00:00The Olympiad's coming up here, the winter edition of those very exciting times are going to take place in Milan Cortino here, Joe.
00:07I was just watching the Miracle on Ice 1980 on Netflix here, and it was in Lake Placid, the village of Lake Placid.
00:14A tiny little town, which again was called a village in upstate New York, hosted the Olympics in 1980.
00:21A tiny, small arena, even, Joe, when they had their speed skating, it was out front of Lake Placid High School outdoors is where that rink was.
00:32We've come a long way to big business in the Olympics, man, haven't we?
00:36Big, big, big time, and it's also maybe one of the most corrupt businesses that we've seen too, Donnie.
00:43How you actually get the bidding and how you get awarded this event is over the top on whose bag of money shows up in what hotel room when it is a little bit crazy.
00:56But, I mean, listen, it's coming here too at some point again, isn't it, Donnie?
01:01Especially with the World Cup involved as well, outside of the United States.
01:04Like when they move it, like what was the, what was it?
01:07Was it Africa where they had it?
01:09What continent did they have it where they were building stadiums like three years later?
01:11It's like, well, they built this stadium for like 100 million bucks and never used it again as it just wilts away at this point.
01:17You're right about this.
01:18Very select people get rich.
01:20Yeah, everybody else just gets run over.
01:22Like, yeah, remember the one in Greece where it's like, okay, we're going to build softball stadiums and aquatic arenas.
01:27Like, yeah, we never used these the minute the Olympics was over.
01:30Yeah, it's a pretty sound use of time here and space and money.
01:33But USA gold medals, Joe, we previewed this to start the Olympics.
01:38That was sitting around like eight and a half to nine and a half.
01:41Look at the steam, Joe.
01:43Gold medals for the Olympics here for the United States.
01:46Twelve and a half minus a 118.
01:50Steamed.
01:50Do we get 13 of them, Joe?
01:53Yeah, well, apparently the market seems to think so, right?
01:57They do.
01:57Which is great.
01:58But, I mean, Norway is the defending medal count and gold count winner from the last winter Olympics.
02:05But the United States, certainly, from you go to the individual events, right, you know, they've got possible gold winners across the board in all of these events.
02:15So, yeah, why not USA getting over those 12 and a half gold medals?
02:21How about that?
02:22And also Canada, only listed at eight and a half.
02:24When did the United States move ahead as Canada as a better winter sport country here?
02:29How about that?
02:29U.S. making strides.
02:32Yeah, no idea.
02:33And by the way, if they don't win hockey, they're kind of really, then that number is going to plummet in a big, big way.
02:39But, yeah, there's a lot of competition on the world stage when it comes to the Winter Olympics.
02:45That is for sure, Donnie.
02:47How about Norway, though?
02:48Listed at 15 and a half here as the favorite.
02:50What do they do?
02:50Dominant, like the biathlons and the luge and the skeleton?
02:54Like, where does Norway clean up?
02:56Just skiing itself?
02:59Skiing, huge.
03:01Ice skating, huge, Donnie, and those events.
03:04And there are more Olympic events, I think, than any of the previous Winter Olympics, right?
03:11I mean, we got more sports, more of these events, which means more opportunities for medals.
03:16Yeah, it wouldn't shock me at all that they end up cleaning house when it comes to all the individual and team events with ice skating and skiing alone.
03:26By the way, shout out to U.S. women here doing big things at, like, the Summer Olympics and the Winter Olympics and, quite frankly, in the World Cup as well.
03:33Like, you watch the World Cup, and the U.S. women are certainly a prominent force.
03:36The men are just an absolute afterthought.
03:38And take a look at hockey.
03:40The U.S. men's hockey team is very good, but they're not the favorites to win it.
03:43It's Canada in men's hockey.
03:45But the women's side of it, it's Team USA at minus 155.
03:49Shout out to women out here doing big things, Joe, for the U.S.
03:53I agree.
03:54Whether it's in the Summer or Winter Olympics, Donnie, the women's side certainly delivering in a big, big way.
04:02And, listen, there's no reason, as the favorite, there's no reason for them to take this one down, too.
04:08But it'll likely come down to those top two, right?
04:11USA versus Team Canada.
04:14USA, Latvia, Joe.
04:16How about this?
04:17The U.S.A. on the money line?
04:19Minus 1,400 to knock off Latvia.
04:23Get the party started quickly there, Joe.
04:25Let's go.
04:27Yeah, exactly.
04:28You've got to lay the goal and a half to make any sort of situation here.
04:32Listen, Team USA might get six goals themselves in that game.
04:36So, it'll be interesting.
04:38I'm just more interested to see that they actually finish the construction of the rink that they're supposed to be playing these games in, Donnie.
04:46Interesting.
04:46I remember it's because I don't really know too much about the women's ice hockey team.
04:49But didn't they used to have, like, twins that used to dominate there for Team USA at this point?
04:53That big robbery versus Canada.
04:54I'm going to get to know some of these ladies here on the ice to see if they can pull down a gold medal during the Olympics, Joe.
05:00But also, as we talk about the transition from Winter Olympics to Summer Olympics in 20—is it 2028 that we have it here?
