Rating the Olympics

[STL_Runner]

I've watched every Olympics since 1992 and I thought Sydney was the worst, not the best. I'm mostly thinking about T&F events. The two biggest highlights I remember were Mo Greene winning the 100 and Pedroso's late comeback in the long jump. I don't like to dump on any Olympics but I just seem to have much better memories from every other Olympics I've watched.

[Pego]

If Chicago gets the Olympics, which I believe is going to happen, everyone will be amazed how knowledgeable folks are here.



But seriously it certainly will be better then the know-nothings in Atlanta. Anyways I will be there and that will help. Ha, ha.

If the body is still able in 2016, I'll join you, probably with my grandson(s) :-). It would be my first (probably last) Games that I'd attend in person..

[bambam]

I think the people who bad-mouth the Atlanta Olympics must be referring to the overall Olympic experience. Taken just as a track meet, it was terrific. The stadium was packed every day, the atmosphere was very exciting, and the competition was sensational. Who could ask for anything more?

I concur. I had no problem with Atlanta.

As someone who goes to a bunch of these for much more than track & field, my opinion: Atlanta was a joke. Those guys had no clue what they were doing.

[bambam]

I've watched every Olympics since 1992 and I thought Sydney was the worst, not the best. I'm mostly thinking about T&F events. The two biggest highlights I remember were Mo Greene winning the 100 and Pedroso's late comeback in the long jump. I don't like to dump on any Olympics but I just seem to have much better memories from every other Olympics I've watched.

If you were there in person, they were magical. Only Games I would rate above them would be Lillehammer, which could never be surpassed. From Leigh Montville in Sports Illustrated, shortly after the 1994 Winter Olympics: “The XVII Winter Olympics did not exist. Norway did not exist. These were the fairy-tale Games, drawn from the imagination, staged in the pages of a children’s book. They could not exist. Reality cannot be this good.”

[mojo]

If Chicago gets the Olympics, which I believe is going to happen, everyone will be amazed how knowledgeable folks are here.



But seriously it certainly will be better then the know-nothings in Atlanta. Anyways I will be there and that will help. Ha, ha.

I will(please please please) be there too so I can explain things to the peeps in my section.

It always ends up being my job anyway.

[Daisy]

Those guys had no clue what they were doing.

Interested to hear what you look for in a games. It is the only one I've been to so its impossible for me to compare.

[lovetorun]

Best for me are 1956/Melbourne...my first Olympics, 1960/Rome...great competions and performances (personally I will always remember Herb Elliots total domination in the 1500m, and Max Truex's break thru 28:50.6 AR) and 1984/L.A....39 miles from my hometown (Tustin) and well run meet with great competitions and performances.

[kuha]

I think the people who bad-mouth the Atlanta Olympics must be referring to the overall Olympic experience. Taken just as a track meet, it was terrific. The stadium was packed every day, the atmosphere was very exciting, and the competition was sensational. Who could ask for anything more?

I concur. I had no problem with Atlanta.

For me, my few days in Atlanta made me swear off ever again bothering to go to an Olympics.

[bambam]

Best for me are 1956/Melbourne...my first Olympics, 1960/Rome...great competions and performances (personally I will always remember Herb Elliots total domination in the 1500m, and Max Truex's break thru 28:50.6 AR) and 1984/L.A....39 miles from my hometown (Tustin) and well run meet with great competitions and performances.

Los Angeles 1984 is a very under-rated Olympic Games, IMHO. Helped resurrect the Olympic Movement despite the Soviet Boycott. Nothing like Atlanta.

[Conor Dary]

I think the people who bad-mouth the Atlanta Olympics must be referring to the overall Olympic experience. Taken just as a track meet, it was terrific. The stadium was packed every day, the atmosphere was very exciting, and the competition was sensational. Who could ask for anything more?

I concur. I had no problem with Atlanta.

For me, my few days in Atlanta made me swear off ever again bothering to go to an Olympics.

Now, now. I am sure you will be in Chicago!

[tandfman]

Best for me are 1956/Melbourne...my first Olympics, 1960/Rome...great competions and performances (personally I will always remember Herb Elliots total domination in the 1500m, and Max Truex's break thru 28:50.6 AR) and 1984/L.A....39 miles from my hometown (Tustin) and well run meet with great competitions and performances.

Los Angeles 1984 is a very under-rated Olympic Games, IMHO. Helped resurrect the Olympic Movement despite the Soviet Boycott. Nothing like Atlanta.

But the T&F competition in LA was not what it could have/should have been in too many events. The boycott deprived the Games, and the T&F competition, of the best athletes in the world in many (maybe most) T&F events.

[tandfman]

I've watched every Olympics since 1992 and I thought Sydney was the worst, not the best. I'm mostly thinking about T&F events. The two biggest highlights I remember were Mo Greene winning the 100 and Pedroso's late comeback in the long jump. I don't like to dump on any Olympics but I just seem to have much better memories from every other Olympics I've watched.

If you were there in person, they were magical.

I don't know that they were magical, but they were certainly good. And for those of us who were actually there, Cathy Freeman's 400 was much more memorable than the events that STL_Runner mentioned.

[olorin]

Re: Rating the Olympics

From the viewpoint of a casual fan, here is how I rate all the Summer Olympics: (Note: The rating depends on organization, spectator-friendliness, accessibility, honesty and sporting interest).


D:
Berlin 1936
London 1948 (Post-war economy and bad weather not their fault)
Montreal 1976 (and I lived there at the time)
LA 1984 (joyless, too commercial, Eastern boycott)
Seoul 1988 (worst officiating)
and Australian games as the best.

Berlin 1936 should be ranked z or even triple zzz
THE MOST SHAMEFUL Olympics ever

[Jake]

London 1948 should be much higher given it did much to revive the Olympic movement in the aftermath of World War II and the blatantly political Berlin Games of 12 years earlier.

London was also attended by large, knowledgeable and sporting crowds - despite the poor weather - and saw an outstanding performance by the great FBK (four gold medals) and the emergence of the likes of Zatopek and Bob Mathias on the world stage.

[STL_Runner]

I don't know that they were magical, but they were certainly good. And for those of us who were actually there, Cathy Freeman's 400 was much more memorable than the events that STL_Runner mentioned.

For some reason that race just didn't do it for me. She just seemed like too big of a favorite running too slow of a time (slowest winning time since 1976 and nearly 1/2 second slower than she ran to get silver in Atlanta). Maybe it was that ridiculous outfit she had on. I don't know.