USA 2024

[FYI]

Seriously, other than New York, Chicago, San Francisco & Los Angeles, only another hand-full of cities are capaable & could be competitive in the international arena. They R Philadelphia, Dallas, Houston & DC. These are areas with 6 millions people in their metro region, & therefore have the infrastructure to accommodate the demands of a Summer Olympics. And yes, Philadelphia does indeed have an established metro system.

Anything else other than these cities, is middling & shouldn't be bothered with. It takes more than a mere venue plan to take a bid seriously. I can't see the IOC frothing at the mouth over the likes of Minneapolis, or similar, when they have Paris, Berlin, Rome, Moscow, Tokyo, South Africa, Istanbul, etc waiting in the wings. That'd be a tough job for the higher-profile U.S. cities as it is, let alone 3rd-tier cities that virtually would have nil chances.

Most people here always talk about how a country should put their best foot forward. Giving the IOC uninspiring U.S. cities to consider wouldn't be doing that. The line has to be realistically drawn somewhere. Any effort put forward by the USOC should be a well thought out, well planned bid, with outstanding people behind the project that could lead to a victory. Precious resources shouldn't be wasted bcuz there are some people out there that have capricious notions & unrealistic expectations.

[Crusader]

If I were an IOC member forced to choose between MSP and Philly, I'd pick Philly. Whakinda history does MSP have? NADA!!

At least Philly has the magnificent new Barnes Museum to see!! MSP had nothing of note.

What events would they be holding at the Barnes Museum?

[davidm]

What events would they be holding at the Barnes Museum?

ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :lol:

[Quaker2001]

I agree. They have to make their best guess and go for broke. Let the cards fall where they may.

It's not just a question of whether there's a high-caliber city. The capability of the bid team is just as important, if not moreso. A sloppily thrown together SF bid led by yahoos could lose to a super-well organized Philly bid led by savvy power-players.

If there is no good option, they won't bid. That's all there is to it. I'm betting somebody will come through though....

Exactly. We can talk all about (and do) the technical merits of a bid and things lie compactness. But none of them mean a thing unless there's a solid group of people behind the effort to sell that city. That's what's going to make the difference between a good bid and a great bid. Hopefully the USOC learned a thing or 2 from the 2012 and 2016 losses that they can apply here and that they can pass on to prospective cities.

[Crusader]

ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :lol:

I don't think the IOC are going to be swayed by a museum .....

[baron-pierreIV]

What events would they be holding at the Barnes Museum?

Well, I am sure the IOC will have an all-important reception there!!

[runningrings]

Seriously, other than New York, Chicago, San Francisco & Los Angeles, only another hand-full of cities are capaable & could be competitive in the international arena. They R Philadelphia, Dallas, Houston & DC. These are areas with 6 millions people in their metro region, & therefore have the infrastructure to accommodate the demands of a Summer Olympics. And yes, Philadelphia does indeed have an established metro system.

Anything else other than these cities, is middling & shouldn't be bothered with. It takes more than a mere venue plan to take a bid seriously. I can't see the IOC frothing at the mouth over the likes of Minneapolis, or similar, when they have Paris, Berlin, Rome, Moscow, Tokyo, South Africa, Istanbul, etc waiting in the wings. That'd be a tough job for the higher-profile U.S. cities as it is, let alone 3rd-tier cities that virtually would have nil chances.

Most people here always talk about how a country should put their best foot forward. Giving the IOC uninspiring U.S. cities to consider wouldn't be doing that. The line has to be realistically drawn somewhere. Any effort put forward by the USOC should be a well thought out, well planned bid, with outstanding people behind the project that could lead to a victory. Precious resources shouldn't be wasted bcuz there are some people out there that have capricious notions & unrealistic expectations.

Without offending the Texans - I would consider Dallas and Houston to be uninspiring, and remind me too much of Atlanta. I really think the South should be avoided this time.

[wbyeager]

One possible solution for Philadelphia is to have Villanova take over a downsized stadium post-Games. The Big East wants Villanova to move to FBS (formerly I-A). Temple could work as well, especially since the NFL's Eagles would like to keep their grass field all to themselves and not have the wear and tear of 6 to 7 college football games. The University of Pennsylvania could be an option as well.

[Crusader]

One possible solution for Philadelphia is to have Villanova take over a downsized stadium post-Games. The Big East wants Villanova to move to FBS (formerly I-A). Temple could work as well, especially since the NFL's Eagles would like to keep their grass field all to themselves and not have the wear and tear of 6 to 7 college football games. The University of Pennsylvania could be an option as well.

Villanova have done a deal to play their larger games at PPL Park. If you look at the attendance of Wildcat games, they'd be better off staying where they are and maybe increasing the capacity.

There is no reason why the Penn Quakers would leave Franklin Field..

Temple Owls are interesting as they barely get to half capacity at the Lincoln. Any stadium with a capacity reduced to 40,000 might be of interest, though they'd have to find it commercial advantageous i.e. be allowed naming rights etc

[baron-pierreIV]

San Francisco updates its Cow Palace as an ice hockey stadium.

http://www.sfexaminer.com/sports/nhl/2012/09/bulls-bring-cow-palace-date-renovations

San Francisco will be ready for the 2026 Olympics. Cow Palace can be used as a warm-up rink for Tahoe 2026!!

