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Rest Easy Sports Fans. The Reporters at Crain's don't know everything.

The Chicago based, University of Illinois Real Estate Alumni Forum (www.uire.org) is sponsoring a panel beakfast and a series of cocktail parties starting March 1st on this very subject. Visit the web site for details next Monday the 23rd.

Chicagoans are becoming more aware every day of their rich Olympic talent pool and heritage. Don't forget Former IOC President, U of I grad, and Chicago Real Estate Developer Avery Brundage was at the IOC helm for 20 years.

Stay Tuned........

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Do you think that Chicago is an appropriate choice for the Olympics though? I mean, I know some people may not agree but I think it may not be the place.

What kind of a question is that?  :suspect:  It's a modern, cosmopolitan metropolis.  Why would it be inappropriate to NOT hold an Olympics?

I'd certainly say it's more qualified than an Athens or a Beijing or a Nairobi.  If smaller cities like Atlanta and Athens can stage a modern Olympics, why not CHicago?    :suspect:   R u sure you haven't been here before, Ruling Czar?

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Do you think that Chicago is an appropriate choice for the Olympics though? I mean, I know some people may not agree but I think it may not be the place.

???  :Oo:  :oh:

Chicago not equipped to organise a games!!! I'd like to see who you think would be then!

Don't you love the diversity of opinion here. On the one hand you have the zealots who think two-bit burgs like Minneapolis-St Paul and Nashville are only one step away from certain Olympic glory, and then you get those who think metropoli like Chicago aren't up to it!

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Do you think that Chicago is an appropriate choice for the Olympics though? I mean, I know some people may not agree but I think it may not be the place.

???  :oo:  :oh:

Chicago not equipped to organise a games!!! I'd like to see who you think would be then!

Don't you love the diversity of opinion here. On the one hand you have the zealots who think two-bit burgs like Minneapolis-St Paul and Nashville are only one step away from certain Olympic glory, and then you get those who think metropoli like Chicago aren't up to it!

Methinks Ruling Czar is a new nom de plume for somebody we've already encountered before.  To ask such a question like that obviously is meant to rouse some ire.   :suspect:

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Do you think that Chicago is an appropriate choice for the Olympics though? I mean, I know some people may not agree but I think it may not be the place.

???  :oo:  :oh:

Chicago not equipped to organise a games!!! I'd like to see who you think would be then!

Don't you love the diversity of opinion here. On the one hand you have the zealots who think two-bit burgs like Minneapolis-St Paul and Nashville are only one step away from certain Olympic glory, and then you get those who think metropoli like Chicago aren't up to it!

Methinks Ruling Czar is a new nom de plume for somebody we've already encountered before.  To ask such a question like that obviously is meant to rouse some ire.   :suspect:

after his initial appearance a year ago our favourite GB member appears to be back....this should be interesting lol

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I'm surprised he hasn't picked...

- King of the World

- Pharaoh

- El Supremo

- Zeus or Jupiter

- the God of all Creation

- Emperor

- Benevolent Dictator

- Deposed Shah

- Your Lord and Master

- Your Holiness

- His Supreme Highness

- Queen of the Night   :wwww:

or whatever of that ilk...

Some trolls never give up; do they?

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Hmmm, I'm not sure. The Czar says he's from Orlando, Florida, while he/she who shall not be named was from Bermuda or Barbados or some other Atlantic/caribbean enclave. I'll reserve judgement till we hear more pearls of wisdom from our newcomer.

Maybe Katrina blew him/her to a more northerly spot?  Ya know like the witches in THe Wiz of Oz?   :wwww:

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  • 4 weeks later...

Have you failed to read SI's Maggie Haskins' thoughts on the appropriateness of a Chicago bid?  From their website:

"The USOC should forget about NYC. An Olympics where few major events are held in Manhattan is ridiculous. To the world, Manhattan is New York City, not Queens or Brooklyn. New Yorkers flee the city when crowds descend, and the Olympic city and its people should not only welcome the Games, they should join in the celebration.

Since so much of the Olympic experience is tied to the physical environment, I'll explain my vision for Chicago 2016.

In recent years, the IOC has stressed a more compact and centralized games. This reduces transportation nightmares and creates a true celebratory environment by connecting the Olympic Park, the venues and the athletes. Chicago's layout allows for such an Olympic experience.

