Reader: Colorado rejecting 1976 Olympics was among state's worst sports moments

Kyle Garratt's post about the Top 5 worst Colorado sports moments, inspired by the Colorado Rockies' astonishing seventeen-Sunday-losses-in-a-row streak, prompted readers to nominate their own lowlights. Here's a particularly interesting nomination...

By Michael Roberts

August 17, 2011

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Kyle Garratt's post about the Top 5 worst Colorado sports moments, inspired by the Colorado Rockies' astonishing seventeen-Sunday-losses-in-a-row streak, prompted readers to nominate their own lowlights.

Here's a particularly interesting nomination.

Eric writes:

Though we didn't realize it at the time, the voters' 66%-33% rejection in November of 1972 of the XII Winter Olympiad, the 1976 Winter Olympic Games, was as bad a moment as there ever was in Colorado Sports.

Colorado had been awarded the games via bid by the IOC in May of 1970... All that stood in the way was voter approval to fund the games by passing a 5 million dollar bond issue.

A rise in cost, fears of terrorism, and environmental concerns all played into it, but the measure was defeated soundly in th1972 General Election.

Colorado's in the running for the '22 Winter Games. I honestly thought we'd never get another chance, but chance, however outside it may be, it is.

I wonder what will happen this time.

For more memorable takes, visit our Comment of the Day archive.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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