Olympics Bids

Not sure where to put this one; it's part sports, part politics, part rant and part general chit chat...

Over the years we alway hear and read about this country or that country submitting "bids" for the olympics. To me, a 'bid' means a proposed price for a good or service. So, when it comes to the Olympics...

1. Who are these bids submitted to? Presumably the IOC, but who exactly?

2. Are these bids monetary? And if so, who receives the proceeds? I mean, they must be in the billions of dollars, but yet the host countries still pay for nearly everything.

3. Who evaluates these bids, and what is the criteria? Again, presumably the IOC, but how do they determine the weighting, and who gives them the authority to establish these weights?

I guess I don't understand this 'bidding' process and ultimately the selection criteria, and how it can ever wind up not just being a pay to play arrangement. Who gets this money, and what do they use it for?

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I know very little about the process, but I do know that the "bids" must include the potential host's plans for venues, housing, and transportation for the various events. There has been corruption in the process for a long time. Money changes hands and that is all legit unless the money goes to individuals, instead of the IOC, as a quid pro quo for voting yes for that particular city.

I'm sure there are a bunch of bribes flying around.
The bids are more of a wish list of places for the events to take place. Not really a cash deal.
Prestige for sale!
The host cities tend to lose money on the deal.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk
I believe it is more like a commercial "making a pitch" than a straight offer of money.
As for who gives them the authority; the IOC was set up to manage the Olympic cycle, so in a sense they "own" the Olympic trademark.

Here you go...

The bid process

I think the IOC is pretty much corruption free, unlike FIFA (football, or soccer for you Yanks) is so corrupt that it's a joke.

I think that the Olympics is so expensive that only rich countries have a hope of doing it well. The Olympics nearly killed Brazil, for example.

I really like the Olympics and still think the London Olympics was the best ever.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

From past history those that want to win a bid simply woo the IOC with drugs, prostitutes and alcohol and whoever has the best whores wins.

ETA: IOC Corruption

originally posted by: Metallicus
...whoever has the best whores wins.

Why is this thing not in Vegas every four years?

a reply to: paraphi

I think the IOC is pretty much corruption free,

i has a bridge for sale - is you intertested ?

originally posted by: paraphi

I think the IOC is pretty much corruption free,

It's not a "bid" process; it's a BRIBE process. The IOC is COMPLETELY corrupt down to its very core.

The Olympic Bribery Scandal
2002 Winter Olympics Bid Scandal
Tokyo Olympic Games Corruption Caims
Salt Lake City Bribery Scandal
Olympic Games: Decades of Bribery

And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

And what does the IOC, or its receiving members, do with all this money and favors?

I mean, I just don't understand this whole process. Numerous countries "bid" for the Olympics, what could they possibly 'bid'?

I can think of things which countries might lobby, things like betterment of their country, ect., but not in the context of a 'bidding' arrangement. Especially when the host country will bear almost the full entirety of the expense for hosting the games! About the only costs they won't bear is to send teams from other countries...so what the heck are they "bidding" on??? How can it be anything other than a big payola game? Seriously, what are they bidding on? To spend their own money???? Seems crazy to me. Have you ever truly contemplated this?

One country foots the bill, and hundreds of countries spend money to send their own teams to compete. What is there to bid on??

It's a HUGE draw for people, advertising, television networks and a potential boon for their own, host, economy...but if they're paying someone, bidding, for it, then who are they paying and what is the upshot? Who is on the receiving end of these bids?

I dunno, but this whole concept smacks of the elites sitting in some ivory tower somewhere raking in the payola, and laughing all the way to the bank. Literally billions of dollars must change hands, just look at how much host countries spend on the infrastructure (stadiums, complexes, hotels, fields, courses, etc.)...it's mammoth. And they have to PAY to PLAY!

Somebody is getting that money. Somebody is, but there's no damn way the IOC could ever justify expenses like this, to the tune of billions, not in 1,000 years! The IOC has what for costs??? Who do they pay? They damn sure don't pay the athletes, or the host countries...so what do they do with these billions of dollars??? They don't build stadiums, or contribute to the host country's expenses...so where does it go?

Think about it!!

Nvm