2016 Olympics [Rio hosts]

[trwi7]

http://media.jsonline.com/images/375*239/mjs-olympics-3ofx-wood.jpg

 

 

The disbelief on all of their faces is hilarious.

[brewers19]

I have the same expression of disbelief on my face, but mine's in response to the fact that there were apparently hundreds (thouands?) of people who cared enough to attend some sort of rally for the event.

[homer]

Whoever touched on Chicago being viewed as a crime ridden unsafe city was right on. People just don't want to be there.

___________________

 

Do you know Rio's crime rate? It's like 10 times Chicago's - ok, maybe not 10x but they had 5000 murders last year. And the cops kill on average THREE PEOPLE A DAY. So in Rio, the police kill more people than there are murders in all of Chicago. As a resident here I find it absolutely hilarious that people think it's unsafe. Yes there is crime and violence but it's limited to very specific parts of the city that aren't really near anywhere a person from outside the city would end up going to.

[thebruce44]

Whoever touched on Chicago being viewed as a crime ridden unsafe city was right on. People just don't want to be there.

 

What a joke.

 

Sure there are unsafe parts, as there are in any city, but Chicago is very safe...especially in the loop and parts where the big events would be.

[SeriesFinale]

Maybe this will be a message to Chicago that they need to start dealing with the important issues instead of blowing hundreds of millions of dollars on a 2 week event.

I'm sorry, but this is just specious. The positive (and yes, negative) effects of such an event last well beyond a mere two weeks.

 

Mixed feelings, since I didn't think it was a good idea to give Daley such a big easily-abused toy to play with, but I thought this was a great opportunity, economic, infrastructure, and otherwise, for Chicago. Yeah, and Wisconsin. I think I thought they'd get edged by Rio, but first round is a bit of a kick in the gut.

 

It's my understanding from reading the BBC that the first round results largely occurred because Rio supporters made a conscious decision to try and get Chicago out of the running ASAP since they were Rio's biggest threat, in combination with a sentimental plea by an aged Juan Antonio Samaranch to vote for Madrid and the fact that North America has the smallest voting bloc really sealed their doom. Even most of the IOC members seemed surprised by it. Not really much to do with Obama or Anti-Americanism or even Chicago or its bid.

[bigredrobbo]

Chicago knocked out in the first round? Did they send the Cubs to represent us?

[PeaveyFury]

According to wikipedia, these are potential bidders for the 2020 games.

 

Birmingham, Alabama

 

There's some sort of comedic error with that one being on the list, right?

[bucks2281]

And, Azerbaijan thinking they're going to get the Olympics this century. Most people probably don't know that Azerbaijan even exists. Birmingham did host soccer in 1996, though.

 

On the other forum I post on, people are speculating that Philadelphia should be the frontrunner in 2020 or 2024.

[SeriesFinale]

Chicago knocked out in the first round? Did they send the Cubs to represent us?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/media/cartoon/2009-10/49630514.JPG

[JimH5]

http://media.jsonline.com/images/375*239/mjs-olympics-3ofx-wood.jpg

 

 

The disbelief on all of their faces is hilarious.

Agreed. If someone can get one of those orange t-shirts, that might make for a funny garmet to wear at the next Brewers game at Wrigley.

[SeriesFinale]

Well, again, 53% of Chicagoans in the last poll were against the Games coming to Chicago.

[brewers19]

Well, again, 53% of Chicagoans in the last poll were against the Games coming to Chicago.

What? Mayor Daley doing something that's in direct opposition to the general opinion of his constituents? Unheard of.

 

http://chicagoist.com/attachments/Marcus%20Gilmer/2009_04_13_Meigs.jpg

[SeriesFinale]

What's funny is that Daley himself seems to be one of the driving forces in the other way...more Chicagoans were for it before Daley really started giving it the hard press ("The more you tighten your grip, Daley, the more star systems will slip through your fingers...").

 

And yeah, I was working on the 55th floor of the Chase building in the Loop when he did that, and I remember us all gathering around the windows, looking down at it and wondering what kind of banana republic we lived in (of course, he's had another landslide victory since then--for as many complaints there were about him in Chicago, you can't help those who can't help themselves. Which is why I find the cheering of Chicago-based Daley-haters about their proxy victory today kinda pathetic).

[SeriesFinale]

I guess for my last word is, I am, ultimately, a huge Olympics fan, and Rio is going to be magnificient host...from my seat in front of the screen, at least.

[Invader3K]

Saw this quote on JSOnline and had to chuckle a bit:

"Being a Cubs fan, sadly, I'm used to this," he said. "I thought we could go toe-to-toe with Rio. It's typical of Chicago sports. Disappointment and heartbreak?.?.?.?that's what we specialize in, I guess."