2016 Olympics [Rio hosts]

[adamb100]

Obviously the 2016 Olympics has a large impact on Wisconsin if Chicago is chosen, being only a 2 hour drive away.

 

Who do you think will win them?

[Mr QL]

For selfish reasons I'd want it in Chicago since it'll probably be my only opportunity to go to an Olympic games but otherwise I don't know how good of an idea it is for numerous reasons. Rio probably should get it since South America has never had one.

[trwi7]

I think Madrid is out due to London getting the 2012 games. Don't see them having it in Europe back to back. Beijing had 2008, so I don't see Tokyo getting it.

 

 

Brazil is getting the 2014 World Cup which is huge world wide so Rio might be out. Overall I think it comes down to Chicago and Rio with Chicago winning.

[valpocrewsader]

Am I the only one strongly rooting against the Olympics coming to Chicago? (1) I hate the Olympics and get sick enough hearing about it when it's in Beijing or Barcelona, I can't imagine how much I'll want to slit my wrists when it's taking place next door. (2) I hate Chicago and Chicagoans, I want no part of anything that gives that city positive publicity and gives the natives excuses to puff out their chests and sing the praises of their trashy city. (3) I fully expect all events and related activity to take place south of the state line, perhaps a smidge of spill over into Kenosha county. They'll have several years to prepare, tons of people looking for work, and a free spending Illinois political machine that knows no restraint -- I envision the massive Chicagoland area handling it all. And there's no guarantee Milwaukee would be the de facto alternate site anyways, I mean there are places like Bloomington, South Bend, Rockford that could be in the mix too. (4) I imagine I'll need to drive in the Chicago area at least once during the several weeks it takes to set up, put on, and tear down this enormous event -- I can't imagine how many thousands and thousands of people this brings to a city that already has more people than its infrastucture supports -- they don't need any help making that place any more inconvenient.

 

Anywhere but Chicago, please.

[trwi7]

It's already guaranteed that the Madison area will be part of the Olympics if Chicago gets it.

[PeaveyFury]

(2) I hate Chicago and Chicagoans, I want no part of anything that gives that city positive publicity and gives the natives excuses to puff out their chests and sing the praises of their trashy city.

 

Honestly, it's been extremely tough for me to get past that as well.

 

I too expect Rio to get the games, and I think rightfully so since the continent hasn't had a games yet. Madrid did actually lead the voting after the 2nd vote for the 2012 games, so they might be a dark horse if they don't have a problem with another European games as already mentioned.

 

I think Tokyo is the only one that doesn't really seem to be in the running. (So that means they'll probably win somehow:) )

[chrisisoutrunning]

Valpo, you're definitely not the only person who's against the Olympics being in Chicago. Polls in Chicago show about a 50/50 split in support/opposition. From everything I've seen, most of the sites would be downtown and along the lake. McCormick Place would hold a ton of the smaller events, then places like the United Center, Soldier Field, Northwestern and UIC would hold a lot of the other stuff. TCF Bank Stadium would have soccer, rowing and sailing would be on Lake Michigan. Mountain Biking would be near Tyrol Basin, Road Biking time trial would be in Madison and the road race would start in Madison and end at Blue Mound State Park. WSJ Article

 

As far as who I want to get the games, I'd love for them to be in Chicago, but then again, I don't have to worry about cost overruns at all. Being able to watch the worlds best bicyclists in the city I live in or hopping on a train (I'm guessing by then there will be high-speed rail) and catching some other event, these are once in a lifetime opportunities.

 

Honestly all four of these cities deserve the games and the vote is going to be incredibly close. Madrid is going to be hurt by London having the 2012 games. Tokyo is going to be hurt by Beijing. Rio is going to be hurt by the crime (which I'm under the impression is even worse than Chicago), lack of infrastructure and previous international competition experience, and being part of 2014 World Cup. Chicago is both helped and hurt by it's infrastructure, it's in place, but most of it is in need of a serious upgrade. Crime is also an issue.

 

If I had to guess, I would think Chicago will get the games, not because they have the best bid, but because Madrid will be eliminated first, and Tokyo second based on the Beijing/London games, leaving a flawed Chicago bid against an even more flawed Rio bid.

[tristarscoop]

See, I also wonder about the fact that the 2010 Olympics being in Canada and the 2012 in London - I'm not sure they'll award another to another "non-ethnic" area, for lack of better terminology. The IOC could come under fire for that perceived lack of diversity.

