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Dolfan in NYC

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...

Senior IOC member Dick Pound (his real name) has said the COVID-19 outbreak has given the IOC a 3 month window.  If the outbreak isn't under control by then, the IOC will consider cancelling the Olympics. 

 

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It is a reasonable and responsible step to take given that Asia is the epicenter of the outbreak.  The proposed vaccine is just now being approved for Phase I Clinical so there probably won't be a safe and approved vaccine for public use for at least a year to eighteen months.

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I will be curious to see - IF they cancel - if they run them next year or just completely punt

Because you have to imagine Japan would be livid if they spent all this infrastructure and the Olympics basically says "Yeah we will come back in 10 years"

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Just now, odessasteps said:

I’ve heard people speculating about moving them to London , although you’d think the US is always the back up for these things. 

The London thing is because one of the people running for mayor was WE CAN HOST IT!!! and people got pissy because they basically were like "you are using a crisis to score political points"

Yeah - Dick Pound's press conference definitely came across more as trying to pressure I guess Japan (and maybe the world's response) since it was like WE HAVE NO OTHER OPTIONS (basically saying that it would be impossible to move despite the US being right there, and how they can't delay 3 months or a year because broadcast partners wouldn't be happy. And I was like "NBC will cancel all its fucking programming for the Olympics")

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It's certainly not a bluff based on the fact that J-League soccer is already shut down temporarily, and the Japanese Sumo Association is absolutely prepared to shut down the March tournament if it becomes necessary. Japan isn't messing around on this one. The local Olympic organizers might not like it but there's now building precedent and a lot of public pressure from people that can actually exert real pressure.

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2 hours ago, RIPPA said:

The London thing is because one of the people running for mayor was WE CAN HOST IT!!! and people got pissy because they basically were like "you are using a crisis to score political points"

Yeah - Dick Pound's press conference definitely came across more as trying to pressure I guess Japan (and maybe the world's response) since it was like WE HAVE NO OTHER OPTIONS (basically saying that it would be impossible to move despite the US being right there, and how they can't delay 3 months or a year because broadcast partners wouldn't be happy. And I was like "NBC will cancel all its fucking programming for the Olympics")

I'm not sure why pushing it back to 2021 in Japan isn't an option. They spent all that money to build stuff, they should get to host, either this year or next year.

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7 minutes ago, Death From Above said:

It's certainly not a bluff based on the fact that J-League soccer is already shut down temporarily, and the Japanese Sumo Association is absolutely prepared to shut down the March tournament if it becomes necessary. Japan isn't messing around on this one. The local Olympic organizers might not like it but there's now building precedent and a lot of public pressure from people that can actually exert real pressure.

It's not a universal response in Japan, though.  Perfume says that their concert tonight is still on, and AKB48 is still running theater shows and haven't said anything about postponing their big concert in early April.  It's partly due to the fact that concert insurance apparently doesn't cover viral epidemics.

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At least in Sumo's case they're concerned that sumo is a small community and that if one wrestler gets sick there's a good chance a big chunk of them do, so basically the standby is "if any actual employees of the Sumo Association get sick we're out". If we're being real, the Olympic Athlete's Village is probably a germ factory at the best of times.

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8 minutes ago, Death From Above said:

At least in Sumo's case they're concerned that sumo is a small community and that if one wrestler gets sick there's a good chance a big chunk of them do, so basically the standby is "if any actual employees of the Sumo Association get sick we're out". If we're being real, the Olympic Athlete's Village is probably a germ factory at the best of times.

Given what normally happens at the Olympic Villages...

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7 minutes ago, Death From Above said:

At least in Sumo's case they're concerned that sumo is a small community and that if one wrestler gets sick there's a good chance a big chunk of them do, so basically the standby is "if any actual employees of the Sumo Association get sick we're out". If we're being real, the Olympic Athlete's Village is probably a germ factory at the best of times.

Oh it absolutely is, albeit more of the “burns when I pee” variety traditionally.

(think about it: everyone’s young, away from home, and surrounded by people their age from all over the world with common interests, exotic accents, and oh by the way all just happen to be in extremely good shape. It’s amazing they ever get around to competing tbh)

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You are all forgetting that these are... reasonably... well run organizations

The IOC is far from that.

Regarding the waiting a year - Pound was all BUT THERE ARE ALL THESE OTHER INTERNATIONAL EVENTS WE HAVE TO CONSIDER!!!! (along with basically saying Japan would have to be willing to still host it which was weird).

Here is the exact quote

Quote

How about delaying for a year, but staying in Tokyo? Japan is officially spending $12.6 billion to organize the Olympics, although a national audit board says the country is spending twice that much.
"Then you have to ask if you can hold the bubble together for an extra year," Pound said. "Then of course you have to fit all of this into the entire international sports schedule."

 

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17 minutes ago, Niners Fan in CT said:

I guess this is off topic but is there any word on how this could affect NJPW and other Japanese promotions? 

It was the lead story in the newest WON (spoilerized for size)

Spoiler

After Japan’s Health Minister asked the public to avoid non-urgent and non-essential gatherings due to COVID-19 (the Coronavirus), Bushiroad ordered all Stardom activities through 3/14 to be canceled aside from a television taping, which will take place with no fans in attendance.

