35 Comments - prairiestatedem - Friday, Jun 23, 06 @ 7:57 am: Lets bring the 2016 Olympics home to Illinois so we can prove we excel in something other than being world leaders in political corruption - Ravenswood Right Winger - Friday, Jun 23, 06 @ 8:11 am: If it means money for downstate (e.g. playing soccer at Memorial Stadium in Champaign) sure. - DOWNSTATE - Friday, Jun 23, 06 @ 8:14 am: Only if they figure a way for thr RESIDENTS OF CHICAGO to pay for it. - Wumpus - Friday, Jun 23, 06 @ 8:32 am: Why would anyone outside of the 17 huge Olympic Fans and some restaurant/hotel owners want this? People complain about traffic and airport delays now, wait til things get started prepping for that. ALso, the expense will be outrageous! I cannot trust the people who brought us Millenium park to do anything close to the original estimates. - frustrated GOP - Friday, Jun 23, 06 @ 8:37 am: I saw signs for events for the Atlanta games in Southern Illinois. The whole State would benefit. Imagine the focus of our resources for that one event. The long term benefit in true updgrades to our infastructure for moving people would benefit all of Northern Illinois. Not to mention all of the business people seeing what a great place this is to work and live, maybe we grab a few more world Headquarters from the exposure. There is a huge potential upside to this for the entire region. And of course, we will need all of the sales tax in 2016 to pay off the Blago administration pension deals. Guess we need to update Midway, ok, maybe not, it is the summer games not the winter, right. - Leroy - Friday, Jun 23, 06 @ 8:40 am: It doesn’t matter… We have a huge consturction lobby in Chicago. Even if we *do not* get these games & the construction contracts that go along with them, we can still look forward to every major expressway, street, airport, pier, civic building, stadium, park, parking deck, and train station in Chicago to be torn up and rebuilt with public money (with expected cost overruns, and re-dos to correct problems) within the next 10 years. The monster has to be fed, you know. - So-Called "Austin Mayor" - Friday, Jun 23, 06 @ 8:41 am: Q: Do you support Chicago’s bid for the Olympics? A: No. Q: Why or why not and under what conditions? A: We have plenty of home-grown corruption with out bringing the International Olympic Committee into the mix. A Chicago Olympics would send Patrick Fitzgerald’s team to early graves. - 105th Blues - Friday, Jun 23, 06 @ 8:52 am: I think bringing the Olympics to Chicago would be huge and good exposure for Illinois in general. - annoyed all the time - Friday, Jun 23, 06 @ 9:05 am: i think it would be good to hear from folks who lived in atlanta during the games… the plus? more exposure to the city and neighboring towns, a sense of pride being shown worldwide maybe people will stop spitting onthe sidewalks, more tourist dollars to the state as a whole, even temp jobs great for people to work venues… the bad? bomb threats, lack of hotel space for the olympians and everyone else, traffic althought maybe residents will start to walk, bike, public transportation to work… like anything it has plus and minus and we won’t know unless we live it. - Schiznitz - Friday, Jun 23, 06 @ 9:42 am: This is such a wag the dog ploy to take the spotlight off the corruption trials. The good thing is that even is the media falls for these stunts, Fitzgerald won’t. - Niles Township - Friday, Jun 23, 06 @ 9:46 am: Why is it that we need an event to prompt us to be creative about our regional future? Let’s bring together a team of arhictects, urban planners, landscape designers, housing advocates, transporation planners, and come up with a new vision for Chicago at 2020. Oh, wait, that was done already! Why not just dust that off and put some of the plan’s excellent ideas into motion. We don’t need the Olympics for that. - Skeeter - Friday, Jun 23, 06 @ 10:02 am: No way. It is bad enough with suburbanites who are boggled by the “one way street” concept, much less to have our city overrun by the herds that would come for the games. Chicago is a great place, if we can just keep it out of the hands of non-Chicagoans. By the way people, that red hand signal means “Do Not Walk.” With regard to the “construction lobby” — I love those comments. Apparently, Leroy does not understand that “construction” = “well paying jobs.” Those of us who live here like construction because it puts people to work. - Little Egypt - Friday, Jun 23, 06 @ 10:25 am: Good for the state but who wants to play their outdoor events in this hot and humid summer muck? - Wumpus - Friday, Jun 23, 06 @ 10:31 am: This would be a whole new group of victims of Chicago crime. A whole new group of victims of Chicago crazy cab drivers, a whole new level of stench on public transportation, more people to warn about tainted heroin, more people to ban from smoking in privatley owned places (that will not go over too well) and more trucks to hire. Chicago is one of the better big cities, no doubt. But these Olympics will be nothing but a headache. I am sure many of the atheletes wil feel right at home with the one party rukle at city council. - Carl Nyberg - Friday, Jun 23, 06 @ 10:48 am: I oppose Chicago seeking the Olympics. 