Japan Journal of Sport Sociology
Online ISSN : 2185-8691
Print ISSN : 0919-2751
ISSN-L : 0919-2751
Why Hold the Olympic Games?
John W. LOY[in Japanese]
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JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2006 Volume 14 Pages 9-14,117

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Abstract

In this paper I play devil's advocate and address the question as to whether it is worth continuing to conduct the Olympic Games. Specifically, I raise concerns about what I call the problematic moral validity, sporting validity, and pragmatic (economic) validity of the Games. I question the moral validity of the Games in terms of the processes of prolympism, globalization, totalization, and corruption associated with the Games. In turn, I suggest that the sporting validity of the Games is compromised by alternative world championships in most sports, the absence of many of the world's best athletes in a number of sports, and the potpouri of specific sporting venues of the games. And I question the pragmatic (economic) validity of the Games in terms of overall costs in general, and bidding costs, security costs, drug testing costs, and infrastructure costs in particular. In conclusion, I pose the question: “Are the Olympic Games worth the cost of economic and human capital?”

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