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NBA ALL-STAR GAME


j_cuevas713

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Why start the Rodeo after the All Star game? Was it a blown opportunity not to host both at the same time? Why not have Lebron James be the grand marshal of the Rodeo Parade instead of the coach of the Aggies?

 

I imagine the dates simply didn't line up, but there also might be an issue of adequate hotels rooms in the city to handle both at the same time.

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I thought so. But if we cant handle the first weekend of the rodeo and the all star game at the same time, then can we seriously handle bigger events like the Olympics? I would have liked to at least try the Rodeo and All Star game at the same time, so we could apply lessons learned to an olympic bid...

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I thought so. But if we cant handle the first weekend of the rodeo and the all star game at the same time, then can we seriously handle bigger events like the Olympics? I would have liked to at least try the Rodeo and All Star game at the same time, so we could apply lessons learned to an olympic bid...

 

 

No Olympics. Sorry, but I am putting my foot down.

 

I have to agree.  I don't see an Olympic bid.  The lack of hotel rooms, the summer heat and humidity, and the incredibly high costs are just a few of the reasons...

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Aside from not being ideal from the Olympic Committee's point of view, it would leave us saddled with a lot of debt, and facilities that we would have a hard time repurposing. Just Google "abandoned Olympic venues" and get a look at all the decay around the world in former Olympic cities. We have enough problems puzzling over what to do with the Astrodome. Imagine having venues like that all over town that we don't want to tear down and "waste", but can't figure out what to do with. No thanks!

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I have to agree.  I don't see an Olympic bid.  The lack of hotel rooms, the summer heat and humidity, and the incredibly high costs are just a few of the reasons...

 

Lack of hotel rooms?  What are you talking about?  The Olympics say they require 45,000 rooms.  There are 54,000 rooms within the city limits of Houston, not including the rest of the metropolitan area.  With easily another 15-20,000 in the suburbs.

 

Summer heat and humidity can be addressed by having the Olympics in late September/October.

 

Incredibly high cost is a legitimate concern.

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Aside from not being ideal from the Olympic Committee's point of view, it would leave us saddled with a lot of debt, and facilities that we would have a hard time repurposing. Just Google "abandoned Olympic venues" and get a look at all the decay around the world in former Olympic cities. We have enough problems puzzling over what to do with the Astrodome. Imagine having venues like that all over town that we don't want to tear down and "waste", but can't figure out what to do with. No thanks!

 

Actually, our 2012 Olympic bid did not involve building all that many additional facilities all over town.  A bid for the 2024 Olympics should not be much different in that respect.

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Lack of hotel rooms?  What are you talking about?  The Olympics say they require 45,000 rooms.  There are 54,000 rooms within the city limits of Houston, not including the rest of the metropolitan area.  With easily another 15-20,000 in the suburbs.

 

Summer heat and humidity can be addressed by having the Olympics in late September/October.

 

Incredibly high cost is a legitimate concern.

 

I think there is a caveat that the hotel rooms be of a certain star rating or higher (either 3 or 4, not sure).  I think in our last bid there was a plan for docking multiple cruise ships here.

 

I would agree we might think about considering it if they would allow an October Olympics  but I have heard that they will not.  For some reason they insist on July or August.  Yes, the majority of the events are indoors, but most attendees are walking around outside between venues during the day.  Even natives don't enjoy our summers - do we really want the whole world and its journalists here complaining notstop about the heat, humidity, and afternoon thunderstorms?  What's our upside? Then there's the risk of peak hurricane season...

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I thought so. But if we cant handle the first weekend of the rodeo and the all star game at the same time, then can we seriously handle bigger events like the Olympics? I would have liked to at least try the Rodeo and All Star game at the same time, so we could apply lessons learned to an olympic bid...

 

There is no reason to think we could not handle the Rodeo and All Star game at the same time.

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I think there is a caveat that the hotel rooms be of a certain star rating or higher (either 3 or 4, not sure).  I think in our last bid there was a plan for docking multiple cruise ships here.

 

I would agree we might think about considering it if they would allow an October Olympics  but I have heard that they will not.  For some reason they insist on July or August.  Yes, the majority of the events are indoors, but most attendees are walking around outside between venues during the day.  Even natives don't enjoy our summers - do we really want the whole world and its journalists here complaining notstop about the heat, humidity, and afternoon thunderstorms?  What's our upside? Then there's the risk of peak hurricane season...

