Candidate Cities to host 2012 Olympic Games

[brownie]

Controversy after the unveiling of the 2012 Olympic logo.

From AFP:

LONDON OLYMPIC LOGO TRIGGERS DEBATE

The "iconic" logo for the 2012 London Olympics was unveiled here on Monday, but critics immediately condemned it as "hideous" and a waste of money.

The jagged emblem, designed to define the image of the Games in five years' time, comes in a series of bright shades of pink, blue, green and orange, and includes the signature five Olympic rings emblazoned onto the "0".

"This is the vision at the very heart of our brand," said London 2012 organising committee chief Sebastian Coe, the former 800m and 1,500m world record holder who won gold in the 1,500 metres at the 1980 and 1984 Olympics.

"It will define the venues we build and the Games we hold, and act as a reminder of our promise to use the Olympic spirit to inspire everyone and reach out to young people around the world," he said at the London launch.

Organisers hope the logo, designed to be instantly recognisable worldwide, will help boost its campaign to raise two billion pounds (three billion euros) to stage the Games.

"This is an iconic brand that sums up what London 2012 is all about -- an inclusive, welcoming and diverse Games that involves the whole country," said Olympics minister Tessa Jowell.

But critics were not impressed.

Bob Neill, 2012 Olympics spokesman for the main opposition Conservative Party, was disparaging about Coe's optimism, despite him being a fellow Tory lawmaker.

"Lord Coe has described this logo as 'ambitious, interactive and youth-friendly'. I would describe it as hideous," he said.

"Questions need be answered as to how we have ended up in this situation. Was there an open competition to supply the designs? If so, what on earth do the rejected ones look like!

"We need to know how much money this exercise has cost, because whatever it was, it's been a complete waste of money."

Initial public reaction was also less than positive.

"This logo makes me embarrassed to be English," said a contributor called Clumbers on one online message site devoted to the logo, which was devoid of supporters of the chosen design.

"It looks like it could have been done by a six year old. I could do better with my eyes closed," added someone called Bige.

A poll by the BBC News website asked readers to give it a gold, silver or bronze medal, or a wooden spoon if they really didn't like it. Eighty three percent gave it a wooden spoon.

The budget for the 2012 Olympics has soared to 9.3 billion pounds (18.6 billion dollars, 13.7 billion euros), nearly four times more than the first projections of how much it would cost to stage the Games in London.

[sidewinder]

This crap has been called everything from a swastika to a rip-off of the logo on airhead 70s kids TV show 'Tiswas'.

Wonder what the jerks were paid who designed it ?

[brownie]

This crap has been called everything from a swastika to a rip-off of the logo on airhead 70s kids TV show 'Tiswas'.

Wonder what the jerks were paid who designed it ?

From the AP:

London 2012 chief executive Paul Deighton said it cost $796,000 to design the logo by international branding firm Wolff Olins.

[sidewinder]

it cost $796,000 to design the logo by international branding firm Wolff Olins.

.. or 750 near-mint copies of 'True Blue'.

[Clunky]

This crap has been called everything from a swastika to a rip-off of the logo on airhead 70s kids TV show 'Tiswas'.

Wonder what the jerks were paid who designed it ?

From the AP:

London 2012 chief executive Paul Deighton said it cost $796,000 to design the logo by international branding firm Wolff Olins.

the design is very poor IMO, real waste of money, my daughter could have done better and the money gone to charity.

Edited June 5, 2007 by Clunky

[Claude]

I like the slight deconstructivist touch, but it's a poor logo for such a popular event. Without the London inscription and the olympic rings, it would make a nice motive for an "arty" t-shirt.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

It'll all end in tears.

MG

[Matthew]

The budget for the 2012 Olympics has soared to 9.3 billion pounds (18.6 billion dollars, 13.7 billion euros), nearly four times more than the first projections of how much it would cost to stage the Games in London.

And that's only going to be half the amount by the time it's done...

[Aggie87]

It looks like one person crouching down doing something to another person.

[brownie]

It looks like one person crouching down doing something to another person.

You REALLY have a dirty mind

Hm! wait a second!

Do I now see what you were thinking of

[Noj]

It's definitely somebody polishing somebody's...er, shoes.

I don't like the design, too 80s. "2012" is scarcely legible, and not stylishly appealing in any way.

[sidewinder]

It looks like one person crouching down doing something to another person.

B****dy **ll ! So it is ! I take my hat off to those guys, they are worth every £ of their £400k.

