Chicagoist: Chicago Takes One Step Forward, One Step Back To Olympic Glory

mcgirl

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 23:02:51 -0600

"at a time when Chicago is bidding to take the Olympics back to the U.S. for the first time since Atlanta in 1996" Um...Salt Lake City hosted in 2002. (Yes that was the winter games but it still the Olympics).

Ward Up

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 17:06:25 -0600

Sure, "the rest of the world has to pay for the training of American athletes." How ridiculous and upside-down. Tell you what, bozo. Take your little Olympic games to some American-bashing country. You see, we don't need to make nice with crybabies.

mich

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:07:42 -0600

stay classy chicago..... and matty...

fed up

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:14:28 -0600

A president Obama world tour would make alot of the anti american feelings go away. But I agree that the chicago crime machine (cook co dem party) would be revitalized by these contracts and jobs so I hope its Rio.

matilda

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:12:18 -0600

UTV: Good points. But I think it would be better for those working people to have leadership that focuses on the less glitzy daily problems, such as transit (which the Olympic folks noted was poor, apparently) instead of spending all this time chasing the rings. As well, those working folks will not like it should, as history suggests, the costs of the Games exceed estimates, and working people--along with the apparently non working middle class-- are left making up the gap, either directly or, more likely, indirectly through the diversion of tax funds and the resulting increase in tax rates. As well, I wonder if those working folks might have, you know, wanted a say in whether this city should spend significant amounts of time and money to chase those rings. We will never know because what Daley thinks is right ends up being right for all Chicagoans, working folks or not. That said, I am glad you acknowlegde that "real, working people" might benefit, not just the fake ones. Finally, I think we could really boost tourism by taking a few other steps: 1) The city leadership, instead of fighting local music, could promote it as certain other cities (Austin, Nashville) do; and 2) We could stop destroying our architectural heritage in the name of Machine-friendly progress. We don't need the Olympics and its inevitable corruption and Machine-boosting effects. We need to do better with what we already have. But hey, that's not sexy enough for some people.

UTV

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:00:31 -0600

Matilda, I understand your contempt for the way things are run, but I think both the tourism and hospitality industries would disagree with your assessment that this only benefits the elite. There are real, working people that will benefit from hosting the Olympics.

matilda

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 13:48:22 -0600

Sears: I worry your analysis is right, and that is why this city will be saddled with these games, allowing the Machine to, once again, reward its supporters while ignoring the rest of us. Make no mistake: The Games would be an injection of energy (that is, easy cash and influence) for the Machine, more than offsetting any damage done by Fitzgerald or, less likely, any voter rebellion.

frp

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 13:42:14 -0600

Nice matty.

Sears Tower

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 13:32:08 -0600

The Olympics are becoming less relevant by the 4 year interval. Nonetheless lets break this down. Madrid - Too close to London. It would be like having the Olympics here in 2016 and St. Louis in 2020. Tokyo - Again, 2 of 3 games in Asia unlikely. Plus the time difference sucks for the IOC's main money source, U.S. TV contracts. Rio - Top Candidate, but way too much crime and corruption (even compared to here!). Plus the World Cup is already there in 2014. Chicago - Big corporate sponsors, plenty of infrastructure plus more to be improved/built, and the major boost from President/Chicagoan Barack Obama will be enough to win. A feel good vibe will be in place worldwide regarding the U.S. at that time. I have too much free time.

Slaphappy

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 13:03:16 -0600

I've said it before and I'll say it again -- let some other city in some other country foot the enormous bill to host an increasingly irrelevant Olympic Games.

matty

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 12:56:57 -0600

I want Chicago to win but I kind of want Rio to win. More hot chicks. Fat in the right places, that sort of thing.