporate relocations, but not several billion dollars worth as the games would cost, not to mention, we couldn't handle it if we had the money.

----------


## Plutonic Panda

3.5 billion to have the olympics here in Oklahoma. I would support it!!!!! This would be sweet, I won't believe it until I see it though.

Tulsa 2024 Olympics? Oklahoma's Second-Largest City Inquires About Hosting Games

----------


## Plutonic Panda

I agree with you Sid. With all the hotels we have going, the new park, core to shore area, world class river, new tourist destinations(crossroads mall, white water course) and it would also look awesome if we had about 3-5 towers under construction during the time they were filming it, we would look as a new major city being born.

----------


## bchris02

I don't think either Tulsa nor OKC are on the level needed to support the Olympics. The summer games generally only happen in world class cities. Atlanta was an exception and many people consider the '96 games a disaster.

----------


## warreng88

I know Dallas is making a huge push for the 2024 Olympics and they have a great chance with a lot of the infrastructure already in place like the Cotton Bowl (which would serve as the Olympic stadium after major renovations), Jerry's World, FC Dallas Stadium, AA Arena and a plan to turn the Fair Park in the Olympic Village into housing for 20,000 people and later be converted into apartments. Matt Wood, who was involved in the 2000 Sydney Olympic bid is leading the way for Dallas as well.

----------


## venture

Tulsa will never happen. They don't have the hotel space nor the transportation infrastructure to support the influx of people. It would bankrupt the city - like most Olympic games then to do. 

OKC is also another long shot, though a bit better. I just don't see how how a couple of medium sized (by US standards, small by world) with nothing really unique would even be on the shortlist of candidate cities. I had to laugh that Tulsa feels more energized based on the city's experience of hosting a fishing tournament. 

Dallas I can see. It has the infrastructure to pull it off. The competition though should be good amongst the candidates...

Non-US Cities: Nairobi, Casablanca, Durban (South Africa), Doha, Dubai, Taipei, Baku (Azerbaijan), Paris, Berlin, Rome, St. Petersburg, Kiev, Toronto, Guadalajara

US Cities: Dallas (mentioned), Los Angeles, Baltimore-Washington, Tulsa, Philadelphia, and San Diego (jointly with Tijuana).

The US only gets to forward one candidate on to the IOC. Reading up on things, Philly tried in 2006 for the 2016 games and only made it to the final 5 in the USOC selection process. They were dropped because the IOC didn't recognize them as being capable of hosting such a large event. That just screams Tulsa is out of place and needs to focus on events it can handle.

Looking at the candidate US cities (so far) I like Dallas and Baltimore-Washington. LA I feel won't get much serious traction since they've already hosted two games. San Diego is too small and a joint bid with a border city is just going to make things too difficult. Philly could work but I see them coming in 3 to Dallas and a joint Balt-Wash bid. 

For the 2016 games Rio, Madrid, Tokyo, and Chicago were the only cities to get votes at the IOC meeting. Baku, Doha, and Prague didn't receive any votes. Madrid is one to watch IMO. They came in 3rd for the 2012 games (behind London and Paris). Toronto and Paris were 2 and 3, respectfully, behind Beijing for 2008. The 2020 candidates already got cut to only 3...Istanbul, Tokyo, and Madrid. Is it Tokyo's time again? I'm not sure. I'm not sure the IOC is ready to have the games in Europe again with either Istanbul or Madrid. 

With Rio having the games in 2016, is it too soon for it to be back in the Americas? I almost won't be shocked to see Istanbul picked for 2020 to help bring peace close to the Middle East, but the unrest nearby may be what keeps them away. Madrid is pretty darn persistent, so do they get thrown a bone? 

Regardless. Tulsa won't make out of the US round so all this won't really matter unless it allows them to know what type of events they can host.

----------


## ljbab728

This is not a new discussion.

http://www.okctalk.com/tulsa-suburbs...es-2024-a.html

----------


## bluedogok

Denver has a group planning to go after an upcoming Winter Olympics.

----------


## zookeeper

Dallas would be great! I'd love seeing the Olympics in this part of the country,  can you imagine the Summer Games just 3 hours down the road?

----------


## ljbab728

> Dallas would be great! I'd love seeing the Olympics in this part of the country,  can you imagine the Summer Games just 3 hours down the road?


And I think there is an excellent chance they might send some of the rowing and whitewater events our way.

----------


## Mississippi Blues

> Dallas would be great! I'd love seeing the Olympics in this part of the country,  can you imagine the Summer Games just 3 hours down the road?


Nailed it.

----------


## venture

> And I think there is an excellent chance they might send some of the rowing and whitewater events our way.


