felixc

With Paris all but certain to be in the race for 2024 and to a lesser extent the other European cities - the best case scenario for the USOC was going to be to have a city become a partner with the USOC for at least a two games cycle and let that city go through the process for 2024 with little expectations for winning but setting themselves up to go up against South Africa in 2028 with the experience and contacts etc.. that they gained through the earlier bid. That's gone now. Even if Boston makes it to the finish line, there is absolutely zero chance that they would continue on a second time. So, it is likely that staying with Boston ruins the US chances for both 2024 and 2028. Maybe LA could make a run for 2028 but you have to think that the 100 anniversary in 2032 is going to weigh heavily against LA. It's a mess. The USOC and Boston 2024 are just going through the motions at this point. Just look at the expressions on the faces of the USOC and Boston 2024 at that Press Conference yesterday. Is there any excitement there? This is starting to get historically bad.

This is one of the better articles I've read on the subject. http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/252955/how-boston-2024-was-done-in-by-old-time-marketing.html

Overall - I believe these Games will be looked back at as a great success. The venues were spectacular, no horror stories about transportation/organization and the athletic achievements were incredible. The Beijing Games are worth being remembered as one of the greatest ever - but in the end nowhere near the success of some other of the recent Games. Some problems - the empty seat issue was not something I expected at THESE Games. The vagariess of the weather and the smog of the early days of the Games. The reports of lack of a games atmosphere outside the venues and throughout the city. The lack of much (or any) social progress that was promised in preparation for these Games. But in the end, these Games - organized and planned within an inch of their life - couldn't achieve the one thing that you cant plan for. Magic. Since I have been following the Games (1976 - on), I have seen successful Games, unsuccessful Games, middle of the road Games - but I have only seen 3 Games that I would say were truly magical. Los Angeles - 1984, Lillehammer - 1994, and Sydney 2000. In each instance - it was not (just) the successful organization of the Games, but instead moments in time when a city and a nation fell in love with their Olympic Games and created an almost once in a lifetime synergy with the athletes to create a magical fortnight. Again, this isn't something that you can plan for. It's just somthing that you have to let happen. I get the feeling that if the government of the People's Republic of China would have had a little more faith in the actual People of China - there could have been a little bit of this magic. Not to say these Games were unsuccessful - they rank among the best for sure (a 4 star experience). But they could have been more. So the way I see it since 76 - Sydney 2000 Los Angeles 1984 Beijing 2008 Barcelona 1992 Athens 2004 Seoul 1988 Atlanta 1996 Montreal 1976 Moscow 1980