Which gets Vancouver more attention: the Olympics or NBA?
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Olympics for sure, it is seen by over a billion people. And it is way more prestigious.
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Olympics
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Another vote for Olympics
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I'd like to meet the people that voted for the NBA.
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The Olympics are a one-shot deal. They'll give Vancouver a place in history and the attention of people in northern climes around the world for a few weeks in 2010, but that fame is fleeting. How often do you hear these days of Nagano, Lillehammer, Sapporo, Albertville, Innsbruck or Grenoble, and how much do you care about them? Even Calgary is better known these days as home of the Flames and Stamps than as a onetime host city of the Olympics. Salt Lake City is home of the Utah Jazz.
Being the home to an NBA team won't get any attention outside North America but the city's name will be mentioned on sportscasts and in the papers 80-plus days a year, for every year that the franchise is in town. The benefits are much more longlasting.
Being the home to an NBA team won't get any attention outside North America but the city's name will be mentioned on sportscasts and in the papers 80-plus days a year, for every year that the franchise is in town. The benefits are much more longlasting.
The international exposure that the Olympics bring will be resounding, expect many years of Oly talk and the tag of Vancouver being a host Oly city. Calgary still gets reference to this day, nevermind the benefits of having international competition yearly at the various sites still running.B.C.FAN wrote:The Olympics are a one-shot deal. They'll give Vancouver a place in history and the attention of people in northern climes around the world for a few weeks in 2010, but that fame is fleeting. How often do you hear these days of Nagano, Lillehammer, Sapporo, Albertville, Innsbruck or Grenoble, and how much do you care about them? Even Calgary is better known these days as home of the Flames and Stamps than as a onetime host city of the Olympics. Salt Lake City is home of the Utah Jazz.
Being the home to an NBA team won't get any attention outside North America but the city's name will be mentioned on sportscasts and in the papers 80-plus days a year, for every year that the franchise is in town. The benefits are much more longlasting.
Entertainment value = an all time low
The Olympics will give Vancouver more exposure. Look at what Expo 86 did for the Lower Mainland. That was a one shot deal also, and the economic benefits are still being felt.
I know that the NBA would give us coverage over a longer period in the sports world, but I agree with what CB123 has already stated: "The Olympics is seen by over a billion people. And it is way more prestigious." Also it is directed at a broader audience than the basketball fan.
During the Turin games, I watched a lot of different short articles on CBC showcasing Italy in general and the Turin area in particular. The same will be done in Vancouver. There will be a more comprehensive picture painted of Canada in general and Vancouver in particular, than you can get from sports coverage (read NBA) alone.
Now don't get me wrong, it would be nice to see the NBA back in Vancouver, IF it can be sustained here.
The Olympics give us more exposure, hands down.
I know that the NBA would give us coverage over a longer period in the sports world, but I agree with what CB123 has already stated: "The Olympics is seen by over a billion people. And it is way more prestigious." Also it is directed at a broader audience than the basketball fan.
During the Turin games, I watched a lot of different short articles on CBC showcasing Italy in general and the Turin area in particular. The same will be done in Vancouver. There will be a more comprehensive picture painted of Canada in general and Vancouver in particular, than you can get from sports coverage (read NBA) alone.
Now don't get me wrong, it would be nice to see the NBA back in Vancouver, IF it can be sustained here.
The Olympics give us more exposure, hands down.
Superfan, while I appreciate your postive outlook, let me weigh in on what Expo 86 did for the Lower Mainland. Its legacy is unsustainable growth, an influx of greedy developers, a downtown that has shifted overwhelmingly towards mostly unattractive glass and steel highrise condos, leading to a ridiculously skewed ratio between condos and office towers. More importantly, just 20 years later, Expo 86 has kept most native Vancouverites from ever dreaming of being able to afford a decent sized home in their own town.Superfan wrote:The Olympics will give Vancouver more exposure. Look at what Expo 86 did for the Lower Mainland. That was a one shot deal also, and the economic benefits are still being felt.
Sure there are economic benefits to Expos and Olympics. But I think that old axiom 'be careful what you wish for' applies here too. Every downtown needs at least some semblance of an an economic engine to drive it. At the rate we're going, the only job your children can hope for downtown is in the service sector; waiting on tables, teaching English to foreign students, or dog-walking for the monied elderly.
