32 replies to this topic

[Soaring]

I thought it would be interesting to discuss the 54 times a U.S. city put in a bid for the Olympic Games. I don't know if you would call them all "bids", as a few times the city was just chosen, or the election was canceled due to wars. Hopefully I didn't miss any - here is the run down...

SUMMER
Chicago 2016, 1956, 1952, 1904
New York 2012
Atlanta 1996, 1920
Los Angeles 1984, 1980, 1976, 1956, 1952, 1948, 1932, 1928, 1924
Detroit 1972, 1968, 1964, 1960 1956, 1952, 1944
Minneapolis 1956, 1952, 1948
Philadelphia 1956, 1952, 1948, 1920
San Francisco 1956
Baltimore 1948
Cleveland 1920, 1916
St. Louis (1904 switch)



WINTER
Salt Lake City 2002, 1998, 1972
Anchorage 1994, 1992
Lake Placid 1980, 1968, 1956, 1952, 1948 1932
Denver 1976 (Innsbruck Hosted), 1932
Squaw Valley 1960
Colorado Springs 1956
Duluth 1932
Minneapolis 1932
Bear Mountain 1932
Lake Tahoe 1932
Yosemite Valley 1932


Detroit takes the cake with their seven bids, but never hosting. LA is the all time leader with 9, but hosted twice. Lake Placid also hosted twice, and put in six bids. Minneapolis is the only U.S. city to bid for both a Summer and Winter Olympics.

[Soaring]

I was kind of bored, so I drew up this map to give us some geographical context.



The numbers represent amount of bids. Orange is summer, and blue is winter. I used green for St. Louis.


Bid leaders by state...

California - 13 bids
New York - 8 bids
Michigan - 7 bids
Minnesota - 5 bids
Illinois - 4 bids
Pennsylvania - 4 bids
Colorado - 3 bids
Utah - 3 bids
Alaska - 2 bids
Georgia - 2 bids
Ohio - 2 bids
Maryland - 1 bid

[OneTimeOnly]

Soaring_Higher, on 09 March 2010 - 06:19 PM, said:

I was kind of bored, so I drew up this map to give us some geographical context.



The numbers represent amount of bids. Orange is summer, and blue is winter. I used green for St. Louis.


Bid leaders by state...

California - 13 bids
New York - 8 bids
Michigan - 7 bids
Minnesota - 5 bids
Illinois - 4 bids
Pennsylvania - 4 bids
Colorado - 3 bids
Utah - 3 bids
Alaska - 2 bids
Georgia - 2 bids
Ohio - 2 bids
Maryland - 1 bid

What are your three blue 1's in California? Because you have one blue 1 down near Fresno, and people often think that is where Squaw Valley 1960 was, and it was not. Squaw Valley is up in North Lake Tahoe. There is a small little town east of Fresno called Squaw Valley, and it shows up on Google Maps, but that is not where the 1960 winter games were held.

P.S. Never mind, I see you meant that one for Yosemite. But Bear Mountain, wasn't that Big Bear in Southern California?

Nope, it was Bear Mountain New York? Never heard of the place...

[Soaring]

According to Games Bids, Bear Mountain, NY put in a bid for 1932. Yes, I confused Squaw Valley for the little town, not the ski resort near Lake Tahoe.

[Kenadian]

Can't wait for you to add the Tulsa 2020 dot!

[Sir Rols]

Don't knoiw if it counts, but New York did go as far as to investigate, and maybe even launch a preliminary bid for 1984 as well.

[NY20??]

If Bear Mountain was capable of hosting today's Winter Games (and it isn't), it could do it with New York as the anchor. Distance between the two is less than Vancouver-Whistler. There would even be a waterside highway between the two up the Hudson River ala BC’s Sea-to-Sky Highway.

[nykfan845]

Bear Mountain?! LMAO.

I haven't been there since I was a kid!

[NY20??]

Haha yeah, it's really just a bunch of hills with nice views by Winter Olympic standards.

[Soaring]

I am so happy countries can only put one city in the running now. It is crazy how Minnesota put two cities in the same race in 1932.

Another thing that is kind of striking is how the Midwest region has put in 19 bids, and St. Louis is the only city to ever host even though they technically did not put forth an official bid. But I guess you wouldn't call things "official" back then anyway.