I was going to comment about that in my post, but I pulled back. I'm not sure how much Dallas (and Texas) are going to want to share "their" games with Oklahoma. While we would have the facilities at the time to host those events, I'm not sure they'll let them go. Dallas has plenty of water features to the host the evenings, even though the river downtown (here) is pretty much tailor made for them.

Let's say it happens though. Dallas 2024 and the rowing/whitewater events here. It would probably be a nice thing to have the HSR active between the two cities. It could also come into use with hotel rooms and such as well, even though Dallas has well over 70,000 rooms. It wouldn't really shock me to see, if the HSR is in place, hotel rooms in Oklahoma and further south into Texas fill up.

Having events away from the core host city isn't unusual though. Let's look at Atlanta 1996. Football (Soccer) events were almost all held outside of Atlanta. They utilized the Citrus Bowl (Orlando), Legion Field (Birmingham), Orange Bowl (Miami), RFK Stadium (DC), Sanford Stadium (Athens). The Canoeing events for the slalom utilized the whitewater center in Ducktown, Tennessee. Stegeman Coliseum in Athens were used for rhythmic gymnastics and indoor volleyball. Then of course the sailing event has to be held on the open sea so that was done in Savannah.

So OKC probably has a decent shot at getting the slalom events and maybe the other canoeing and rowing events. Dallas just has a lot of lakes around that could fit the bill, so its tough.

Seeing as how extensive the football (soccer) events were, that may be another play for Oklahoma. The smallest stadium they used for the events had a capacity of 56,500 (RFK in DC), so that will probably rule out anything other than the major university and pro-sports facilities. So let's see what the Dallas area has...

Cowboys Stadium - almost a given to be used.
Rangers Ballpark - another given I would think, would be interesting to see how scheduling with the Rangers is worked out.
Amon G Carter Stadium at TCU - probably used.
Cotton Bowl - already said would be used and might end up being Olympic Stadium for the event.
Ford Stadium (SMU) - probably too small.
FC Dallas Stadium - Obviously will be used.

The rest of the facilities are all fairly small or indoors. So seeing as how many they needed for the soccer events, it almost seems like a given Memorial Stadium in Norman would be used as well as Baylor's new stadium. Probably also that one down in Austin to throw them a bone.

----------


## Hawk405359

Given how badly the Olympics have hurt a lot of cities, I'm not so sure I'd want it in this state even if it was a realistic option.  However, I don't think it's a realistic option in our lifetime, so I don't think it'll be a problem.  Dallas isn't quite as big of a long shot, but I don't quite see it.  However, it would be cool to be have it so close.  I doubt they use any of the major arenas there except maybe Cowboy Stadium, though.  The Olympics is all about building the showiest facilities possible, so unless they shove some of the lesser watched events elsewhere, I don't think we'd see many of them used.

----------


## venture

> Given how badly the Olympics have hurt a lot of cities, I'm not so sure I'd want it in this state even if it was a realistic option.  However, I don't think it's a realistic option in our lifetime, so I don't think it'll be a problem.  Dallas isn't quite as big of a long shot, but I don't quite see it.  However, it would be cool to be have it so close.  I doubt they use any of the major arenas there except maybe Cowboy Stadium, though.  The Olympics is all about building the showiest facilities possible, so unless they shove some of the lesser watched events elsewhere, I don't think we'd see many of them used.


I read somewhere in their proposal that Cotton Bowl stadium would be updated to be Olympic Stadium for the event.  

I don't think many would build all new facilities anymore if relatively new facilities exist. We are talking 10 years from now, so any getting close to 20-30 years might be up for replacement.  As I pointed out, the soccer events are normally off site at various facilities. They aren't going to build 5 new stadiums to host them...they'll use existing facilities.

----------


## Plutonic Panda

> This is not a new discussion.
> 
> http://www.okctalk.com/tulsa-suburbs...es-2024-a.html


Yeah, I noticed that at the bottom of the page in related threads. I think Pete or MMM should merge these threads  :Smile:

----------


## OKCTalker

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/01/sp...m.html?hp&_r=0 

_TULSA, Okla.  When Neil Mavis roams the wide, quiet streets here, he sees an 80,000-seat Olympic stadium blooming where a fleet of trucks sit in a parking lot. He imagines kayaks and canoes gliding along the Arkansas River and marathoners striding down Route 66, past an oil refinery that looms over the highway.

We dont have an answer yet for water polo, he said. But one thing we do have is plenty of land out here in Oklahoma.

Mr. Mavis is the dreamer in chief for Tulsa 2024, this unassuming citys bid to host the Olympic Summer Games.

