That's OK -- You can have the Olympics

Posted By Bobby Pierce Wednesday, September 23, 2009 - 4:45 PM Share

Last year, Passport made the case for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, hosting the 2016 Olympics over closest rivals Chicago, Tokyo and Madrid.

Today, one Chicago website is making that same case.

"It would be exciting to host the Olympics here in Chicago," ChicagoansforRio.com says. "But you know what would be even better? Rio de Janeiro. Just let Rio host the 2016 Olympics. We don't mind. Honest."

Just eight days until the announcement of the winner, Chicagoans for Rio break down some reasons Brazil would host the games better. For instance: 

Statues. Rio has Christ standing. Chicago has Lincoln sitting. (To be fair, Chicago also has statues of Lincoln standing.)

Signature events. Rio has naked people dancing. Chicago has chubby people eating.

Nickname. Rio is the "Marvelous City." Chicago is the "Second City."

The site also points out Chicago has a budget deficit of nearly $220 million; they claim Rio has a $0 budget deficit because, "If you're a Chicagoan, Rio's budget deficit does not matter."

They also say 21 of Athens' 22 Olympic venues remain unused.

It appears the latest victim of recessionomics is the ambition to host the world's second most important sporting event.

ANTONIO SCORZA/AFP/Getty Images

EXPLORE:NORTH AMERICA, SOUTH AMERICA, OLYMPICS, U.S. FOREIGN POLICY
 

MAJORMARGINAL

6:52 PM ET

September 23, 2009

Chicago Olympics

We Chicagoans are mostly against having the Olympics here. Initially the story was that the funding would all come from private sources. Few of us believed that. The City Council recently voted to use the taxing power of the city to pay for any cost overruns. There is a history of large projects costing three and four times the original estimate. There is also a history of them coming in late. I seem to recall Olympic organizers from Salt Lake City going to prison over corruption tied in with their event. The clouted officials and contractors will make a lot of money. The taxpayers, who can't afford the extravagance of tickets to the event, will be stuck with the bill.

I've got to get to Rio and I've got to make time.

 

FORTRAN

8:08 PM ET

September 23, 2009

Denver...

Well, remember the Denver/Colorado example. We *rejected* the 1976 Olympics because of both the environmental cost and the fiscal cost. Other than the LA Games, which essentially had all the venues built, I'm not sure a Games has made a profit in recent times...or ever. Also why Denver will never, ever get the Games again.

But, of course, Whistler rejected the '76 Games after Denver and they're doing the next ones.

 

MORNING

10:58 AM ET

September 28, 2009

reply

I seem to recall Olympic organizers from Salt Lake City going to prison over corruption tied in with their event. The clouted officials and contractors will make a lot of money.tiffany jewelry

 

RAVEE RAGHAVAN

1:13 PM ET

October 1, 2009

ravee raghavan

As Chris Shaw's book says "the Olympics is all about real estate" and I will also add "lying and sticking the tax-payers with guaranteed cost overuns, many times more than the initial cost estimate", meant to "suck us in". And Obama is going there to help us get further into the hole. Queen Michelle and King Obama (and Queen mother?) just want to make the social rounds any chance they get. What a disgrace that this is where their priority lies at such a difficult time for the country and Chicagoans. More than the financial mess that London is facing you should read of the mess for Vancouver 2010.

The real-estate "mafia" gets together with the IOC "mafia" to plan the lies to justify the hosting of these Games at the expense of struggling tax payers.They get people all exited when the OG is just another sporting event to make money for the real-estate and related industry. And yet how is it that we the people cant ever stop these charades intended to make money for the few at tax-payers expense? Because our elected representatives and President Obama are in bed with corporate interests involved in this and other big money schemes.

 

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