Every bid for the 2012 games had a strategic layout. For New York, it was the Olympic "X" plan, extending from the Bronx in the north to Staten Island in the south, New Jersey to the west and Queens to the east. Chicago similarly could utilize its extended lakefront along Lake Michigan. All of the neighborhoods along the shore would be an important part of the games, from Jackson Park in the south to Northwestern University in the northern suburb of Evanston. Not only would this encompass geographical diversity, but racial diversity as well, reconnecting all of Chicago's inhabitants.

The Second City's beaches, museums, zoos, aquariums, parks and harbors could be mixed with Olympic venues such as beach volleyball, track and swimming. Massive Grant Park, which sits in between the iconic Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan, could serve as the center of the Olympic celebration.

Grant Park, along with the newly unveiled Millennium Park, could be transformed into an Olympic Park where visitors congregate for concerts (the Petrillo Band Shell and the Frank Gehry-designed Pritzker Pavilion), food, kids' games and evening parties (perhaps the famed Holland House that was the center of the Athens 2004 nightlife can set up shop here as well). Just east of Soldier Field, Northerly Island could serve as the site for the Aquatic Center, placing one of the game's premier events at a central location. The Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum and Navy Pier also will serve as attractions during the Games.

Just up Lake Shore Drive, which would serve as the major artery for Olympic buses, a beach volleyball venue could sit at the east end of North Avenue. Each summer, Chicagoans congregate there to play volleyball, and it seems only fitting to place the stadium at the beach. I can't say I know exactly where the Olympic stadium would be located -- perhaps newly renovated Soldier Field or another location a bit south?

It should be noted that, like New York City, Chicago's government has a very solid relationship with the private sector, and Mayor Richard M. Daley always has been a major force behind Chicago's public works and summer festivals.

Transportation is always a topic of contention and here, Chicago is again a unique city. The "El" can be expanded and updated. As an above-ground rail line, it allows visitors traveling to events an opportunity to view the city.

Another major asset of Chicago and the Chicagoland area is the number of universities with existing athletic venues that could renovated over the next 11 years to accommodate the Olympics. Northwestern's campus could host field hockey, basketball and other sports.

The University of Illinois at Chicago Pavilion has hosted U.S. women's basketball games in the past. Loyola University's gymnasium, along the northern lakefront, could house wrestling or judo. Allstate Arena could host basketball or gymnastics, whichever event does not land in the United Center. Chicago State, Northern Illinois and the University of Illinois could host soccer games, along with other Big Ten schools for preliminary contests. The central role of universities during the Chicago Games is appropriate for a nation in love with collegiate sports.

Chicago, like New York and London, is a multiethnic city. The city itself is a manifestation of the Olympic motto, "Citius, Altius, Fortius" (faster, higher, stronger). Once a frontier city, Chicago now stands as one of the top major economic and cultural centers of America.

Chicago deserves the Games because too few people appreciate what the city offers. Oprah obviously gets it, and we all know that Oprah is never wrong.

Let's forget about the gorgeous and feasible layout of the Chicago Games and its cultural qualifications. The beauty of the Olympics lies in the images we have from past games. Jesse Owens winning in Berlin, the silhouette of Greg Louganis in Seoul, South Korea and the emotional impact of Cathy Freeman's win in the 400 meters in Sydney, representing both Australian and Aboriginal people. Cities that host the games become a part of a collective global memory that bind us together as citizens, even in the face of economic strife, war and terrorism. Chicago deserves to and will contribute its own wonderfully inspiring images.

Imagine the gold-medal baseball game played against the backdrop of the Ivy at Wrigley Field (if baseball is voted back into the Games in 2016). Imagine Lake Shore Drive filled with cyclists for the road race. Imagine the Chicago skyline at night with the Olympic flame burning brightly. And lastly, imagine two-time gold medalist and world sports icon Michael Jordan lighting that very flame, a moment that will rival Muhammad Ali's lighting of the Atlanta torch.

So, I call upon the prominent citizens of Chicago (Oprah, that means you) and Mayor Daley to seize this idea. I am writing this in the hope that Chicago 2016 is not a pipedream but a potential reality. I truly believe the city deserves the Games and would be a tremendous Olympic host."

Sorry to let her speak for me, but she is much more eloquent than I.

