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Show SOUTHERN UTAH NEWS WEDNESDAY MARCH 13, 2002 Feature 16 Utah awaits Olympic returns By Rachel Tueller The Olympic Games are over and as the fire within Utah turns to a slow simmer, the state looks on in anxious anticipation for e the signs ofsuccess. Success, according to some, that can be measured only in statistical figures in tourism or sales. Utah has developed a kind of nervous, nail biting, edge of our seat.habit awaiting these results. But exactly what kind of return was Utah expecting? Along gas station owners indicated that sales hadnt been as high as expected. In Salt Lake City, homeowners indicated they hadnt secured as many rentals for Olympic accommodations, or at the price theyd hoped for. In downtown Salt Lake City, Crossroads Mall was at the Olympic heart, smack next to the Medals Plaza and all media centers. Stores in Crossroads, like the Body Shop that has over 52 intell-tal- 1-- ternational stores, indicated most visitors were merely browsing or window shopping and guessed that the food court probably fared best in the mall. In Utah, were still waiting for something to happen. Now that the games are officially over, Utah longs for a report card. Yet polls cited in print and on television news all seem to be generated from within the state. Can Utah give an accurate of the games? The state has prepared for self-evaluati- on years, since the bid was awarded in 1996, to welcome the world, and the worlds wallets. Now Utah, as with any investor, wants to see returns, and not just marginal returns either. After all, weve dealt with the media hype, the daily newscasts of public scrutiny and controversy over Salt Lakes bid process since 1998. Weve heard all the versions of the medias stories on Utahs rich pioneer and religious heritage. W eveall put up with the ceaseless, horrendous, and finally, hurried, Salt Lake freeway improvements for the Games. Utah, like all other Olympic hosts, believed from the start that the investment would prove profitable and that Utah would prove a better host overall. As reported by the Deseret News , Salt Lake Olympic Committee President Mitt Romney stated that, the Utah taxpayer paid zero dollars. SLOC repaid the $59 million in state revenues that were diverted to build luge, bobsled, skeleton, speed skating and ski jumping venues. Utah then, hasnt lost out in hosting the Olympics. So where exactly do we look for the returns? While we wait and watch for the hefty Olympic returns due us, consider other players who came to the table, who threw in on the hand and gambled as much, or more, on the Olympics. MARCH 2002 4 fit 1 K J rt 4 j I 7 ' everyone. To those who heard Thorpes story and his plans for a now . 1 'ss n - J f , J ,'' ' - ' ' .Jflj'h ' ''i - j "0J jf 4 ? V '' ' 'A , , r- - - i&fc ' ' v 1 1 rM I ft H- ? f 4' - 4 U' ' ' f J? 1 m i ) i' - iv, , ' ' ; V' v- ' V V 1 1,-- ; I "7 yT ,7 I - V-- I - A' 4 Zt. V v. "V jJ 7 V'ii Sacajawea, better known as Kanab resident Joyce Hunsaker, performed at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake. moonlighting as Home Depot employees. In fact, someone even teased Thorpe on the issue and in a very serious tone, Thorpe responded that Home Depot was an incredibly valuable sponsor. Thorpes a regular guy, like the rest of us, except in one very amazing and unique aspect. He clearly ruled in this one thing, as an Olympic athlete, winning the gold for the U.S. At 3 1 Thorpe has competed in hundreds of races, now including four Olympic Games, also winning silver in Nagano. Thorpe grew up in reported, a number of groups, businesses and private parties throughout the city rallied together to send the athletes home witH an impressive purse, also awarding cash to each player for their own personal items. The media itself even made an ' investment in Utah and the Games. For the most part, we dont care what the media is doing or thinking. But we cared a lot more about the media when they all came to town. What did the media expect in returns on their coverage of the Games and Utah? NBC bought the rights to the Games for a record $545 million, and as a result, shut the rest of the media completely out of the events. But ABC, CBS, CNN and ESPN and others considered media still came to the Games on a gamble. Allowed only seconds worth of Games coverage as released per NBCs choosing, the media took chances that other stories within Utah and on the Games would come. When it comes down to it in the end, it will be hard to gauge non-accred-it- ed non-accredit- ed was down to the wire, as with the world and exchanged Kazakhstan tried to hold on in something stronger than curthe extra period. China scored rency. We had our shining mothe tie breaking point leaving ment under the same sun that Kazakhstan in last and flnl shines on everyone. Coming place at number eight. right down to it, the bigger picword out leaked in Utah ture is that Utah is still just one Later, from a caring bus driver that the small spoke in the big wheel St. Patrick's Day LoCCll PO0kv 1 uncertain future, lucrative didnt seem the word to describe his experience. In fact, it occurred to a few of us that some of those guys have to eke out a humble Maine, regularly trains in living, as evidenced in the com- .Florida, and now at the ripe old mercials about Olympic athletes age of 31, is retiring. No more of . . . All of this, he says indicating our Salt Lake style Mardi Gras surroundings. Thorpe looks relieved and confused all at once to the mention of retirement. He says it like a mantra hes re1 hearsed to himself for convincing. When all is said and done, what will Thorpes return be? From looking' at the website USALuge.org, it seems plain enough where most of the donations and support ends up and it Celt Th doesnt seem to be in the same pocket that the Olympic medal was resting in. Another bittersweet story on athletes was the womens hockey team of Kazakhstan. How high were their expectations on Olympic returns? Unlike U.S. hockey players who receive a stipend at the 17 Tho '&( tl exactly what Utahs return on the Games will be. Nothing is ever as it seems. Is it possible to put a price tag on lasting impressions, educating the world on the state, bridging cultural gaps or even friendships made? The larger picture is that Utah end of the season, Kazakhstan can got the chance to participate in afford to pay only a few of its play- something uniquely different ers. Kazakhstan played hard and uncommon. Its not everythrough the 2002 Winter Games day that we invite the worlds but lost its hold, even on a sev- people into our homes and prienth place standing. That game vate lives. Utah rubbed elbows S. V Take Olympic athletes, for instance. The heroes weve watched so intensely, whove trained rigorously day after day for years on end. Folks who trained so hard, in fact, that most of their lives have consisted of nothing but the Olympic representation of their country. To come halfway across the world, compete in the Olympics, and in an instant, all of their training, blood, sweat and tears, ends in a matter ofseconds. Compare their investments and returns. We all think of it as such a lucrative sporting venture for all of them. Despite the incredible display of wealth we witnessed during the games, my own perspective was proven dead wrong. One night during the Games in one of Salt Lakes many venues, a crowd awaiting the start of one many live shows stood watching as a young man pulled a gold medal from the pocket of his jeans. Beaming, Chris Thorpe, US Luge Olympic Gold Medalist, walked in a daze among the crowd, holding the token, sharing it generously with , , feiSsMby westVijfa Adverfixsg Srksi,U.C - lontmly epfotiC C1 PulSiibj, be ladies had been shopping for that makes the world go round, Olympic souvenirs at a dollar and for a moment, Utah seized store. As Provos Daily Herald the chance to be the hub of it all. |