Chicago picked as finalist for 2016 Olympics

[dysfunctional press]

Source: milwaukee business journal

The International Olympic Committee announced Wednesday that Chicago will be among the four cities that will vie to become host of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.

Chicago will compete against Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro and Madrid, Spain, the IOC said.

The naming of the four finalists cuts the list of competitors down from seven applicant cities. Prague, Czech Republic, Baku, Azerbaijan, and Doha, Qatar, are now off the list.

"All the bids were of a very high standard," said IOC president Jacques Rogge in a press release. "It is a tribute to the health of the Olympic Movement that the field was so strong. I congratulate the Candidate Cities and I hope that those cities which were unsuccessful this time have benefited from the process."

Read more: http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2008/06/02/daily25.html

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i think that it's going to be between chicago and rio, with rio possibly having a slight edge- but i really hope that chicago gets it.

[mucifer]

1. I thought we'd never get the Olympics here because the whole world is

so angry at what we've done in the past 7 years. But, now the proposal is that it happens here in Obamaland. So maybe it's possible.

[ryanmuegge]

6. Yeah, and Chinese are such saints.

We can't be as bad as those fuckers. If they give it to the Chinese, they may as well give it to Sudan and the Saudis.

[harmonicon]

8. I'm not so sure they care about that

As some else mentioned, it didn't stop China from getting it. One thing they may consider is that the last time a summer Olympics was held in the US, there was a terrorist bombing which resulted in fatalities. I guess these are supposed to be competing cities, not countries, but I would assume that the country that a city is in would play some role in the decision making. I really have no idea how or why they pick the places they do. Athens could have been brilliant, and they totally botched it. Beijing botched it form the get-go - I fully expect utter disaster this summer, one way or another. Whatever happens in that few weeks, they destroyed historic parts of the city and thousands of lives just to show off some boring-ass sporting venues that people will overlook, because the competition is the real event.

[countmyvote4real]

2. Clinton picked as finalist for 2016 Oympics.

That's how my mind first read the OP headline. I couldn't wait to read some brilliant satire. Oh well.

Congrats to Chicago.

[dipsydoodle]

5. Me too

:rofl:

[madrchsod]

3. looks good for chicago if obama wins

and starts to turn this country around...it`s going to be a huge investment for chicago but they have done it before...i hope i live that long to see it happen

[shenmue]

4. It'll probably go to Madrid or Rio de Janeiro.

Nobody wants to hold the Olympics in Chicago. Please.

Obama worshippers better find something else to play with. Reality doesn't suit them well.

[aggiesal]

7. Rio recently held the PAN-AM games to ...

highlight that it is an Olympic city.

Unfortunately, Rio ran into mammoth problems in trying to host the Pan-Am Games,
with some projects having run into cost overruns ten times the original price.

Along with the heat, and the pollution, the Olympic committee is taking a second
look to see if Rio is really viable.

I believe Chicago is the favorite. Since London has the Olympics in 2012,
Madrid is really out of the picture.

[MattNC]

19. not good to hear

I really wanted to see a South American city get it.

[dysfunctional press]

12. chicago would be a phenomenal place for the olympics.

what makes you think that "Nobody wants to hold the Olympics in Chicago."...? :shrug:

[BearSquirrel2]

14. Must be some poor applicants ...

There must be some poor applicants because the Chicago plan for a "temporary stadium" at $100 million is just loony to me. Beyond that though, my region stands to have a great economic benefit as every hotel on the south shore will be booked with tourists and the beaches of Northwest Indiana will be PACKED!!!

[dysfunctional press]

15. london is doing a temporary stadium for the 2012 games...

i saw a news report that said that it was the new 'trend' in olympic stadium design- most places don't have a need for such a huge stadium once the games are over.

personally, i'd rather that they razed soldier field to the ground, and start over with a permanent olympic stadium that would also become the bears home stadium when the games were over.

IF they get the games in the first place that is, and IF civilization exists beyond 12-21-2012.

[BearSquirrel2]

21. I agree ...

For what they spent they could have carted away the facade and columns away and incorporated them into a new structure with a collapsible roof. Being an "indoor" facility would have made it a much more utilitarian venue as it could host conventions and concerts (in the rain). In the end, it probably would have cost less.