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Yeah, but New York can just put in the same CD and they got a plan.  CHicago has to scramble from square 1 to put it together.  Again, you're not reading everything.  Before all that, the USOC and the IOC have to put their Olympic financial ledgers in order before the USOC will even entertain looking at another bid.
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Sure, NY has a plan already...but it's a plan that obviously didn't overwhelm the IOC or they would have chosen it.  Granted, it may have been a VERY GOOD plan, but apparently it had nothing in it that pointed to NY as THE place for the Olympic games.  Chicago has a great tradition of overachieving in these sorts of things.  I think it basically comes down to how much the mayor and city want it.  We all know what a giant ego Daley has, and the city kind of follows in the same line (we all know that the "Windy City" moniker has nothing to do with the weather).  If it is something that they decide they REALLY want, look for them to put together one hell of a sales package.
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Sure, NY has a plan already...but it's a plan that obviously didn't overwhelm the IOC or they would have chosen it.  Granted, it may have been a VERY GOOD plan, but apparently it had nothing in it that pointed to NY as THE place for the Olympic games.  Chicago has a great tradition of overachieving in these sorts of things.  I think it basically comes down to how much the mayor and city want it.  We all know what a giant ego Daley has, and the city kind of follows in the same line (we all know that the "Windy City" moniker has nothing to do with the weather).  If it is something that they decide they REALLY want, look for them to put together one hell of a sales package.

the  IOC did like NYC's plan...they are never fully "overwhelmed" by any bid, especially when they have five extremely strong one's as they did for 2012....and going by this theory Paris would have won flat out.....

you keep claiming Chicago will have a "hell of a plan" and they may, but first we have to see it....and no matter what it is, as long as NYC comes back with that stadium fiasco solved, they will have a very large lead on all other cities bidding...you can't possibly base your claims on the US 2016 race on some editorial written by a Chicago sports reporter, which mind you was written before Daley started toying with the Olympic idea......her plan will not be identical to the realistic one if Chicago bids

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Correct me if I'm mistaken, but local public opinion is a critical factor. Is it accurate that a majority of New Yorkers are mostly indifferent, if not outright opposed to the concept?

By comparison, we are seeing an extraordinary positive response to an online petition in favor of a Chicago effort for 2016 at www.uire.org and a January poll of Cook County registered voters yielded overwhelming positive responses to the idea. 86% among some categories.

NYC is an outstanding city that I am certain will welcome the competition, after all this is an olympic event unto itself.

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Correct me if I'm mistaken, but local public opinion is a critical factor. Is it accurate that a majority of New Yorkers are mostly indifferent, if not outright opposed to the concept?

By comparison, we are seeing an extraordinary positive response to an online petition in favor of a Chicago effort for 2016 at www.uire.org and a January poll of Cook County registered voters yielded overwhelming positive responses to the idea. 86% among some categories.

NYC is an outstanding city that I am certain will welcome the competition, after all this is an olympic event unto itself.

hmmm interesting how we have two people going back and forth who are both brand new members...is someone making up posters to support their points?

As for 2012, there was quite a bit of publiuc support for the Olympics, although NYC is one of those places where people would get behind it after the fact, and I know the same would happen for 2016.....

In order to see proper support for Chicago we would have to see them bid first, and then look at the statistics, not just some random poll while they were pondering the idea...

as I said, NYC will have a great advantage over Chicago no matter how you slice it or dice it when it comes down to bidding, as long as they are sure to avoid the stadium problem (which they obviously will before even thinking about bididng)....

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There was nothing wrong with NYC's 2012 plan.  New York didn't win because of several factors - was within only 10 years since SLC, the stadium debacle, geopolitics and from what we have read lately, the USOC not giving the IOC what they wanted for sponsorship revenues.
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I may be wrong, but as an outsider I really feel that the choice for US candidate has already been made to all intents and purposes.  The calls for a period of reflection after the 2012 result were an attempt to stop other cities being too vocal about their hopes and to give New York time to recover any self esteem it may have lost.  The fact Laura Bush attended the Torino Games with representatives from New York also says a lot.  I think that the USOC hierarchy have already made up their minds to support New York - and personally I think that will be the right decision for them, although I'm sure Chicago and Philadelphia are great cities, no American city has the appeal around the world that New York has.
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