Manchester already has got splendid sports arenas (they had had the Commonwealth Games there), and is really one of the nicest British cities.
Frankly, I think it's all rather rediculous.
Centennial Olympic Stadium
The 1996 Summer Olympics, formally known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and informally known as the Centennial Olympics, were held in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was selected in 1990 above Athens, Belgrade, Manchester, Melbourne and Toronto. Athens had hoped to organise the 100th anniversary of the modern Olympic Games. The IOC's vote for Atlanta was therefore slightly surprising; however, the reasoning was that Athens' infrastructure could not be improved enough in time to successfully host the Games. It was later claimed (but never substantiated) that several of the IOC's key voters had been bribed by Atlanta executives in order to quash the other candidate cities' chances for the hosting bid.
The 1996 Summer Olympics have been regarded by many as being relatively unsuccessful. Problems of traffic congestion sometimes made travel between venues difficult. Though the Games made a financial profit, this was accomplished through a major advertising presence, particularly from Atlanta-based Coca-Cola, which caused numerous observers to consider the Games "over commercialized". More seriously, the Centennial Olympic Park bombing of July 27, 1996 killed spectator Alice Hawthorne and wounded 111 others, and elicited the death of Melih Uzunyol by heart attack. In his closing speech, Juan Antonio Samaranch, head of the IOC, for the first time did not describe the games as being the "best ever."
The Olympiad's official theme, Summon the Heroes, was written by John Williams, making it the third Olympiad for which he has composed. The official song was "The Power of the Dream", composed by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and David Foster, with words by Linda Thompson. It was performed in the opening ceremony by Céline Dion accompanied by Foster and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Centennial Choir.
The closing ceremony featured Gloria Estefan singing "Reach".
KP was funny posting this (not in France):
I wonder, what the tomorrow's headlines will look like ...
This from today's kiosque
Amazing
now I have 7 years to regain my olympic fitness level
(which if i'm honest was never eactly olympian) to compete.
et aussi Walter mon ami
you placed le bet £10 at 5/1 for me
So thats £50 please
but send only £45
keep 10% commission DANKE SCHOEN
(Unfortunately, I made the mistake ...
(You'll get a small Pils in four weeks time, instead.)
Walter Hinteler wrote:I wonder, what the tomorrow's headlines will look like ...
Frontpage of today's/tomorrow's (July 7) Le Figaro
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with TRIUMPH AND DISASTER
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!
--Rudyard Kipling
Hey Francis
I can't say I'm sorry Paris did not win because I thought London had the better bid and I wanted London to win.
But that does not stop me feeling sorry for all those thousands of people working hard for Paris and Madrid and Moscow and NYC bids.
You are most welcome to get the train and be my guest in 2 hours and 7 years for the opening ceremony
(if i live that long)
Quelle heure est-il ? Le crayon et rouge. La gateau est sur la table.
Well, I wanted to say sumpthin!!
I'm going to celebrate with some red grapes, brie and crackers, and a nice Chardonnay....mmmmm.....Bastille Day....(licking chops with little pink tongue)...
sumpthin aint french
but understand sentiments
hope you are not anti french, pussy
I am soooo glad NY did not win. NYC is already chaos to function in - all that extra traffic and expense would not have been a plus.
It's all yours England, maybe I will come for a visit when it's over and all the stuff is on sale.
2020 will be Munich again....
NY would have been a bad choice indeed.
OMFG . . . i have created a monster . . . now Steve is quoting If . . . somebody shoot me . . .
Page 4 +5 of 'Aujourd'hiu en France/Le Parien (12 pages report in this popular newspaper)
Steve (as 41oo) wrote:If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with TRIUMPH AND DISASTER
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!
--Rudyard Kipling
You are a friend, Steve. Always speaking about me :wink: ...