DH 8)
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I agree with you David, as I do see that most native Vanouverites are now unable to buy a home in thier hometown, as I see that happening with myself here in Abbotsford.
My grandparents were pioneers in this town, and I now see that the possibility of purchasing a home for a family in Abbotsford is becoming limited. I too have suffered from that economic benefit.
I too agree with the adage "be carefull what you wish for".
My grandparents were pioneers in this town, and I now see that the possibility of purchasing a home for a family in Abbotsford is becoming limited. I too have suffered from that economic benefit.
I too agree with the adage "be carefull what you wish for".
That is so true, David.David wrote:Its legacy is unsustainable growth, an influx of greedy developers, a downtown that has shifted overwhelmingly towards mostly unattractive glass and steel highrise condos, leading to a ridiculously skewed ratio between condos and office towers.
At this web site, you can see compare the changing skyline of Vancouver from 1978 to 2003. I will paste two pictures from that site below.
http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/commsvcs/fade/fade.htm
Mod edit: Picture links removed The posted link is sufficient. The panoramic shots are too big for the page.
thats so cool.At this web site, you can see compare the changing skyline of Vancouver from 1978 to 2003
BC Lions - 2006 Grey Cup Champions!
USC Trojans - 2007 Rose Bowl Champions!
Team Canada - 2007 World Junior Hockey Champions!
Vancouver Giants - 2007 Memorial Cup Champions!
USC Trojans - 2007 Rose Bowl Champions!
Team Canada - 2007 World Junior Hockey Champions!
Vancouver Giants - 2007 Memorial Cup Champions!
Most of that growth was inevitable. If you look across the country, increased urbanization is a fact of life. It has happened to some degree in every major urban centre across the country.David wrote:Superfan, while I appreciate your postive outlook, let me weigh in on what Expo 86 did for the Lower Mainland. Its legacy is unsustainable growth, an influx of greedy developers, a downtown that has shifted overwhelmingly towards mostly unattractive glass and steel highrise condos, leading to a ridiculously skewed ratio between condos and office towers. More importantly, just 20 years later, Expo 86 has kept most native Vancouverites from ever dreaming of being able to afford a decent sized home in their own town.Superfan wrote:The Olympics will give Vancouver more exposure. Look at what Expo 86 did for the Lower Mainland. That was a one shot deal also, and the economic benefits are still being felt.
Sure there are economic benefits to Expos and Olympics. But I think that old axiom 'be careful what you wish for' applies here too. Every downtown needs at least some semblance of an an economic engine to drive it. At the rate we're going, the only job your children can hope for downtown is in the service sector; waiting on tables, teaching English to foreign students, or dog-walking for the monied elderly.
DH 8)
I know everyone regards Ottawa as being this little burg, but it has happened here as well. The suburbs are mushrooming with young families, downtown real estate prices have escalated sharply, infrastructure is groaning under the weight of the growth -- you get the picture. (Ottawa in 2006 is basically Vancouver twenty years ago on the growth scale). In the West, places like Kelowna and Calgary have seen incredible growth, and there was no Expo in either of those places. Heck, even Montreal has seen steady growth, and the myth is that Montreal has been dying. (The rest of Quebec perhaps, but Montreal is kind of an entity unto itself in that province.)
The reality is that Canada is one of the most heavily urbanized countries in the world. Well over 80% of our population lives in cities of 100,000 or more, and that rate continues to climb as our economy relentlessly shifts. New Canadians instinctively head for these major urban centres, as there are simply no job opportunities or cultural connections for them in smaller centres. (Hence the reason why Atlantic Canada continues to shrink and get older despite the best efforts of politicians there to stem the tide.)
All cities like Vancouver can do is plan well, and try to manage the growth as smartly as possible. You can't stop it, and blaming one single event or series of one-off events is simplistic. What you are seeing in Vancouver is part of a larger socio-economic and demographic trend, and there isn't a damn thing anyone can do about it. I would argue that, at least in its downtown core, Vancouver has done as good a job as anyone in creating liveable, smart communities to deal with the growth...
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