There's a lot to be upset about, but I found the universal 24% service fee particularly egregious. That feels like the kind of thing that wouldn't fly in other countries/economies/cultures, it...
There's a lot to be upset about, but I found the universal 24% service fee particularly egregious.
That feels like the kind of thing that wouldn't fly in other countries/economies/cultures, it baffles me that people in the US put up with stuff like that.
I want to preface my comment with the disclaimer that I am among the least sports inclined person on the planet. My favorite thing about watching live professional hockey last month was the...
I want to preface my comment with the disclaimer that I am among the least sports inclined person on the planet. My favorite thing about watching live professional hockey last month was the flavoured popcorn: the hockey did not make top 10. I routinely and immediately unsubscribe from any sports subs/discs/channels when making a new account, and I would 100% rather stare blankly into the middle distance than to endure watching sports on tv. I would pay money to never see sports in my cable package. The sports pages of my newspaper subscriptions have never been read: I am far more likely to read every single last classified and obituary than the sports. If forced to at gunpoint, I would choose the horse betting page hoping for blurry black and white photos of horses. I hope I have been able to illustrate just how little I care about watching or hearing about humans moving around.
But. I lived in Vancouver during 2010, and having volunteered for the Games, I am, inexplicably, an Olympics fan.
specific critique of the author's piece.
these Games would be financially accessible, including $28 tickets available to locals, with nearly 50 percent of all tickets costing less than $200, and only 5 percent of tickets costing more than $1,000
This is amazing. Yes I'm sure the roll out was clumsy and people still count get enough tickets etc. But that ANY would be affordable by locals is a feat.
Reading the article, I'm confused by the author's confusion. A meme comes to mind, the one with the man with a noose saying "First time?". Has author never registered for a University course or tried to get musical tickets or attended a live concert before?
there’s no standard tier pricing across events
Of course not. That's like suggesting as many people want to watch the Olympic hockey gold, as the curling gold. Some sports are far more popular than others, like any other type of sport or live event on the planet.
And then complaining that tickets are for a match you won't know who's playing, and maybe Americans won't even be playing. Sir, this is a Wendy's the Olympics: it's for the entire world. If you want to only cheer for Americans, then by all means go visit the USA pavilion, go stand in line to see the torch relay, and go to any local sports bar watch together days during your big games.
The most you could spend on the finale celebration was a cool $4,961.20. That’s nearly $5K not to see any sports.
This, after author just complained about not caring enough to see women playing cricket!!! For an insanely affordable $105!!! The first year after cricket has been absent from the Olympics for 100+ years!
The next part seems to be complaining about tickets being too expensive, AND LA28 will cost too much. Well then which is it then, you want cheap tickets or you want them to break even? These things are crazy expensive to host, and maybe that's why they're charging high flyers $5000+ not to see any sports, hmm?
I’m holding out the slightest hope that organizers might open up more inventory, and perhaps I’ll be lucky enough to see the next Simone Biles or Suni Lee in person, or watch Anthony Edwards and A’ja Wilson lead the US basketball teams to gold.
I don't know who any of these athletes are except Ms Biles, but, my guy, you just refused to see the world's best women playing Crickets! What if they set a world record or a crazy young player makes a star debut or this is the last Olympics of a reigning Cricket queen?
I don't know the first thing about cricket . But in two years, I'm sure I can watch a bit and learn, maybe join a local lessson session / a funspiel equivalent tournament, find and talk to other fans, and in general get hyped about it somehow. Author didn't give it a chance, but continues to complain about other sports being more expensive.
Anyway, going back to my experience with being part of Vancouver 2010: there are a ton of things to do during the Olympics that are completely free and not sports-watching and memorable. It's a big party coming to your town, and even if you don't buy a single ticket, going from Pavilion to Pavilion is like an international world's fair. There'll be cute merch galore, lots of unique fashion, interactive history displays, and being host to so many people speaking different languages together in one place is a fantastic experience. There's also going to be a lot of non sports business booths and a ton of swag: kind of like the opposite of a big nerd convention, but should still have lots of fun little games and free experiences.
My family lived in SLC during the 2002 Winter Games. I was only a young teen, but I do remember how exciting it all was. In the run-up, athletes came to our school (and many other local school) to...
