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'And the winner is Brisbane . probably.'
With those words from International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach there was dancing in the streets of Queensland from Coolangatta to Cairns.
Not.
Within minutes of news breaking that Brisbane had been chosen as 'preferred candidate' for the 2032 Olympics, the website of local media outlet The Courier Mail was inundated with over 200 comments from readers.
And not one of them positive.
© Provided by Daily MailBrisbane's bid to host the 2032 summer Olympics - making it the third Australian city to do so - just got a whole lot closer. So why are so many people indifferent?
© Provided by Daily MailOne of the many unforgettable moments of the Sydney 2000 Olympics, Cathy Freeman (pictured) claiming gold after a dominant women's 400m win
'We can't afford this.'
'On whose coin?'
'Queensland needs dams before Olympics.'
'Outside sports people, ex-sports people, sports journalists, wealthy developers - and their mates the politicians, I haven't heard anyone support this ridiculous proposal.'
And those were some of the nicer ones.
Elsewhere around the country - to say nothing of internationally - the response was less emotional. As in non-existent.
Compare that to the scenes of jubilation in Monte Carlo on September 24, 1993 when the-then IOC boss Juan Antonio Samaranch uttered those unforgettable words: 'The winner is Sydney.'
© Provided by Daily MailQueensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Australian Olympic Committee chief John Coates at a press conference after Brisbane was named 'preferred candidate' for the 2032 Olympic Games
Australian politicians and bid organisers leapt into each other's arms, hats were thrown, tears shed, and champagne corks popped as TV crews beamed the footage into packed 'live sites' and millions of lounge rooms around the country.
It was the start of a party that didn't end until Samaranch anointed Sydney 'the best Olympics ever' at the Closing Ceremony on October 1, 2000.
That endorsement brought a huge cheer from the crowd of just under 115,000.
A few minutes later, when he officially declared the Games closed, the reaction was one of sadness, with a heartfelt 'Noooh .' echoing around the stadium.
© Provided by Daily MailThe worldwide Coronavirus pandemic meant the 2020 Tokyo Olympics was postponed until July 2021 - but that date looks increasingly unlikely to be kept
So what has changed in the past 21 years? How can we have gone from a nation that embraced a sporting event with such passion that we didn't want it to end, to one that is at best indifferent and at worst hostile to the prospect of that same event returning to our shores?
Well, it's no scoop that the world has changed a lot in those 21 years, and much as it pains me to say it, the Olympics ain't what they used to be.
As one of those 'sports journalists' mentioned earlier who rode the Olympic Express for 24 years - covering every Games from Barcelona 1992 to Rio 2016 - I love the Olympics as much as anyone.
© Provided by Daily MailSurfing is scheduled to be a medal sport for the first time at the postponed Tokyo Olympics, giving a big chance for Australian world champion Stephanie Gilmore (pictured) to add to her glittering trophy cabinet
Done properly, like they were in Sydney, London and - even if without the same charm and warmth - Beijing, they were spectacular experiences. But even the most devoted Olympics aficionado would have to admit that for years the Games have struggled for relevance.
It is no coincidence that 1993 - when the world held its breath as Juan Antonio Samaranch announced that Sydney had beaten out bids from Manchester, Beijing, Berlin and Istanbul to host the 2000 Games - was the year that the Internet was first made freely available to the world.
The birth of the worldwide web changed everything, not least of all the recreational and entertainment tastes of generations of young people to come.
Traditional Olympic sports such as discus, shot put and javelin are no match for the growing popularity of online video games like Crossfire, Dungeon Fighter or Minecraft.
© Provided by Daily MailSeven-time world surfing champion Stephanie Gilmore in action last September as surfers around the world geared up for the rescheduled Tokyo games
Boxing has been usurped by Mixed Martial Arts, and team sports such as hockey and volleyball which require a playing field and change sheds have lost ground to those that need little more than a keyboard, screen and high-speed internet.
Olympic officials are well aware of their shrinking market and the sponsor dollars that are heading elsewhere.
Over the years they have tried to hold back the growing tide of indifference by allowing NBA stars to compete and introducing professional tennis and golf - although an Olympic gold medal remains a poor substitute for an NBA title, golf 'major' or tennis Grand Slam.
BMX cycling became an Olympic sport in 2008, surfing is to be included in the Tokyo Games if they go ahead and the inclusion of break dancing at Paris 2024 could be seen as either moving with the times, or desperation.
But no matter how much the IOC tinkers with the make-up of its venerable 125-year-old institution, nothing can repair the damage done over the past 12 months.
COVID-19 did what only two world wars have managed to achieve in the past - it forced the postponement of the Olympic Games.
© Provided by Daily MailBreak-dancing is set to debut as a new Olympic sport at the Paris 2024 Olympics, but is that a genius move or desperation?
And, from an IOC perspective, the worst thing was that, apart from 'sports people, ex-sports people, sports journalists, wealthy developers - and their mates the politicians', no-one seemed to care.
Were people in London, New York and Mumbai really worried that the women's 4x100m medley relay wasn't going to take place at the Tokyo Aquatic Centre on August 1, 2020 as scheduled?
Of course not. They were too concerned with trying to stay alive.
And if the Tokyo Olympics doesn't go ahead this year they probably won't be too upset about that either.
As for the 2032 Olympics, that's 11 years off.
Seriously, the way the world is now, why even talk about it?
Besides, as far as the people of Brisbane are concerned, there are still a lot of bridges to be crossed before Thomas Bach makes his final announcement of the host city.
All that has happened so far is that Brisbane has been given the 'rails run'.
The city's bid committee has won the right to deal exclusively with the IOC's Future Host Commission for 12 months while the other candidates including Doha, Budapest, a joint Rhine-Ruhr German bid and the Chinese cities of Chengdu and Chongqing, sit on the sidelines.
The IOC will ask a number of questions about venues, transport and environmental issues and Brisbane will put on its very best face.
© Provided by Daily MailIf it actually happened, Australians would almost certainly embrace another Olympic Games Downunder
© Provided by Daily MailTokyo Olympics organising committee president Seiko Hashimoto (left) speaks to media
What could possibly go wrong?
Well, maybe one thing. Tokyo has spent a reported $33billion preparing to put on an Olympic Games.
It has already been postponed once, and there are serious concerns it could be put off again.
Should that happen, and there is no time for it to be rescheduled before the Paris 2024, the IOC will owe Tokyo an Olympics.
The next one available is 2032.
I wouldn't be popping the champagne corks just yet.
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