2016 Olympics - Chicago's Bid to Host

The lit windows of a skyscraper in Chicago are serving as a countdown clock. 5 days.

After insisting he would not go to Denmark, Obama announced he'll go make a final pitch. We hope this will seal the deal.

A Presidential Olympic Bid

The decision makes Mr. Obama the first American president to personally pitch a city before the Olympic committee and could help put Chicago over the top in a tight race with Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo and Madrid.

"I want people to have really pride in something that will give a great opportunity to showcase America under president Obama's leadership. It will really help us tremendously in the eyes of the world. At the same time show how competitive we are in sports."

- Mayor Daley

So the mayor supports this trip. Anyone else? Appropriate, inappropriate? Does Obama know something we don't?

What does it mean if Obama makes the pitch and Chicago still doesn't win? Would he have made the trip at all if he weren't absolutely certain Chicago would win?

 

He has a pretty good chance.

I have a feeling that Tokyo isn't going to win. Most Tokyo-ites don't really seem to want it, plus the mayor here is a very controversial figure due to statements he has made over his career.

Rio De Janiero would be a great place to have them if it didn't have such a dangerous reputation. Beijing looked awesome on HD-TV and I'm sure the natural scenery around Rio would be equally photogenic. But I think the city is getting ahead of itself even with a 2016 bid.

I can't say much for Madrid, but for some reason it has always been the least compelling location to me. Plus the 2012 Summer Olympics will be held in Europe, so it'd be nice to shift around continents more.

 

Rio de Janeiro is still dangerous, and I can't see them turning that around, Brazil is no China. South America should definitely host it sometime in the future, but it is not yet their time.

Madrid seems so bland, plus there is a possible terrorist threat being so close to North Africa and the Middle East, and it would be such a let-down after Beijing and London.

Tokyo seems the closest in competition to me, but doesn't seem to have as good of a reason as Chicago. If the Japanese did get it, they would definitely try to top Beijing 2008, and they have advanced technology. But I hadn't heard they weren't very enthusiastic about it.

But Chicago would be great, and would allow the U.S. to shine again, especially with our new President who is already immensely popular overseas. Especially since it is Obama's "hometown." Especially now that Barack and Michelle are personally going there to support Chicago. The only thing that might drag it down as the association with Blagojevich/corruption, but I think Obama balances that out nicely.

 

2016 is a good year to host. London gets to be the city that most directly fails to live up to the epic Beijing event.

Following is a brief future chronology of events leading up to the 2016 Olympics

Oct 2, 2009 - Chicago chosen to host Olympics

August, 2011 - Excitement wanes as Chicago area residents start to understand the enormous cost of building the venues and staging the games

August, 2012 - London games are spectacular and showcase why Chicago cannot measure up

November, 2012 - Public support erodes further as reports emerge that the organizing committee has significantly underestimated costs for the games

January, 2015 - infrastructure investments are months behind schedule and 30% over budget.

January, 2016 - President Palin kills efforts to provide emergency federal funding to shore up Chicago's and the organizing committee's increasingly catastrophic budget woes.

August, 2016 - terrorist attack kills hundreds of athletes and thousands of visitors from around the world at the Chicago Olympic village. Citing a massive failure of security, China and Russia declare war on the United States. The EU dissolves as the UK tries to side with the United States..

September, 2016. The first intercontinental ballistic missiles rain down on Chicago's loop, killing millions.

January, 2017. The last struggling remnants of humanity in southern Australia wait for global wind patterns to bring the deadly fallout that will finally end the human race.

 

Jabba!

I can't wait for all that!

 

Is this really what Obama should be spending his time on?

 

That was Obama's original response to the request "Is this really what I should be spending my time on?" But he caved to the pressure.

 

Good thing I'll have left the country before this, given the President you list.

 

I am so tired of hearing people asking "is this what he should be spending his time on?" The Olympics, despite their poor ratings still generate big bucks for the local economies that host it. Illinois, northern Indiana, southern Wisconsin and even Michigan will benefit greatly from the Olympic games coming to Chicago.

Given that President Obama comes from Chicago it would be somewhat of an insult if he didn't use a few smiles, a handshake and a speech to try and bring it to the U.S let alone the place he just got done directly representing.

It's not like President Obama is going to be completely unavailable to the U.S. government while he's in Europe for few days. Important decisions can and will be made on air force one like so many Presidents have done in the past. His staff will keep him notified on the health care bills in committees and numerous other situations that develope. Hell, for all we know he could be using this trip as a stepping stone to secretly visit Iraq or Afghanistan.

Oh and as for the cost of the olympics, remember, Chicago has Oprah. She can help raise money too.

 

The Daley/Oprah/Obama triumvirate seems destined to prevail.

 

EPILOGUE:

Late winter/early spring, 2018: Los Angeles Resistance Leader John Connor leads repeated strikes against SkyNet.

