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How many of you were around during the 1996 Olympics here in Atlanta? What are you good memories? Sometimes, it is hard to believe that took place 16 years ago. Time marches on.
I rather not hear about all the bad stuff (politics) as there is a politics section on City-Data.
Did you buy a commemorative brick that is now in Centennial Park, if so, did you ever go down to see where it is placed? Or take pictures of it? I was too broke to get a brick back then, but wished I had.
Did you go to any sporting events? Through my job at the time, I had volunteered at an event at Fulton County stadium and it was hot as blazes with the humidity as it was in July. I handed out water and fans shaped like Georgia. I kept a few of those as souvenirs.
Columbus had the 1996 softball Olympics,and Savannah had the sailing Olympics . Good memories for Georgia indeed.
List of the 1996 Olympics over Gerogia
Events of the 1996 Games were held in a variety of areas. A number were held within the Olympic Ring, a 3 mi (4.8 km) circle from the center of Atlanta. Others were held at Stone Mountain, about 20 miles (32 km) outside of the city. To broaden ticket sales, other events, such as soccer, occurred in various cities in the Southeast.
Alexander Memorial Coliseum – Boxing
Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium – Baseball
Centennial Olympic Stadium – Opening/Closing Ceremonies, Athletics
Citrus Bowl (Orlando, Florida) – Soccer
Clayton County International Park (Jonesboro, Georgia) – Beach Volleyball
Forbes Arena – Basketball
Georgia Dome – Basketball (final), Gymnastics (artistic), Handball (men's final)
Georgia International Horse Park (Conyers, Georgia) – Cycling (mountain), Equestrian, Modern pentathlon (riding, running)
Georgia State University Sports Arena – Badminton
Georgia Tech Aquatic Center – Diving, Modern pentathlon (swimming), Swimming, Synchronized Swimming, Water Polo
Georgia World Congress Center – Fencing, Handball, Judo, Modern pentathlon (fencing, shooting), Table Tennis, Weightlifting, Wrestling
Golden Park (Columbus, Georgia) – Softball
Herndon Stadium – Field hockey (final)
Lake Lanier (Cumming, Georgia) – Canoeing (sprint), Rowing
Legion Field (Birmingham, Alabama) – Soccer
Miami Orange Bowl (Miami, Florida) – Soccer
Omni Coliseum – Volleyball (indoor final)
Ocoee Whitewater Center (Polk County, Tennessee) – Canoeing (slalom)
Panther Stadium – Field hockey
RFK Stadium (Washington, D.C.) – Soccer
Stone Mountain Tennis Center (Stone Mountain, Georgia) – Tennis
Stone Mountain Park Archery Center (Stone Mountain, Georgia) – Archery
Stone Mountain Park Velodrome (Stone Mountain, Georgia) – Cycling (track)
Sanford Stadium (Athens, Georgia) – Soccer (final)
Stegeman Coliseum (Athens, Georgia) – Gymnastics (rhythmic), Volleyball (indoor)
Wassaw Sound (Savannah, Georgia) – Sailing
Wolf Creek Shooting Complex – Shooting
You said you didn't want to hear bad stuff, so I hope this doesn't sound bad...
I just remember being disappointed. I had envisioned a huge party atmosphere, where Centennial Park would be hopping 24/7 with food, drinks, bands, parties, and just people hanging out and having a good time. Most of what it was instead was just a bunch of people trading pins and selling t-shirts.
I'm not saying I was upset by how commercial the Olympics were. I'm saying I'm disappointed they weren't more commercial. There should have been bright lights, shining lasers, blaring techno music, rock and roll bands, and just a huge 3 week long block party. Maybe that stuff was going on somewhere, but it didn't seem to be cenetered around Centennial Park like I had hoped it would be. Or maybe I just missed it, but I remember walking around thinking how great it was to see people from all over the world, but I wanted to party with them, not watch them walk around looking at pins and t-shirts.
Maybe that's what the Olympics is all about. I have never been to another one.
