Florida offers to host Olympics if Tokyo can't do it

#LHRC wrote:

Why do track and field athletes feel the need to be pampered with perfect conditions? Competition on a level playing field is all that matters.

#FLORIDALANDOFTHEFREE

I didn't say the athletics stadium needed to be perfect, I said decent.

Summer Olympics are far more than athletics,

so you would need a 250 m wooden velodrome however...

Canoe slalom needs to be held in a river with enough fall...

The point is you would need to make all sort of venues for sports not normally played in Florida.

Some are probably easy.

Others not something you can conjure out of thin air.

I just can't see any city that can pull it off out of thin air.

Maybe Beijing could pull it off, but why would they?

It's going to be Tokyo or cancelled.

Budda wrote:

#LHRC wrote:

Why do track and field athletes feel the need to be pampered with perfect conditions? Competition on a level playing field is all that matters.

#FLORIDALANDOFTHEFREE

I didn't say the athletics stadium needed to be perfect, I said decent.

Summer Olympics are far more than athletics,

so you would need a 250 m wooden velodrome however...

Canoe slalom needs to be held in a river with enough fall...

The point is you would need to make all sort of venues for sports not normally played in Florida.

Some are probably easy.

Others not something you can conjure out of thin air.

I just can't see any city that can pull it off out of thin air.

Maybe Beijing could pull it off, but why would they?

It's going to be Tokyo or cancelled.

So because Florida may not be able to handle one obscure Olympic event (and that’s a maybe) we just totally rule them out?

The lack of imagination and just the overflow of pessimism by some is depressing. Remember it’s not necessarily Florida vs Tokyo for the olympics. At this point it sounds like its Florida or nothing. Nobody else wants to take on the challenge.

Fair enough, but why not just cancel some events, like the canoe slalom, and not the entire games? Certainly certain events have been cancelled in the past. These athletes who qualify for the Olympics typically have a very short window where they are at the top of their game and have earned the right to compete. If there is an option to do so then it seems a bit draconian to not try to make it happen. The Super Bowl is going down in Florida. So why should track and field athletes suffer over politics?

Democrats hate Florida.

I really do believe it is a characteristic of a vigorous society to pull something like this off. I wish we could put politics aside, stop the endless debating and put ourselves to a task like this. It’ll show the world the United States can still accomplish amazing things.

#LHRC wrote:

Fair enough, but why not just cancel some events, like the canoe slalom, and not the entire games? Certainly certain events have been cancelled in the past. These athletes who qualify for the Olympics typically have a very short window where they are at the top of their game and have earned the right to compete. If there is an option to do so then it seems a bit draconian to not try to make it happen. The Super Bowl is going down in Florida. So why should track and field athletes suffer over politics?

Had it been just the canoe slalom.

I completely agree with you.

Sure. Dump it.

But what's marginal sports in the US isn't neccecarily so for the rest of the world.

Dumping cycling on a velodrom for instance?

That would be dumping events that's almost as classic for the olympics as athletics.

Building a temporary one is certainly viable still, It's not THAT big after all, but you'd have to

pull the trigger in a not too distant future.. (Or maybe decide on doing those events in Colorado or California).

Never been to Florida myself, but it looks pretty much pan cake flat to me.

Are there even suitable areas for mountain bikes? Or should we dump that too?

I guess my point is that you can't arrange the Olympics in Florida on existing infrastructure alone, it's just not there. Most of it is doable I am sure, but there are a few obvious challenges as mentioned.

I have no doubt that the USA as a whole could pull off the logistics of an Olympic Games if decicion is taken fast and several places cooperated.

I even agree it would be something to look forward to in other wise dark times.

But in Florida alone?

Nah, can't see it.

Probably more importantly, I don't think most countries are interested in switching location to a place with possibly many sub standard venues and with possibly much larger chance of getting a covid infection.

I am not one of those that's against elite sports being given special consideration during these times. I think it gives a welcomed distraction when so many people are "locked up"-

So by all means, I'd like to be proven wrong!

Go for it!

(PS! Not american, so by definition not a democrat)

That’s awesome

If we pulled the trigger soon is the main factor here. We could build a lot of the facilities we don’t already have in six months if we hit going on it ASAP.

The problem is IMO we’ve become so annoyingly intellectualized and decadent as a society that we will spend 6 months (at least) just debating on whether to host the olympics before breaking ground on any facilities.

As Wejo said, this puts (even more) pressure on Tokyo; I'm almost sure they are about to confirm that they will host OG, no matter what

And I agree, is great to push the world into normalcy again, even if some people hate changes and would like to stay into their houses forever

Florida can absolutely do it. They showed the World that sports (UFC) could go on and now thrive. NFL now has their Super Bowl with fans. New Years Eve was celebrated without masks or social distancing while dancing with strangers, and yet no bodies lay dead on the streets. Youth sports going strong, having only shut down for weeks during the mad hysteria. Florida has become the bedrock of freedom in the World and can absolutely pull off the Olympics in a time when it’s most needed.

