BOSTON – Organizers of Boston's bid for the 2024 Olympics say they're "wicked excited."
Ordinary Bostonians — bracing for killer traffic and other headaches if the famously curmudgeonly city actually wins the Games — say they're just wicked bummed.
Columnists and commuters alike took to the airwaves, the streets and social media Friday to air their grievances, deflating at least a little of Boston's bubble over beating San Francisco, Los Angeles and Washington as the USOC's choice for the American bid.
"Boston's congested enough already. We do not need another bloated, corrupt sports event," said Steve Guillerm, a Cambridge accountant.
Much of the opposition appeared to have been drummed up by No Boston Olympics, a protest group demanding more of a public say in the bid. It planned to kick off a rally next week "to plan our continued opposition to Boston 2024."
Chris Faraone of the alternative website DigBoston said he felt "like I was sitting at a funeral" as he watched the dignitaries sketch out their initial vision for the Games. "Specifically it reminded me of my grandfather's wake, and how I wanted to throw rocks at the priest for pretending it was a positive moment," he wrote.
Thousands took to Twitter to gripe. Among them was Chuck McMahon, content manager for a website company, whose wisecrack about how "awesome" a Boston Olympics would be — superimposed on a photo of an epic traffic jam — was televised on NBC's "Today" show.
"Ever been to a party that's way too crowded to enjoy, the hosts don't want you there and you don't want to be there? Welcome to Boston 2024," tweeted Jon Finegold, a mobile communications executive.
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