2016 Olympics

Who will be awarded the 2016 Olympics

  • Total voters
    38
  • Poll closed .
ScottM

ScottM

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iBazinga!
As many you may know Chicago is bidding for the 2016 Olympics. I pray to his noodlely majesty that they do not get them.

Chicago has enough problems with bad transportation, allegation of corruption, not too mention what it will likely due to airspace around here!

The decision is to be made this coming Friday the 2nd of October

The short list:

Chicago (USA),
Tokyo (Japan),
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), and
Madrid (Spain)

Who do you hope will get them?
 
Scott- you left out an option: Anywhere except Chicago.
 
I hope Chicago get them and the corruption (oops, "allegations" of corruption) is exposed to the entire world and finally rooted out and flushed into Lake Michigan...

The ultimate irony would be for Chicago to be forced to re-open Meigs to accomodate air travel...

But thats just me...
 
I hope its the Moon. The Olympics s*ck.
 
I wouldn't mind Madrid, but with Barcelona not that far back, might be Rio.... I don't get wanting to host the Olympics, I don't see the value.
 
Henning said:
I wouldn't mind Madrid, but with Barcelona not that far back, might be Rio.... I don't get wanting to host the Olympics, I don't see the value.
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Nor do I....has any city even broken even on the Olympics recently?
 
I went with Rio. Spain and Japan both have had the games recently. First I'd had for Da Mayor to get any credit or lime light. Second the Flight Restrictions will be HUGE with venues probably as far north as Milwaukee and west and south of the City. I wonder if it coincides with Osh man that would be disaster. Rio could also use the lens focused on it. Perhaps it will give them some incentive to clean up their favellas. ( slums).
 
I don't know why any city would want the Olympics. Denver was smart in rejecting the winter Olympics back in 1976.
 
JeffDG said:
I'm pretty sure that Calgary in Winter 1988 made money off them. But Canada is still paying for Montreal back in the 60's.
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Calgary is still proud of their Olympic Park which I visited only a month ago as part of our effort to find things to do up there. They turned it into a recreation area for both summer and winter sports.
 
Everskyward said:
Calgary is still proud of their Olympic Park which I visited only a month ago as part of our effort to find things to do up there. They turned it into a recreation area for both summer and winter sports.
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Man, if COP was the only thing you found to do there, you weren't looking very hard! Lived there for 15 years.
 
JeffDG said:
Man, if COP was the only thing you found to do there, you weren't looking very hard! Lived there for 15 years.
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We've been going there, I'm guessing at least monthly, for about a year and a half so now we are scraping the bottom of the barrel. We've done Banff, Lake Louise, the buffalo jump, Glenbow Museum, Airdrie Air Show, place downtown by the river, and probably some other things I can't remember right now. Got any suggestions?
 
Everskyward said:
I don't know why any city would want the Olympics. Denver was smart in rejecting the winter Olympics back in 1976.
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We saw a lot of improvements here in the Atlanta area due to the Olympics. The traffic camera system was a part of it, the swimming venue that Georgia Tech got, new atheletic fields at Morehouse College and Clark Atlanta University, housing units for Georgia State University. Also a wonderful equestrian park out west of the city. I'm sure there are more that I can't recall at this point.
 
EppyGA said:
We saw a lot of improvements here in the Atlanta area due to the Olympics. The traffic camera system was a part of it, the swimming venue that Georgia Tech got, new atheletic fields at Morehouse College and Clark Atlanta University, housing units for Georgia State University. Also a wonderful equestrian park out west of the city. I'm sure there are more that I can't recall at this point.
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I guess the questions I would ask are, who funded those improvements and was the disruption worth it? Also I'm curious if Atlanta made a net profit. I know that's probably hard to judge. I think some cities do it in order to get on the world stage. I can't imagine Atlanta caring about that, or Chicago for that matter. However, in the case of smaller cities like Calgary maybe it's an advantage for them.
 
Everskyward said:
I guess the questions I would ask are, who funded those improvements and was the disruption worth it? Also I'm curious if Atlanta made a net profit. I know that's probably hard to judge. I think some cities do it in order to get on the world stage. I can't imagine Atlanta caring about that, or Chicago for that matter. However, in the case of smaller cities like Calgary maybe it's an advantage for them.
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Unfortunately being 13 years ago now I don't really have answers to your questions. I'm sure may be able to find those. I, personally, didn't see any disruption from it as far as getting to work, etc. I was working for a cable TV contractor at the time and I got the opportunity to do some work at several of the venues in setting up the Cable TV systems that were installed at each venue for the press folks. I don't know if we made a net profit but am pretty sure no money was lost. They guy that ran the Atlanta Olympic Comittee did a good job of it. Here is a link that does a pretty good job of describing it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_Summer_Olympics
 
oh oh! President Obama is going Friday to Copenhagen for the Chicago presentation and vote. I hope he does not have some inside information that Chicago is getting the games. But it seems that politically the President would not have committed to being there if he thought that he would lose face.
 
I was traveling in Mexico during one set of games, and got to watch them on Mexican TV. The Mexicans didn't have any athletes of note, so they just showed the games. That was fun to watch. I hate watching the olympics because of the American coverage, with all the human interest crapola. Can't say I care where they happen, so long as its far from me.
 
smigaldi said:
oh oh! President Obama is going Friday to Copenhagen for the Chicago presentation and vote. I hope he does not have some inside information that Chicago is getting the games. But it seems that politically the President would not have committed to being there if he thought that he would lose face.
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I think you're stuck with them now Scott. Better he should go there than decide whether to send more troops into Afghanistan though ;)
 
EppyGA said:
I think you're stuck with them now Scott. Better he should go there than decide whether to send more troops into Afghanistan though ;)
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Well he has been bombared by the Olympics requests for many months now. Afghan, only a few days. He should take sometime to think about that and how it applies to our overall strategy. Bad comparison.
 
