The special commission designated to study the feasibility of Boston hosting the 2024 Summer Olympics met yesterday to share preliminary sentiments on a potential Olympic bid. Talk of the games in the “Athens of America” has burned as steadily as the Olympic flame since Governor Deval Patrick brought the commission into fruition. But playing host to the worldwide athletic spectacle isn’t yet sold on everyone.
Suffolk County Sherrif Steven Tompkins suggested back in November that, because Boston was able to unite and logistically handle the scarring Boston Marathon bombings and aftermath, it would be able to harness all that must go into hosting the games – sans tragedy, of course.
Interestingly, though, Tompkins told New England Public Radio on Tuesday that in order to comprehend the full size and scope of the Olympics taking place in The Hub, we ought to consider that “It would be more accurate to compare the Olympiad to a Super Bowl being held in the morning, in the afternoon and in the evening for 19 consecutive days in multiple locations around the country.”
Some, like state Senator Bob Hedlund – the only state Senator to vote against the forming of a commission – would take it one step further and say that Boston is terribly ill-equipped to handle an ongoing event of such magnitude, based on past subpar undertakings like the Big Dig and Democratic National Convention, to name just two.
After all, as noted further by NEPR, “The U.S. Olympic Committee says Boston would need 45,000 hotel rooms and an Olympic village that sleeps 16,500 athletes and coaches,” not to mention accommodations for the influx of officials, spectators, and tourists; the mandatory overhaul of the strapped-for-cash MBTA; and a bevy of Olympic-size stadiums and complexes built sustainably in order to avoid falling into disrepair and decay.
The commission has until March 1 to report its findings back to the legislature on whether or not Boston is a suitable venue for the games. But in the meantime, keep tuning in to BostInno for the latest news and updates from the Olympic front. Be sure to share your own thoughts and ideas on the matter in the comments section below.
[Image via Daily Free Press]
