Tokyo Olympics - Not looking good / "Stop the fear porn" says Rojo

Hobbs Joggler wrote:

malmo wrote:

What the hell is "fear porn"?

I wondered the same.

Some weird new fetish. How long before it gets banned?

600,000 people in the US won't see another day due to, because of, or tangentially associated with Covid-19.

Variants exist which could lead to worse outcomes.

There is a lot of whining on letsrun about the possibility of no Olympics.

Given the situation, and that the likelihood of someone on letsrun being slim, what in Sam Hill does it matter if one Olympic Games period is skipped?

Rojo ....... You're article is really interesting and I will admit that I would have, for sure, assumed the per/cap stats in Japan were much worse then in the US.

I know you're not a public health pro or anything, but I do wonder what to make of this observation: Japan is taking strict measures, the US is very much relaxing, so if the per/cap numbers are roughly the same it does imply that the situation in Japan in primed, does it not? If Japan lifted restrictions to a level that we have in the US, might they see a huge spike?

I mean I like porn. What is 'fear porn'?

Also, nice to see people who are registered, but what is with all the new classifications next to names? Is the little runner guy a paid member? How much is it to get your F$cking life story next to your registered name? Sage, we know who you are, fisky.........not so much..

So is the US the pinnacle of COVID response? Do you understand that the US has had the worst response to the pandemic initially? Just because Japan is 50% better than a horrible response doesn’t make that a reason to hold the games. Japan is more densely packed and under higher restrictions, what do you think will happen when thousands of athletes come in to a crowded environment? It ain’t gonna go down, that’s for sure.

Has the US had a relatively good vaccine turnout? Yes, but that’s b/c we outbid all other countries. It’s the typical US mindset, let’s F it all up, but then throw money at it at the end to try to fix it… Vaccinations aren’t going as well in other countries b/c the US took the bulk of the initial supply.

I get it, you’re being selfish here, but let the experts decide what to do. MILLIONS have died from this. Also, you said it’s “2 years after the pandemic”, the pandemic is still ongoing. It’s not over and it’s def not 2 years post. It’s currently ACTIVE.

Rojo – Imma cut you some slack because you were spot on about Yared Neguse and his rising star. But I gotta tell you – about the Tokyo Olympics, your facts are (mostly) right, but it’s your interpretation that’s wrong.

A bit of the background story we all have read, but not all believe:

Japan can’t buy / get nearly enough vaccine because the gov’t thought Japanese researchers could produce one, but they couldn’t. Now they have to buy on the open market and are counting on other nations to donate (NY Times today).

Japan will not vaccinate millions of citizens even by the end of this year – their goal is to vaccinate 5000 per day in Tokyo, population 13 million (BBC, Monday).

Thomas Bach says 80% of the athletes will be vaccinated, but the New England Journal of Medicine (the gold standard for medical research) says Bach has dreamed up this figure and can cite nothing to substantiate it.

So forget protecting the Japanese population through vaccination before July 23rd.

But…Rojo and many others are right – Japan has a significantly lower incidence of Covid-19 than the US or many European nations. AND (this is the important point) they want to keep it that way. The protests, the online petitions, the declarations from Japanese medical authorities and unions, the cancelation demands of Olympic Games sponsor Asahi Shimbun are for just this reason: Opposition to the Games is NOT because the Japanese want to protect athletes, coaches, trainers, massage people and the “Olympic Family” from Covid – it is because they want to protect themselves from this influx of 80,000 plus foreigners (shut out of Japan now as they have been for some time) carrying the Indian, the Brazilian, the South African, and goodness knows what other strains of the virus.

Zofingen’s report on the Triathlon championships is really interesting, and disturbing. The draconian restrictions the Japanese authorities were able to impose on a few dozen participants will fail when they try to apply them to all Olympic athletes. They simply don’t have person-power to assign a “handler” to every foreign visitor intent on celebrating the Olympics as the Olympics have traditionally been celebrated. If in doubt, see Lochte, Ryan: Rio 2016. Also, see Bolt, Usain, Beijing 2008…

I think RoJo is seeing the problem through the eyes of a healthy, vaccinated (foreign) journalist who would not miss the Games for anything. We have to realize that 80% of the Japanese public does not see it his way.

BTW, you might also incorporate another LR thread: “When Will They Announce the Cancellation of the Olympics?”

