Last Sunday the world watched as Spain finally scored a goal against Netherlands, winning this year's FIFA World Cup. Before the 2010 World Cup even finished, the idea of having the global event take place in Baltimore began to buzz.
More than 31,000 people have signed the official petition to bring the World Cup to Baltimore in 2018 or 2022. Anyone can easily support the bid, see below.
More than 31,000 people have signed the official petition to bring the World Cup to Baltimore in 2018 or 2022. Anyone can easily support the bid, see below.
But do we really want the World Cup to come to Baltimore? With all good ideas come potentially negative consequences. So rather than spending too much time taking a position stating why Baltimore either should or shouldn't host the World Cup, here are just some thoughts about why it's both a good and bad idea.
Why it's a good idea:
Why it's a bad idea:
Why it's a good idea:
- It could give the city good PR. As much as I loved "The Wire" it didn't give the city a positive view from people who've never been here. A recent study on this year's World Cup shows that more than 90% of all tourists who traveled to South Africa would recommend the location to friends and family for future vacations. Not to mention the billions of people who watched the games internationally.
- Tourism = dollars. Baltimore is a poor city. No further explanation needed.
- It would be a dream come true for soccer lovers. But, of course!
- It will amplify the already seemingly diverse culture permeating throughout the city.
Why it's a bad idea:
- Baltimore has a lot of poor people. A LOT. I saw in the news time and again that of the $2 billion that South Africa spent on the infrastructure to get ready for the World Cup, a lot of the money was spent "pushing aside the poor."
- Do we have the space? Supporters of bringing the World Cup to Baltimore are trying to sell M&T Bank Stadium for the games. But this seems like a lie since all of the soccer games I've ever been to in Baltimore have all been at First Mariner Bank Arena, which is entirely way too small for an event like the World Cup.
- I have no idea how many hotel rooms were booked and how many hotel rooms are needed to host such a large-scale event. Do we even have the capacity to host the event? I can't seem to find answers about this anywhere.
- This also leads to a major traffic question. Rush hours in Baltimore are particularly awful during baseball and football seasons if the teams are doing well. In an event like the World Cup, how long do you think it might take to get from one place to another?
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