Was Sochi A Good Choice?

OK everyone, say it with me now...

REALLY, SOCHI?!?!

Where do I even start?

Photo courtesy: http://www.breakingnews.ie/media/images/s/
SochiGamesTwoToilets_large.jpg

It's funny, because every morning when I wake up and look at various social media outlets, I see throngs of posts from civilians, athletes, and journalists in Sochi who are having terrible experiences. From unfinished hotel rooms, gay rights issues, stray dogs, and communal toilets, it begs the question: Was Russia really ready for the world stage?

The answer should always be yes when speaking about the Olympic destination, but I'm going to have to scratch that and say "We'll see."

The thought of Russia is kind of nice. Vladimir Putin has tried his best to win over the hearts of politicians everywhere – including Syria, but we have to face the facts here -- Russia needed more time. Before the Olympics even got started, everyone was turning it into a big fat joke.

Blooper #1: Location. Choosing to hold the Winter Olympics in the warmest place of Russia – a village by the beach, the Olympic committee might as well have held the Winter games in San Diego. Russia is a place full of freezing, unbearable weather, so why is Olympic Park literally on the shores of the Black Sea? I stand befuddled. Not to mention I heard they've been storing snow just to guarantee there would be enough by the time the games rolled around.

Blooper #2: Russian PR. So, the big wigs over there in Eastern Europe tried to hide the fact that nothing was ready. Their controlled PR and lack of international travel is a great way to not let people know what's really going on in your country. Hey guys, did you not think that once all of us loud, opinionated Americans got over there that we wouldn't tweet, blog, report, and holler loudly about the fact that your hotels aren't done and you're painting the grass green (literally)? Come on.

Are you laughing yet? Because really, this is comical.

Here's a short list of issues people have been having with lodging:

• Hotel rooms trashed

• Beds covered in semen

• Construction workers sleeping in booked guestrooms

• Stray dogs all over the place, including in hotel rooms

• Unsafe drinking water, or using water to wash yourself

• Communal toilets, like group poop time

• Wi-Fi hanging from the ceiling

• Live wires in showers

• Hotel lobbies with no floor

Photo courtesy: http://tinyurl.com/luoen9j 

And believe me, there is so much more. If you click this link you will see I'm not joking around.

Blooper #3: During the opening ceremonies, the fifth ring did not turn from a snowflake into a ring.

Honestly, I don't really see this as Russia's fault, and for the most part people understand that things like that are bound to go wrong when you're trying to put on a big production. For example, what happened with the lights at the Super Bowl last year. People talk about it for awhile and then they get over it.

Here's where Russia went wrong: Before the opening ceremonies aired on Russian TV, they went in and photo-shopped the fifth ring morphing from snowflake to ring. No other TV station in the world did this. Russia, I can see at this point you are still continuing to do everything you can to save face, even calling the incident an "open secret," but it's not like the whole world agreed to do this too. The whole thing is silly. Admit the mistake and move on. It gives the production character, anyway.

Olympic rings aside, the rest of the opening ceremony was pretty good, the United States has already won some gold medals, and the Olympics themselves are going smooth thus far.

But man, Russia, don't do this to us again in 2018 when you host the World Cup.

On the bright side (like, as if the fifth ring had actually lit up), if the Olympics go well from here on out, Russia will ultimately consider this a win for the country. Who can blame them? Even though Bob Costas' eye swelled shut on the first day of broadcasting and U.S. Olympian Bobsledder Johnny Quinn had to literally break the door of his hotel room bathroom down just to get out when he was done taking a shower. Don't worry he posted a photo on Twitter.

Photo courtesy: http://tinyurl.com/n3l9dkj

I can truly say that the Olympic telecast of sports has been great to watch, even though I've fallen asleep two nights in a row trying to stay up watching it.

Guys, I'm sorry, but just reading this I laugh. For every good thing I try to say about The Games thus far I can backup with about 20 things that have gone wrong. It's become funny.

I want to root for Russia's success, I really do. Their athletes are killing it, too.

Sometimes I just think to myself, "Did you not think at some point everyone was going to put the situation on blast?"

If the Russians with all their technology and military might can't get the toilets to work, what will happen in 2016 in Rio, a place everyone is already afraid of? Prostitutes in the rooms? Pickpockets taking tickets? With recent Olympic luck, Rio might end up making us miss dirty water and stray dogs.

Despite all the flaws, my true hope is that the Olympics go smoothly and end on a high note not only for the U.S. and Russia, but for all of Russia, and the world.

But please, no more communal toilets.

Photo courtesy: http://tinyurl.com/lacq7q6