[beatles]

Villanova have done a deal to play their larger games at PPL Park. If you look at the attendance of Wildcat games, they'd be better off staying where they are and maybe increasing the capacity.

There is no reason why the Penn Quakers would leave Franklin Field..

Temple Owls are interesting as they barely get to half capacity at the Lincoln. Any stadium with a capacity reduced to 40,000 might be of interest, though they'd have to find it commercial advantageous i.e. be allowed naming rights etc

Can someone please tell me what interest is there in City Hall towards bidding for the Summer Olympics?

[Athensfan]

Without offending the Texans - I would consider Dallas and Houston to be uninspiring, and remind me too much of Atlanta. I really think the South should be avoided this time.

Agreed.

[davidm]

I don't think the IOC are going to be swayed by a museum .....

Totally agree. Miles is an absolute f**cking riot!

[wbyeager]

This thread is a little dated, but here is some hotel data for major cities:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=672284

This doesn't bode well for Philadelphia. Louisville-Jefferson County, Kentucky actually has more hotel rooms per capita. Orlando has 8 million fewer people than NYC, but has 22,000 more hotel rooms.

[PyroKinesis]

Orlando has 22,000 more hotel rooms because Orlando has 3 different theme parks.

[Quaker2001]

Villanova have done a deal to play their larger games at PPL Park. If you look at the attendance of Wildcat games, they'd be better off staying where they are and maybe increasing the capacity.

There is no reason why the Penn Quakers would leave Franklin Field..

Temple Owls are interesting as they barely get to half capacity at the Lincoln. Any stadium with a capacity reduced to 40,000 might be of interest, though they'd have to find it commercial advantageous i.e. be allowed naming rights etc

Where would Temple put the stadium though? It's not like they have room on campus for it. So if they're going to play off campus, why have their own dedicated stadium when they can just borrow someone else's, even if it's a little too big for them.

[PotatoChips]

I'd have to disagree.

What they have in common is both have the big 4 sports teams and have additional facilities from local universities which could be used. Both have areas which could be redeveloped as an Olympic Village for legacy purposes.

Where they diverge (and I will be a pro MSP in this assessment)

1) Minneapolis has more larger arenas than Philadelphia especially if the new Vikings Stadium is a dome

2) Minneapolis are more likely to be able to build a stadium and use it afterwards especially for an MLS team - Philadelphia don't have this option

3) MSP airport have flights to Asia which Philadelphia does not (though Newark Liberty is close). Minneapolis are currently expanding a light metro rail system throughout the Twin Cities whilst Philly doesn't have a metro I believe to move spectators

4) Both suffer from being in the shadow of larger neighbours though MSP is the largest city between Seattle and Chicago

5) Minneapolis has the fifth highest concentration of Fortune 500 companies in 2011 according to Forbes

NY 45

Houston 22

Dallas 10

Atlanta 10

MSP 9

Chicago 8

SF 8

LA 5

Philly 5

I am not advocating a MSP win for the Olympics but once you get outside of New York, LA and Chicago, every bidder has strengths and weaknesses.

Cities like Boston, San Francisco, Miami, Houston, Washington-Baltimore, Dallas, Philadelphia, Minneapolis and Detroit for example all have strengths and weaknesses be they climate, politics, infrastructure, and/or global recognition.

Some of these weaknesses are easier to overcome than others especially if there is the political will and the business will to put their hands in their pockets to overcome this.

The question for the USOC is do they stick with the Big3 or go outside of the box?

Minneapolis is not in the same group as Philly. It is not as well known, not as culturally diverse, and not a tourist hot spot. It may be a nice city, but many cities are. Bottom line, The IOC will never pick it to host the summer games. From what we've seen recently, I don't see any minor cities winning. Or any alpha cities winning. The only cities that will win are alpha+ cities.

[FYI]

Without offending the Texans - I would consider Dallas and Houston to be uninspiring, and remind me too much of Atlanta. I really think the South should be avoided this time.

This just proves all the more reason why less inspiring places like Minneapolis shouldn't even be part of the discussion if by international perceptions, Dallas & Houston are already frowned upon. Two very large urban & financial areas in the U.S. than much smaller Minneapolis.

[baron-pierreIV]

I don't think the IOC are going to be swayed by a museum .....

Ya never know. One of the secrets supposedly of Atlanta winning over Athens was that Atlanta had a great upscale shopping area (Buckhead, and, if I remember right, the Monarch Shopping Center in particular) while Athens had none. And this was seen first-hand by IOC members. Supposedly,that feature pacified a number of IOC members because their spouses would have a great place to shop whereas there was nothing but ruins in Athens!!

And actually to his day, Athens, Greece is NOT known for great shopping. In my June visit to Turkey, we had a Greek woman in the other group, and I overheard her telling some people that the shopping (2012, not 2004) was better in Turkey than it was in her native Greece. So one can never discount those extra amenities in a tight race.

