Just did some quick drafting. Needs would be in aquatics for the most part and a new Stadium with retractable roof in place of dome or at another site. Most venues can be used for more than one event. For example some may start and run the first week and another the second week. Not sure on the attendance at many events. Many events use portable seating. I have heard of the group looking to make a bid as late as last fall. They were discussing potential sites for another olympic size pool.
Archery- Anywhere
Badminton- MIAC Venue
Baseball- Target Field, New Saints Field, Miller Park Early Rounds
Basketball- Target Center, Williams Arena
Boxing- Mystic Lake Casino
Canoeing- Plenty of lakes and rivers
Cricket will come back at 2020 Olympic games- Fort Snelling
Cycling- Mpls to Rochester or Duluth/ Blaine
Diving U of M/ Portables
Equestrian Shakopee or Lino Lakes
Fencing- MIAC School
Football/Soccer- TCF Field, Madison, Chicago, Iowa City
Golf -Hazeltine
Gymnastics- Xcel Energy Center
Handball - MIAC School
Hockey (field) - St. Cloud or Duluth
Judo - MIAC or Mankato
Modern pentathlon Olympic Stadium/Vikings new digs
Rowing -Mississippi
Sailing -Lake Minnetonka
Shooting- Anywhere
Swimming- U of M/Portables
Synchronized swimming- Likely need additional permanent aquatic facility
Table tennis- MIAC School
Taekwondo- MIAC or other School
Tennis- Likely need a venue
Triathlon- anywhere
Track- Olympic Stadium
Volleyball- Rochester/Pavillion
Water polo- additional aquatics needed
Weightlifting- College Facility
Wrestling-College Facility
There's only one minor problem with a Minnesota Winter Olympics bid: terrain.
Downhill skiing requires a minimum of 800 meters (2,625 feet). For comparison's sake, the highest point in the state of Minnesota is 2,301 feet above sea level, at Eagle Mountain. The tallest vertical drop in the Midwest is 1,088 feet at Lutsen or Mount Bohemia, Michigan (790 feet).
The nearest ski resort with sufficient drop is either Big Sky in Bozeman or many places in Colorado.
That's a pretty good list but there are going to need a few changes.
Opening/Closing Ceremories and Track & Field-It would be need to be a new building. The Vikings and the ceremories have different goals. I personally think they should go the London route. The said events are going to happen in a stadium that is designed to go from 80000 to 30000 after the games. Minneapolis could to that to except make it a little smaller for a MLS team.
Basketball-A new building would need to be built the Target Center would be about 30 years old at the time and if kept would need a bunch of renovations. Also you could send really minor basketball games(like Paraguay and Lativa womens basketball) could be sent out to the Taylor Center at MSU-Mankato. Not sure if there are any other places in Minnesota that could handle that.
Swimming & Diving-The U would get a new pool after the games go the Olympic Stadium route really reduce capacity.
Boxing-Not sure if the IOC would be ok with having boxing in a casino.
Sailing-Lake Supiour not Lake Minnetonka
Other events held at MIAC schools would overall is a pretty good idea but the issue that might have is lighting. If they want to do HD broadcasting that is even a bigger deal.
I love the idea of Cricket at Fort Snelling for what ever reason. It's great. Also if anyone has good info on a new Saints Stadium I would love to see it.
There are of course possible downsides to having the Olympics, but I think they would be overshadowed by the upsides. We have good facilities, we wouldn't need to build nearly as many facilities as some cities would. The Twin Cities could really use the PR boost. Minneapolis once had a slogan "The Minneapple", but that wasn't humble enough for Minnesotans. I remember the uber-lame "We like it here". That was beyond lame, but it fit right in with the "let's not brag about ourselves" attitude that we too often have.
There's more to visiting Minnesota than just hunting and fishing. (nothing against hunting and fishing, of course) There is an awful lot to do in the Twin Cities, but people all over the country know little about it. They may know the Mall of America, but that's about it.
They've got the time to do it, as it's unlikely that the IOC will go for two straight Olympics in the Americas (they're far too Euro-centric).
Minneapolis was more recently know as "Murderapolis" and the 4th ...., well, I won't go there.
Minneapolis was more recently know as "Murderapolis" and the 4th ...., well, I won't go there.
An Olympic Stadium could be designed so that it would serve the Vikings after an Olympiad (with modification) ala Atlanta and Turner Field. The Atlanta Stadium wasn't anything at all to look at as an Olympic Stadium as one end was essentially Turner Field. It frankly makes no sense to build an Olympic Stadium without eyes towards a long term tenant afterward. What a waste of money.
I agree completely with your sediment Swede when you build an Olympic Stadium you have to have a full time tenant lined up for after the games. If you don't you end up with the Bird's Nest that is just sits there with no real use and alot of upkeep. That's why I loved the London idea design it to go to a smaller capacity after the games. I also think the MLS model is a better idea than the Vikings for the following reasons.
1. The Vikes lease expires in 2011 they are going to continue in the Dome until 2021. That's simply not going to happen.
2. The current NFL stadium model is one of getting a much revenue as possible. That means 1000's of club seats, 100 suites, "premium" resturants, etc, etc, look at Bird's Nest none of that and trying to build those in afterwards I think would be really spendy.
3. NFL owners want the seats on the side lines not the ends because they can charge more money for them. The Vikings won't be happy with a oval stadium.
4. I'm not completely sure on this but I think a soccer field fits in the area of a track a little better than a football field.
The next thing you are going to see about this will be a rotating field (or seats) so every seat is on the 50 yard line at some point during the game....
If you figure out how to do that every sports team owner in America will beat a path to your door.
As far as the Braves and Turner Stadium being converted after the Atlanta games, isnt Turner Field sort of a POS among MLB stadiums? I really have no idea, as i have never been there, but something tells me it looks and plays like a converted olympic stadium shoehorned into a baseball facility?
As far as the Braves and Turner Stadium being converted after the Atlanta games, isnt Turner Field sort of a POS among MLB stadiums? I really have no idea, as i have never been there, but something tells me it looks and plays like a converted olympic stadium shoehorned into a baseball facility?