Spike: I’m a World Cup half-full kind of guy!

I am so over the “gloom and doomers” of the world. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not what you would call delusional or avoiding reality. Maybe it’s more about me being, by nature, an optimist.

I just find myself getting fatigued by what seems to be a constant search for negative predictions, or a focus on the downside of every situation these days. Maybe it’s because, as a radio host, I must keep myself abreast, and dare I say informed, about the day-to-day challenges facing our community.

Seattle is just over a week away from what could and should be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the city. Of course, I’m talking about the World Cup. A chance for our city to host one of the largest cultural events in the world, and for multiple games. Now I know the projections for the World Cup attendance and the financial benefits for the city. We’re probably unrealistically lofty when they were first made. Nearly 1,000,000 visitors. Nearly $1 billion and economic benefits for the city!

Obviously, revised projections of crowd size have been adjusted downward. As a consequence, ticket prices have been lowered, and hotel and Airbnb vacancies are sending a shiver of doubt and even worry to those who were banking on this once-in-a-lifetime event being the cash cow it was projected to be.

Even with lower projections, the World Cup is still a win for Seattle

I’ve heard people ask whether, when all is said and done, Seattle hosting the World Cup will be a net benefit for the city. Are you kidding me? I understand that as a city, we’ve invested tens of millions into hosting this once-in-a-lifetime event.

It should be noted that Seattle will likely miss out on a percentage of our annual tourist revenue. Hosting a month of World Cup games during our busiest tourist season will likely result in a significant number of visitors deciding to skip a trip to Seattle this summer.

Those are all factors to consider when we’re talking about the total sum of the cultural and financial experience at the end of the day. Six World Cup matches in Seattle. OK, maybe it won’t end up being the Super Bowl-level event it’s been billed as, but this summer’s events will absolutely be a significant, impactful, and even extraordinary experience.

Let’s say we end up not even coming close to the 750,000 visitors or nearly $900 million the World Cup organizing committee has previously projected. Let’s be cautious and say we only see a quarter million to 300,000 fans attending an event at “Seattle Stadium” and end up with only 500,000 visitors to the city. The likely revenue generated by city hotels, restaurants, bars, rental cars, parking, other tourist attractions, and shopping in general — let’s say it’s only $500 million in financial benefit to the city. Would that be enough to call the World Cup experience in Seattle a “win?”

So, what’s going to be your final takeaway for the city of Seattle after World Cup 2026? If the modest projections I’ve shared pan out, is there anyone who can question whether it’s been beneficial?

Roughly 300,000 to 400,000 rabid soccer fans (at least rabid by American standards anyway) and their friends and families, who knows how many Seattleites joining in the fun? At the end of the day, by any measure, World Cup 2026 and Seattle’s part in it are going to be a phenomenal, once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Seattle’s problems aren’t going anywhere — but don’t let them steal the moment

Yes, we’ll still need to deal with the issues of affordability, crime, addiction, homelessness, and a hundred other problems to face every day. Yes, those problems will be a factor in how the World Cup experience plays out in Seattle, but must we let these issues steal the joy from every moment of every day?

Maybe it’s just me, maybe I am over-optimistic by nature, but I could definitely use a break from the never-ending sense of pessimism and intend to experience a genuine appreciation for every nice thing that happens to Seattle in the next month and a half.

They say you can decide what kind of day you’re going to have. So do that. Choose to have the kind day you deserve. It is up to you after all. But as I said, I’m a World Cup half-full kind of guy.

Read more of Spike O’Neill’s stories here

Listen to “The Jake and Spike Show” weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio 97.3