Facilities part of the game

WOERNER’S CORNER

Facilities Are Part Of The Games
From Harnett County to Daytona and Vancouver, sports facilities have made the news in recent days. Throughout history where games have been played have always important, but it is particularly true when something goes wrong, which seems to be the case in recent days. It is a toss up as to who deserves more criticism between the ground crews at Daytona International Speedway or those in charge at the Winter Olympics.
The race in Daytona this year became a spectacle with cars forced to veer around potholes on the track. It was a disappointment to fans who paid big money to watch the race or those sitting in front of their television sets for what turned into a marathon session. More importantly, it was a real safety issue.
Small holes become big problems when cars traveling 190 miles per hour are involved. It is difficult to understand why after hundreds of races that problem shouldn’t have been preventable. Why, after hundreds of races did asphalt suddenly become a problem at one of the world’s best known race tracks?
It is not exactly a great way for NASCAR to kick off its 2010 season. Maybe the road crews will head back to Daytona before the fast cars do.
The facility issue is much more tragic in the case of the Olympics because it resulted in a death. There have been changes made to the Whistler luge track after the death of a Georgian luger. Those changes should have been made long before anyone went down the track in the first place.
Nodar Kumaritashvili, who died, told his parents he was scared of the track, and the turn where the accident occurred, shortly before his death. If he was aware of the problem, those maintaining the track should have been also. It was a severe lack of planning on a $100 million project that resulted in death.
Hopefully the changes that were made will work to prevent it from happening again.
It seems the entire Vancouver Olympics is full of logistical issues. In the opening ceremony, the four-pronged torch only had three prongs which rose from the ground in the three dimensional opening ceremony. It was still impressive but the world was left wondering what the full effect would have been.
Trucks have been forced to bring in snow because warm temperatures and snow have not mixed well.
Understandably, they can’t control the weather, but it seems based on prior weather patterns officials should have thought carefully about their choice for an Olympic venue.