My family lived in SLC during the 2002 Winter Games. I was only a young teen, but I do remember how exciting it all was. In the run-up, athletes came to our school (and many other local school) to do demonstrations and such.
And while my family didn't go to any of the Olympic games -- they were expensive back then, too. Like probably $1000 for a family of four -- I think it was my mom who scored some free tickets from her work for a Paralympics hockey game. And that was a lot of fun. And impressive!
I'm pretty sure we went to at least one like free fan festival in downtown SLC. As far as merch, the big one that year was the Team USA Roots berets. Quite the hot commodity. Parents bought my brother and I one, which was cool (though I have no clue where those are anymore).
Idk. I understand the disappointment of wanting to go to something, but can't because ticket prices are absurd. For me, that'd be trying to see a Formula 1 race in the US. But the popularity of F1 is still so high, that prices are incredibly high. It sucks, but it is what it is. I don't have to see a race in person. And if I really, really want to, I could see one a lot cheaper by going overseas (the "joke" in F1 communities is that it's likely cheaper to fly to Europe to see an F1 race, than it is to see one in the US, even with hotel, food, transportation, etc). I get that that's still a privileged position.
But at the end of the day, no one needs to go see an F1 race or the Olympics. Yes, it'd be nice. Especially if it's in your hometown. But it's not a necessity. And like you said, there's plenty of other fun, free events that one could go to.
I feel you on F1 prices. I'm in Europe, but just couldn't scrape together the cash to go to a full event. But I once managed to luck out that I was quite near Jerez, where they did practice...
I feel you on F1 prices. I'm in Europe, but just couldn't scrape together the cash to go to a full event. But I once managed to luck out that I was quite near Jerez, where they did practice sessions, so I got to go and watch them crank out practice laps around this circuit along with a few people I'd blablacar-d in with. That was the season that McLaren had taken on Honda engines and sounded like a rumbly bag of bolts going round. Fun times. I hope you can score a way into an F1 race at some point!
I'm sure the atmosphere is good, but watching a race from just one spot compared to the multiple angles and all the context you get on TV... not sure. I grew up in a place that has road races -...
I'm sure the atmosphere is good, but watching a race from just one spot compared to the multiple angles and all the context you get on TV... not sure. I grew up in a place that has road races - you could just walk up the street and look over the hedge in some spots - and never knew what was going on when I watched it live. Maybe if you have the radio on, sat in the grandstand, you'd have more idea.
This year the F1 is coming to the city I live in. It sold out instantly despite the high prices, so people aren't worried about paying whatever. I'm not even sure if the track is finished yet, they have a few months left yet though. After Mario Kart 8 also got an excellent track based on the city (can you guess where I live yet? haha), it's a shame the F1 track is actually far outside the city centre. So it'll be fairly standard track with some anonymous-looking road sections, rather than like Azerbaijan where the cars are going past all of the major city landmarks.
Vale? There are atleast two tracks within 1-5ish hours of me but tickets are super expensive and I’d go for my oldest son more so than myself. And he’s still too young to really appreciate and...
Vale?
There are atleast two tracks within 1-5ish hours of me but tickets are super expensive and I’d go for my oldest son more so than myself. And he’s still too young to really appreciate and remember it.
Maybe in a few years, assuming it’s not even more ridiculously expensive, but even then I think the viewing experience on F1TV is probably better…
I was able to see a little bit of FP1 at the inaugural Vegas race a few years back. Before it was cancelled 7min in because they didn't properly seal the manhole covers in the streets and damaged...
I was able to see a little bit of FP1 at the inaugural Vegas race a few years back. Before it was cancelled 7min in because they didn't properly seal the manhole covers in the streets and damaged one of the Ferraris...
But I still had F1TV on my phone and some earbuds so I could see action elsewhere and listen to commentary. It was cool to be there, for sure. But yeah, F1TV is better.
Ofc, I'd like to go to a full race weekend. But probably gonna have to wait until its popularity dies back down. If it does. Or go to Europe. Though seems like every race, commentators mention the race being sold out.
That said, I'd be OK going to other series' events sorta in lieu of. Formula E and IndyCar are the two big ones. Not motorsports, but I went to a SailGP event a few years ago. Much, much cheaper.
