should the Olympics be moved?

[bairdlander2]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-36401150

[warspite1]

Given the money spent by the country and given the training the athletes put into this (the pinnacle of their careers) there will need to be a bloody good reason to move it - that's not nice but that, as we know, is life.

But moreover, if the problem is so serious that the Olympics needs to be postponed or moved - then what does that say about how serious this issue is - or has the potential to be? Why was so much fuss and palaver been made over Bird Flu for example, but not this?

Who knows? I've got no idea as I'm not a medical man. Let's just hope the right decision is made for the right reason.

[bairdlander2]

No Olympic Games have ever been moved from their host city due to medical concerns, but in 2003, FIFA decided to switch the Women's World Cup soccer tournament from China to the United States on short notice due to the threat posed by the respiratory virus SARS.

[warspite1]

No but they were cancelled in 1916 (Berlin) and 1940 (Tokyo). I wonder why? [;)]

[Orm]

I am more curious as to why it was located there in the first place.

[Yogi the Great]

ORIGINAL: Orm

I am more curious as to why it was located there in the first place.

Payoffs and/or other benefits to Olympic Committee members seems to be a big part of the Olympic selection process

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: Yogi the Great

ORIGINAL: Orm

I am more curious as to why it was located there in the first place.

Payoffs and/or other benefits to Olympic Committee members seems to be a big part of the Olympic selection process

Indeed. That is why I am curious.

[Qwixt]

I've stopped caring to the point that it can be canceled for all I care. I am just not invested in caring if some random athlete from my country wins. Plus, I suspect doping on every record breaking performance at this point like Usain Bolt. 70s East German swim team anyone [:D]

[bobarossa]

I would vote for dropping all Olympic Games. It seems to be mostly about money and posturing. Rarely watch it anymore. Brazil does not care about athletes' health, only the 'fame' it brings the country. And I would extend that to pretty much all host countries, not just Brazil.

[New York Jets]

Given that host cities of the Olympics LOSE money on the proposition I think/hope the Olympics will just eventually go away.

[Ranger33]

Best solution I have heard would be to create an international fund and use it to build facilities somewhere in Greece, then just have the summer games there from now on. And probably scale back the theatrics a bit. Would eliminate the extremely corrupt and wasteful process we currently have. FIFA has the same problem with the World Cup in Qatar. No one with any sense would put a world soccer tournament in the middle of a desert in the summer, unless of course they were getting paid under the table.