05:06Back in the U.S. in Los Angeles.
05:09Here's the interesting part about it.
05:10All that money being spent.
05:12A hundred million dollars.
05:14By the way, it's called Exposition Park.
05:16Not Exhibition Park.
05:18I find interesting here.
05:19But a hundred million dollars in property renovations surrounding the Coliseum for 2028.
05:24And also, Joe, flag football is supposed to be a part of the 2028 Olympics as well.
05:30Yeah, this is—it's going to be real interesting, Donnie, when the Olympics get here in 2028.
05:37And where exactly are they putting all of these new structures and new stadiums?
05:42And how do you park?
05:43Where do you go?
05:44It's going to be very—we have enough hotel beds, Donnie, in order to house all the world that will be coming here?
05:52Should be interesting to see how this works out.
05:54Now, let me ask you this question, Joe.
05:56Because of always, like, these aren't private donations flowing in.
05:59The taxpaying public is going to front the bill.
06:02So when I look and say, okay, this is going to be done by 2028.
06:06Joe, they're hanging a tag of $100 million in renovations.
06:10Once the unions get a hold of that and a couple pockets gets greased,
06:13who's to say $500 million-plus is going to be that final bill for those renovations?
06:20Yeah, it looks good on paper, Donnie.
06:22But the reality is—and you'd be hard-pressed to find any construction bill
06:28when it comes to setting up Olympics around the world and everything that goes involved,
06:33any of them ever staying within that original number budgeted.
06:37$100 million?
06:38I don't think so, Donnie.
06:39They probably already spent that and haven't even begun the renovations yet.
06:43Yeah, exactly.
06:44That was just on licensing fees and also architectural fees as well.
06:49And also, if you looked at that picture up there, Joe,
06:51you see the Coliseum, and it has a USC in there.
06:54For now, USC plays.
06:55USC, I believe, is going to be displaced for at least one full football season
06:59from their own building to accommodate these renovations.
07:03Oh, SC, man.
07:04Can't catch a break, can they?
07:06No.
07:07No, they can't.
07:07It's—and it's—the whole area there is going to be completely overrun.
07:12So, good luck.
07:13Let's see how that works out.
07:14Have fun.
07:15Moving over to Englewood.
07:16Englewood, always up to no good.
07:19Then brings us up, George, to the Winter Olympics themselves.
07:21Going to enjoy those particularly.
07:23I really enjoy men's hockey in the Olympics.
07:26And Canada is the favorite right now at a plus-120 price,
07:29followed by Team USA at plus-210.
07:30And then Sweden, the only other team at 10-1 or less, George.
07:34What are we looking at from your perspective for the Winter Olympics from the men's side?
07:39Listen, it's always Team Canada.
07:41All right?
07:42That's when—I bet them on them for the Four Nations.
07:44I'll be betting on them for the Olympics as well here.
07:46The only question about Team Canada is goaltending.
07:49All right?
07:49Which is weird to say, by the way.
07:51Because Canada's had great goaltenders forever, right?
07:53They were always fantastic, and now they're not.
07:56All right?
07:56Bennington was awesome in Four Nations.
07:58But he's been horrific since.
08:00All right?
08:01He doesn't need to start if they say those blues anymore.
08:03Yet he still might get first crack because they feel they owe it to him.
08:06But that's what Team USA has to have the advantage, right?
08:08Because they have the better goaltenders.
08:10If they have a shot, it's going to be in goal here.
08:12Team Sweden, who I really like.
08:14And Finland, by the way.
08:15Lots of injuries.
08:17I think this is Canada and the USA.
08:18They'll come down with a gold medal here.
08:20And everyone's playing well that day.
08:21It's a one-game tournament, right?
08:23Whoever's playing well that day wins it.
08:24But I'll take Canada again.
08:26George Kurtz rising and grinding on the early line with us this morning.
08:29Talking a little hockey action pre-Olympics here.
08:32Love to see it, George.
08:33Thanks for joining us.
08:34For Joe and Donnie, we'll close it down next.
08:36Let's get to the questions that we need answered with our Fade the Public Poll.
08:47Hockey is fantastic in the Winter Olympics.
08:49It really is.
08:50So, the question we asked today at Sports Grid on X.
08:53Will the United States win the gold medal in men's ice hockey?
08:5666% currently right now voting yes.
09:00The other 33% going to Canada.
09:04Well, listen.
09:05I think it's going to come down to those two teams.
09:08So, yeah.
09:08At that point, you can flip a coin because there's not a whole lot separating those two as far as talent goes.
09:16So, I think it's going to be fantastic watching it get to the gold medal round.
09:21Will there be a letdown?
09:24It's hard to bet against Team Canada or Team USA meeting for the gold here.
09:29But one of them, I think, is easy and certainly is going to end up winning them.
09:34Why not?
09:34I mean, right now, you're talking about Canada being the favorite and Team USA behind them.
09:40Plus, money is staring us in the face here, Donnie, to make that bet sooner rather than later.
09:45I mean, right now, you're talking about Canada being the favorite.
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