Norway and the 2022 Winter Olympics

Norway will NOT host the 2022 Winter Olympics. Instead, that "honor" will fall to either Kazakhstan or China. And after reading some details of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) requirements, I say that the IOC will be lucky to find any country that will have them. It really is a case of the 1% being out of touch with reality. And it is a shame. Norway has more winter olympic medals than any other country, and Norway hosted the 1952 games in Oslo and 1994 game in Lillehammer. Perhaps the cost of the Sochi game ($51 billion) was a bit too much. But more likely, it was simply the IOC demands, which were detailed in a Norwegian newspaper article.

The requirements were more than 7000 pages long. That perhaps is understandable in light of modern day security needs. But here were some specific requirements:

1. Prior to the opening ceremony, the IOC delegates will be provided with a cocktail party with the King and Royal Family, to be paid for by the Royal Family and/or the Norwegian Olympic Committee (NOC). The type and brand of alcohol was specified.
2. Full control over all advertising spaces throughout the city of Oslo must be provided to the IOC, to be used exclusively for IOC sponsored items only.
3. The NOC to provide and pay for Samsung Cell Phones and cellular service.
4. The NOC and/or City of Oslo to provide cars and drivers for all IOC delegates and members.
5. IOC members in their cars to be provided right-of-way, including a dedicated center lane, throughout the City of Oslo. Schools to be closed and Oslo Citizens to be encouraged to take vacation and leave the city throughout the duration of the Olympic games. Public transportation to be halted throughout the games.
6. IOC members to be given dedicated walkways throughout the City, and Oslo Citizens to be restricted from walkways for IOC members.
7. Separate, dedicated facilities for arrival and departure of IOC members at the Oslo airport.
8. Traffic rules and traffic lights to be prioritized for IOC members.
9. Specific seasonal fruits and cakes to be available on arrival in the IOC member's hotel rooms.
10. Hot breakfast buffet with new dishes daily for IOC members. Additional breakfast staff to serve IOC "bosses only" queue.
11. 24-hour room service, butler service and laundry for IOC members.
12. Hotels must have shops and must not display any items that compete with IOC sponsors.
13. Hotels must provide IOC meeting rooms that provide instant access to all-inclusive banquet service.
14. Meeting rooms to be kept at 20C (68F).
15. At Olympic Stadium, IOC members must be provided with access to sufficient food and drink of "high-quality". Light snacks and canapes are not of sufficient quality. Provision of hot foods must be replaced regularly.
16. During the opening and closing ceremony, a full bar must be provided. Beer and wine are sufficient on competition days.

I was trying to imagine what the reaction would be to the IOC handing over 7000 pages of demands requirements to an American city, say, Salt Lake City, and what the response of the American Olympic Committee chairman, say Mitt Romney, would be. Would it be: "You are out of your mind"? Or would it be: "Hey, we can all make money together out of this"?

Now, which country is more likely to come up with $50+ billion, Kazakhstan, or China? Dedicated traffic lanes? Didn't they try that in the U.S.S.R.?