I worked inside Georgia Tech in the Village. The place was so transformed, you wouldn't have recognized it. There were golf cart "trains" running around campus to ferry the athletes and coaches as well as buses. Fences all over the place with levels of security. I had a biometric scan made of my hand to let me into and out of the Village. I had 24-hour access. I watched the closing ceremonies and it was too late to take the bus home so I thought, what is the safest place in Atlanta? The Village of course. So I entered and slept on a couch in the Tech Student Center. The night before there was a party for the athletes so in the morning there were vats of bottled cokes left. That morning the area was deserted so my friend and I gathered up as many cokes as we could carry.
In the library parking lot (which is no longer there), there was a tent with video games for the athletes. Non-stop free play for them. Oddly, there were dancercise classes attended by the athletes in the student center. Let me tell you...that was the fittest dancercise class you'd ever seen. They could keep up and and move with the dancercise instructor...no problemo.
They had a Mickey Dees tent beside the football stadium. Funny how they produced food and put them in food chutes and you just grabbed what ever you wanted. All the Coke machines would dispense when you used your ID badge. There was a swimming pool rec area between the Physics and ISYE buildings along with a coffee shop which, naturally, gave you whatever you wanted. And behind the Student Center was a cafeteria tent that used the parking deck as a kitchen. It also used the "all you can eat" model. I remember one time the British relay team walked into the tent all wearing their Silver Medals. And in case you were wondering, after the Olympics were over, that swimming pool was dug up and gone.
I also saw Desmond Tutu...just walking aournd...it wasn't a "public" setting so you could just walk up to him. Although he gave me a dirty look. Guess I wasn't sufficiently in awe? Not exactly a humble Christian bishop if you ask me.
I also got an autograph from former Olympic swimmer Mark Spitz. That was a public deal in Buckhead. Spitz was a complete jerk and apparently, he has a history of that. I'm so glad Michael Phelps broke his record with 8 gold medals. But as ungracious as ever, Spitz quipped that he would have won 8 had he had another event.
I bought some Olympic pins and even have a Georgia Tech pin. Wish I had sold them then because they seem worthless without the Olympics.
I remember Mohammed Ali lighting the Olympic Cauldron. Poor guy almost burned himself with the wind whipping the flame.
Arnold Schwarzenegger premiered his film Eraser at Tech's football stadium. He gave away free t-shirts but I never could find the distribution area. I heard that some Eastern European coach ran up and ran away with an entire box of those t-shirts. There also was a Goo Goo Dolls concert at the stadium...but it sucked. Bad acoustics.
Each athlete was given a bicycle, a really nice one, but I believe all the athletes sold them. It was a inside job as you could get a bike at a really good price. But all were sold before I had a chance to get in on it. Apparently those that bought a bike met the athlete at a gate and walked out with it.
The Georgia Tech Student Center had mostly stuff for the athletes including foreign newspapers and oddly condoms. I was told there was a lot of sex going on during the games. Guess it was the athletes sharing the goodwill with one another.
Last edited by MathmanMathman; 06-24-2012 at 02:13 PM..
You said you didn't want to hear bad stuff, so I hope this doesn't sound bad...
I just remember being disappointed. I had envisioned a huge party atmosphere, where Centennial Park would be hopping 24/7 with food, drinks, bands, parties, and just people hanging out and having a good time. Most of what it was instead was just a bunch of people trading pins and selling t-shirts.
I'm not saying I was upset by how commercial the Olympics were. I'm saying I'm disappointed they weren't more commercial. There should have been bright lights, shining lasers, blaring techno music, rock and roll bands, and just a huge 3 week long block party. Maybe that stuff was going on somewhere, but it didn't seem to be cenetered around Centennial Park like I had hoped it would be. Or maybe I just missed it, but I remember walking around thinking how great it was to see people from all over the world, but I wanted to party with them, not watch them walk around looking at pins and t-shirts.
Maybe that's what the Olympics is all about. I have never been to another one.
