OKC to host Summer Olymipcs

[Bellaboo]

I am not sure where to start with the absurdity of this post so I will just give up...

You 'Were right! We should totally host the 2048 Olympic Games! Get started and let us know how that goes!

We'd be lucky to get them by 3212....... It's not going to happen.

On another note, we did host some kind of US Junior Olympics in 1989.....or something of that nature.

[Snowman]

[/B]

We'd be lucky to get them by 3212....... It's not going to happen.

On another note, we did host some kind of US Junior Olympics in 1989.....or something of that nature.

For whatever reason the USOC quit doing the combined Olympic Festival several years later, the various groups just hold their own individual events at separate places around the country now.

[SoonerDave]

For whatever reason the USOC quit doing the combined Olympic Festival several years later, the various groups just hold their own individual events at separate places around the country now.

It was the US Olympic Festival that was established to create some sort of Olympic "theming" that capitalized off the success of the 1984 LA Summer Olympics and in advance of the subsequent Atlanta Olympics.

The problem was that travel arrangements for a single, consolidated venue became too much for most of the smaller sports, and as big a success as the Olympic Festival was for OKC (I was a volunteer), there were quite a few coordination and logistical issues that left some people kinda frustrated - to say nothing of the fact that while OKC was the host city, venues were all over the state. Keep in mind, too, that this was years before any notion of MAPS, and downtown OKC was in its decidedly pre-renaissance mode, to be kind.

It was a huge coup for OKC at the time - Ronald Reagan came in to speak, there was a monstrous kickoff party at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium and closing ceremony (although most of the athletes had long since gone home). I have an absolutely beautiful picture of a hot air balloon that made an appearance during the opening ceremony, as well as a torchlighting ceremony, and that picture hangs on my wall to this day.

[bchris02]

How about building a galactic palace in OKC for the future galactic emperor to rule from? Then maybe OKC on Planet Earth will be chosen as the galactic capital if we already have the palace in place.

[David]

Build it and they will come, eh?

[OKVision4U]

If Chicago couldn't even beat out Rio, the IOC is never going to select a mid-size city in the middle of the US as a host. It just isn't going to happen, and thinking so does not mean we are thinking small.

David, maybe Chicago should not have been "bribing" the officials ? That is why they were taken out of contention and did not make it to the final round of selections.

[OKVision4U]

How about building a galactic palace in OKC for the future galactic emperor to rule from? Then maybe OKC on Planet Earth will be chosen as the galactic capital if we already have the palace in place.

Hey, it worked for the Thunder. Planning ahead usually increases the desired outcome. fyi..

[David]

David, maybe Chicago should not have been "bribing" the officials ? That is why they were taken out of contention and did not make it to the final round of selections.

Proof, please.

[ErnestA]

If Chicago couldn't even beat out Rio, the IOC is never going to select a mid-size city in the middle of the US as a host. It just isn't going to happen, and thinking so does not mean we are thinking small.

There are so many other reasons besides the bid city that go into selecting Olympic sites -- geopolitics, host site distribution, IOC terms, among others. Chicago is a world class city and a worthy Olympic host. Issues with its and the USOC's bid package, as well as the opportunity to award the Olympics to a South American city for the first time, were its undoing.

Bids for the 2016 Summer Olympics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

No, OKC will never host the Olympics. Instead, let's come up with a signature event that cements our place nationally, like the Kentucky Derby, Indianapolis 500, or South by Southwest.

[ljbab728]

It was the US Olympic Festival that was established to create some sort of Olympic "theming" that capitalized off the success of the 1984 LA Summer Olympics and in advance of the subsequent Atlanta Olympics.

The problem was that travel arrangements for a single, consolidated venue became too much for most of the smaller sports, and as big a success as the Olympic Festival was for OKC (I was a volunteer), there were quite a few coordination and logistical issues that left some people kinda frustrated - to say nothing of the fact that while OKC was the host city, venues were all over the state. Keep in mind, too, that this was years before any notion of MAPS, and downtown OKC was in its decidedly pre-renaissance mode, to be kind.

It was a huge coup for OKC at the time - Ronald Reagan came in to speak, there was a monstrous kickoff party at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium and closing ceremony (although most of the athletes had long since gone home). I have an absolutely beautiful picture of a hot air balloon that made an appearance during the opening ceremony, as well as a torchlighting ceremony, and that picture hangs on my wall to this day.

