So much for President Obama’s personal plea: Chicago did not secure the 2016 Olympics. Instead, Rio de Janeiro will host the event, beating out runner-up Madrid. Chicago didn’t even make it past the first round.
2016 Olympics Go to Rio (That Means Chicago Lost, BTW)
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tavdy79
That makes Rio the first South American city to host the games. Africa is the only other populated continent not to have hosted any so far.
edgyguy1426
Though it would be cool to see the architectural wonders this city could come up with, people opposed here are afraid if the nightmare mass transit already is vs. what it could become with the Olympics.
From Chicago
dellisonly
Hate to say it but the IOC made the right choice
emb
@dellisonly: I’m originally from Chicago, and I love it, but yeah, Rio is good.
I’m just waiting for this to turn into an anti-Obama string any moment, with rightwin nutjobs screaming that Chicago’s loss is so obviously his fault since he went to Copenhagen. (Never mind that if he HADN’T gone to Copenhagen the rightnut wingjobs would be screaming that Chicago’s loss was…his fault.)
Yay Rio 2016.
Republican
Wooo, Rio!
DeAnimator
I’ve never been happier. No one wanted the Olympics here except Daley and the rich suburban fuckwads who wouldn’t have to deal with the debt and other shit associated with them. Whoope! RIO! Not Shitcago!
hephaestion
I love Chicago but I am glad Rio de Janeiro won these Olympic Games. It is WAY past due that the Olympics go to South America. Brazil deserves this honor and it will be fabulous. And Rio draws over a million people to its gay pride parade, so there will surely be a gay presence there!
alan brickman
Rio is good! now Obama can get back to fixing equal rights for gays!!
Ted
Why in hell would any city *want* the Olympics? Montreal took 29 years to retire the $9 billion debt it incurred as host in 1976.
Chitown Kev
I actually think that the Olympic Games should always be held in Athens.
Fitz
@Ted: Exactly. Who can afford it? But Rio is big on sports, and so power to them.
hyhybt
@Ted: @Chitown Kev: That makes an unfair burden on Athens, doesn’t it?
dgz
@Chitown Kev: it almost killed athens to host it last time, and the stadium still wasn’t finished.
Charles Merrill
Wow. In the eyes of the world this was a slap in the face to our U.S. President. The first lady and Oprah were right in going to the event cheer leading for Chicago but not President Obama.
Charles Merrill
@Charles Merrill: Anti-American theorists turned this into the country lost, not Chicago.
InExile
Our country lost the Olympic bid because of our hostile tourist visa policies. Many Europeans refuse to visit the US because of the way they are treated at the boarder and they are on the visa waiver program. Those people from countries not on the waiver program are put through hell to visit the US.
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/10/02/chicago-olympics-bush/
Fitz
I don’t think it’s a slap in the face to Obama. As much as I like the idea of bitch slapping the man. We have had the Olympics 3 times in recent Hx, South America never has, and the people are into it BIG time there.
schlukitz
Co-sign Inexile.
Dave
Chicago should have spent 73 million on curbing violence against their communities and extreme youth murder rates.