1. It’s something second-tier cities do to elevate their status. Chicago doesn’t need to play this game. 2. The financial gain is for the few while the inconvenience is for the many. - Carl Nyberg - Friday, Jun 23, 06 @ 10:49 am: Lets bring the 2016 Olympics home to Illinois so we can prove we excel in something other than being world leaders in political corruption–prairiestatedem Yeah, it’s not like hosting the Olympics has ever been associated with shady politics and backroom deals or bribes…. - SilverBackDemocrat - Friday, Jun 23, 06 @ 11:04 am: It, meaning negative thinking, complaining, and catastrophizing, never ends with right-wingers. What the “heck!” Get over it. Think productively! Quit “hating!” It is getting very, very pathetic. Chicago is a great city, and I hope that the city is able to get it because like a previous commenter stated: when there is the sound of noise, “people are working.” By the way, that is a good thing. PS: hopefully by that time or even sooner the “UFC” will be in the Olypics (most excellent gladiators). - Anonymous - Friday, Jun 23, 06 @ 11:06 am: Springfield deserves soccer, as they’ve been building fields for years and would serve as a great way to showcase Lincoln as an international tourist attraction via Chicago on the high speed rail. Bloomington/Normal was hoping for baseball/softball, but those sports got cut. Perhaps State Farm would sponsor gymnastics or indoor swimming events. Hopefully, B/N could show off the biggest wind farm in the US if the FAA stops stalling every project in the nation for potential, but highly unlikely, interference with radar. The Grand Illinois Trail, including scenic stretches along the historic I&M Canal and Illinois River, while showing off our rich natural history of prairie at Midewin, should be a great for long distance cycling and triatholon. Quincy and Hannibal might team up for a small water event and show off Mark Twain’s inspiration for Huckleberry Finn’s adventures on the Miss River. Peoria has a nice riverpark that Cat could help sponsor water events and highlight the IL River and their role in global trade. Quad Cities and John Deere might sponsor some water event to highlight the Mississippi River and Illinois agriculture. St. Louis could also do water events on the Mississippi River and also highlight the only World Heritage Site in the US (Cahokia Mounds) and the Arch. Sparta for shooting events would show off Southern Illinois and the Shawnee National Forest. Champaign/Urbana could host tennis, since UIUC has a top notch tennis team. It’s a great way to enhance the university’s reputation to the world. Decatur and ADM might host a water event on their lake and highlight their role in the future of ethanol and biodiesel. Rockford could certainly sponsor some classic American high school sports like volleyball to showcase deep rooted midwestern values. DuQuoin might host equestrian events since they’re big into horse racing and just up the road from SIU and the Shawnee Forest. Aurora may be most famous for Wayne’s World, but also hosts the Illinois math and science academy for talented IL High School students, so maybe ping pong would be a good fit. That still leaves most of the really big events for Chicago, but there’s still a few minor events like archery, badminton, BMX racing, fencing, field hockey, handball, judo, taekwondo, weightlifting, wrestling, etc. for smaller cities that can make a good case and cover the costs. For a list of current sports (may change by 2016): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_sports - zatoichi - Friday, Jun 23, 06 @ 11:08 am: Since I do not live in Chicago, the Oympics would be great. The traffic tie-ups related to construction would be intense, but will occur eventually anyhow even if the games do not come. They would be a great tax source from salaries, fees, and hundreds of other sources. Everywhere within about 100-200 miles of Chicago would benefit. Who pays for it becomes the answer. If all the benefits go to the Chicago area then let the Chicago area pay for it all with Chicago area money. - ron - Friday, Jun 23, 06 @ 11:24 am: olympics in chicago. great!! as long as not one penny of my tax