So yes, Crusader, shopping malls and Museums can win a tight Olympic bidding war!!

P.S. And especially in a Winter Games race, about, what? a good 2/5ths of the IOC delegates come from non-Winter countries. So what the heck do they care where the snow bunnies play so long as they and their families have something entertaining to do during the Games period when they don't give a heck whether the Scandinavians or the Canadians break their necks in the downhill races. Sochi? Qatar?

[PotatoChips]

Ya never know. One of the secrets supposedly of Atlanta winning over Athens was that Atlanta had a great upscale shopping area (Buckhead, and, if I remember right, the Monarch Shopping Center in particular) while Athens had none. And this was seen first-hand by IOC members. Supposedly,that feature pacified a number of IOC members because their spouses would have a great place to shop whereas there was nothing but ruins in Athens!!

And actually to his day, Athens, Greece is NOT known for great shopping. In my June visit to Turkey, we had a Greek woman in the other group, and I overheard her telling some people that the shopping (2012, not 2004) was better in Turkey than it was in her native Greece. So one can never discount those extra amenities in a tight race.

So yes, Crusader, shopping malls and Museums can win a tight Olympic bidding war!!

P.S. And especially in a Winter Games race, about, what? a good 2/5ths of the IOC delegates come from non-Winter countries. So what the heck do they care where the snow bunnies play so long as they and their families have something entertaining to do during the Games period when they don't give a heck whether the Scandinavians or the Canadians break their necks in the downhill races. Sochi? Qatar?

I'm pretty sure Atlanta won because it had a compact bid and Athens bid was very bad. And if the games were to be won by museums or shopping they would've been in NYC, DC, and Paris 5 times each.

[baron-pierreIV]

I'm pretty sure Atlanta won because it had a compact bid and Athens bid was very bad. And if the games were to be won by museums or shopping they would've been in NYC, DC, and Paris 5 times each.

I DIDN'T say it was the entire reason. These are LITTLE side factors which could add up to a vote into some of the IOC members' decision-making. When you have several choices to make and you weigh everything, you take everything into consideration. THe IOC members do NOT draw a salary. They donate their time; and yes, their expenses are reimbursed. But what's to stop them from thinking of a little good time for themsleves and their partners/families as they discharge their duties?

In a tight race, as it was for 2012, had just 2 of those votes that went to London gone for Paris, those little things could spell the edge. I DID NOT claim they were the SOLE reason.

[PotatoChips]

I DIDN'T say it was the entire reason. These are LITTLE side factors which could add up to a vote into some of the IOC members' decision-making. When you have several choices to make and you weigh everything, you take everything into consideration. THe IOC members do NOT draw a salary. They donate their time; and yes, their expenses are reimbursed. But what's to stop them from thinking of a little good time for themsleves and their partners/families as they discharge their duties?

In a tight race, as it was for 2012, had just 2 of those votes that went to London gone for Paris, those little things could spell the edge. I DID NOT claim they were the SOLE reason.

You're right.

[Crusader]

Minneapolis is not in the same group as Philly. It is not as well known, not as culturally diverse, and not a tourist hot spot. It may be a nice city, but many cities are. Bottom line, The IOC will never pick it to host the summer games. From what we've seen recently, I don't see any minor cities winning. Or any alpha cities winning. The only cities that will win are alpha+ cities.

There are very few Alpha+ cities and Rio is a beta city.

Philadelphia is the birthplace of the USA - constitution and all etc.

However a little research of Minneapolis (and Minnesota) shows it is the centre for Scandinavian American culture as well as a very strong Native American aspect in much the say way as Boston is associated with Irish American culture and Miami with Cuban American culture. The mix of white Americans has dropped in the last twenty years and there is now a strong Asian American culture too as well as from Africa and Latin America. I cannot tell you how culturally diverse Philly is in comparison.

We mention things like Arts and Culture - Minneapolis is the third largest theater market in the US after NY and Chicago. The Walker Art Center is one of the big5 in the USA. And if the IOC want shopping just take them to the Mall of America.

And in terms of 'games makers' a strength that Minneapolis can offer (apparently) is the long and leading culture in the US of volunteering.

I am not dissing Philadelphia, but I hear a lot of why it is better than somewhere else and then criticism of that somewhere else rather than the positives that any city has to offer.

[wbyeager]

If the Twin Cities get an MLS expansion team, MSP will join Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Wasington, and Chicago with a team in all 5 major professorial sports leagues. Miami briefly had all 5 but the MLS team was contracted.

[baron-pierreIV]

Minneapolis is the third largest theater market in the US after NY and Chicago.

I take issue with that. San Francisco is. Shows like WICKED tried out in San Francisco first. Before Hugh Jackman opened his last one-man show on Broadway last year, he tried it out in San Francisco first. When many national tours of hit Broadway shows set out, San Francisco is either the first or 2nd stop on the tour.

Minneapolis is just famous for "The MARY TYLER MOORE Show" and that has long been off the air. That Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce must really stop believing its own false propaganda.