2016 Olympics - Chicago's Bid to Host

On one hand, Chicago made it rather far in the bid which surprised many people. On the other hand I think even the critics are stunned that in came in 4th behind Tokyo. Not just a loss, but a "why did you even try?"

I can't wait for Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh to pour lemon juice on an open wound of their own country by blaming the President. I wouldn't be shocked if they even spun it as "well he shouldn't have gone because we had it in the bag before he arrived."

Make no mistake, people will be cracking smiles of victory over without a single thought towards the jobs lost.

 

I actually wanted to see Tokyo or Rio get it.

Yeah, I was kinda pulling for Chicago too.

But now I hope Rio gets it.

 

Yes, we're going to be up to our eyeballs in all the Schadenfreude over Obama's humiliation.

 

I actually expect it to be a topic today, on a Friday, but then fades away next week.

There's no reason to continue it. He went. They didn't get it. End of story. Move on.

Now Obama and his critics need to focus on real stories like Health Care and what our president plans to do in Afghanistan.

 

Meh, he deserves to look like a jackass. I never understood why he went when he could've sent a video of himself.

I'm not at all surprised that Tokyo didn't get the bid. I figure its going to be Rio de Janeiro, cause its a famous and iconic city in a BRIC country with photogenic natural beauty. Still, I can't help but feel that 2024 would be a better time for Rio, in terms of the development of a better public safety system.

 

On one hand, Chicago made it rather far in the bid which surprised many people. On the other hand I think even the critics are stunned that in came in 4th behind Tokyo. Not just a loss, but a "why did you even try?"

I don't know about all that. I mean, Chicago had the same chance as any other city. The IOC is going to give comments later on, but I'm not aware that Chicago was admonished for even trying. 4 cities were left, and only 1 was going to get picked. Everyone else had to end up with one of the other numbers.

If anyone should be "blamed," it should be Mayor Daley and the City Council. The City itself had a minor squabble about using tax money to ensure financial support, and instead relied on a undefined plan of "private investment" to cover the costs. I understand that no other city did that. Sure, Daley and the council came to terms later on in the process, but I bet enough doubt had already been created in the minds of the IOC.

But yeah, as I mentioned before, I'm just glad all of our local newscasters will finally stop repeating the slogan at every opportunity.

 

Chicago Tribune

The Chicago presentation seemed to lack an overarching theme, touching on many aspects. Some media observers felt that, with the exception of the Obamas, much of Chicago's presentation was a bit flat.

Olympic historian David Wallechinsky, author of Olympic reference books and a TV consultant during recent Games, minced no words in summing up Chicago's final presentation.

"Without the Obamas, Chicago had nothing,'' he said.

 

I just read an article in a newspaper here, that claimed that Chicago was never going to get it because a lot of people in the IOC are pissed off at the US over cash matters, apparently the USOC rakes in about 448 million because of a patent placed in 1978, while all the other committees combined only get 173. The USOC apparently doesn't even have to move a finger to get the cash either. That and the US unwillingness to help with the anti-doping programs and the Atlanta Olympics and the Salt Lake City display that didn't go over well either.

One of the people in who isn't in the committee anymore, Verbruggen, but still wheels a lot of influence was apparently quoted to have said something to the effect of: "the Chicago isn't getting the Olympics if I have a say in it, and I'll do everything in my power to make sure it doesn't ..."

http://www.standaard.be/Artikel/Detail.aspx?artikelId=1R2G0QOF&word=Chicago+Olympische+spelen (Article in Dutch)

 

Is that our sailing team?

 

Thats getting to be quite the pattern.


Video of CNN opting to, based on tone, question the decision being possible in amusing fashion.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuE60mq0r1Q

I'm not at all surprised by the pick, personally.

 

I'm not too surprised either. There's never been a Olympics in So. America. Bout time!

 

It probably would've been bad for Chicago anyways.

 

Well, it would have been a huge success for the empty lots of Chicago party insiders across the city, as well as all the names of long dead union workers who would have been added to the payroll.

I mean, times are tough for ghost workers and kickback recipients... I guess the era is over when a Daley snaps their fingers and does things like hands elections to Presidents and such... What's next? No more fedoras in Chicago? It's blasphemy!

 

As someone who lived in Salt Lake during the last Olympics held in the United States, I'm not sure what the big deal was. So Chicago won't be taken over by the rich and the media for two weeks? The poor kids in Chicago aren't going to see any more than the poor kids in Rio. Tickets to anything you want to see are pricey. The only event I went to was the biathalon, and didn't have tickets to see them shoot the guns so I watched various Scandinavians kill the lousy Americans in the cross country skiing.

I also was able to go downtown and watch the streets be filled with rich foreigners and be informed that it was the "Olympic spirit."

As far as civic improvements, nobody's built any hotels since then because they built all they needed for the next 15 years. There are plenty of large maps throughout downtown letting you know where you are, unfortunately there have been quite a few changes since then and so there is a good chance you'd get hopelessly lost if you are from out of town and tried to follow the walking route it has.

I guess it also spurned the light rail. I never use it because it would take me twice as long to get downtown when I go there for the nightlife, but my friends who go to school at the University of Utah seem to use it.

I was too young to really care about all the corruption that went into SLC's bid, but if Salt Lake didn't do it clean, how would Chicago have a chance?

I say let Rio have it, seems like a nice place and this will force them to try and clean it up a bit.

 

It was about time Rio got it. Good for them, let's just hope they are ready.

 

A good many people in Vancouver would think twice about the Olympics if they had it to do over.

 

It'll never happen as we're dirt-poor, but Albuquerque, New Mexico would be a great venue for the Olympics. Gorgeous scenery literally right on the edge of town, friendly residents, high altitude so that the athletes really have to push themselves in competition...it'd rock.

On the plus side, we finally have a serial killer nowadays, so maybe that'll make us seem more like cities like Chicago and Rio.