But the Olympics are, like, cool!

So I've now twice been living in a city bidding for the Olympics*. And what I - still - do not understand is: how do these politicians manage to convince themselves that being an Olympic host is anything other than a financial disaster? There's a very predictable news cycle. Happens every four years (though spread over rather longer). City bids - excitement. City wins bid - celebrations. City prepares madly for games, spending billions on development. Complaints are made. Spending is defended. Doubts are raised as to possibility of getting it all done on time and on budget. All is finished in nick of time (usually rather slapdash by the end) and over budget. Olympics happen. Cheers! Locals whine about bloody tourists and bloody businesses putting prices up. Business cheers about wonderful tourists, but why aren't they spending more? Olympics over, everyone goes home. Someone tots it all up and guess what? It cost much, much more than it was supposed to. And it didn't make nearly enough money. City faces deficit for years to come. Citizens complain.

This happens every bloody time. It's not even news any more; or it shouldn't be. Yet still people claim this is a good idea, money can be made, and the citizens really want it. Okay. Whatever. Somebody evidently wants it. I just can't work out why.


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* Not actually true. By the time Cape Town was bidding, I was living in Jozi. Details. Shhh.