71. 1980

We didn't mean to insult the world. It was meant to be a great idea. Useful. Productive. Efficient. 

Oops.

We didn't want to spend millions or billions of dollars to build a facility that would go to waste after only two weeks of use, so we designed the buildings to fit the needs of the facility's post-Olympic life. It made sense at the planning meetings. Build a prison, use it as international housing for two weeks, and then let it fulfill a useful purpose. I guess none of us really considered how the foreign guests would interpet this move. 

I can see now why they weren't too pleased. I mean, would you want to spend the night in a prison? Or several nights? And then have to go give your best physical performance of your life in front of the whole world? After sleeping in a prison cot? 

Me neither.

But, truly, we thought we were being forward-thinking. We thought we were brilliant! We wouldn't let our facilities go to waste! And since the state was already planning on building the prison, we didn't have to use our Olympic budget for it. Win-win!

Just don't ask the athletes what they thought. Good thing we had the Miracle on Ice to take away the attention. That's the only thing anyone remembers about the 1980 Winter Olympics now.