The recent decision of the US Olympic Committee to select Boston as America’s host city for the 2024 Summer Olympics bid has a lot of Bostonians in a tizzy.
Unlike a lot of people who are critical of the city’s bid, I’ve actually lived in a city that prepared for Summer Olympics and experienced that city’s Olympic games. I understand that the process up until now has bypassed many of the citizens who call Boston home and there is concern our money could be put to better use. However, I see this as an amazing opportunity and therein lies my beef with Bostonians who have already decided this is somehow a terrible fate.
First, there is no guarantee that Boston will host the 2024 Summer Olympics, but by being the US Olympic Committee’s host city, we get quite a bit of attention and we can start to think and imagine what those games might look like and the infrastructure that we would need to have in place. By infrastructure, I mean the investments that will need to be made in our roads, public transportation, airport, additional hotel space, etc…, which benefit us all long after the summer games.
Additionally the Olympic Games will spur the city and region into action and that can potentially benefit all of us far beyond 2024. I recognize pitfalls have bedeviled many host cities but those failures offer us lessons in what not do just as past successes in cities like Barcelona, Atlanta and London offer insights into what does work.
Let’s focus on how we can make this an opportunity that helps bring more tourists, conventions, businesses and people to Boston. The Olympic Games remains an amazing opportunity and spotlight for Boston. How we leverage that opportunity will ultimately decide if Boston 2024 is good or bad for the city.
My two cents.
BosGuy 
As you were in Atlanta, Rob, I was in LA during the ’80’s –and in spite of all the doom and gloom naysayers–nothing negative happened! In fact, at the time there were only two cities in the running for the ’84 Games: Tehran (yes, in Iran), and Los Angeles. We know who got them–pretty much by default when they were awarded in the ’70’s–but these games showed how good–and profitable–they can be if done right! It’s high time the games returned to US soil, especially with all of the US sponsors. I have no doubt that the planning will be done right–we just have to do well against those other world-class cities who want them!
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Well I do know they’re already planning to expand South Station in Boston. I bet that’s a big part of it. It’ll be a few years though. And as part of the revamp of South Station I do wish they’d expand the ingress side of the way to the Silver and Red Lines. It’s weird how it pinches at that point then opens up wide once you get past it.
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Thanks Rob – so disappointed in the negativity and pessimism from so many almost immediatly on this. It’s quite an opportunity and the reason Boston has gotten this far in the process is because we have a plan that can work and are addressing major issues. I’d really love to see us host this. It’s so easy to quickly say no – really makes me sad. We can do this!
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