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Big O
DCHP-2 (Oct 2016)
n. — especially Montreal, Ontario, especially Sports
the nickname for Montreal's multi-purpose Olympic stadium.
Type: 4. Culturally Significant — Built for the 1976 Summer Olympics (see Canada's Games reference), this stadium was simply referred to as "Olympic Stadium" during the Games. The nickname is derived from the stadium's name and circular shape (see Image 1). Big O was not used in the province's biggest English daily newspaper, The Gazette, until 1985 (but note the 1978 quotation from the Toronto Globe and Mail). It was later humorously called "The Big Owe" because of its infamous cost overrun of $1.4 billion dollars, which took the taxpayers 30 years to pay off (see CBC reference).
See also COD-2, s.v. "Big O (2)", which is labelled "Cdn slang".
See also COD-2, s.v. "Big O (2)", which is labelled "Cdn slang".
Quotations
1978
I tell ya, I wouldn't give my money away to anybody, the left hander chuckled after his fifth victory, a neat 11-hit taming of the already-tame Houston Astros at the Big O Wednesday night.
1983
However, FIFA rules state the final game must be played in a stadium with a capacity of at least 80,000. The Big O holds about 71,000, says Schwartz, but he's convinced FIFA's main concern is revenue, and that ticket prices and fan support will make up for the smaller venues.
1985
The Olympic Installations Board (OIB) is pressing the Quebec government to act on its pledge last July to starting building this winter a roof for the Olympic Stadium. Quebec should do no such thing. If it does anything at all about the Big O, the government should mothball it and build another stadium a far better one instead. That would cost less than building an Olympic Stadium roof alone.
1997
Tillman, like head coach Don Matthews, expressed disappointment with the Argos' offensive inconsistency against the Ticats, but said significant improvement is expected when they meet the Alouettes on Wednesday night at the Big O.
2008
But he notes other Olympic cities have built up similar edifices - - Canada's is the notorious Big O in Montreal constructed for the 1976 Summer Games that eventually left Montrealers more than $1 billion in debt -- and been left in a sea of red ink long after the Olympic flame moves on.
2013
HoMa is home to several attractions, including those with international standing. The borough contains Montreal's chief Olympic installation, the Big O, which hosts dozens of events annually.
2016
These are definitely not Bell Centre prices at a Canadiens game - or the prices that were being charged at Olympic Stadium for the two major-league pre-season games this spring between the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox, with tickets ranging from $24 to $99.50. And the atmosphere at Stade Municipal is much, much better than the Big O.
References
- CBC • "The Big Owe"
- Canada's Games
- COD-2
Images
