The United States Olympic Committee has invited Memphis to make a pitch for the 2024 Olympics. Really.
A letter to Mayor A C Wharton, released by his office Wednesday, says “we are reaching out to cities that have previously expressed an interest in bidding as well as the cities in the largest 25 U.S. markets.”
The 1996 Olympics was in Atlanta. The U.S. made bids, unsuccessfully, to host the 2012 Olympics in New York and the 2016 Olympics in Chicago.
“Both New York and Chicago had to participate in a domestic bid process that cost upwards of $10 million before they were designated by the USOC as an IOC Applicant City,” the letter says.
As for the the games themselves, “The staging of the games is an extraordinary undertaking for any city, with operating budgets in excess of $3 billion, not including costs associated with venue construction and other infrastructure.”
Among the requirements are 45,000 hotel rooms, an Olympic Village that sleeps 16,500 and has a 5,000-person dining hall, operations space for 15,000 media members, an international airport that can handle thousands of international passengers a day, and a workforce of up to 200,000.
“While the Games require a formidable commitment, they also provide an unparalleled opportunity for a city to evolve and grow,” the letter says. “The games have had a transformative impact on a number of host cities, including Barcelona, Beijing, and London.”
Well, now. Many thoughts come to mind. Here are a few. Feel free to add on.
1. Only if Germantown and Lakeland will join in.
2. $3 billion? If only they had only called a week ago!
3. Got the airport and a skate park.
4. Game Changer.
5. Wonder how many of these letters went out.
6. Only if wrestling is back in.
7. And squash gets in.
8. Does a hotel room in Little Rock, Nashville, or Knoxville count?
9. Reply “tell us more” and see what happens.
10. Spam