Oh well, I'm still rooting for Chicago, I just think that a temporary stadium is nuts.

[AngryAmish]

17. Last time every hotel was packed on the south side...

it didn't end so well for many people. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._H._Holmes>

[BearSquirrel2]

22. I was talking about the Indiana shore ...

But I appreciate your Chicago reference.

[davidinalameda]

13. is someone watching your bridge while you're here?

:shrug:

[AnnieBW]

9. Bring it to Obama's hometown

Just as he's ending his historic Presidency! Perfect! Man, I'd love to be in Chicago right now. Their favorite son just clinched the nomination, and they're Olympic finalists. Guess I'll have to settle for some deep dish pizza instead.

[dasein]

10. Wooh!

CHICAGO!!

That would be awesome. I'm in Chicago now and hope to be here for a few years. Plus, the Obama connection is great.

CHICAGO 2016!

[slm425]

11. Sure hope it's Chicago...

We're hoping here in Milwaukee that a Chicago Olympics will help our economy as well. It's not a longterm fix, and certainly not a short term one, but we could use an economic boost. It looks like we'll be losing a lot of jobs pretty soon.

[truebrit71]

16. When was the last US olympics..it was Hotlanta right? Asia will have just had theirs in China...

...no way in hell it goes to Rio...and Europe will have just had theirs in London...Unless we really screw it up I think Chicago is a shoo-in...

[Wabbajack_]

18. Chicagoan here

No one I know wants it here. What a hassle.

[dysfunctional press]

31. we must not know any of the same people.

all my chicago friends love the idea. so did i when ilived in the city.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

20. It seems nice to have the Olympics in your home town

as long as "someone else" pays for all the facility costs.

And the construction barrels will make for some interesting traffic patterns for a while. Good thing Chicago doesn't have traffic jams, or it would really be a hassle.

The event itself would be interesting. And some great "people-watching" opportunities.

I'd like to see the boating events on Lake Michigan, but that may be too rough for some of the boats. And where would the "whitewater" events take place? Somewhere in Wisconsin?

[BearSquirrel2]

23. Easily constructed ...

Artificial whitewater runs are easily constructed. There is one in South Bend from the Pan Am Games which were hosted in Indianapolis (though boating events were staged near Lake Michigan).

They could either build a run (more likely) or just use the facility in South Bend as they've said they would want to "spread out" the games to a few sites in Southern Wisconsin and Northern Indiana. The big question is .. Wrigley vs. Comiskey for the baseball events???

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

26. I thought baseball (& softball) were going ... going ... gone!

I thought they were dropped from Olympics.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/2005-07-08-baseball-softball-dropped_x.htm

I hope I'm wrong.


Construct artificial whitewater courses? Of course! (palm smacks forehead) I knew we could do that!

[BearSquirrel2]

27. No baseball ...

Dropping baseball and softball seriously sucks rocks. I really don't watch baseball anymore, but it's so big in this hemisphere AND Japan that dropping it is ridiculous. RUGBY??? Yeah, that's huge all over the world :puke:

No doubt enthusiasts of: field hockey, water polo, ping pong, and other "Ocho" dwelling sports are all savoring their continued inclusion.


BTW, the link for the artificial white-water run is here. Remember, it's all a mater of water volume.
http://www.sbpark.org/parks/erace.htm

[Doctor_J]

24. According to David Zirin's latest book, the Windy City can expext to

lose hundreds of millions of $$. Best of luck

[Robbien]

25. The city is broke as it is and can't even balance the current budget

But Daley wants it.

And what Daley wants . . .

[dysfunctional press]

28. i'm no longer on the chicago tax roles...

we sold our place and moved to the suburb where i grew up.

[maxsolomon]

29. Meh.... give it to Rio

S. America deserves to host an olympics, & Rio could use the economic injection way more than Chicago.

[dysfunctional press]

30. that might not be so true come 2016...

brazil may be a much more prosperous place than the u.s. by then.

but i'm guessing that they may have a bit of an edge over chicago, with SA never having hosted...hopefully their panam game lack of performance changed that.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

32. Is it an economic injection?

Or an economic burden?

Who pays? Who profits?