GEPA Pictures-US Presswire
The effects of Hurricane Sandy can still be seen vividly throughout the entire New York City area and certain parts of its neighboring state of New Jersey. Millions of people have been greatly inconvenienced by loss of power and gas, the inability to transport to and from destinations such as work and school and some have even had their homes ravaged by the tumultuous storm; however according to the Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg has announced that the 43rd ING New York City Marathon will still take place on Sunday November 4.
On Wednesday Mayor Bloomberg announced the postponing of the Brooklyn Nets 2012-13 season and home opener versus the New York Knicks due to the fact that the city had yet to get back on its feet and that transporting to and from the game would be extremely difficult because of the mass transit system wasn’t fully functional, some streets still showed effects after the storm and the shortage of gas which the city had been enduring.
That makes complete sense and even though there were several Brooklyn residents who may have not been keen on the idea would understand as to why they game has been rescheduled for November 26, but here’s where I’m confused; why postpone an indoor event and not an outside event?
If the streets aren’t safe enough and transportation isn’t timely enough for an indoor basketball game then why would everything be copacetic for an outdoor race which stretches 26.2 miles throughout the each of the city’s five boroughs? No one but Mayor Bloomberg can give the answer to that question but I myself have a conspiracy theory for it and guess what its because of the all-mighty dollar.
The Marathon is expected to bring in somewhere in the neighborhood of $340 million to the city stemming from everything from merchandise sales to tourism hotel stay. The Nets/Knicks wouldn’t have produced that kind of revenue but the amount of dollars and cents that it will bring in wouldn’t have been at it’s peak due to many fans not being able to attend the game. Now with the game being rescheduled for November 26 the fans will be able to show up, wallets in hand and spend some duckets while watching their two local teams drop buckets.
The revenue from the Marathon may or may not be able to be recouped at a later date due to approximately 30,000 visitors to the city not being able to attend or even participate in the race due to an assortment of complications. I get that, however what about the residents of the city; aren’t they getting short-changed in many ways. For starters every street within the city still isn’t full functional and now Bloomberg is going to allow several hundred more streets to be closed down during the race (it happens every year so that the runners can compete on the streets) which will then in turn make the few streets that are capable of holding traffic to be even more congested. Does that make any sense?
Unfortunately it does make cents and dollars to the powers that be which is the same reason New Jersey hasn’t postponed this Sunday’s NFL match up between the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers either. The Steelers can’t even book a hotel in the area which means they have to fly in on Sunday morning which figures to be a huge disadvantage to any team not to mention the thousands of Giants fans who live in the Big Apple would have to find a way with the local tunnels still remaining out of commission a way to get across the Hudson River just to get a chance to watch their “home team” play. That issue can’t be taken up with Mayor Bloomberg that is an issue that should be directed to the mayor of East Rutherford, New Jersey James Cassella or New Jersey Governor Christopher Christie because after all that’s where the New York Giants play football correct, in East Rutherford, New Jersey; isn’t it?
Mayor Bloomburg still gets a huge C’mon Man or Son (whichever version you like better) because he could have postponed the Marathon a week or so and if the 30,000 visitors to the city had to reschedule or couldn’t make it to the event then, oh well that would have been their loss. Now the only ones losing out will be New Yorkers, the very same people who elected him into office and the ones who is supposed to be looking out for their best interests not the visitors from else where who technically aren’t his responsibility.
