A top official in Florida is actually campaigning for the International Olympic Committee to move the upcoming Games to his country if they are canceled in Tokyo.
Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis wrote to the IOC on Monday requesting that the organization move the 2021 Games – which have already been postponed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic – to Florida should they be canceled or postponed again. .
He quoted a recent report as saying that Japanese officials had already decided to cancel the Games altogether because of the coronavirus, even though the IOC had denied the accuracy of the report.
“There is still time to deploy a team selection team to Florida to meet nationwide and local officials to hold the Sunshine State Olympics,” Patronis wrote. “I welcome the opportunity to set up Florida and help you make the right contact to do so.”
Patronis argued that Florida’s’ abundant hotel capacity and well-maintained transportation network ‘make it possible to keep the Games successful, and that there are ’12 large universities that have existing sports facilities.’
“However, I think the most important thing is that we have a state with leaders who are willing to do that,” Patronis wrote.
Can Florida logistically host the 2021 Olympics?
No.
The IOC is not only committed to holding the Games in Tokyo – and has repeatedly said that there is no ‘Plan B’ for another venue, but that the Olympics will start in about six months. It is almost impossible to plan a global event in that time.
It would also require the full support of the federal government to pull it off, and even then it would be very, very unlikely.
Or, as the economist of the Holy Cross and the expert on the economic impact of the Olympic Games, Victor Matheson puts it, Patronis’ plan is’ crazy ‘.
“The idea that just because Florida has so many hotels that they can host an entire Olympics event within six months, it’s absolutely crazy,” Matheson told the Huffington Post.
The other major problem that Matheson pointed out is, of course, the coronavirus.
Not only does the United States lead the rest of the world in both confirmed cases and deaths, but according to Florida, the third most cases are among any state in the country, according to The New York Times. The state has repeatedly been a focal point for the virus and has ignored or neglected the necessary measures for social distance and other precautions.
From a coronavirus point of view, Matheson said holding the Games in Florida would be ‘surprisingly stupid’.
“Let’s be honest here: If Tokyo is not safe enough to host the event because of COVID, in no million years is there a chance that Florida is safe enough to host the event,” he said via the Huffington Post said. “It simply means that Tokyo actually cares about whether they want a mass railroad leader in their city while Florida does not want to.”
Is the IOC even looking for the Tokyo Olympics?
No.
While Matheson and other officials in Florida can argue about their ability to keep the Games just what they want, that’s the most important part of the puzzle.
The IOC is moving forward with the Tokyo Olympics.
“At the moment, we have no reason to believe that the Tokyo Olympics will not open on July 23 at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium,” IOC President Thomas Bach told Kyodo News last week. “That’s why there is no Plan B, and that’s why we are committed to making these Games safe and successful.”
Now, for several reasons, the Olympics can finally be postponed or canceled. Japan is currently experiencing a new increase in coronavirus cases, and a January poll found that 77% of Japanese citizens are in favor of canceling or postponing the Games again.
At this stage, however, any discussion of rescheduling is premature.
“We have not received any information indicating that the Games will not go as planned, and we remain focused on the health and readiness of Team USA athletes ahead of the Games this summer,” Team USA said in a statement last week .
While there is a lot of doubt about the upcoming Olympics, one thing is crystal clear: Florida will not host it, no matter how hard officials may push.
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