November 7, 1972...a historical Olympic day. A vote, 514,228 to 350,964 (59.4%) in favor of TURNING DOWN the Olympic Games. The state of Colorado was the first and still is the only state to turn down the right to host the Olympic Games after already winning the bed by the IOC. What was the reasoning? Was their fate to come from this?
A vast majority of Coloradans were not in favor of hosting the 1976 Winter Olympics for a few reasons; one, the tax dollars to come with the Olympics and two, the environment. It was very well known that in hosting an event like the Olympics, chances are, the host country is going to eat a lot of money. One way of making the money deficit less harsh is by raising taxes, which obviously scared a lot of residence. However, without making money an issue, the Coloradans were still upset due to the fact that the games would be hosted across a 166-mile distance (Denver to Steamboat Springs). This would take away from the great scenery in the state of Colorado which already brings in a large number of tourists thanks to the snow-capped Rockies. However, did the residence of Colorado have fate in mind?
Although the topic of Colorado turning down the Winter Olympics is very fascinating to me, I believe we can make some good out of it...maybe it isn't that bad. When thinking of the 1980 Olympics, I'm sure you're thinking about what I'm thinking about, the Miracle On Ice. The U.S. hockey team that went up against the odds and shocked the world by defeating the Soviet Union 4-3 and went on to win the Gold. I bring up the Miracle On Ice to get you thinking of one thing. Obviously this took place in Lake Placid, New York. Would Lake Placid have been an option if it wasn't for the upset Coloradans? Could the underdog college hockey players that filled the roster for Team USA have beaten the Soviet's on the road in another country? Did this really happen for a reason?
If Colorado hosted the Olympics in 1976, Lake Placid would have not hosted in 1980 and maybe the Miracle on Ice would never have happened. Great thought there. Anyways, it would seem that having the Olympics would be great for a city, but in that time, Colorado felt otherwise. Now if they were offered, I'm sure they would not hesitate to accept because of one thing: money. Back then, it was about the money it would cost, but in today's Olympics it seems that the money brought it is way more than the money it costs. I do not think a city will ever deny the Olympics again if the IOC awards them.
ReplyDeleteYou brought up a great point that I had not considered, and I believe you are correct. If Denver had hosted the 1976 Olympics, it is unlikely that the 1980 Olympics would have been held in Lake Placid. That does not mean the U.S. would not have beaten the Soviets, but you are absolutely right in suggesting that context has a lot to do with the importance of key moments in sport. And this was certainly a key moment in U.S. sporting history.
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