Color me more disgusted

This is "Olympic Island" and is an artist drawing as part of the presentation package to the IOC. I liked it better when there was a runway there.

s04klu24a44dji70urypjwgij3igxj6
 
I think I heard on the radio that 83% of Chicagoans are against having the Olympics there. Anyone else confirm or deny?
 
smigaldi said:
I only know of one person who is excited at the possibility of having the Olympics here. But, no, I have not heard of a poll like that.
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How would they possibly pay for all the infrastructure and improvements? You guys already have sales tax at 10%, plus all those rental car/visitor fees/tolls, etc.


Trapper John
 
Trapper John said:
How would they possibly pay for all the infrastructure and improvements? You guys already have sales tax at 10%, plus all those rental car/visitor fees/tolls, etc.


Trapper John
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I don't know.

But if it happens I think for the next few years after the Olympics we will see pictures like this of the "fund raiser"

large_Ralph%20Cicalese%20admits%20to%20mob%20ties.JPG
 
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Jack Spectre said:
I think I heard on the radio that 83% of Chicagoans are against having the Olympics there. Anyone else confirm or deny?
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smigaldi said:
I only know of one person who is excited at the possibility of having the Olympics here. But, no, I have not heard of a poll like that.
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I heard 100% of Chicagoans surveyed* want the Olympics in Chicago



*Those who gave the wrong answer were removed from the survey pool.
 
EppyGA said:
We saw a lot of improvements here in the Atlanta area due to the Olympics. The traffic camera system was a part of it, the swimming venue that Georgia Tech got, new atheletic fields at Morehouse College and Clark Atlanta University, housing units for Georgia State University. Also a wonderful equestrian park out west of the city. I'm sure there are more that I can't recall at this point.
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Bro other than the traffic cams and expanded interstate "Georgia" does not benefit from GSU dorms or athletic fields.

I hope it NEVER comes back to Atlanta!
 
Forgot the Ban the Olympics option.



:D
 
Trapper John said:
How would they possibly pay for all the infrastructure and improvements? You guys already have sales tax at 10%, plus all those rental car/visitor fees/tolls, etc.


Trapper John
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Well, DUH! I believe it would come from HE WHO CONTROLS THE PRINTING PRESSES... :nono:

A bail out of OLYMPIC proportions.... :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
We will know for sure by Friday afternoon.

But this is the latest rumor.

AP said:
But on the eve of the vote, the IOC's 106 members were, as ever, keeping their thoughts to themselves. Only Tokyo seemed to have fallen out of the running. Otherwise, it was still too close to call between the beaches and bossa nova of Rio, the bustle and Lake Michigan waterfront of Chicago or the European elegance of Madrid. Everyone had reason to be hopeful, none reason to be sure.
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​
 
smigaldi said:
Color me more disgusted

This is "Olympic Island" and is an artist drawing as part of the presentation package to the IOC. I liked it better when there was a runway there.

s04klu24a44dji70urypjwgij3igxj6
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When the hell has Chicago ever looked that clean?
 
Kelvin said:
The ultimate irony would be for Chicago to be forced to re-open Meigs to accomodate air travel...
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The problem is, if Chicago gets the Olympics, Meigs is where many of the venues will be built, and at that point all hope is lost. (At this point, it's still quite possible for a future mayor to reopen Meigs...)

AdamZ said:
Second the Flight Restrictions will be HUGE with venues probably as far north as Milwaukee and west and south of the City.
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It's worse than that. I'm not sure how far away the rest of the venues are, but I've heard that some of the distance running competitions will be held in Wisconsin - Blue Mounds, to be exact. 172 miles by car from Chicago, it's about 1/3 of the way from Madison to Dubuque. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sou...h&z=9&saddr=Chicago,+IL&daddr=Blue+Mounds,+WI

I guess it would be bad PR to have the runners dying from breathing Chicago air. :rofl:

I wonder if it coincides with Osh man that would be disaster.
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Whoo boy. OSH would be half deserted, there'd be a bunch of violations, and pretty much everyone would be royally ****ed. Might get some focus on the problems TFR's cause, though...
 
Chicago eliminated from consideration. You'll be okay Scott.
 
Thank god almighty, Chicago doesn't get a penny.
 
First I have to say thank you to the blessed FSM. I take full credit for the Olympics not coming to Chicago because last night I gave an offering of marinara with clams to his blessed noodliness. I am sure that is what did, the science behind it is indisputable!

SkyHog said:
Thank god almighty, Chicago doesn't get a penny.
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Actually Chicago get way less than a penny. Chicago spent $15,000,000 on putting the bid together.
 
smigaldi said:
First I have to say thank you to the blessed FSM. I take full credit for the Olympics not coming to Chicago because last night I gave an offering of marinara with clams to his blessed noodliness. I am sure that is what did, the science behind it is indisputable!



Actually Chicago get way less than a penny. Chicago spent $15,000,000 on putting the bid together.
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Good. When Chicagoans are smart enough to remove Daley from office and put Meigs back in its rightful place, they'll have earned privileges like the Olympics again.
 
smigaldi said:
First I have to say thank you to the blessed FSM. I take full credit for the Olympics not coming to Chicago because last night I gave an offering of marinara with clams to his blessed noodliness. I am sure that is what did, the science behind it is indisputable!
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At this point indisputable! :D
 
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