One would think people should jump at the chance to witness the awe and grandeur that is the Summer Olympics. In the case of the games in Rio de Janeiro, though, it seems people would rather watch at home.
That's what we gleaned from a study released by Allianz Global Assistance that centers around the Olympics and the act of missing work to watch said games.
Now, we absolutely abhor the thought of missing work to enjoy such shenanigans no matter how global and epic the reason. However, we hear that it's better to fake being sick on Wednesday, which gives you a day or so to whip up a really grand coughing fit at work.
In any case, AGA found that a whopping 38 million Americans plan on staying home from work to watch the Summer Olympics. That number represents about 15.7 percent of the population. The frustrating part in all this is these rebels will be at home sipping on mimosas and watching archery while the rest of us are hard at work.
Now the part pertinent to travel comes in the amount of respondents who claimed they would rather stay home and watch the games than actually see them in person.
That response was an overwhelming majority, actually. A press release states: "Interestingly, it also discovered that the majority of Americans would prefer to follow the 2016 Summer Olympics on television (60.7 percent) over watching it live in person (13.9 percent) or through other platforms including online streaming (8.5 percent), social media - Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, SnapChat, Periscope - (7.6 percent), newspaper (6.5 percent) or radio (2.9 percent)."
Visiting any country is a treat all its own, but doing so during the country's turn to host the Olympic Games is something truly unforgettable. There is something so intoxicating about the goodwill that hovers over the area.
With that said, there are some things happening in Rio de Janeiro that may have led to such an astounding number of people who would rather stay home than enjoy an otherwise dream vacation.
[READMORE]READ MORE: The Road to Rio: Our 2016 Olympic Coverage So Far[/READMORE]
Of course, there is the much publicized outbreak of Zika to consider. Aside from that, there are reports of drug-resistant bacteria that has popped up in the area.
When you get past the microscopic bad guys you hear reports that purport of unrelenting crime taking place in the city. Oh, and there is a tremendous amount of political tumult to consider as well.
To those who are headed to Rio, be safe and have fun. The Olympics will remain one of the more spectacular holidays if you are afforded the opportunity.
For the rest of you, it's best to start the aches and pains now.
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