dollars are spent on the event. or if my tax dollars are spent, i am assured of a a lucrative contract. nothing like a mayor under potential corruption charges to offer some grandiose plan for the future to draw attention away from the present. only thing better is when they get caught and develop a illness to keep them out of jail. - Merlin - Friday, Jun 23, 06 @ 12:15 pm: The Olympic idea is a ridiculous attempt by the City administration to deflect criticism away from ongoing corruption investigations. The citizens of the City of Chicago paid hundreds of millions of dollars to renovate Soldiers Field to accommodate a private company to play 10 games per year. The outcome is a universally ridiculed joke of a stadium. Now the administration wants the citizens to buy into spending hundreds of millions more to retrofit their previous mistake by the lake. Any tax dollars or public official’s time used to finance this public relations ploy should not be considered. I am continually amazed at how the media buys into any proposed programs generated by this administration after learning of the systemic corruption throughout the entire city. The administration has forfeited all credibility to plan this event. Any legitimate consideration needed to be incorporated into the construction of the new stadium. Of course that would have been impossible because there was no need for this Olympic smoke screen at that time. The media performs no valuable service by promulgating this propaganda. - Bubo - Friday, Jun 23, 06 @ 12:19 pm: Cary could have the rowing events. - Gregor - Friday, Jun 23, 06 @ 12:51 pm: I don’t think a Chicago-based Olympics can mean taking the individual events and venues out as far as Bloomington or DuQuoin, that’s just silly. But my view is it would make a fine excuse and cover for a LOT of underhanded and shady deals involving real estate, construction contracts, and infrastructure, all with Olympics as the excuse to subvert or ignore the normal checks and balances in city planning (such as they are). The little guy would be completely steamrollered by rich developers and corrupt pols. The aftermath will be bills and regrets that make Millenium Park look tame. No, I’m sorry, besides it costing the city more than it would bring in, it’s too much temptation to lay before these pirates. - Establishment Republican - Friday, Jun 23, 06 @ 2:25 pm: It is probably very unlikely that the International Olympic Committee will choose to hold the 2016 games anywhere in the U.S. Considering that the 2012 games were just awarded to London and that the 2010 Winter Olympics are going to be held in Canada, it is quite a long-shot that another English speaking country would be chosen to host the games so soon. New York City said so much after they failed in their bid for the 2012 games and that is the main reason they are not trying again for 2012. The 2016 games are more likely to be held in Latin America, Asia, or even Africa. The 2020 Summer Olympics are far more likely to be held in the United States and it seems like the efforts by Daley to get the 2016 Olympics to come here are going to wind up being a waste of time and money. Any U.S. city who really wants to hold the Olympics should focus more on 2020. - Ashur Odishoo - Friday, Jun 23, 06 @ 2:29 pm: Would the athletes have to pay to play? - Olympic Observer - Friday, Jun 23, 06 @ 5:11 pm: While this might be a wag the dog, it does have potential to be a windfall to this state, during Atlanta hotels in Georgia, TN, KY, South Carolina, Florida, and Alabama, where booked solid, imagine hotels from Chicago to Carbondale booked solid for two weeks, the hotel tax, the sales tax paid by visitors. I agree this could be just the thing to pay for 4 years of Rod - Gregor - Friday, Jun 23, 06 @ 5:48 pm: Chicago doesn’t have the hotel capacity for this. The infrastructure costs, the security costs, the traffic, will not offset the money that comes in. Now that they have had the time to make the presentation, what was the “special secret idea”? let me guess: A floating island for the stadium… which can be converted into a mega casino later? Like Northerly Island? Or would they gut a swath of the South Side to put in a stadium complex? - NW burbs - Friday, Jun 23, 06 @ 6:00 pm: Chicago is a natural fit for the Olympics — it’s a truly international city with its many ethnic neighborhoods and international business hub. I hope the idea of the ethnic neighborhoods is something the bigwigs are promoting w/ USOC. I’ve heard of plans to incorporate the entire Midwest/Great Lakes region which I think would be a fantastic idea. Don’t ask Crystal Lake to host any rowing events… Gay people might come to town to watch or, gasp, participate. This