JapanO2 wrote:

Maybe in some other countries it’s not acceptable to have any people die during a pandemic when trying to control a virus outbreak?

I hope the Olympics go ahead, but understand if it does not. How could you accept team India? The variant threat to Covid is real - and an unknown. If I was Japanese fk having people from every country on earth coming in.

Do you think the US would allow persons from every country on earth to cross the border for an Olympics? You are seeing the Indian variant take hold in the UK right now...

I understand this line of thinking, but they are implementing plans to vaccinate the most vulnerable in Japan. There is a ton of apocalyptic thinking about Japan like they are acting like they are about to become the new India with almost no supporting proof of that. Nor is the reason to believe that bringing athletes and officials who will be rigorously tested and away from regular folks will cause a big problem.The main crisis now is how little vaccination there is Japan, but that is a really easy solvable crisis to be honest. And I think it will be.

Coevett wrote:

Just delay it one more year. If they can delay it one year when the Covid outcome was uncertain, they can delay it one more year when the Covid outcome (next year) is certain. Why not hold the World Championships this year in Eugene as planned, and hold Tokyo next year?

Max Burgin and Jakob certain gold medalists in 2022, and likely three time 800m/1500m Olympic champions respectively.

Sorry Donovan/Tim.

See, this is exactly right. To me, the Olympics (cheaters and pay offs and all) is fricking awesome. I watch swimming once every four years. Its just a great event for TV. Delay it and do it right! having the olympics 2 years late then having it again 2 years later is FINE! remember when we got the winter and summer olympics 2 years apart when they changed the years (lillehammer I believe)? We got more olympics and it was awesome. Tokyo deserves to have an awesome olympics, And they will run it well. Lets not force it through or with no fans. Get it right 2022.

Great post. Couldn't agree more. Here is yet one more reason to make a really careful decision about holding this Olympics: https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/31520872/study-big-ten-athletes-suggests-higher-risk-post-covid-heart-problems

Stoppit Smith wrote:

Honestly, I am flabbergasted at how many runners are torn to shreds because they can't race...

Racism, sexism, defending covid recklessness.

What about music? Writing? Inventing? Improving society?

I mean seriously? Today is May 26, 2021.

This means that most of you have not raced in only 15 months.

ONLY 15 months.

Did some of you subrogate your happiness tied to Dad and Coach that if you can't run one day, you feel fat and slow?

I really, sincerely feel bad for some of you.

I don't think many posting here are planning on racing in Tokyo. Regardless racing and events are going on all over so what exactly are you are you projecting your psychosis on?

questions to Rojo

1. do you have any clue on the functioning of the Health system in Japan or in Tokyo?

2. do you have any clue on the functioning of the Health system in Japan or in Tokyo given the covid situation? (by the way, the curve is trending up).

3. have you read the news on the Japanese doctors asking the prime minister to cancel the Games? (or influence the IOC to do so). How about the news on the nurses that have been asked to provide services to the Olympics but are extenuated with the increased demand in hospitals? Are they all fabricated pieces by the media?

4. do you know that vaccinated individuals might still spread the virus? You should read some articles on that.

https://www.wsfa.com/2021/05/19/can-fully-vaccinated-people-still-spread-virus/

5. given that 4 is a fact, do you reasonably think that, even if every single individual is vaccinated, follow quarantine and so on, do you reasonably think they will all follow 100% the restrictions and will not offer a risk to the Japanese people?

6. 60-80% (depending on the research) of the Japanese people want the Games to be cancelled (or postponed, which is not an option). Should their opinion be considered in the decision to cancel the Games given the pandemic scenario?

7. Yes the cases in Tokyo do not look so bad from a worldwide perspective, I agree with you. At the same time, the fact that infection rate is relatively low and vaccines have been poorly managed, don't you agree that there is room for a rapid increase of cases and deaths in Japan? Statistically there's plenty of room for that.

I think these are a few questions. There are many others.

With all due respect to you and your website, which is one of my favourites, but your article lacks empathy. It is easy to say the Games must go on when you are judging solely as a sports journalist who loves Olympics and wants it to happen, and who by the way, lives in the US where facts suggest that the worst phase of the pandemic is over and where vaccination is going better than mostly anywhere in the world.

