A forecast of games on the horizon
When the cauldron of fire dies out, the party is truly over. Now the citizens of a small city in South Korea can get back to whatever they do on a regular basis. After a quick check on the web, I learned that “they do tourism”, which means that life will actually go along with little change, other than the number of new faces in town.
And in Calgary, they’re already starting to dream big. Time goes by quickly, when you calculate it in four year slices. There’s a possibility of rehosting the games; getting back to what the city had done in ’88. I figure that ’26 still lies ahead; the hangover from the last time around will have faded. There’ll still be snow falling, and if the city can freshen up the paint on a few facilities, the world will believe it is business as usual. Particularly when the president of the IOC thinks it could work.
Don’t forget, it’s not about the games. This is a great business opportunity, when the world comes around for close to three weeks. Hotels, restaurants, car rental agencies… money for everyone. Even some new rapid transit system, with the tab paid by the nation. I wish them luck. In eight years time, I’ll still be likely to watch a few minutes of coverage on my TV (whatever the format has evolved into). I’m not the “target demographic” in any case. No new parka with rings on the cuffs. No tuque with the name of the city emblazoned in red and white. But my kids? Maybe.