I was at the opening ceremony that night in Norman and it really was a fun and moving event.

[Snowman]

I was at the opening ceremony that night in Norman and it really was a fun and moving event.

I was too, enjoyed everything but the ending, which was a bit painful for me when a fragment of one of the fireworks landed in my eye.

[ljbab728]

I was too, enjoyed everything but the ending, which was a bit painful for me when a fragment of one of the fireworks landed in my eye.

Well I missed that part of the fun. LOL

Hopefully Vince and Reba's performance helped make up for that.

[hoya]

[ljbab728]

Another part of the amazing show in Norman for the Olympic Festival 89. I was sitting just below the south end zone scoreboard.

[ljbab728]

And this brings back great memories of that moving and emotional night I spent in Norman 24 years ago. It was truly an impressive performance.

[venture]

Don't we have enough Olympic threads already?

Oh wait...this is for the Olymipcs.

[OKVision4U]

It was the US Olympic Festival that was established to create some sort of Olympic "theming" that capitalized off the success of the 1984 LA Summer Olympics and in advance of the subsequent Atlanta Olympics.

The problem was that travel arrangements for a single, consolidated venue became too much for most of the smaller sports, and as big a success as the Olympic Festival was for OKC (I was a volunteer), there were quite a few coordination and logistical issues that left some people kinda frustrated - to say nothing of the fact that while OKC was the host city, venues were all over the state. Keep in mind, too, that this was years before any notion of MAPS, and downtown OKC was in its decidedly pre-renaissance mode, to be kind.

It was a huge coup for OKC at the time - Ronald Reagan came in to speak, there was a monstrous kickoff party at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium and closing ceremony (although most of the athletes had long since gone home). I have an absolutely beautiful picture of a hot air balloon that made an appearance during the opening ceremony, as well as a torchlighting ceremony, and that picture hangs on my wall to this day.

How did OKC (EVER!) pull that off? You mean to tell me the leader of the Free World came to OKC for the Olympic Festival? ...you mean Mr. "Gorby tear down this wall" Reagan?

Hmmm?

[Bellaboo]

How did OKC (EVER!) pull that off? You mean to tell me the leader of the Free World came to OKC for the Olympic Festival? ...you mean Mr. "Gorby tear down this wall" Reagan?

Hmmm?

I was there too. and FloJo (Florence Griffith Joyner) brought the torch in to start the games..... It was an outstanding opening.

[OKVision4U]

Who did those people think we are.... Chicago? LA? NYC? Houston, Dallas, Paris, London, ... How did we get this event? Small Mid-Size Fly-over city (w/ an Okie accent) and they ( Olympic Committee ) selected OKC? NO WAY! We don't have the people to support ( volunteers ) this event.

I'm not saying we are even close to ready, but maybe we need to give this some thought in the future? We don't have to be Chicago, to compete with others. ( that's kind of the That Team is better than us, let's just stay in the locker room and not run out on the field and play) Your right, the Sooners should just stay home, save the money and not play the Tide. Really, who do they think they are?

[OKVision4U]

Just the amount of bribe money it takes to get consideration for the Olympics is ridiculous.
The infrastructure spending would never be recouped. This thread makes the NFL thread sound reasonable.

US Olympic Festival 89'. President Ronald Reagan. How did that happen?

[stlokc]

Well, Reagan wasn't President in 89. So that would be the equivalent of Clinton or W attending an event these days. Nice, but not other-worldly.

[shawnw]

As with the Thunder, we have Clay to thank for the Olympics Festival. I suppose if we're ever going to get an Olympics, we need to put him back in charge of that. But let's get that NBA title before we distract him with this...

Main event: 1989 Olympic Festival a turning point for Oklahoma City | News OK

Clay Bennett: Planning for Success Of Olympic Festival '89 | News OK

http://newsok.com/world-class-memori...rticle/2322794

[hoya]

I was 11 when we had the Olympic Festival, and I really didn't understand what it was at the time. For a few years there I was 100% convinced that we had hosted the for real Olympics.

[shawnw]

I was shocked to find that there was NO wikipedia page on the festivals at all, so I created one. Need to do more research to fill in more dates and locations, and then eventually create one for the OKC festival with links to those stories, but that's for another day...

[CaptDave]

1987 was in Raleigh-Durham, NC. Worked on medical staff and had a great time.

Can't really compare the Olympic Festival to the international games as far as infrastructure and accommodation requirements.