Over 400 petitioners are hoping that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) might re-open nominations for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games bid. It seems a planet made famous when Luke Skywalker nearly froze to death there after being stranded overnight, is interested in hosting the Games.
Hoth, the fictional ice planet from Star Wars Episode V has been proposed to challenge other candidates such as Salzburg and Sochi as a site for the Games. A Website – hoth2014.com – was posted during the Torino Winter Games last month to promote the fictional bid, but more importantly to show those who matter that the American public still wants to watch the Games.
“I really hope that this in its own small way has demonstrated that people are still interested in seeing the Olympics and that [NBC and the IOC] need to do something…maybe not necessarily host the Games on an ice planet…but something to engage people again and get them interested in the Olympic Games”, explained the site’s creator Shane Igoe who is also a sports writer and producer who contributes to ESPN, newspapers and publishes a popular pop-culture blog.
He was initially driven by reports that American television coverage of the Torino Games had been receiving very poor ratings. Later he was disappointed to learn that the closing ceremonies attracted less viewers than “a pseudo-sport-contest Dancing With the Stars”.
Igoe believes that reducing the amount of tape-delayed telecasts, or perhaps moving some popular indoor Summer Games events, such as basketball and boxing, to the Winter Games might bring back viewers. He will be sending a summary of an online petition at his Website to NBC and the IOC hoping to catch their attention.
Meanwhile his fantasy Olympic bid has caught the imagination of people around the globe. His site received 110,000 visitors in the first five days and it has been discussed on radio, television and several popular blog sites – including GamesBids.com Forums.
Readers are submitting ideas for Star Wars themed Olympic events and mascots and Igoe plans to add interactive polls to keep the interest alive.
There is no word on whether George Lucas has considered leading the bid.