There will be at least two significant events, a pro wrestling match in Japan and an MMA show in Singapore, that will be broadcast worldwide live on major services that will be the modern equivalent of empty arena matches.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met with medical experts over this past weekend and Katsunobu Kato, the health minister, asked people not to attend these type of events and the elderly in particular to avoid crowded places. Japan had the largest outbreak outside China, with 518 cases, of which 456 were related to the Diamond Princess cruise ship.

Interestingly, while Bushiroad ordered all Stardom events either canceled or closed off to the general public, its main pro wrestling promotion, New Japan, is continuing its schedule but did issue precautions for fans thinking of attending and is offering refunds to those who have tickets but decide against attending. There was no explanation why the same parent company made what would seem to be contradictory decisions with its two pro wrestling properties. Obviously the New Japan shows coming up are both bigger money makers and also higher priorities, with the Manabu Nakanishi retirement show on 2/22, the 48th anniversary show on 3/3 and the New Japan Cup tournament from 3/4 to 3/21.

The 2/19 Mayu Iwatani birthday fan event was canceled, as was an autograph signing event on 2/20. The company did hold a 2/20 press conference that was to be open to the public, but that changed and it was only open to accredited press.

The company also announced that its shows on 2/22 in Osaka, 2/23 in Nagoya, 2/29 in Tokyo and afternoon and evening shows on 3/14 in Osaka have been canceled. The Nagoya show was to be headlined by Iwatani defending the World of Stardom title against Jungle Kyona.

The only show left on the books will be a 3/8 show at Korakuen Hall, which will take place in the building, but with no fans in attendance. The promotion will be using the show to tape matches for its television show, and will also be airing the show live worldwide on Youtube.

Because the show will be taking place at 11:30 a.m. in Japan, the idea was to do a YouTube show that would be convenient for live viewing in the U.S., as it will air at 9:30 p.m. on 3/7, a Saturday night, in the U.S.

Even though there will be no fans, this will be a loaded show, featuring a Battle Royal, Hana Kimura & Kyona vs. Giulia & Maika, Bea Priestley & Jamie Hayter defending the Goddesses of Stardom tag titles against Utami Hayashishita & Momo Watanabe, Arisa Hoshiki defending the Wonder of Stardom title against Natsuko Tora and a main event of World of Stardom champion Mayu Iwatani vs. Saki Kashima in a non-title lumberjack match.

Stardom has a Stardom World streaming service, which actually has more subscribers outside Japan than inside Japan, but the shows are put up on a delay, usually a couple of days later. They are hopeful of resuming a regular schedule after mid-March.

In addition, the ONE promotion announced that its 2/28 show from the Singapore Indoor Stadium, which airs on B/R Live starting at 4:30 a.m. Eastern headlined by Kimihiro Eta (16-5-2) vs. Amir Khan (12-6) and also features Yoshihiro Akiyama, and Mei Yamaguchi, will be held but there will be no fans allowed in the building.

In addition, the Tokyo Marathon, scheduled for 3/1, while not canceled, will be limited to 200 elite level competitors in both the regular and the wheelchair divisions. More than 38,000 runners had been originally accepted to compete.

New Japan Pro Wrestling announced that all its events will continue and be open to the public, but issued guidelines.

At the 2/19 and 2/20 shows at Korakuen Hall, it appeared that between 50 and 70 percent of the fans were wearing surgical masks covering their mouths and noses.

They asked that all fans who have a fever, a cough, even a cold or in any way don’t feel healthy, to please not attend.

They will be providing disinfectant alcohol sprays at every event and would like al fans to disinfect their hands when they enter the arena.

They also would like all fans to wear surgical masks during the live events when possible. They also asked fans to thoroughly wash their hands and gargle.

They also asked that if fans started feeling ill at all during a show, to please leave, and that staff has been ordered to ask people to leave if they show signs of being sick.

Refunds are being made available to anyone for events between now and the end of March who decide against attending the events.

The company has also canceled all its scheduled meet and greets with talent until further notice.

 

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Japan doesn't fuck around with diseases.  Hell, at least a quarter of the population wears surgical masks around daily without an epidemic going about.

 

6 minutes ago, BobbyWhioux said:

Oh it absolutely is, albeit more of the “burns when I pee” variety traditionally.

(think about it: everyone’s young, away from home, and surrounded by people their age from all over the world with common interests, exotic accents, and oh by the way all just happen to be in extremely good shape. It’s amazing they ever get around to competing tbh)

I wanna say at the games 8 years ago, maybe 12, there was a story where the IOC was asking everyone to tone it down because the Village and surrounding areas physically ran out of ALL PROPHYLACTICS.  The Olympic Village is pretty much what Hollywood and that other LA Film business told us Greek College life was like.

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So Perfume did eventually cancel their Tokyo Dome concert (which is probably going to cost a decent amount of money) and now Prime Minister Abe asked event organizers of sports and cultural events to consider canceling, postponing, or reducing the scale in the next two weeks. 

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Assuming the Olympics go on as planned - MLBPA has agreed to a deal that will allow players who are on 40 man rosters but not in the majors to play in the Olympics

So this opens up the door to many more "name" folks being at the Olympics

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  • 2 weeks later...

I predict they will take a page out of WWE's playbook and do an empty stadium Halftime Heat affair for the Olympics.

Or seat everyone at least 10 seats from each other, and cover them all in plastic raincoats. It'll also act as a modern art exhibition.

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  • 2 weeks later...

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