For all his enthusiasm, the odds for Tulsa, one of several cities vying to bring the Summer Games to the United States for the first time since 1996, seem longer than a gold-medal javelin throw.

The Games require an estimated work force of as many as 200,000, which would mean enlisting one of every two men, women and children within the city limits.

International Olympic officials require a host city to have a minimum of 45,000 hotel rooms. Tulsa has about 15,000. And the estimated price tag, which will almost certainly top $5 billion, is equivalent to more than half the state budget._

----------


## Just the facts

So let's say Tulsa wins the bid.  What do they do with all the facilities after the Olympics?  Those structures require an enormous amount of maintenance and up-keep just to prevent them from falling into disrepair.  That doesn't come free.  At least Atlanta had the Braves to take over their Olympic stadium.

----------


## BoulderSooner

> I think OKC should compete and set aside the CC funds for the construction needed to support the Olympics.  Then we can re-purpose the facilities as a Convention Center after the games are done.  Could also act as a catalyst for getting the Cox Convention Center torn down and the grid restored with a variety of purposes.  
> 
> Cox CC aside, by 2024 the River District will be truly amazing and if we don't spend the CC funds now, that would be very useful during a competitive bid process for the Olympics.  Several more boathouses are likely to be in place, Central Park and C2S is an amazing opportunity for this type of event, Streetcar will be in place. 
> 
> We've got the space.  I really hope we are giving it consideration.


you think OKC should spend 500 mil to build an 80,000 seat stadium

----------


## jedicurt

> I think OKC should compete and set aside the CC funds for the construction needed to support the Olympics.  Then we can re-purpose the facilities as a Convention Center after the games are done.  Could also act as a catalyst for getting the Cox Convention Center torn down and the grid restored with a variety of purposes.  
> 
> Cox CC aside, by 2024 the River District will be truly amazing and if we don't spend the CC funds now, that would be very useful during a competitive bid process for the Olympics.  Several more boathouses are likely to be in place, Central Park and C2S is an amazing opportunity for this type of event, Streetcar will be in place. 
> 
> We've got the space.  I really hope we are giving it consideration.


i totally disagree with part of your statement.  I do think we should look at something like the Pan-America Games, or even the X-games.   but not the Olympics.

----------


## jedicurt

> I guess I should re-characterize my desire.  I think it would be cool if we were actually in a position to be able to compete. That said, if we do, I think it would be a creative solution the CC discussion to use those funds in some way.  300M is a significant downpayment toward what the City of OKC would be expected to generate.  
> 
> Do I think it will happen?  No, not really. But I think Tulsa has a snowball's chance in hell.  And people are talking about it.  So...


I think i agree 100% with your creative solution for the CC discussion.   That's why i think if we really were to go for a Pan-America games (not sure if the 2019 or 2023 games have been awarded yet), it is something that really could help the city, and something that we could totally support.   

I think the same for Tulsa.  instead of going for the Olympics to get the World Appeal, why not go for something that might be possible to get, and would be much more manageable event.  the olympics has some 10,000 participants, Pan-American Games has roughly half as many, and still brings a lot of attention to your city.   

While i think even the Pan American Games is a far reach for Tulsa, it is something that they honestly could manage to get and do well.  And i think it is something that both OKC and Tulsa should honestly look at.   Making a bid at the Olympics is ludicrous for either city, but there are events out there that would bring in thousands of visitors and be something great for the city.  So why not go for those!   I'm all about dreaming big, but in those big dreams, make them something that can also be a reality.

----------


## Snowman

Ha, I guess us hosting the rowing & kayaking is no longer something on the table for this crazy idea (an earlier version of the plan had it at the boathouse foundation).

----------


## venture

Here is the other thread we had on it: http://www.okctalk.com/current-event...sa-2024-a.html

Perhaps Pete can merge the two and put it here.

----------


## OKCTalker

> Here is the other thread we had on it: http://www.okctalk.com/current-event...sa-2024-a.html
> 
> Perhaps Pete can merge the two and put it here.


Sorry - I didn't realize that we had multiple threads on this already. Maybe I'll have coffee for lunch.

----------


## Plutonic Panda

Chamber Says Tulsa Lacks Infrastructure To Support Olympics - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports |

----------


## MustangGT

> Chamber Says Tulsa Lacks Infrastructure To Support Olympics - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports |


Infrastructure is not the only thing they lack.  I say dream big but dreaming for the sky when you can barely walk, reality needs to come calling.

----------


## Martin

threads merged... -M

----------


## MustangGT

Even the Mayor and Sports Commisioner have said no.  The SC said that Tulsa looks for events they can host and are a good fit.  The Olympics are not either.

----------