Summer, 2029: SkyNet's defense grid is finally smashed. Cpl. Kyle Reese enters time-displacement field, programmed to October 2009, just before the 2016 Games host city is scheduled to be unveiled. Reese is assigned to target the President of the IOC (the mayor & Oprah have already been eliminated). A T-800 has also been sent back in time to protect him/her...

 

Time travel is almost certainly what saved Salt Lake City back in '02.

 

On the serious side, are Chicago's public transit agencies equipped to handle both the population surge of athletes AND spectators/tourists that would be present? San Francisco was once seriously considering putting in a bid as a host city, but SF-Oakland's public transit are largely dreadful and would be in over their heads. I understand Chicago's transit is better, but I wonder if a Chicago native would agree...

 

The CTA has limped from one budget crisis to the next for the past few years. I imagine they´ve received some federal money under the energy stimulus bill, but the entire transportation grid is in a state of serious disrepair. The L and subways are worn and aged. The bus system is inadequate. Many of the highways leading into the city will need serious repairs. Chicago´s roads and bridges are falling apart as well.

A dream transportation project might be a dedicated light rail system to connect the Olympic venues with the Loop, Michigan avenue and all the standard tourist attractions.

On the plus side, the transportation grid is something that can attract a great deal of federal money. And will have to attract it if we are going to pull this thing off.

 

I don't know. Both the CTA (Chicago transit authority, ie "the city) and the RTA (Regional Transit Authority, ie "the suburbs") have limped along for years, but that covers routine operation. Both the CTA and RTA have large amounts of unused capacity that is just sitting there.

There was an article in the Daily Herald not too long ago, and while I don't remember the exact figure, something like 40% of the Pace bus route is established but not used by very many riders. Such excess isn't being used because it isn't profitable, but with a specific purpose/set duration like the Olympics, both could ramped up pretty easily.

 

Gonk

Agreed, seems like poor timing.

 

Some CTA talk from the Chicago Sun-Times:

While an overhaul, particularly of the CTA's aging subway and L system, is necessary, it likely is cost-prohibitive and difficult to accomplish in seven years.

That's the key. Major infrastructure improvements ideally should already have started. 2010 is a bit late to start.

This is the semi-official version of my light rail idea:

A few years ago, Daley talked about how the Olympics could be the "impetus" to build a north-south mass-transit line needed since his father's dream of a Crosstown Expy. along Cicero Avenue died; while City Hall had been working on a plan, specifics of the route have never been released.

DePaul University professor and urban transportation expert Joe Schwieterman says there has been much community discussion of a "Gold Line" -- a CTA line that would use the Metra Electric District's route near the lake from downtown roughly to Hyde Park or beyond.

Convenient for spectators heading to the many lakefront venues, the line could go a long way toward relieving concerns about a traffic choke point on the Near South Side, Schwieterman says.

But that Gold Line carries some risk if the planned neighborhood at the site of the Olympic Village doesn't take off, Schwieterman said.

44, I don't know how easy or hard it would be to shift capacity. Those underutilized PACE routes might be much more utilized during the Olympics. And the few people who do use those routes regularly will still have to go to work. Plus you'll have all the extra load of Chicagoans commuting to Olympic venues for temporary work.

Metra is a serious weak link as well.

 

The official announcement is about 2 hours away. I have to admit, I'm rather sick of all the hype already, which isn't a good sign.

If one more local newscaster/tv personality says "back the bid," like it's the most brilliant sound bite ever, I think I may have to throw my television out the window.

But we'll see. It will certainly be interesting to see what's in store if Chicago actually gets it.

 

Tribune is reporting Chicago is already out of the running. Apparently the full court press backfired.

 

Yup, the first city to be eliminated. Tokyo is the second city. The final is between Madrid and Rio.

 

First round of voting. Let the hand wringing and finger pointing begin!

 

That was quick....I guess the city will be off to find some other inane distraction now...

It's funny because the city had planned for a HUGE party...I hope at least all that cake gets sent over to a homeless shelter or something...

 

Yeah I saw barricades going up. Come for the celebration, stay for the riots!

Scapegoat number one: Michael Jordan!

People blamed negative media attention on the bid and former Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan's lack of participation as reasons for the loss.

"We weren't unified as a city. We didn't get behind this enough," said Rob Fox of Chicago.

"Michael Jordan didn't show up," said Margaret Johnson of Chicago. "His city asked him for help and he turned his back on us."

 

Yeah, but all that's kind of silly...If anything, the entire thing was over-hyped-Oprah, etc..

Even the expectation placed on Obama was rather silly..Is Obama going to personally make a plea, or isn't he?

I'm sure the IOC could care less about Jordan, or Oprah, or Obama, and would rather see a well thought out business plan on how the Olympics would be run, instead of simply having a bunch of talking head repeat a desire over and over.

 

That will definitely be the focus of the recriminations: too much hype, not enough substance.

Or maybe it's just a recognition that the U.S. has hosted more Olympics than any other country, and by a significant margin, nearly twice as many as the next most popular country (France).