Athens: Financial Disaster?

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Whatever happened to ticket sales?

There don't seem to be very many spectators apart from the usual Olympic
Parasites, who don't pay for their tickets anyway.

--
le Vent a Dos, Davey Crockett
Six Day Site: http://members.rogers.com/sixday/sixday.html

Three strikes and you're out:

Strike one: they procrastinated so long getting everything done that nobody
really thought they'd pull it off (though it appears they've pulled if off
rather nicely).

Strike two: As I understand it, all their hotels jacked their rates
sky-high and people said, "no thanks."

Strike three: Threat of terrorism.

Bob C.

Quoted message said:

From: "psycholist" [email hidden]

Quoted message said:

Strike three: Threat of terrorism.

Bob C.

I'd add Strike four: A complete lack of faith in the peoples minds that the
IOC/greek security forces could protect them.
Bill C

On 08/15/2004 07:12 AM, in article
[email hidden],

Quoted post said:

Whatever happened to ticket sales?

There don't seem to be very many spectators apart from the usual Olympic
Parasites, who don't pay for their tickets anyway.

NBC's Bob Costas explained some of this last night. August is the
traditional month of holidays in Greece, and today is a big religious
holiday in the Greek Orthodox church, both of which are helping contribute
to keeping the Athenians away during the first few days.

They expect attendance to be better later.

We'll see.

--
Steven L. Sheffield
stevens at veloworks dot com
veloworks at worldnet dot ay tea tee dot net
bellum pax est libertas servitus est ignoratio vis est
ess ay ell tea ell ay kay ee sea eye tee why you ti ay aitch
aitch tee tea pea colon [for word] slash [four ward] slash double-you
double-yew double-ewe dot veloworks dot com [four word] slash

"Steven L. Sheffield" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

NBC's Bob Costas explained some of this last night. August is the
traditional month of holidays in Greece,

And going to the Olympics isn't worth spending part of your holiday on,
especially when it has never and will never again be right in your own
backyard?

Quoted message said:

and today is a big religious
holiday in the Greek Orthodox church, both of which are helping contribute
to keeping the Athenians away during the first few days.

There's nothing in Greek Orthodoxy that discourages going to sporting events
on a religious holiday.

Quoted message said:

They expect attendance to be better later.

It's costing Greece $1000 *per citizen* to mount these games. They expect
them to buy tickets too?

My opinion: instead of glossing over and trying to put a happy face on this
economic catastrophe, they ought to be talking about how the financing of
the Games should be more equitably shared amongst all the participating
countries.

RichC

"Rich Clark" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

My opinion: instead of glossing over and trying to put a happy face on

this

Quoted message said:

economic catastrophe, they ought to be talking about how the financing of
the Games should be more equitably shared amongst all the participating
countries.

RichC

What country do you think sends the most money to the IOC?

If a country wants to host a Games, it needs to figure out how to pay for
it. The IOC made a huge error following Atlanta in stating that governments
needed to be more responsible in paying for the Games. I guess they forgot
the disaster of Montreal that almost ended the Games. The LA model saved
them and showed a model that works. It is just that so many in the IOC are
from socialistic countries that they think only government can do things.

"Rich Clark" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

My opinion: instead of glossing over and trying to put a happy face on

this

Quoted message said:

economic catastrophe, they ought to be talking about how the financing of
the Games should be more equitably shared amongst all the participating
countries.

Then you would have something along the lines of Master's Worlds: if you can
pay enough, you can go. Hardly equitable for athletes.

Don't forget, the Games are out for bid, not assigned. If a country can't
put up the $$ regardless of the source, they shouldn't put in a bid.

Quoted message said:

Whatever happened to ticket sales?

There don't seem to be very many spectators apart from the usual Olympic
Parasites, who don't pay for their tickets anyway.

The velodrome is sold out.

Regards!
Stephen

Quoted message said:

Whatever happened to ticket sales?

There don't seem to be very many spectators apart from the usual Olympic
Parasites, who don't pay for their tickets anyway.

But Davey, 91% of tickets sold according to the main Web site.
Up from 47% a week ago.

*sound of hollow laughter heard offstage*

Stewart Fleming said:

Quoted message said:

Whatever happened to ticket sales?

There don't seem to be very many spectators apart from the usual Olympic
Parasites, who don't pay for their tickets anyway.

But Davey, 91% of tickets sold according to the main Web site.
Up from 47% a week ago.

*sound of hollow laughter heard offstage*

Athens needed the Olympics in more ways than simply the immediate
financial gain, the city when I visited a couple times back in the early
90's was a cesspool. The park surrounding the Acropolis was piled with
garbage. As one Aussie tourist put it, these aren't the same people who
built these things, they'd have more pride if the were. Now that a
bunch of junk has been condemned and removed, the city cleaned up and
first rate sports venues exist, Greece will be able to host more events
in the long term. I certainly hope they take care of what they have now.