I think if the author had said they were a lifelong, say, butterfly 100m enthusiast and had been waiting their whole lives to see [name of athlete] race [another athlete], and then disappointed...
I think if the author had said they were a lifelong, say, butterfly 100m enthusiast and had been waiting their whole lives to see [name of athlete] race [another athlete], and then disappointed that tickets for specifically looked forward to events are still too expensive and immediately sold out, I would be more sympathetic to their point.
I found myself seriously considering spending money to see javelin, a sport I have never once thought about.
Adding then their comment about not interested in watching a potentially not-USA swimming prelim, and his dismissal of female Olympians playing cricket, for a sports article I just felt that the overall tone seemed oddly dismissive of the lifelong dedications of Olympians. And maybe sounds entitled? Sort of "I live in LA, my taxes are funding the Olympics, I should be able to have first pick of the best (guaranteed Team USA) events for very little money".
Like, @Nsutdwa has the right level of enthusiasm for F1, just watching practice laps was something they "got to go" as in, was privileged enough to have experienced in person.
The Salt Lake City 2002 beret does look very stylish, and Roots from that era made a lot of quality and good lucking fashion. I wore my Team Canada hoody until it basically became rags. Maybe I...
The Salt Lake City 2002 beret does look very stylish, and Roots from that era made a lot of quality and good lucking fashion.
I wore my Team Canada hoody until it basically became rags. Maybe I should pick up a vintage replacement from an online seller .....
All I remember from the 1996 Olympics are, in order of strength of memory: (1) getting an Izzy, (2) seeing flags I didn’t recognize at the time and being excited to learn about them, and (3)...
All I remember from the 1996 Olympics are, in order of strength of memory: (1) getting an Izzy, (2) seeing flags I didn’t recognize at the time and being excited to learn about them, and (3) seeing the news about something happening a few days later and pretending not to see the news.
I think we went to see something but I have no idea what it was and haven’t remembered for atleast 25 years.
Buying tickets to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics is kind of like having a megawealthy friend talk to you about the hobbies that they enjoy.
[...]
How much would you pay to watch people gracefully sword fight? Do you think you could learn to love cricket if you were spending $100? Would you like to go into mild credit card debt to see a less beautiful version of tennis?
Feel like it is what it is? The reality is that the demand for the most popular Olympic sports vastly outweighs the number of seats. Like with anything in that situation, it means that buying...
Feel like it is what it is? The reality is that the demand for the most popular Olympic sports vastly outweighs the number of seats. Like with anything in that situation, it means that buying tickets will be competitive, luck-based, and expensive. Because if 100,000 people want 5000 seats, then somehow or another 995,000 of them are going to end up empty handed.
Being at the Olympics isn’t a right or something that is going to be accessible. Watching it on TV is accessible. That’s just physics.
The author seems to think that because they are an LA resident, it should be a piece of cake for them to get tickets. But there are 20 million people in LA alone, not even considering people in driving distance.
Yeah, nothing in this article seems unexpected to me. You could probably use this as a good case study for an intro to microeconomics class. This article details things relating to: scarcity,...
Yeah, nothing in this article seems unexpected to me. You could probably use this as a good case study for an intro to microeconomics class. This article details things relating to: scarcity, opportunity cost, supply/demand, market equilibria, elasticity, utility, budget constraints, market structures, etc. (Yes, I referenced a list of typical curriculum topics).
There's a lot to be upset about, but I found the universal 24% service fee particularly egregious.
That feels like the kind of thing that wouldn't fly in other countries/economies/cultures, it baffles me that people in the US put up with stuff like that.
Maybe that’s just the minimum tip, so that poor... checks notes IOC can pay rent this month?
/noise
I want to preface my comment with the disclaimer that I am among the least sports inclined person on the planet. My favorite thing about watching live professional hockey last month was the flavoured popcorn: the hockey did not make top 10. I routinely and immediately unsubscribe from any sports subs/discs/channels when making a new account, and I would 100% rather stare blankly into the middle distance than to endure watching sports on tv. I would pay money to never see sports in my cable package. The sports pages of my newspaper subscriptions have never been read: I am far more likely to read every single last classified and obituary than the sports. If forced to at gunpoint, I would choose the horse betting page hoping for blurry black and white photos of horses. I hope I have been able to illustrate just how little I care about watching or hearing about humans moving around.
