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Little Regret in Chicago for Not Hosting 2016 Olympics


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There seems to be a general sentiment in Chicago right now of relief that the Games never came here.

But I have to wonder "what if"...

Given the current mood in the U.S. with regards to politics, race relations, and economic challenges, do you think Chicago would be handling things well for a 2016 Olympics?

Chicago's bid for 2016 Olympics leaves pricey legacy 7 years later

Chicago's Washington Park was nearly empty on a recent Friday afternoon as Bronzeville resident Rosemary Jarrett power-walked her usual five laps around the perimeter of the graceful meadowland where a temporary Olympic stadium could have risen this summer.

The school crossing guard shook her head at the memory of the city's failed bid for the 2016 Summer Games. She had opposed it back then, she says, because she found everything to be alarmingly temporary — temporary jobs, temporary venues, temporary peace in a city plagued by gunfire.

"I'm relieved we didn't get the Olympics," she said. "We have too much violence, too many problems. Why would we want the rest of the world to witness it?"

Come August, a downtrodden Chicago will watch the Summer Games taking place in Rio de Janeiro — an in-your-face reminder of what could have been had then-Mayor Richard M. Daley been able to pull off his high-octane push for the 2016 Olympics.

Read More:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-olympics-chicago-2016-met-20160715-story.html

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That was a nice article (Okay, it spouts the usual $50 billion rhetoric about Sochi). With over 300 homicides in the first half of 2016, it makes you wonder what kind of headlines we would be seeing if there was an Olympic angle to consider.

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