Things are quite a bit different in California from 1984, when Los Angeles last hosted the Olympics. I was a journalist in Washington, D.C., and enjoyed watching the games on a 19-inch black-and-white TV. Californian Ronald Reagan was president, fellow Republican George Deukmejian was governor, Steve Jobs and Apple had just released the Macintosh and free markets were so much the rage Olympics impresario Peter Ueberroth turned a profit of $223 million.
This time I’ll be watching on my 55” 4-Series, 4K Ultra HD smart TV and the physical games will be just down the road from my abode in Irvine. Although he boasts of his capitalist bona fides, President Donald Trump is no Ronald Reagan and the state under Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom gets more dilapidated every day. Trump in October even blustered he might pressure the International Olympic Committee to move the games from Los Angeles, and FIFA to cancel Boston’s participation. But he’s more likely to balance the federal budget.
Despite the turmoil, California cities are prepping for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. I’ll concentrate on the Olympics because only two of 16 “futbol” venues will be held in the Golden State, in Inglewood and Santa Clara. The rest of the total 104 matches among 48 teams will be held in other U.S. states, Canada and Mexico. The finale will be played in MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
On October 17 at Venice Beach, which will host the triathlon contests, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced her plans:
The 2028 Games are an opportunity to reimagine our infrastructure, strengthen community resilience and expand opportunity for all Angelenos — a true “Games for All.” This is my Vision for the 2028 Games — an LA made better for all Angelenos. We will accelerate street projects, streamline city processes and permitting requirements, and make sure that we are taking advantage of the economic impact when we welcome the world. L.A. will shine on the world stage.
Her October 17 Executive Directive No. 16 Games for All Vision organized the games around three building blocks: An Inclusive City for All, a Thriving City for All and a Vibrant City for All. The 25-page Vision pamphlet included this graphic of the ambitious Building Blocks.
The 2028 Vision is quite different from 1984’s. And it’s clouded by the city’s slow rebuilding from the devastation of the January 2025 Pacific Palisades and Altadena wildfires. PJ Media reported November 17, “Over 70% Still Displaced: The Pacific Palisades Fire Recovery That Never Arrived.”
With 30 months to go before the June 2028 kickoff, finances are up in the air like a volleyball over the net. LAist reported November 6:
The current privately funded budget for the games is more than $7 billion. The federal government has agreed to chip in $1 billion to pay for security and is being asked to contribute another $2 billion to pay for games-specific transit plans.
But the city of L.A.’s financial exposure is essentially unlimited. The city is on the hook for the first $270 million in losses, if they occur. The California Legislature has agreed to make statewide taxpayers pick up the next $270 million. After that, any additional financial burden will fall on Los Angeles taxpayers.
On the positive side, increased revenue from the games will boost city budgets. The December 2025 Southern California Economic Update of the Southern California Association of Governments estimated, “The LA28 Games will generate between $13.6 and $17.6 billion in additional gross domestic product (GDP) for the six-county SCAG region.”
After Los Angeles, the city hosting the most games will be neighboring Long Beach, with 11 contests, including sailing off Belmont Shore, a canoe sprint at Marine Stadium, handball in the Arena and marathon swimming along the waterfront. The Long Beach Post reported the city is working on “plans for nearly every department and municipal service, from policing, public sanitation to permits, parking, buses and communication to the public.”
Anaheim’s Honda Center, home of the Ducks hockey team, will host the games’ indoor volleyball competitions. It’s sprucing up the arena. The Sports Examiner reported in April, center
owner “OC Sports and Entertainment announced a privately-funded $1.1 billion renovation of the arena and the surrounding area which will add multiple amenities while the arena continued to operate, to be completed by the end of 2027.” The main addition is 6,000 new parking stalls in three new parking garages. Said CEO Bob Foltz, “We think this will get people in 20 to 30 minutes faster.”
Trestles Beach in San Clemente, a state park, will host surfing contests. “We are honored to share this gem of California’s state park system with the world,” said California State Parks Director Armando Quintero. The event requires special preparation because the area “lies within the ancestral homelands of the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians, Acjachemen Nation — a fact tribal leaders are determined will not be overlooked,” reported Fox 5 KUSI News. Tribal Chairman Nathan Banda said the Olympics officials did not consult them about the site, and he’s worried about crowds, limited to 3,000 at a time, disturbing the area.
So how will the Olympics turn out? My guess is all right. The smaller World Cup games will be a dry run. Los Angeles also undergoes a mayoral election in November 2026, with Bass seeking re-election. She will be under pressure to put on a good show.
Newsom leaves office in a year due to term limits. He also will want to put on a stellar production as he exits. His successor will want to make his mark on the world stage with a spectacular Olympics 20 months later. And Trump, despite his bluffing about cancellation, will want to preside over the games like a king.
I don’t watch much sports anymore, but usually try to catch some of the Olympics. The best way for me is on the Spanish channel, Telemundo’s KVEA 52, the host-market flagship of games-rights holder NBC Universal. The coverage and commercials are better. And I learn a little español.
Let the games begin.
John Seiler is on the Editorial Board of the Southern California News Group and blogs at: johnseiler.substack.com