But. I lived in Vancouver during 2010, and having volunteered for the Games, I am, inexplicably, an Olympics fan.
specific critique of the author's piece.
This is amazing. Yes I'm sure the roll out was clumsy and people still count get enough tickets etc. But that ANY would be affordable by locals is a feat.
Reading the article, I'm confused by the author's confusion. A meme comes to mind, the one with the man with a noose saying "First time?". Has author never registered for a University course or tried to get musical tickets or attended a live concert before?
Of course not. That's like suggesting as many people want to watch the Olympic hockey gold, as the curling gold. Some sports are far more popular than others, like any other type of sport or live event on the planet.
And then complaining that tickets are for a match you won't know who's playing, and maybe Americans won't even be playing. Sir, this is
a Wendy'sthe Olympics: it's for the entire world. If you want to only cheer for Americans, then by all means go visit the USA pavilion, go stand in line to see the torch relay, and go to any local sports bar watch together days during your big games.This, after author just complained about not caring enough to see women playing cricket!!! For an insanely affordable $105!!! The first year after cricket has been absent from the Olympics for 100+ years!
The next part seems to be complaining about tickets being too expensive, AND LA28 will cost too much. Well then which is it then, you want cheap tickets or you want them to break even? These things are crazy expensive to host, and maybe that's why they're charging high flyers $5000+ not to see any sports, hmm?
I don't know who any of these athletes are except Ms Biles, but, my guy, you just refused to see the world's best women playing Crickets! What if they set a world record or a crazy young player makes a star debut or this is the last Olympics of a reigning Cricket queen?
I don't know the first thing about cricket . But in two years, I'm sure I can watch a bit and learn, maybe join a local lessson session / a funspiel equivalent tournament, find and talk to other fans, and in general get hyped about it somehow. Author didn't give it a chance, but continues to complain about other sports being more expensive.
Anyway, going back to my experience with being part of Vancouver 2010: there are a ton of things to do during the Olympics that are completely free and not sports-watching and memorable. It's a big party coming to your town, and even if you don't buy a single ticket, going from Pavilion to Pavilion is like an international world's fair. There'll be cute merch galore, lots of unique fashion, interactive history displays, and being host to so many people speaking different languages together in one place is a fantastic experience. There's also going to be a lot of non sports business booths and a ton of swag: kind of like the opposite of a big nerd convention, but should still have lots of fun little games and free experiences.
My family lived in SLC during the 2002 Winter Games. I was only a young teen, but I do remember how exciting it all was. In the run-up, athletes came to our school (and many other local school) to do demonstrations and such.
And while my family didn't go to any of the Olympic games -- they were expensive back then, too. Like probably $1000 for a family of four -- I think it was my mom who scored some free tickets from her work for a Paralympics hockey game. And that was a lot of fun. And impressive!
I'm pretty sure we went to at least one like free fan festival in downtown SLC. As far as merch, the big one that year was the Team USA Roots berets. Quite the hot commodity. Parents bought my brother and I one, which was cool (though I have no clue where those are anymore).
Idk. I understand the disappointment of wanting to go to something, but can't because ticket prices are absurd. For me, that'd be trying to see a Formula 1 race in the US. But the popularity of F1 is still so high, that prices are incredibly high. It sucks, but it is what it is. I don't have to see a race in person. And if I really, really want to, I could see one a lot cheaper by going overseas (the "joke" in F1 communities is that it's likely cheaper to fly to Europe to see an F1 race, than it is to see one in the US, even with hotel, food, transportation, etc). I get that that's still a privileged position.
But at the end of the day, no one needs to go see an F1 race or the Olympics. Yes, it'd be nice. Especially if it's in your hometown. But it's not a necessity. And like you said, there's plenty of other fun, free events that one could go to.
I feel you on F1 prices. I'm in Europe, but just couldn't scrape together the cash to go to a full event. But I once managed to luck out that I was quite near Jerez, where they did practice sessions, so I got to go and watch them crank out practice laps around this circuit along with a few people I'd blablacar-d in with. That was the season that McLaren had taken on Honda engines and sounded like a rumbly bag of bolts going round. Fun times. I hope you can score a way into an F1 race at some point!
