If a referendum in Boston for the '24 Games slated for November '16 fails, "it not only humiliates its backers here but also adds another chapter" to the USOC's "quixotic effort" to bring the Olympics back to the U.S., according to Seelye & Longman of the N.Y. TIMES. Plenty of time "remains to shore up public opinion in Boston," as the IOC "will not choose" the '24 host city until September '17. USOC CEO Scott Blackmun said, "There is plenty of time to get this bid where it needs to be." But Seelye & Longman note if voters "rejected Boston’s bid ... and the city pulled out of contention, it would be a disaster, not only for the bid leaders but also for the entire Olympic movement." The Olympics "labor under an image of bloated extravagance and corruption," and losing an entry from the U.S. "would deal it another severe blow." It would also undermine efforts by Blackmun and USOC Chair Larry Probst to "overhaul a dysfunctional" USOC and "repair a once-tattered relationship" with the IOC. A collapse of the Boston bid "could harm future American attempts to secure the Games and would again raise questions about the leadership and direction of the USOC." The USOC said that its polling beforehand "showed a majority in favor of the bids in all four of the American candidate cities" for '24. The committee also "imposed certain parameters on the bidding process that it thought would be good for the cities, but in retrospect they might have backfired." Technically, the USOC "could nominate another American candidate" by September, but that is "before the referendum is likely to be held" (N.Y. TIMES, 3/31).
TAKING A CHANCE: In Boston, John Powers notes Olympic referenda "usually result in a thumbs-down from local electorates worried about runaway costs." That is why Munich (52% against) and Krakow (70% against) "pulled out of the race" for the '22 Winter Games and why Denver (60% against) gave the '76 Winter Games back over a $5M "bond issue for the state’s share" (BOSTON GLOBE, 3/31).
FISH OUT OF WATER? In Boston, Joan Vennochi writes, "If you really want the Olympics to come to Boston, you must be asking yourself: How do you solve a problem like John Fish?" The Boston '24 Chair "has grit, determination, and dedication to the Olympic dream -- all important ingredients to a successful campaign to win the bid." But he also "has thin skin, a tin ear, and a habit of blurting out what he really thinks about people who don't share his vision." He is a PR crisis "waiting to happen." Olympic backers would "love to pass the torch to someone else -- someone like Mitt Romney." Vennochi: "The question is how to get Fish to step aside, but not completely step away. His financial contributions are critical to Boston 2024, and he’s a true believer in the Games" (BOSTON GLOBE, 3/31).