 

I also agree with the thought of how insufferable Chicagoans will be should this happen - its the biggest drawback, as far as I'm concerned.

[trwi7]

TCF Bank Stadium would have soccer

I didn't hear that. Would they really have events as far away as Minneapolis?

[T B0NE 10]

I would love to see the Olympics in Chicago, I would try to go to some of the games, especially if they come to Madison.

 

But Chicago probably won't win. I expect Rio to get them.

[Baldkin]

The only reason I'd want them to be in Chicago, is the fact that some sort of mass transit would have to be built between Chicago and Milwaukee.

 

I travel down there quite a bit, and not having to drive it would be... amazing.

[SeriesFinale]

Now I'm hoping Chicago gets it just to get in the craw of all you Chicago-haters!

 

(That said, I'm against it if only because the Daley administration can't be trusted with the money and level of construction it's gonna take to get this off the ground. They'd be better off long-term for the city building the Circle Line, at a fraction of the cost)

[Invader3K]

To be blunt, I really don't care about the Olympics. They're always way over-hyped, and all the coverage gets tiresome. I'll catch a few events on TV here and there, but for the most part I don't really give a darn about the games.

 

That said, I think Chicago hosting would be a good thing. There would almost certainly be positive benefits for Wisconsin by having the games take place so close by. It won't be huge, but it will have some impact.

 

As far as Chicagoans getting boastful...well, that isn't exactly going to be a change of pace. Since I rarely ever go to Chicago (I hate driving down there), I don't really care what their citizens think.

[homer]

Living in Chicago, I am torn. I can't stand Daley but I've already seen some potential interesting job opportunities with the bid process and I can only imagine there'd be a bunch more if the Olympics actually come here. I think it'd be pretty cool to be a part of the Olympics....well, not as cool as being an athlete but still....

[chrisisoutrunning]

Here is a pdf of the proposed Chicago venues. http://documents.chicago2...icago2016_VenueFacts.pdf Soccer would be using TCF Stadium, Lincoln Financial Field, FedEx Field, Soldier Field, the Meadowlands, and whatever St. Louis' dome is called.

[hawing]

This map in Friday's Wisconsin State Journal indicates that the proposed time-trial bicycle route would pass within a block of our house. One block. I could watch Olympians from our bedroom window (though I'd get a better view from our bus stop corner).

 

It sounds both exciting and like a colossal hassle. And that's just a few events. I can't imagine the level of disruption, the closer you'd get to Chicago.

[Godspeed]

The only reason I'd want them to be in Chicago, is the fact that some sort of mass transit would have to be built between Chicago and Milwaukee.

Bingo. Same for me. To actively root against something that will greatly benefit the entire region out of personal spite for all things Chicago is a bit short-sighted, in my opinion.

[Patrick425]

I love the Olympics. I think it's a great event and I really hope Chicago lands them. However, like other's here, I have the feeling it's going to be Rio.

[RightFieldCoder]

I'm against it for all of the traffic trouble it will cause, along with the waste of money for mass transit in the area. Also, the summer olympics are filled with boring "sports" now that baseball is gone. Come back to me when they land the winter games.

[chrisisoutrunning]

Come back to me when they land the winter games.

 

Chicago will never land the winter games, if by Chicago you mean Denver, then maybe. Chicago is missing something extremely necessary for the Winter games... mountains for skiing. IOC would never fly for having skiing in New York or Colorado, and everything else in Chicago. The distance from Chicago to Denver is approximately the distance from Berlin to Moscow, which is 3 countries away.

 

The Winter Olympics won't be back in the US for quite a while, considering 2002 games were in Salt Lake City and the 2010 games are in Vancouver. 2014 games are in Russia. A South Korean city I can't remember or spell if I could has been bidding for the winter games the last few times and has been getting closer, so they will likely try again and most likely get 2018 games. 2022 games I would guess would go somewhere in Europe. So we're looking at 2026 games at best.

[RockCoCougars]

I could care less about the Olympics... That said, my money is on Rio getting the games. Can't see the IOC putting the games in America.

[homer]

Chicago out. Kind of a shocker they didn't even make it past the first cut.

[Patrick425]

Wow! Chicago didn't even make it out of the first round of voting!

[chrisisoutrunning]

Chicago got the least votes in first round, which surprises me, not that we didn't get games, but that Chicago went out first.

 

I would imagine this guarantees Rio the games.

[Mr QL]

Well Chicago is eliminated in the first round of voting.