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'Are You Out of Your Mind?': 15 Reactions to D.C. (Possibly) Getting Olympics Bid

It looks like it's a no-go for Boston when it comes to hosting the summer 2024 Olympics. U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) CEO Scott Blackmun and Boston 2024 Partnership Chairman Steve Pagliuca jointly released statements to say that they were not able to gain enough public support to be able to seal the deal, as reported by Washington City Paper. Last December, a public poll showed only 45 percent favored hosting the summer games in Boston. If Boston had been able to host the Olympics, the event would have generated about $4.8 billion in revenue and $4.6 billion in costs. For now, Associated Press describes Los Angeles as the frontrunner for getting the Olympic bid contract due to the city having hosted the games in 1984.

Whether or not Washington, D.C. will win the bid is up in the air, but opinions are already being formed on whether or not the nation's capital would even be a good choice for the summer games. Christine Brennan, a sports columnist for USA Today and consultant for ABC News, said, "Washington could be terrific, official Washington would do a wonderful job, [and] it would be a great event." When D.C. lost the bid to Boston, D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson described the loss as "disappointing," while D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said she was "proud of how the District and the region presented." Many expressed relief for not getting the bid. Meanwhile, on Twitter last January, Editor of Politico Magazine Garrett Graff wrote, "The best thing that happened to DC so far in 2015 was not getting the Olympics! Congratulations Washington!" In reaction to the possibility of Washington, D.C. being reconsidered for the Olympics, one Twitter user named Steve Ammidown said, "NO. NO. NO. A MILLION TIMES NO." For now, the USOC will need to make their bid soon as the due date for the International Olympic Committee is this September.


Poll results

· Plans for the Olympics in Washington, D.C. Take Flight [Curbed DC]
· To Olympics or Not to Olympics, That is The D.C. Question [Curbed DC]
· Washington, D.C. Was Not Chosen For The 2024 Olympics [Curbed DC]
· Boston Doesn't Want the 2024 Olympics. Does D.C.? [Washington City Paper]
· Could D.C. host the 2024 Summer Olympics? Sure, but not yet [WTOP]
· With Boston out, can Los Angeles revive a US Olympic bid? [Associated Press]