would be our modern version of the Chicago World’s Fair and look how well-liked that mega-event is to this day. We could pull it off — and prove the negative nellies wrong. - The Conservative - Saturday, Jun 24, 06 @ 1:00 pm: I oppose the Olympics if taxpayer dollars are spent on it. If it can be done with donations fine. If Chicago whats to waste it’s resources on it that is fine as well. However do not ask the State taxpayers for one dime. - Anonymous - Saturday, Jun 24, 06 @ 3:44 pm: The olympics are routinely spread out over many miles with multiple venues and cities for various events. While it’s great the mayor is cheerleading for the Olympics, this definately needs to be run privately, like the successful Salt Lake City games (pop 182,000). The more the sporting events and tasks can be subdivided between different regions and cities, the less stress on Chicago and more opportunities for other cities to share the benefits. Business leadership is critical to ensure we stay on budget and on schedule, as well as maximize the long-term benefits. Competing for the 2016 games would give us invaluable experience for a real shot at the 2020 games and help put the pressure on, so we’re actually ahead of schedule and seriously competitive for 2020. Amtrak already serves many of the key IL cities and regions, except Peoria, Rockford, and Decatur. The Quad Cities used to have an old passenger line that ran to Chicago along the IL River that should be reopened anyway. How about Metropolis, IL home of superman, for the weightlifting events? Chicago may soon fall behind Houston to number four. What Chicago and Illinois need is the limelight to not just celebrate our past, but reinvigorate and motivate us to create a future with a higher quality of life. The riches and glory of Chicago’s meatpacking and breadbasket commodities are over. Could Chicago regain its former world stature by choosing to lead the world in a profitable new field, such as health care or energy efficiency technologies? - mc - Saturday, Jun 24, 06 @ 3:45 pm: Yes - Wumpus - Saturday, Jun 24, 06 @ 4:15 pm: How far are events normally held from the host city? It would be the Chicago Olympics, not the Illinois Olympics. Out of Houston, LA, Philly and San Fran, I’d say Chicago probably has the best shot to rep America. Let all come to Chicago and see the “melting pot”. Poles living with Poles, Jews living amongst Jews, lacks with Blacks, Mexicans w/ Mexicans, Puerta Ricans with Puerta Ricans, Irish with Irish and so on and so forth. I think it’d be more of a headache han it is worth. Finally, out of all the cities listed, Chicago has the public officials I least trust to get it done. Not because of incopetence as all the cities have, but Chciago has the corruption angle nailed. Why not have it in New Jersey? - Anonymous - Sunday, Jun 25, 06 @ 3:54 am: If the olympics even come to Chicago, we’ll need and want the entire state involved. Chicago is our international portal, but the rest of the state can and should benefit. Upgrading telecommuting infrastructure would allow events scattered throughout the state to be linked directly to Chicago, where fans at any location in Illinois could watch any event. A statewide wi-fi system would allow tremendous improvements in business efficiency to make Illinois more competitive in the world. Widespread telecommuting infrastructure and capacity would also allow tremendous improvements in business, healthcare, education, and government communications and operations throughout Illinois. With an investment in statewide telecommuting, we could reduce far more expensive 20th century physical transportation needs. - Jill29 - Wednesday, Jun 28, 06 @ 4:29 am: The Olympic bid idea actually started in the early 90’s from Akif Malik and the Chicago Metro Organizing Committee (www.chicago2016.net). He’s the visionary that got it going, but this recent interest by the mayor appears to be politically-motivated rather than what’s in the best interest of the region or the Olympics. These projects need to be independent and regional, not through the city, in my opinion. Although I’m totally in favor of Malik’s vision and great ideas, I think I’d rather see it happen later in a post-Daley Chicago. The international doesn’t like the United States (war is still going on) so no matter how good we are, that’s a problem. And, corruption is a big issue in the Olympics. Guess what mayoral administration is on trial and investigation for corruption? - hmion - Friday, Mar 9, 07 @ 3:42 pm: The Olympics in Chicago would be a discrace. Such a corrupt local govenment has no business getting their filthy hands on so much money. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.