For all the Chicago haters: Chicago is U.S. candidate for '16 Olympics

[prolesunited]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/olympics/cs-070414olychicago-win,0,1975584.story?coll=chi-newsbreaking-hed

[terrya]

1. Wow!

I sort of hate to say it, but I thought Los Angeles would be chosen.

An excellent choice. :-)

[ronnykmarshall]

6. Good for Chicago!

I'm glad y'all got the bid. We've had two Olympics in LA and I think Chicago would be a great choice!

[terrya]

11. Admittedly, it's far from the same thing, but...

Last summer, we hosted the Gay Games. We had athletes here from all over the world and...it came off without too many problems. The city was behind the Games, the people (for the most part, not discounting the phobes) were welcoming. A success.

Thanks. Well, now it's down to Rio, Tokyo...and Chicago. :-)

[Tektonik]

2. now the US is sure to lose the '16 Olympics

:rofl:

j/k congratulations and gl!

[greatauntoftriplets]

3. I actually have mixed feelings about it....

It definitely would be a great honor for the city and bring in thousands (more tourists), but given the enormous cost overruns of both the Soldier Field rape and Millennium Park construction, I fear that the taxpayers will end up having to contribute big time. City real estate taxes are high enough already. It's partly what made me move to the suburbs.

[grace0418]

4. I also have mixed feelings. By 2016 I probably won't be living in the city

unless we win the lottery or something (gawd, that thought just about kills me). But all the head-aches and construction nightmares and costs are going to be in the years prior to 2016, so city residents are going to bear the brunt of that. As if traffic and construction projects aren't enough of a nightmare in Chicago already. :eyes:

[Connonym]

5. I know that the WI papers are all excited about the possibility

of the tourist money it will bring here by extension.

[greatauntoftriplets]

9. Aren't some of the river rafting events planned for Wisconsin???

I can't think where'd we have them in Illinois. So that will be good for you.

[usaftmo]

7. Rio will be the main competition.

Madrid: Europe already has the 2012 Summer Olympics (London). Only once ever has the Summer Olympics been held on the same continent twice in a row.

Rome: See above. Italians are so conservative it's very frustrating. The fact that the most conservative group in the world (Vatican City) is right there certainly doesn't help. I lived in Italy for 2 years (04-06), so I'm not saying this without any merit. Please don't consider this flame-bait.

Tokyo: Beijing already has the 2008 Summer Olympics. I think what hurts Tokyo is the possibility of having the Summer Olympics on the same continent twice within 3 Summer Olympics.

Prague: See Madrid and Rome. I've been to Prague and Rome, and although I would visit Prague again
without hesitating...I just don't see Prague being able to compete with Madrid or Rome.

Rio: I'm guessing that Rio would be the best location in South America to host a Summer Olympics; I just don't see another South American city knocking them from that perch in the near future.

Overall: Chicago vs Rio. Are there any Chicago DU'ers of Brazilian descent???

[ronnykmarshall]

8. MMM MMM!

A Brazilian from Chicago! Now THAT's a hot combo!

Hell, a Brazilian from Elko, Nevada is A-Ok in my book!

God, I'm cheap!

[Withywindle]

32. Yes!

Are there any Chicago DU'ers of Brazilian descent???

:hi: (Half. Mom's from Salvador, though, not Rio.)

I think both would be excellent choices - I guess I gotta root for the place where I actually live but it's kind of a tough pick for me. Rio certainly has experience in hosting ginormous international invasions to party every year, that's for sure.

[bertha katzenengel]

10. There are Chicago haters?

How does one hate a city?

[prolesunited]

12. You would be surprised

They must not be on DU right now or they would have chimed in by now

[bertha katzenengel]

14. I'm sure I would.

:shrug:

[greatauntoftriplets]

13. Trust me. There are....

:eyes:

Thanks for not being one of them!

:)

[terrya]

15. I'm thinking of one in particular.

I imagine there will never be an occasion where the Olympics would be held in Iowa.

[xmas74]

19. I bet that's the one I have on ignore!

That poster once tore me a new one just because I grew up barely over the WI/IL state line.

[greatauntoftriplets]

22. I know what you mean....

Though I fear that Rio is stiff competition. Has an Olympics ever been held in South America to your recollection? I am stumped.

[terrya]

23. There probably are people here more knowledgable about this than you or I.

But, as far as I know, there has never been a Olympics held in South America. I remember the Mexico City Olympics in 1968....

[greatauntoftriplets]

27. I had forgotten Mexico City....

Old age, dontcha know?

[MonkeyFunk]

31. No

there's never been an Olympics in South America or Africa. Of course the inverted seasons make it more difficult, but Sydney managed - I think they held them very late that year, like September instead of August.

Asia has only hosted two Olympics - Seoul and Tokyo.


edit: I looked it up, and forgot that Melbourne also hosted back in '56

[grace0418]

33. We're probably all thinking of the same one.

whoo-boy.

[bertha katzenengel]

17. well, of course

:hi:

I just don't get it. One can hate traffic, or the weather, or the Blackhawks, but to hate an entire city? :eyes:

[greatauntoftriplets]

21. I often hate the traffic and the weather here....

But I love the Cubs!!!

I don't get it either.

:hi:

[xmas74]

18. There are haters.

Didn't you know that if you're from Chicago you're an idiot, a racist, a homophobe w/ less than a third grade education w/ no manners and horrid food choices?:sarcasm:

None of the haters are here right now but they'll be chiming in soon. A few have targeted all from Chicago in the past and those who are originally from the area (myself included).