Yes, I understand your personal disappointments about the commercialism and other things that detracted from the huge event. I agree with most of that, but even if I didn't, that's worth mentioning.
I remember one big thing. They kept saying how traffic was going to be so awful and backed up everywhere during the entire Olympics, but when it was going on, Atlanta itself became a ghost town with the traffic. LOL Now that was funny if you think about it.
Despite all that, I am glad the Olympics came anyway to Atlanta despite some of the huge obstacles that got in the way.
I wished also I had bought tickets for a sporting event, but I didn't. I just volunteered, so I never saw any events going on in person, just on TV.
You said you didn't want to hear bad stuff, so I hope this doesn't sound bad...
I just remember being disappointed. I had envisioned a huge party atmosphere, where Centennial Park would be hopping 24/7 with food, drinks, bands, parties, and just people hanging out and having a good time. Most of what it was instead was just a bunch of people trading pins and selling t-shirts.
I'm not saying I was upset by how commercial the Olympics were. I'm saying I'm disappointed they weren't more commercial. There should have been bright lights, shining lasers, blaring techno music, rock and roll bands, and just a huge 3 week long block party. Maybe that stuff was going on somewhere, but it didn't seem to be cenetered around Centennial Park like I had hoped it would be. Or maybe I just missed it, but I remember walking around thinking how great it was to see people from all over the world, but I wanted to party with them, not watch them walk around looking at pins and t-shirts.
Maybe that's what the Olympics is all about. I have never been to another one.
You said you didn't want to hear bad stuff, so I hope this doesn't sound bad...
I just remember being disappointed. I had envisioned a huge party atmosphere, where Centennial Park would be hopping 24/7 with food, drinks, bands, parties, and just people hanging out and having a good time. Most of what it was instead was just a bunch of people trading pins and selling t-shirts.
I'm not saying I was upset by how commercial the Olympics were. I'm saying I'm disappointed they weren't more commercial. There should have been bright lights, shining lasers, blaring techno music, rock and roll bands, and just a huge 3 week long block party. Maybe that stuff was going on somewhere, but it didn't seem to be cenetered around Centennial Park like I had hoped it would be. Or maybe I just missed it, but I remember walking around thinking how great it was to see people from all over the world, but I wanted to party with them, not watch them walk around looking at pins and t-shirts.
Maybe that's what the Olympics is all about. I have never been to another one.
I heard that after the AOC visited the Barcelona games, they panicked because it apparently was a great party atmosphere. I think that played a part in putting together Centennial park. I was amazed how quickly the idea for Centennial Park was presented, funded, and completed.
No, it wasn't even happening before that. I don't think the bomb really had any impact on the festivities.
Anyway, I do agree that even though a lot of people think Atlanta dropped the ball during the Olympics, they were really good for the city. I'm sure every city gets complaints.
But I was walking through the park the other day, and I'm really glad we got it. It's a great area and they never would have built it had the Olympics not come through. I still hope that some day they construct apartments with affordable rents nearby and have nightlife and restaurants so the area can be all it can be. Even now, though, it's a beautiful park and I really like the water features. Not just the kids fountain, but the water that runs over the rocks all down the east side of the park.
I worked right near the park, and if anybody else did, you probably remember looking at it and saying, "No way that is giong to be ready for the games!" I mean, literally, the weekend before the games it hadn't even been sodded yet. They really threw it together at the last minute, but they did a nice job. If I recall, they did go back after the games and finish a lot of the things that they didn't have time to do beforehand. I like to take visitors from out of town there because even though Piedmont Park is Atlanta's central park, Centennial feels a bit more special because it has the Olympics attached to it and it is totally urban. I remember seeing them build the giant torches in the park. I think they look awesome, the way the light shines through the pinholes, but I do have to admit I was a little disappointed that they weren't real torches. Imagine how cool they would be if on special occasions they actually burned at the top!
I think the Olympics is also when they built that nice grassy area between the Omni and Georgia Dome....but that might have been when they made Philips Arena, I can't remember.
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Now that was funny if you think about it.
