The Olympics that never happened : Denver '76 and the politics of growth / Adam Berg.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Berg, Adam, author.

Series:

Terry and Jan Todd series on physical culture and sports.

Terry and Jan Todd Series on Physical Culture and Sports Series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Olympic host city selection--Political aspects--Colorado--Denver.

Olympic host city selection.

Olympics--Planning--Political aspects.

Olympics.

City planning--Political aspects--Colorado--Denver.

City planning.

Political participation--Colorado--Denver--History.

Political participation.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (304 pages)

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Austin, TX : University of Texas Press, [2023]

Summary:

"If you don't recall the 1976 Denver Olympic Games, it's because they never happened. The Mile-High City won the right to host the winter games and then was forced by Colorado citizens to back away from its successful Olympic bid through a statewide referendum. Adam Berg details the powerful Colorado regime that gained the games for Denver and the grassroots activism that brought down its Olympic dreams, and he explores the legacy of this milestone moment for the games and politics in the United States.The ink was hardly dry on Denver's host agreement when Mexican American and African American urbanites, white middle-class environmentalists, and fiscally concerned local politicians realized opposition to the Olympics provided them new political openings. The Olympics quickly became a platform for taking stands on a range of issues, from conservation to urban livability to the very idea of growth, which for decades had been unquestioned in Colorado. The Olympics That Never Happened argues that hostility to the Olympics galvanized and empowered diverse citizens in a major US city, with long-term ramifications for Colorado and political activism elsewhere. The Olympics themselves were changed forever, compelling organizers to take seriously competing interests from subgroups within their communities"-- Provided by publisher.

Chronicles the campaigns for and against holding the 1976 Olympic Games at Denver, which became the first city to reject having the event, opposition having arisen among wealthier residents looking to protect their communities' natural beauty, young activists hoping to expand civic participation in the name of liberal causes, and Denver's excluded minority communities-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Introduction. The game behind the Games

Part I. The bidders. The origins of Olympic dreams

Growth crusaders

Faking an Olympic city

A mass soft sell

Part II. The opponents. Post-civil rights advocacy in the city

Middle-class environmentalism in the foothills

A liberal tax revolt and the public relations battle

Direct democracy for middle America

Part III. The fate and legacy of Denver 1976

The DOCS credibility and the rhetoric of Olympism

The event coalition and the rights of citizenship

The momentum of the moment

Epilogue. The games go on.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9781477326466

1477326464

OCLC:

1352970737