Tokyo has been the epicenter for one of the worst if not the worst natural disaster in history. The earthquakes and tsunami that have crushed this nation has left a mark that will not easily be forgotten. Sport is often thought to be a comforting stable for a nation. This was evident here in the United States when baseball returned following the events of September 11, 2001. Furthermore, in New Orleans after the tragic events of Hurricane Katrina the return of New Orleans Saints brought a city back together. In these cases, sport provided comfort and resolution to destroyed and ravaged areas. However, in the case of Tokyo and after witnessing the video footage and utter destruction I cannot say I disagree with their decision not to make a bid for the 2020 Olympics. I understand this may not make sense given my previous statements though the difference to me is that the opportunity to host the Olympics requires so much more than a singular event as was the World Series and Super Bowl. Further, the gravity of the damage in Tokyo seemed to appear much greater than Katrina.
September 11, 2001 shocked the country and shattered many friends and families. The return of baseball did not bring back normalcy as much as it allowed a nation to temporarily forget the awful situation. Would hosting the Olympics allow Tokyo to forget the overflowing water and or huge earthquakes? I do not think so. Rather, I think the country needs to focus on rebuilding and providing as normal of a life for its residents as possible. As mentioned in the article attached below the Olympic Bid can happen again in the future and will be on a better foot than the rest of the country as the rest of the country.
"Fortunately enough the Metropolitan Government of Tokyo including the JOC headquarter-building and the venues of the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games remains without any damage,"
Disagree or agree one thing is for certain I wish Tokyo a quick and full recovery!
At first I thought that Tokyo should go forward with the bid as a way to focus on overcoming the devastating tragedy. But then I thought about how much of their efforts need to be put into the bid itself. Clearly there is no way that they can do that given all that they must do simply to recover. As a result, I believe they made the right decision. Like you, I hope (and pray) for their recovery. I cannot even imagine what it would be like to experience such devastating events!
ReplyDeleteDr. Spencer,
ReplyDeleteI like the rest of the class are quickly learning how much effort does indeed go into an Olympic bid and our project is on a microscopic level when compared to an actual city creating a porper environment to host the Olympics. My opinions have now only been further reinforced and I now more than ever agree with Tokyo's decision to no longer submit a bid for the 2020 Olympic games.
I liked your examples of how sport can be used as an outlet to escape and/or overcome a tragedy. Being from Louisiana, I can say that the Saints winning the Super Bowl was an awesome experience and a statewide celebration! Growing up in Northwest Louisiana, I took trips to Baton Rouge and New Orleans occasionally. The culture is extremely different the closer you get to the Gulf and there is this attitude that true Louisianians are from the bottom half of the state. So when Katrina hit and evacuations began, the cultures of Louisiana were forced to combine. So the Super Bowl win was important because it didn't just show the resilience of a city but solidified the reconciliation of a state.
ReplyDeleteAs for Tokyo's decision, I completely agree that they made the right choice by not going through with the bid. The aftermath of their disasters is going to be financially, physically, and emotionally exhausting, without having to add the pressures of creating an Olympic bid.