[bertha katzenengel]

26. Damn. I'm sorry I asked the question - I don't want to start a flame war, and if

people like that find this... well.

I've actually been in Chicago. At O'Hare. Gawd, what a lousy fuck airport that is. Chicago HAS to suck for how bad that airport is. I HATE Chicago.

Bah.

[fudge stripe cookays]

41. O'Hare is FAR better than San Jose.

Try flying through there sometime, and renting a car. With a mobility problem.

No seriously, just try it. O'Hare is a milestone of efficiency compared to that nightmare.

[xmas74]

43. I've been witness to some strange shit

at O'Hare.

IF someones disses O'Hare I won't argue.

[fudge stripe cookays]

36. Don't forget...

you BURGLE CARS!! TWICE!!!

[xmas74]

42. When I'd been broken into more than that

well outside of Chicago.

Wonder what the response would have been if I'd brought up how I'd rather have my car broken into instead of being raped after a concert? Just for the record, the concert was in Ames. And for the geographically inept Ames is in IOWA.

I also got some dirty looks in a restaurant in Des Moines because I didn't want my eggs between my layers of pancakes.

[grace0418]

34. It's a question I've asked of a particular DUer and never got a satisfactory answer.

But they assure me that everyone in their town feels the same way. Like there's some sort of town meeting to discuss how much everyone hates a particular geographical location. And if you dare to question how anyone could feel that absurdly negative about a geographical location, you get told that Chicagoans are too sensitive (yet another reason to hate Chicago) and we should toughen up like New Yorkers. Apparently "everyone" hates New York but New Yorkers don't care. It's really, really bizarre. It's like having a conversation with a randomly generating negativity machine.

[bertha katzenengel]

40. "It's like having a conversation with a randomly generating negativity machine."

My goodness -- that is a fantastic description. I still don't understand the hatred, but your description helps me see the part of a of personality it would take for this irrationality. (I'm not sure that makes sense, but I just woke half an hour ago and have had no coffee yet.)

Thanks! :hi:

[grace0418]

48. It was the only way I could think to describe this person.

Thanks! I understood you perfectly, by the way, coffee or no coffee!

[GoneOffShore]

16. Good for Chicago!!!

There was a move afoot to put Philadelphia in the running for the Olympics and I was so hoping that wasn't going to happen.

Glad you got it. Sorry you got it. It's a blight just like having a political convention, a new stadium or a casino come to town.

Neighborhoods are going to be leveled, and fatcats are going to get fatter.

[QMPMom]

20. Anyone that hates Chicago must not right in the head.

It's one of the best cities on the planet.

[XNASA]

24. Great news. I guess that means that.......

I'll have to start training tomorrow.

Although....I've found it's very difficult to rent a pole vaulting court around here.

[greatauntoftriplets]

25. I thought you'd be in the equestrian events.

Dressage and that sort of thing.

:shrug:

[XNASA]

28. You had to bring up the horse thing, didn't you........

Look, nobody was ever able to prove that. ;)

[greatauntoftriplets]

29. I plan to qualify for the sail events....

Best able to slug down rum punch while under sail and heeling to port.

:D

Edited to fix smiley.

[jobycom]

30. Great. Make way for the "U.S.A.: Finishing what the Tsunami started" signs.

Hopefully ya'll will find that signmaker and dissuade him before then?

[bigwillq]

35. Good for Chi-Town.

:bounce:

[madrchsod]

37. jesus i`ll be really old in 2016

that`ll kind`a suck. i sure hope they get the olympics in chicago so the world can see what a great city it is. maybe that big drill bit will be done by then!

[prolesunited]

38. Drill bit?

:shrug:

[madrchsod]

51. the fordham spire

it looks like a giant tap or a drill bit.

[madinmaryland]

39. Jeebus!1! It may actually warm by then. MAYBE.

:hide:

:popcorn:

[Joe Fields]

44. Chicago is okay, except for all of the....

toll roads that surround it.

[grace0418]

47. Yes, I think it's terrible that people have to pay twice as much if they don't

have an I-Pass. I live in the city and rarely venture out into the burbs but when I do I get really pissed about that. And then I think of all the out-of-staters who are driving through (or into) Illinois. What a fantastic way to welcome visitors into our state. "Welcome to Illinois, YOU get to pay twice as much as everyone else for the privilege of being stuck in traffic!" :eyes:

Now that you mention it, I wonder how that's going to fly with all the folks coming into Chicago for the Olympics (if Chicago gets the bid).

[alarimer]

45. I think that's great

L.A. has hosted it twice already. They should be out of the running for a long time. It ought to be a new city every time, so no Rome or Tokyo either.

[never cry wolf]

46. That is excellent. Can you imagine the opening ceremonies...

... as the world honors President Obama in the last year of a very successful two terms as he cuts the ribbon in his home town practically in the back yard of his Hyde Park neighborhood.

[grace0418]

49. I will say this: the CTA and Metra are *NOT* up to the challenge. I don't know if

they can get it together in 9 years but the CTA is having trouble keeping up with regular commuter traffic. Add all those people trying to get around to Oympic venues (the highways sure aren't going to support them) and I can't even fathom how that's going to happen.

I have been to Barcelona ('94 Olympics?) and their public transportation is much better run, much more efficient and much cleaner than Chicago's is.

[greatauntoftriplets]

50. People in the Washington Park neighborhood are up in arms....

They fear loss of use of the park (an important community resource), the traffic and whether the community will be partially destroyed to create parking lots. I can't blame them.