I'm sure the atmosphere is good, but watching a race from just one spot compared to the multiple angles and all the context you get on TV... not sure. I grew up in a place that has road races - you could just walk up the street and look over the hedge in some spots - and never knew what was going on when I watched it live. Maybe if you have the radio on, sat in the grandstand, you'd have more idea.
This year the F1 is coming to the city I live in. It sold out instantly despite the high prices, so people aren't worried about paying whatever. I'm not even sure if the track is finished yet, they have a few months left yet though. After Mario Kart 8 also got an excellent track based on the city (can you guess where I live yet? haha), it's a shame the F1 track is actually far outside the city centre. So it'll be fairly standard track with some anonymous-looking road sections, rather than like Azerbaijan where the cars are going past all of the major city landmarks.
Vale?
There are atleast two tracks within 1-5ish hours of me but tickets are super expensive and I’d go for my oldest son more so than myself. And he’s still too young to really appreciate and remember it.
Maybe in a few years, assuming it’s not even more ridiculously expensive, but even then I think the viewing experience on F1TV is probably better…
I was able to see a little bit of FP1 at the inaugural Vegas race a few years back. Before it was cancelled 7min in because they didn't properly seal the manhole covers in the streets and damaged one of the Ferraris...
But I still had F1TV on my phone and some earbuds so I could see action elsewhere and listen to commentary. It was cool to be there, for sure. But yeah, F1TV is better.
Ofc, I'd like to go to a full race weekend. But probably gonna have to wait until its popularity dies back down. If it does. Or go to Europe. Though seems like every race, commentators mention the race being sold out.
That said, I'd be OK going to other series' events sorta in lieu of. Formula E and IndyCar are the two big ones. Not motorsports, but I went to a SailGP event a few years ago. Much, much cheaper.
I think if the author had said they were a lifelong, say, butterfly 100m enthusiast and had been waiting their whole lives to see [name of athlete] race [another athlete], and then disappointed that tickets for specifically looked forward to events are still too expensive and immediately sold out, I would be more sympathetic to their point.
Adding then their comment about not interested in watching a potentially not-USA swimming prelim, and his dismissal of female Olympians playing cricket, for a sports article I just felt that the overall tone seemed oddly dismissive of the lifelong dedications of Olympians. And maybe sounds entitled? Sort of "I live in LA, my taxes are funding the Olympics, I should be able to have first pick of the best (guaranteed Team USA) events for very little money".
Like, @Nsutdwa has the right level of enthusiasm for F1, just watching practice laps was something they "got to go" as in, was privileged enough to have experienced in person.
The Salt Lake City 2002 beret does look very stylish, and Roots from that era made a lot of quality and good lucking fashion.
I wore my Team Canada hoody until it basically became rags. Maybe I should pick up a vintage replacement from an online seller .....
My fleet of 2010 stuffed mascots are still with me though. They joked about Milano/Cortina athletes being given stuffed animals this year, but I'm much more jealous about Olympians being given their Milo / Tina / Flo than their hard earned medals.
All I remember from the 1996 Olympics are, in order of strength of memory: (1) getting an Izzy, (2) seeing flags I didn’t recognize at the time and being excited to learn about them, and (3) seeing the news about something happening a few days later and pretending not to see the news.
I think we went to see something but I have no idea what it was and haven’t remembered for atleast 25 years.
Aw I liked Izzy!
Article should be gifted; no paywall
Feel like it is what it is? The reality is that the demand for the most popular Olympic sports vastly outweighs the number of seats. Like with anything in that situation, it means that buying tickets will be competitive, luck-based, and expensive. Because if 100,000 people want 5000 seats, then somehow or another 995,000 of them are going to end up empty handed.
Being at the Olympics isn’t a right or something that is going to be accessible. Watching it on TV is accessible. That’s just physics.
The author seems to think that because they are an LA resident, it should be a piece of cake for them to get tickets. But there are 20 million people in LA alone, not even considering people in driving distance.
Yeah, nothing in this article seems unexpected to me. You could probably use this as a good case study for an intro to microeconomics class. This article details things relating to: scarcity, opportunity cost, supply/demand, market equilibria, elasticity, utility, budget constraints, market structures, etc. (Yes, I referenced a list of typical curriculum topics).