The pandemic is hitting hard Africa at the moment. Yes, pretty much every single country in the continent is trending up. It is still hitting hard India, and most of South American countries. See the curves of Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay. It is hitting hard not only Japan, but lots of east asian countries. See the curve in Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam - all huge. Even some European countries are trending up - see Norway.

Rojo, I am sorry for the honesty. Your article states some facts, yes. But it is so superficially written; it lacks global awareness so much and empathy to see the situation other than an American sports journalist, that I hope you will re-think and admit that at least you missed the big picture here.

rojo wrote:

I've been as cautious as just about anyone in terms of Covdi-19 in my personal life but I have just written an article calling for the Games to go on.

Seriously, Rojo, this is such a simpleton's take for at least the following reasons:

-You act as if the US's death/case rate is something to aspire to

-You compare the current rates but don't look at the direction of the curves

-You gloss over the vaccination rates

-You don't consider the additional natural immunity in the US population from the already high case counts

There is definitely potential for an enormous jump in cases if the Olympics are held. Whatever side you take needs to at least acknowledge those factors.

Also, pretty classic how you've apparently been so cautious in your own life but are advocating that an entire country drop their guard.

It was stupid to delay it last year. Now that we know that Covid only kills something like .3% of people who get(in a country like the US with a lot of obese people) and they will have the resources to have all athletes and other event staff vaccinated there is no reason not to make this happen. The IOC can easily work with these countries to have all media, coaches, trainers, athletes, etc. vaccinated prior to the event. This should have been in the works for months.

Honestly, at this point, any measures being held onto in the developed countries are solely beurocrats and politicians trying to not relinquish the power they've seized through the pandemic.

Stoppit Smith wrote:

"600,000 people in the US won't see another day due to, because of, or tangentially associated with Covid-19."

550,000 of whom would not be with us now in any event given all the health issues they had, their age, being in nursing homes, etc.

"Variants exist which could lead to worse outcomes."

Nearly all viruses mutate into being no longer dangerous to humans

"There is a lot of whining on letsrun about the possibility of no Olympics."

Choose life, not fear

Given the situation, and that the likelihood of someone on letsrun being slim, what in Sam Hill does it matter if one Olympic Games period is skipped?

olympic insider wrote:

questions to Rojo

Rojo, I am sorry for the honesty. Your article states some facts, yes. But it is so superficially written; it lacks global awareness so much and empathy to see the situation other than an American sports journalist, that I hope you will re-think and admit that at least you missed the big picture here.

Translation. I don't like the facts you have presented as they do not adhere to the narrative being fed to us by the mainstream media that I accepted without question. I can't deny their accuracy but cannot allow my views to change in response to the facts so I will write some utter nonsense like:s. But it is so superficially written; it lacks global awareness

Das Unkle wrote:

olympic insider wrote:

questions to Rojo

Rojo, I am sorry for the honesty. Your article states some facts, yes. But it is so superficially written; it lacks global awareness so much and empathy to see the situation other than an American sports journalist, that I hope you will re-think and admit that at least you missed the big picture here.

Translation. I don't like the facts you have presented as they do not adhere to the narrative being fed to us by the mainstream media that I accepted without question. I can't deny their accuracy but cannot allow my views to change in response to the facts so I will write some utter nonsense like:s. But it is so superficially written; it lacks global awareness

To be fair (which I know you have no interest in being), there was much more to the post you're quoting than just this conclusion. Also, if it's the facts you're interested in, please weigh Rojos against the mass of others arrayed against his position-- a position he all but admits is motivated not by any real understand of the general good, but by his own desire to go to the Olympics. And when you're arguing from selfish motives, any supportive facts will do.

For those who read Japanese news daily, the country would seem to be in perpetual crisis in terms of crime or health. In reality, there’s almost no chance the games will be canceled and Japan will host the Olympics as safely as possible and maybe even medal in the marathon.

Nuclear, Biological and Chemical issues are emotional subjects in Japan (Atomic Bombs in WW2, Minamata Bay mercury poisoning, Tokyo Subway sarin gas attack). Japanese doctors are now telling the public about a "Super COVID" that can form in Japan when all the existing COVID strains on Earth are brought together for the Tokyo Olympics.

I can't imagine the games being held when the US State Department issues a warning about travel to Japan.

Choose life, not fear is purely wishmongering propaganda.

Wishes provide no sound evidence to have the Olympic games because when exposed, carrying or manifesting the virus isn't a choice.