Mhm... And from the look of things, just the whole vaccination of athletes seems to be an issue.

(I assume WHO have some pulling power here)

If that's an issue, we can only imagine what switching location a few months prior would be..

I would agree there’s nearly a zero percent chance of it happening but it’s because the narrative to the World would change. Those in power cannot allow that to happen. Put Dana White in charge and consider it a done deal though. Very sad what they are doing to serve their appetites.

Victor Matheson, an economist at Holy Cross and an expert on the economic impact of the Olympics, called Patronis’ proposal is batsh-t crazy

“The idea that just because Florida has a lot of hotels that they could organize an entire Olympics event within six months is absolutely crazy,” Matheson said.

Budda wrote:

Mhm... And from the look of things, just the whole vaccination of athletes seems to be an issue.

(I assume WHO have some pulling power here)

If that's an issue, we can only imagine what switching location a few months prior would be..

Vaccination would not be an issue. Israel is already doing drive-up vaccinations for anyone who wants one and it's only January. Providing vaccinations to only 11,500 Olympians will not be an issue unless SJWs make it their life mission to prevent it from happening.

be alive wrote:

I really do believe it is a characteristic of a vigorous society to pull something like this off. I wish we could put politics aside, stop the endless debating and put ourselves to a task like this. It’ll show the world the United States can still accomplish amazing things.

Yeah it may be characteristic of a vigorous society to have a “survival of the fittest, damn the unfit” motto also. It may be characteristic of a vigorous society to engage in frequent wars too. Very few people think the U.S. could not pull it off. That is not the issue. The issue is primarily at what cost in terms of illness and death? You are not concerned about this of course.

oldmanbythesea wrote:

Victor Matheson, an economist at Holy Cross and an expert on the economic impact of the Olympics, called Patronis’ proposal is batsh-t crazy

“The idea that just because Florida has a lot of hotels that they could organize an entire Olympics event within six months is absolutely crazy,” Matheson said.

The letter is a stunt and nothing more. The State of Florida budget is currently facing a $3.3 billion deficit. What money is Patronis willing for the state to invest in such an adventure? His letter provides no answer to that question, so I think we know the answer.

Moron#2 wrote:

be alive wrote:

I really do believe it is a characteristic of a vigorous society to pull something like this off. I wish we could put politics aside, stop the endless debating and put ourselves to a task like this. It’ll show the world the United States can still accomplish amazing things.

Yeah it may be characteristic of a vigorous society to have a “survival of the fittest, damn the unfit” motto also. It may be characteristic of a vigorous society to engage in frequent wars too. Very few people think the U.S. could not pull it off. That is not the issue. The issue is primarily at what cost in terms of illness and death? You are not concerned about this of course.

Yes, your view point is the mainstream one and will probably win out in the end. A vigorous society does tend to leave the weaker and more timid behind while the stronger will complete great monumental tasks.

I would argue however you don’t have to participate in constant wars to still have a vigorous society- you can also complete great tasks. I think organizing and hosting the worlds biggest sporting event in a mere six months would be one of those great tasks.

But we’ve become a society of thinkers and not doers. We’ve become over intellectualized to the point where we can’t actually complete any great tasks such as this. We will simply talk about it, argue, going around in circles while nothing is actually getting done.

So yes, I applaud Florida & DeSantis for actually making an attempt to reanimate our decadent over intellectualized society. They are going against the current.

If the olympics did happen in Florida (and me living here) I would love to volunteer my free non working hours in getting the event up and running.

Los Angeles could pull this off with three weeks' notice. Florida? Right.

But it won't. I agree it's Tokyo or it's cancelled, and I'm leaning cancelled.

It's going to be weird, though, when the all-clear whistle is blown for Labor Day, and we get moving again.

Moron#2 wrote:

be alive wrote:

I really do believe it is a characteristic of a vigorous society to pull something like this off. I wish we could put politics aside, stop the endless debating and put ourselves to a task like this. It’ll show the world the United States can still accomplish amazing things.

Yeah it may be characteristic of a vigorous society to have a “survival of the fittest, damn the unfit” motto also. It may be characteristic of a vigorous society to engage in frequent wars too. Very few people think the U.S. could not pull it off. That is not the issue. The issue is primarily at what cost in terms of illness and death? You are not concerned about this of course.

If the vaccine rollout goes even roughly according to plan and other safety measures are taken it won't cost any lives. OTOH if the pandemic is still raging on this summer then it's a bad idea. But there's nothing wrong with throwing the idea out there with 7 months still to prepare. I totally agree with "be alive"s sentiment.