Boston’s spirit shines as its Olympic dream dies
COMMENTARY
Truth be told, the Olympic Spirit isn’t dead in Boston. Far from it, actually.
It wasn’t only “10 people on Twitter’’ — as Boston Mayor Marty Walsh ludicrously dismissed Massachusetts’ overall appetite for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games — who ultimately killed the bid. The Boston 2024 boosters did plenty of that on their own with their bumbling process, lack of transparency, and a general failure to relate themselves in any fashion to the majority of the general public who were skeptical about landing these Games, earning a lack of trust that was ultimately their undoing.
But this story is less about the failures of Boston 2024 than it is the accomplishments of those who opposed bowing down to the United States and International Olympic Committees.
The most recent, and as it turns out final, WBUR poll showed 50 percent of the population was opposed to bringing the 2024 Olympic Games to Massachusetts soil. That flies in the face of Walsh’s assessment that the fight was merely against “10 people on Twitter’’ and “a couple people out there beating the drum beat.’’
Sorry, Mr. Mayor. This was a growing sentiment of perseverance on the part of the opposition, people who fought against the power of big business and political influence in order to protect their home from falling into financial ruin for the sake of local developers and the constituents of the IOC.
The Olympic Creed reads, ’’The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.’’
The Boston 2024 opposition struggled in triumph. It fought well and, in the end, conquered. The fight says plenty about Boston’s spirit, its tenacity, and the long history of Bostonians standing up in the face of adversity and unapologetically standing ground on their beliefs.
The Olympic Dream is dead in Boston. For now, anyway.
The Olympic Spirit? It’s very much alive.
“Boston is a world-class city,’’ opposition group No Boston Olympics said in a statement. “We are a city with an important past and a bright future. We got that way by thinking big, but also thinking smart. We need to move forward as a city, and today’s decision allows us to do that on our own terms, not the terms of the USOC or the IOC. We’re better off for having passed on Boston 2024.’’
In a joint statement from the USOC and Boston 2024, USOC CEO Scott Blackmun said, “Notwithstanding the promise of the original vision for the bid, and the soundness of the plan developed under Steve Pagliuca, we have not been able to get a majority of the citizens of Boston to support hosting the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Therefore, the USOC does not think that the level of support enjoyed by Boston’s bid would allow it to prevail over great bids from Paris, Rome, Hamburg, Budapest, or Toronto.’’
Translation: You won, Boston.
“We’ve been working as volunteers on this for a year and a half, and we would certainly like to think that some of that effort amounted to something,’’ No Boston Olympics co-chair Chris Dempsey said during a news conference in front of the State House in the wake of the announcement. “It’s fulfilling to be here today and feel like you did have some impact.’’
Amazing that it took just the slightest bit of hesitancy from Mayor Walsh to end this charade once and for all. It was only Monday morning when Walsh called a press conference to announce that he could not, in good faith, sign a binding agreement with the USOC that would leave Massachusetts taxpayers with the burden of being responsible for any cost overruns in the planning of the 2024 games. But nor did Walsh completely shut the door on the vision, instead seemingly criticizing those who were against the Games.
“I don’t view the 40 to 50 percent who aren’t for the Olympics today’’ as the opposition,’’ Walsh said “I view the 10 people who are doing hundreds of thousands of tweets on Twitter.’’
It’s that sort of delusion that filtered through the entire farce. Hours later, it became clear that Walsh’s wishy-washy stance wasn’t enough for the illustrious USOC, which pulled the plug “mutually’’ with Boston 2024.
“Boston 2024 has expressed confidence that, with more time, they could generate the public support necessary to win the bid and deliver a great Games,’’ Blackmun said. “They also recognize, however, that we are out of time if the USOC is going to be able to consider a bid from another city.’’
And so, Bid 2.0 will be filed away in the annals of Boston planning history, featuring some good ideas for the long-term vision of the city, albeit for all the wrong reasons. If Boston 2024 left any positive legacy, perhaps it’s that their very presence over the last year or so will be used to spark further debate about Boston civic improvements, including the MBTA and just what in the world will become of Widett Circle.
Dempsey said that his group averaged a contribution size of about $100 compared to Boston 2024’s average of $74,000. No Boston Olympics had thousands of supporters, he said, and even though the group was outspent “1,000:1,’’ it is people like them who emerged victorious.
Not so shabby for only 10 people on Twitter.
“Our effort was about a lot more than just social media and Twitter,’’ Dempsey said. “We had multiple community meetings where people came together. We had, really, people reaching out to us from across the state saying that they supported us and asking how they could help. So this was really a grassroots effort.
“Our hope was always to be a voice for people in Massachusetts that were skeptical about this bid and had some real questions about it. And we hope that we were successful in that.’’
It’s over. Mercifully.
Is it too soon to propose the 2026 Winter Games though?
Photos: What Boston would have looked like before, during and after the Olympics
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