"Steve McGinty" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Whatever happened to ticket sales?

There don't seem to be very many spectators apart from the usual Olympic
Parasites, who don't pay for their tickets anyway.

The velodrome is sold out.

Regards!
Stephen

The velodrome has only 3000 odd seats, a lot less than Sydney

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Whatever happened to ticket sales?

There don't seem to be very many spectators apart from the usual Olympic
Parasites, who don't pay for their tickets anyway.

--
le Vent a Dos, Davey Crockett
Six Day Site: http://members.rogers.com/sixday/sixday.html

I understand since Sunday was a holiday, that many of the seats were empty.
Can you believe that?

"Sierraman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Whatever happened to ticket sales?

There don't seem to be very many spectators apart from the usual Olympic
Parasites, who don't pay for their tickets anyway.

--
le Vent a Dos, Davey Crockett
Six Day Site: http://members.rogers.com/sixday/sixday.html

I understand since Sunday was a holiday, that many of the seats were

empty.

Quoted message said:

Can you believe that?

Here is a couple on that and security.

http://www.tsn.ca/ctvnews/sportsstory.asp?story_id=95046

http://www.nypost.com/news/worldnews/18731.htm

Sierraman said:

"Sierraman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Whatever happened to ticket sales?

There don't seem to be very many spectators apart from the usual Olympic
Parasites, who don't pay for their tickets anyway.

--
le Vent a Dos, Davey Crockett
Six Day Site: http://members.rogers.com/sixday/sixday.html

I understand since Sunday was a holiday, that many of the seats were

empty.

Quoted message said:

Can you believe that?

Here is a couple on that and security.

http://www.tsn.ca/ctvnews/sportsstory.asp?story_id=95046

http://www.nypost.com/news/worldnews/18731.htm

Well Davey had noticed that spectators were pretty thin on the ground from the
limited armchair spectating that he has done so far. And comparing the crowds
with those of previous Olympic Road Shows, they seemed pretty sparse.

Now it may very well be, although Davey believes this to be yet another Crock
of Skatos, that Apokimisis tis Panagias (Assumption) in HomerHaven and the
moribund Guy in the Funny Hat peddling Snake Oil in Lourdes had a negative
effect on ticket sales and/or attendance.

But Davey thinks rather that that this is just another Greek Comdey to rival
the classic Lysistrata and that Aristophenes' modern day descendants are truly
Up [censored] Creek Without a Paddle.

--
le Vent a Dos, Davey Crockett
Six Day Site: http://members.rogers.com/sixday/sixday.html

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Sierraman said:

"Sierraman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> Whatever happened to ticket sales?
>
> There don't seem to be very many spectators apart from the usual

Olympic

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> Parasites, who don't pay for their tickets anyway.
>
> --
> le Vent a Dos, Davey Crockett
> Six Day Site: http://members.rogers.com/sixday/sixday.html

I understand since Sunday was a holiday, that many of the seats were

empty.

Quoted message said:

Can you believe that?

Here is a couple on that and security.

http://www.tsn.ca/ctvnews/sportsstory.asp?story_id=95046

http://www.nypost.com/news/worldnews/18731.htm

Well Davey had noticed that spectators were pretty thin on the ground from

the

Quoted message said:

limited armchair spectating that he has done so far. And comparing the

crowds

Quoted message said:

with those of previous Olympic Road Shows, they seemed pretty sparse.

Now it may very well be, although Davey believes this to be yet another

Crock

Quoted message said:

of Skatos, that Apokimisis tis Panagias (Assumption) in HomerHaven and the
moribund Guy in the Funny Hat peddling Snake Oil in Lourdes had a negative
effect on ticket sales and/or attendance.

But Davey thinks rather that that this is just another Greek Comdey to

rival

Quoted message said:

the classic Lysistrata and that Aristophenes' modern day descendants are

truly

Quoted message said:

Up [censored] Creek Without a Paddle.

--
le Vent a Dos, Davey Crockett
Six Day Site: http://members.rogers.com/sixday/sixday.html

I been watching many different events on dish network and noticed just how
many seats were empty in premiere events. Embarrassing to say the least.
Some events may be full but many like Gymnastics which are usually very
popular, had many empty seats.

Stewart Fleming said:

But Davey, 91% of tickets sold according to the main Web site.
Up from 47% a week ago.

Perhaps someone is buying them out of charity and not showing up,
because there are lots of empty seats.

If that 91% figure was real, wouldn't there be people in the seats?

Jack Hollis said:

Stewart Fleming said:

But Davey, 91% of tickets sold according to the main Web site.
Up from 47% a week ago.

Perhaps someone is buying them out of charity and not showing up,
because there are lots of empty seats.

If that 91% figure was real, wouldn't there be people in the seats?

The 91% figure is not real, more simply.