Rio de Janiero Wins 2016 Olympics Behind Lula; Chicago Is Last
Chicago was eliminated in the first round when it got 18 votes, to Madrid’s 28, Rio’s 26 and Tokyo’s 22. In the second round, Rio got 46 votes, Madrid 29 and Tokyo 20, dropping out
Has anyone thought a reason the Olympic committee didn't think Chicago, USA was because to many Americans are overweight. When I think athletics I don't think USA.
Note: This is a just a personal thought shared out loud.
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SNL on Weekend Update actually talked about how fat everyone was in Chicago (in a sketch involving two impersonators), so this might have contributed in part.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I would like to point out that we had TWO Olympic games hosted by the US in the past 15 years--the Summer games in Atlanta, Georgia (which included the attempted bombing) and the Winter games in Utah (which, people may not remember, but the Utah games involved ALOT of financial corruption and I believe at least one conviction based on fixed building contracts).
I also think that Obama going to Copenhagen was a mistake because now the media meme will be that he's so weak he can't even get an Olympics appointment in the middle of this health-care crisis.
I think that fundamentally, the US does not deserve to have an Olympic hosting so soon after having had two so recently (and remember, it only happens every 4 years). I know that Chicago could totally use the economic stimulus, but so could everywhere else. I was skeptical about the Chicago bid simply because it is decided by an international panel and you have to try to be fair in these things and going US, somewhere new, US, somewhere new, US isn't really in the spirit of the games.
I think it's more likely that it's:
ReplyDelete1. South America's never had the Olympics.
2. We had the winter Olympics as recently as 2002, and the summer Olympics in 1996.
In terms of qualities of Chicago, though, I think it's more likely that the committee was put off by all the corruption in Chicago than the weight.
Absolutely, Hadley! If Utah had contracts corruption, just imagine the hot mess Chicago could give us.
ReplyDeleteAlso, South America should host an Olympics, it is a world-wide competition after all.
Although, I do hope that the IOC keeps on eye on how the games are prepared for in Rio. The police are notorious for bull-dozing randomly in the slums and "disposing" of undesirables (aka at one point killing street children). I talked to my Dad about it and he said that Brazil is quite different today from Brazil of the 1980's, but with a history of, shall we say "severe gentrification," how Rio prepares for the games to put on its best front is a worry.
Thanks for commenting!
Ok. Those who are pro-Rio. Are you going to take your plus sized American self to Rio in a short set and bikini for the games?
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