What do you guys think? Especially all of you in the greater Chicagoland area. Would the 2016 Olympics enhance the city's reputation as as a world class city, or would it be such a hassle that you'd rather it not happen?

If I felt that this Olympics wasn't going be shrouded in kickbacks, patronage, and money for all the worst parts of the Chicago Political Machine... I'd be more excited.

What do you guys think? Especially all of you in the greater Chicagoland area. Would the 2016 Olympics enhance the city's reputation as as a world class city, or would it be such a hassle that you'd rather it not happen?

 

Chicago IS world class, not neccessary.

I wonder where Chicago's going to find $4 billion in the next 8 years.

I was somewhat on board and rooting for it before I paid attention to the facilities and costs of these Olympics. I'm now a believer that it would be such a drain.

For us in the sports marketing world,bring it on!!

If we do win, and assuming I'm still alive then, I'm leaving the state while the olympics are here. It's going to be total chaos.

I think it would be a big pain in the ass, but if it drastically improved public transportation, it might be worth it.

I wonder where Chicago's going to find $4 billion in the next 8 years.

They have a lot of private money - if they didn't they wouldn't have won the USOC round.

It would be a huge shot in the arm to a crumbling infrastructure and neighborhoods that really need rebuilding. I would love to see it happen.

It would be a huge shot in the arm to a crumbling infrastructure and neighborhoods that really need rebuilding. I would love to see it happen.

That's what I'm thinking. Politics be damned, it would have a nice residual effect on the city afterwards.

That's what I'm thinking. Politics be damned, it would have a nice residual effect on the city afterwards.

 

I drove through Atlanta in the spring of 1996 and the amount of work that was done to the city was unbelievable. I'd love to see that done to Chicago.

Most of Chicago's lakeshore is architecture from the World's Fairs, right?

 

Maybe the Olympics would have the same long-term impacts. I think it would be great for the city and I'd love to see it happen.

The Olympics in Chicago would be incredibly good for the city, and I'd be incredibly excited to see it happen.

If the Chicago 2016 Committee wins and follows through on it's idea of recycling, I think it's going to be great. Beijing wanted to make a HUGE splash, and by looking at the architecture, the Birds Nest and the Water cube, for example, they did. Chicago doesn't have to do that. If Chicago can pull off their plans to have temporary stadiums or ones that can be drastically scaled down afterwards, I think it's fantastic...especially for the infrastructure and for those 17 days, we can stick it to NY and LA and any other city that thinks the midwest is the "boonies."

 

 

I think it would be a big pain in the ass, but if it drastically improved public transportation, it might be worth it.

 

They have a lot of private money - if they didn't they wouldn't have won the USOC round.

 

It would be a huge shot in the arm to a crumbling infrastructure and neighborhoods that really need rebuilding. I would love to see it happen.

 

All the above. Bring it on.

 

Among the finalists, there is really only one city that I think will give Chicago a run for their money - Rio. Tokyo tries for it every damn cycle, and Nagano just had a winter Olympics, plus Beijing in the region. Europe goes in 2012, no way they go again in 2016. That leaves Chicago and Rio. South America has NEVER had an olympics, which gives Rio a huge boost. But, Rio also has huge crime problems and other issues that may prevent it.

 

Go Chicago!

 

Rio won't get it because outside of a tiny part of downtown, the place is a complete s***hole. And with two Spanish teams making the slant-eyed photos, Chicago should be running away with this thing.

Rio won't get it because outside of a tiny part of downtown, the place is a complete s***hole. And with two Spanish teams making the slant-eyed photos, Chicago should be running away with this thing.

Brazilians speak Portugese FWIW

Brazilians speak Portugese FWIW

I think he was referring to the Madrid bid.

 

One more thing to keep in mind is the Rich Daley factor. Love him or hate him, he is man who gets things done. How many of the other people pushing bids could bulldoze an airport in the middle of the night and get re-elected with 80% of the vote? Besides in an Olympic committee rife with corruption, lets just say Richie speaks their language.

Rio won't get it because outside of a tiny part of downtown, the place is a complete s***hole.

 

That was the same argument against Beijing being a host city though. Granted, I dunno that Brazil has an extra 40 billion to "build" a modern metropolis, but still.

 

I gotta think that Chicago is the front runner. It'll be 20 years from the last US olympics, the US probably generates the majority of Olympic revenue - that's gotta be a huge boost. Plus I think it's a city that has nearly everything that is required. It'd be more of a fix-er-upper instead of a complete build. With only 7 years to do everything (they decide in late 09 right?), could Rio get it all finished in time? At the same time though, I could see the excitement of having the first olympics in south america being a huge plus.

 

Assuming Chicago wins, I'd love to have the Olympics here. I think it'd boost this already historic city to another level. It deserves the opportunity to showcase what it has to offer. And as others have said, it'd be real nice to be able to upgrade and revitalize some much needed areas of the city.

I'd like to seem them fix the red line for this. I wonder if I could rent my place.

What do you guys think? Especially all of you in the greater Chicagoland area. Would the 2016 Olympics enhance the city's reputation as as a world class city, or would it be such a hassle that you'd rather it not happen?

It would really improve the area on the south shore which I think would be a boon for the city of chicago, as well as the area around the Cell. The improvements to the public transportation system would be HUGE for Chicago.

 

As for effect on our daily lives, I will be renting out my place wherever it may be as I take a 3-4 week vacation.

All the people who would be annoyed by the olympics during the time they were in the city would love all the improvements they leave behind after they are over. Whether or not you care about the olympics or want them in the city, the good things they would do for Chicago especially after the summer of 2016 with the improvements they would leave behind in the city would be great.

I think it would be a big pain in the ass, but if it drastically improved public transportation, it might be worth it.

 

That!

 

I would love to have the olympics for no other reason than the investment in infrastructure rehabilitation and expansion. Complete the north-south rebuild of wacker drive, expand the trains to include a line between ohare and midway, further develop the idea of a riverwalk, improve the south shore of the lakefront, etc. It would all be a welcome sight.