Or maybe its broken glass !

(fitting)

Edited June 5, 2007 by sidewinder

[sidewinder]

And latest reports are that epilepsy cases have already been triggered off by this abomination when it flashes its colours !

[B. Clugston]

That's a shockingly bad logo. What a waste of money. What an inept design firm. What an out-of-control Olympic organizing committee.

[umum_cypher]

BBC's alternative logo contest yielded this:

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

BBC's alternative logo contest yielded this:

Perfect!

MG

Oh no! Where are the five rings? They must have gone down the drain first!

Edited June 5, 2007 by The Magnificent Goldberg

[sidewinder]

The Olympic Chairman has just declared that he loves the 2012 London logo !

IOC

Then it's official - it must be crap.

[sidewinder]

Up for Monsieur Brownie on his next visit....

If Boris says so then within budget it will be -

Boris Speaks...

Edited August 23, 2008 by sidewinder

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Up for Monsieur Brownie on his next visit....

If Boris says so then within budget it will be -

Boris Speaks...

Of course.

Shall we have a poll on how much the overspend will be? My bet is £3 billion, give or take.

MG

[ejp626]

Well, this is really about 2016 (again) but I think it fits. The 2012 is really shaping up to be a fiasco for London. I have seen first-hand how even the faint hope of getting 2016 for Chicago has completely distorted all kinds of political decisions. I've never hated Mayor Daley as much as I have now. He's actually firing commissioners who aren't 100% on board with this fool's crusade. But as badly as he wants it, he refused to put into the bid the only thing that would actually benefit the city and its residents (inproved transit infrastructure). I've actually taken the step of requesting the addresses of the IOC to write to them to explain my opposition and to show how badly the Games will go with the existing transportation system.

If they actually respond and anyone else wants in on the letter-writing campaign, let me know.

Eric

[ejp626]

Well, this is really about 2016 (again) but I think it fits. The 2012 is really shaping up to be a fiasco for London. I have seen first-hand how even the faint hope of getting 2016 for Chicago has completely distorted all kinds of political decisions. I've never hated Mayor Daley as much as I have now. He's actually firing commissioners who aren't 100% on board with this fool's crusade. But as badly as he wants it, he refused to put into the bid the only thing that would actually benefit the city and its residents (inproved transit infrastructure). I've actually taken the step of requesting the addresses of the IOC to write to them to explain my opposition and to show how badly the Games will go with the existing transportation system.

If they actually respond and anyone else wants in on the letter-writing campaign, let me know.

Eric

Well, I very, very rarely write to politicians or NGOs, but I am pretty worked up about the Olympics, and I will do what I can (legally of course) to undermine Chicago's bid. It will be a disaster of epic proportions here, specifically because so much of the cost will fall to the city and state unlike other places where the cost overruns are nationalized. So here's the info if anyone is interested:

You asked:

Is there a centralized address for submitting comments on the selection of the Host City 2016?

Answer:

You may send your comments to the following postal address:

International Olympic Committee (IOC)

Candidate Cities Relations

Case postale 356

Château de Vidy

1001 Lausanne

Switzerland

[rpklich]

I live in Chicago as well. Not much is organized against it. A couple of groups on the southside. Toni Preckwinkle, the alderman from Hyde Park is the only elected offical who seem to be against it. One group , no games Chicago nogameschicago.com is planning to organize marches during the IOC visit in early April. Normally I'm very skeptical about marches, but there are alot of IOC offcials from Europe who take notice of marches and hence it might be worth it. I went to a couple or their meetings and have some reservations about them, but they are the only group I know about. About 50 or so people seem to be involved, and they do seem to be growing. I think people in Amsterdam marched with some success stopping the games. No games is still organizing and its mostly northside and white. STOP is southside and black www.stopchicago.org and is trying to stop the games. There seems to at least some effort to coodinate. Chicago will be alot worse off if we get these games. The final tab will be astronomical. The only good that can come from these games are alot good smartass comments from Tribune sports columnist Bob Verdi. Bob has been onto the corrupt IOC for at least 20 years and shows them nothing but the contempt they deserve.

[sidewinder]

Deadline for ticket bookings on the London 2012 site has about half an hour to go. Needless to say, there is last minute mad panic from across the globe and the site crashed just as I was completing my (hopelessly optimistic) selections..

Site Crash Mayhem

"A spokeswoman for the Olympic Organising committee said "some transactions were getting through". "

I guess that was me?

Edited April 26, 2011 by sidewinder