Washington was one of two cities eliminated today as a possible U.S. candidate for the 2012 Summer Olympic bid.
John Morton, Chairman of Washington DC 2012, reacted to the decision by saying “we are obviously disappointed that our quest to bring the Olympic and Paralympic Games to Washington DC and the region is over for now. We know, however, that our effort has helped promote regionalism and created several positive legacies. We extend our congratulations to the two finalist bid cities and pledge our assistance in working with them to bring the Games to the United States in 2012”.
At two local gatherings in Washington and Baltimore, DC Mayor Anthony A. Williams said, “although our Olympic hopes have diminished, the Olympic spirit will live on in our nation’s capital. Just as this city has inspired some of the greatest moments in history, so too will this bid effort continue to inspire us for years to come”.
And Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley said, “we may be disappointed with today’s outcome but we are proud of the unifying impact the bid has had on our region. In Baltimore, we’re used to being winners but we know that losing also provides a learning experience. We’ve learned much about regionalism and about the value of sports, both grassroots and elite, in making our community a better place and bringing people together”.
Dan Knise, President and CEO of Washington, DC 2012 said, “this day may mark the end of our formal Olympic quest but it is not the end of our community’s pursuit of the Olympic ideals of teamwork, fair play, and hard work. We are hopeful that our Olympic legacy of regional cooperation and inclusiveness will live on”.
Perhaps one of the reasons Washington lost was, according to Evan Weiner, a commentator on the Business of Sports on Westwood One’s Metro Networks, a Washington-based Olympics would have been a security nightmare.
Weiner wondered how many members of the armed forces and homeland security would have been needed to provide a safe environment in a densely populated area such as Baltimore, Washington and Northern Virginia.
Also, although Washington 2012 claimed it already had 24 of the 33 needed venues in place, the Olympic Stadium still had to be built as well as a new arena for Baltimore. Weiner says someone had to pay for it, and if the Washington 2012 organizers didn’t have the money, the IOC requires local governments to have public funds available for cost overrun, costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.
Why would any city would want the huge headaches and relatively minimal financial benefits of hosting the Olympics, asks Weiner.
The residents of Montreal are still paying out for the 1976 Olympics. In Atlanta, the city’s traffic was snarled for a couple of years before the 1996 Games and local businesses never benefited as promised. And during the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City businesses reported a drop-off in revenues.
Weiner says politicians and corporate leaders such as the head of General Electric, broadcaster of the next three Olympics on NBC, think the Olympics are worth pursuing. He calls the Olympics more of a business bazaar than an athletic competition.