 

Yes, we did offer cruise ships as part of the 2012 bid.  With the addition of cruise ship capacity, we offered over 83,000 rooms - roughly 65,000 hotel rooms and 18,000 cruise ship rooms.   We've added a lot of additional hotel rooms in the Houston metro area since 2002, when the 2012 bid was prepared, with a lot more to come before 2024.  We clearly have no shortage of hotel rooms for the Olympics, especially considering the ability to dock cruise ships for additional rooms.

 

You seem to be basing your comments entirely on things you "have heard" or "think" might exist.  I thought you usually maintained higher standards.   Perhaps their rules (such as they are) have changed, but they have held the summer Olympics in October in the past.

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Actually, our 2012 Olympic bid did not involve building all that many additional facilities all over town.  A bid for the 2024 Olympics should not be much different in that respect.

 

Exactly. 

 

We already have the following;

 

Reliant Stadium

Reliant Arena

Minute Maid Field

Toyota Center

BBVA Stadium

Rice Stadium

Autry Court/Tudor Fieldhouse

Reckling Field

Rice Track Stadium

UH new football stadium

Hofheinz Pavilion

UH Softball stadium

UH Swimming + Diving Rec Center

TSU's arena

GRB (could easily host table tennis, etc...)

 

The Astrodome could easily be turned in to the world's best track venue.

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^ Exactly. The more I look at the 2012 bid, the more I think maybe we should give it another shot!

I think that it's a great opportunity to jump start certain infrastructure projects. Almost every city spends a lot of money for the Olympics, I happen to think that Houston could spend that money wisely. For those that are concerned about lack of rail infrastructure, this would create a fixed deadline to getting that infrastructure in place because I don't think that there's any question about whether the capability exists to build these things, it's whether the political will exists.

In terms of venues though, one big concern is where the track and field events would be hosted. The 2012 bid had them in the Astrodome. My understanding is that Reliant Stadium can't be configured for track. Since its questionable that the Astrodome could do that at this point, it could create the requirement to build a stadium that would be pretty much unnecessary after the games.

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I think that it's a great opportunity to jump start certain infrastructure projects. Almost every city spends a lot of money for the Olympics, I happen to think that Houston could spend that money wisely. For those that are concerned about lack of rail infrastructure, this would create a fixed deadline to getting that infrastructure in place because I don't think that there's any question about whether the capability exists to build these things, it's whether the political will exists.

In terms of venues though, one big concern is where the track and field events would be hosted. The 2012 bid had them in the Astrodome. My understanding is that Reliant Stadium can't be configured for track. Since its questionable that the Astrodome could do that at this point, it could create the requirement to build a stadium that would be pretty much unnecessary after the games.

 

If neither Reliant Stadium or the Astrodome could be used for Track and Field what about BBVA Compass? With all the stadiums we have ONE of them has to be able to fit in a track? Right?

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You seem to be basing your comments entirely on things you "have heard" or "think" might exist.  I thought you usually maintained higher standards.   Perhaps their rules (such as they are) have changed, but they have held the summer Olympics in October in the past.

 

I read a *lot* of stuff, but unfortunately my brain doesn't maintain a bibliography... ;-)

 

I think the only summer exception they made was Sydney because it is in the southern hemisphere where the seasons are reversed, so they got to have it in the last half of September.  If they pre-agree to an October date before we invest millions in a bid, then by all means, let's give it serious consideration.

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I read a *lot* of stuff, but unfortunately my brain doesn't maintain a bibliography... ;-)

 

I think the only summer exception they made was Sydney because it is in the southern hemisphere where the seasons are reversed, so they got to have it in the last half of September.  If they pre-agree to an October date before we invest millions in a bid, then by all means, let's give it serious consideration.

 

Mexico City was in October.

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Ohhhhkay - Back to All-Star Weekend :)

 

I had a lovely time visiting my hometown that weekend and the weather was absolutely spectacular.  A friend traveling with me commented she thought Houston was always hot & humid. Surprise, Thursday-Sunday it was nice and cool, & not a cloud in the sky!

 

I really wish I would have Tivo'd the game including pre-game coverage because the shots of downtown were the best I've ever seen of Houston. Downtown looked so alive with lighting and the shots of the skyline a night!! BG Group Place really stood out.

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