John Henry Believes Boston Hosting 2024 Summer Olympics Would Be ‘Great’

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MASHANTUCKET, Conn. — Red Sox principal owner John Henry said Friday he’s not directly involved with Boston’s push to host the 2024 Summer Olympics.

He’s still paying attention, though.

Henry gave Boston’s Olympic bid his stamp of approval while speaking before the Red Sox Town Hall event at Foxwoods Resort Casino. He also expressed a willingness to listen if approached about Fenway Park potentially hosting Olympic events.

“I think it would be great,” Henry said. “It would be great.”

The Red Sox will be directly impacted if Boston ultimately wins its bid to host the 2024 Olympics. The games would force the Sox to embark on a lengthy road trip, much like the 17-game excursion the Braves endured when Atlanta hosted the 1996 Olympics.

“It’s not a sacrifice I would (need to) make. It’s a question of whether or not baseball would agree to it, the players’ union would agree to it, our players would agree to it,” Henry said of whether the Red Sox would be prepared to accept such a prolonged road trip.

Red Sox chairman Tom Werner expressed similar sentiments Friday, though there’s still a long way to go before the International Olympic Committee makes its decision.

“We’d love baseball to be back in the Olympics,” Werner said. “If the International Olympic Committee picks Boston as the city, it’s going to be a great showcase for New England and we’d be delighted to be a part of it, but we’re not going to make any assurances until it becomes a reality.”

Well, it’s never too early to at least consider the possibilities. Boston appears all-in at this point.

NESN will air coverage of the Baseball Winter Weekend on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
NESN will air this year’s Red Sox Town Hall on Sunday at 7 p.m.

Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images