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Forget the Olympics: What if Boston hosted the World Cup?
By adamg on Sun, 10/11/2009 - 9:48am
Matt Conti reports on an effort to bring the world's largest sporting event to Boston (well, technically, Gillette Stadium).
Organizers might want to work a bit on the description, though:
Perhaps Boston can be best described as a welcome contradiction: Hip alongside historic. Skyscrapers surround parks. Gourmet meets pizza. ...
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Comments
Cityofboston link
Cityofboston.gov had a link to that effort. Personally, I thought it a sick joke. I find precious few world cup fans in red sox nation. Sounds like a good poll question.
Wrong nation
There might be few soccer fans in Red Sox Nation, but you might just be looking in the wrong nation. There are plenty of soccer fans in Boston - many of them from other than Red Sox nationality - who would be thrilled to see parts of The Cup played here. Soccer is a more popular game worldwide than baseball, and the Boston area has many immigrants. Somerville, Framingham, and East Boston might turn out more people to a big soccer game than a big baseball game. Especially if the games weren't all banished to that rural football stadium somewhere in cars-only Podunk.
The Cup would be a good reason to build a real soccer stadium in the Boston metro area, say in Somerville. You know, near that new Green Line station they're building.
Didn't we already have a World Cup here
in 1994?
this also brings up the fact
this also brings up the fact that countries, not cities host the world cup. This is actually reflected in the links, but Boston would only be playing a small role, just as it did in 1994. The Championships would likely again be held in whatever city has the largest stadium.
We do have a much better stadium now than in 1994
Gillette, instead of old Foxboro stadium, so it's not inconceivable to bring the championship game here. We certainly have plenty of Italians, Portuguese, and Brazilians around to cheer for their home teams.
A lovely idea
It sounds like a splendid idea at least first off. I'm not sure about the logistics of course. That and I'm not sure if Gillette really makes the grade. Countries build entirely new and amazing stadia for such events (not that I am a big proponent of stadia building in general).
Question; didn't the US host back in the 90's and spread it out among a range of cities and locations?
The Olympics isn't necessarily a bad idea either, especially if it would force redevelopment of some of our transit. Boston is a very diverse city (despite what I know many will point out about its history). That said, either venture would require a monumental commitment to compete for and see through. And both would require public dollars (or lots and lots and lots of "sponsors." If such spending dove-tailed with critical and necessary improvements I would be all for the Games or the Cup.
Otherwise, we have to recognize that these events, at least as they have been recently, are nationalistic ventures that perhaps the US just doesn't have the taste for and apparently not the popularity to garner them either.
Ehm, its actually a given
Ehm, its actually a given that it would come to Boston (Gillette)
12 cities host. Usually the major city in each region. Gillette is the only suitable stadium in the region.
Now the question is, will it be 2018 or 2022? Well find out soon.