A Gold Medal in Ass-Reaming

As New York sent off its bid for the 2012 Olympics last week, it was being reported that some ridiculous percentage of city residents enthusiastically supported the idea of bringing the Games here.

In wiser circles, these boosters are generally known as "idiots." And idiots who haven't done the tiniest bit of research. They hear that damned Olympic song and get all worked up. The same can be said of most reporters covering the story.

Anyone who looks into the history of the modern games realizes that virtually no host city has ever profited from hosting the Olympics. Most of them, in fact, have been profoundly damaged, economically and otherwise, by the Games.

Take this last Summer Olympics in Athens. Before the Games, it was estimated they would cost the host city around $5.9 million. Now, after a final assessment, it's being reported that the final tally was actually closer to $11.6 billion. And that's without taking into account any of the infrastructure programs, like a subway extension to the airport, Athens undertook to lure the Games there. They'll add those numbers in later, when nobody's looking.

And what did they get out of it? Well?ummm?

Of course a city like Athens, Paris, Munich-or New York-could probably bounce back after an economic blow like that, but it's never comfortable or pretty. And if the city's smaller than New York or Paris? Look at what happened to Helsinki, or Barcelona, or Antwerp. They were fucked. Atlanta's still reeling from their Olympic encounter. Hell, St. Louis still hasn't recovered from the 1904 Olympics.

Should the Olympics come here in 2012, they'll cost three, four, even five times as much. And despite all the fancy talk from City Hall, who's going to be footing the bill? You are, and we are, and so are all those idiots who are cheering for it now. And what will the Games give us in return? Most of the West Side will have become a really nice parking lot for that new stadium, but apart from that? Well?ummm?