Tension mounts, tempers fly ahead of 2016 Olympic host city vote
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48 Comments
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MrUSA
I would love to see Obama take responsibility for the cost overruns if Chicago gets the games.
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isthistheend
Oh, the usual negatives. O.K. But it's like they said, "Your xxx if you do, and your xxx if you don't". And the Obama's decided to err on the side of action. I respect their decision, and why not? There's no guarantee, four candidates, not one or two. Good luck Olympic movement, Good luck to the four candidates and good luck to planet EARTH!
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bdiego
In all fairness, Rio really is the worst bid. Brazil's a remarkable country, but it's a logistical issue (southern hemisphere) and there are some problems Rio simply can't fix even for an Olympics.
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bdiego
isthis: he's not being negative, just being partisan.
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JeffLee
MrUSA seems like a typical teabagger - blaming Obama for problems that don't even exist.
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TeruSensei
Chicago...the most boring choice.
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hellhound
Olympics are boring, I am more into getting drunk and girls
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Potsu
Surely Japan will come up with some under the table money you would think ?
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MrUSA
I didn't blame him for anything. That's why I said "if."
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MrUSA
I guess you've never seen a map of the earth. The 2000 Olympics were in Sydney, and the 1956 games were in Melbourne. Both of these cities are in a country called Australia, which is in the southern hemisphere.
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Ninjazilla
Anywhere but Tokyo.
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mrsynik
Yes, clearly to some ill-informed buffoons there are no countries south of 0 degrees lattitude worthy of staging an Olympics, even though 1 country has done it twice already. Something about summer at christmas time that freaks some people out?
Go Rio.
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TeruSensei
Its all over folks. Chicago got the nod.
Moderator: The vote is on Friday.
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bgaudry
If Rio doesn't get this, then the Olympics will be failing us all as a "world games." Sure there are problems, but isn't that the point? If you want a sterile environment then "safety" Japan should get it.
Can't wait to see the samba girls at the opening ceremony!
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rajakumar
Tension mounts,yes competitions should mount,as the Oympics host race is coming ,to a decision, tomorrow morning.
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PenelopePitstop
I hope Tokyo gets it! I think Japan really needs an incentive like that to open up to the rest of the world.
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bgaudry
PenelopePitstop--- ha ha ha. Makes for the joke! Tokyo should not be given the games as a punishment for Ishihara's racist and nationalist BS- and this should be stated by the IOC.
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smartacus
bgaudry
I can't people like you actually think the way you do. You want the IOC not to award Tokyo the Olympics just because you think Gov Ishihara is racist and nationalistic. Incredible. Using your high and mighty standards, the Games should not have been awarded to Beijing, Moscow and several other cities because the policies and attitudes of their leaders may not have met with your approval.
Besides, Ishihara will not be in office by 2016.
The Games should go to whichever city can best host them. Personally, as a resident of Tokyo, I would be thrilled to be here for an Olympics. But failing that, I'd like to see Rio get the games.
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Alphaape
I hope Rio gets it. If it does, when will the games be? If they are in Aug as the last one, then it should be winter down there. What are the normal winter patterns for that time of year? If they hold it in their summer, then it will be Fall everywhere else, so I guess the the atheletes will get extra time to train.
It's not that I think people are ill-informed, I just think it is similar to what happens in the USA in regards to network programming on TV. It seems that most live shows are shot on Eastern Time, and tape delayed for those in the other time zones. Same concept here in a way. The majority of the world's population lives above the Equator, and TV programmers (where the Olympics makes the most money) are going to try to want to have the games to coincide with the majority of the world population (i.e. during the summer time).
If the IOC were forward thinking, they would have had the winter Olympics below the Equator in the Summer months and then had the Summer ones in Rio.
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Osakadaz
I vote Rio.
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bgaudry
smartacus- who said I supported the games in Beijing or Moscow? Don't assume as it....
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taiko666
smartacus: it's not what bgaudry thinks of Ishihara that's important, it's what the IOC thinks. It seems obvious that Tokyo having an obviously xenophobic leader is an impediment to Tokyo's bid.
If this were the result of Tokyo getting the games I'd be in favour :-) However, were there big improvements after 1964? And after the World Cup 2002, things seem to take a lurch in the wrong direction. Although I g ather that 2002 did at least compel Japan to signpost its transport system in English and Korean.
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nightvision
The Olympics is now a temporary white elephant that every country wants. I'd like to see Brazil pull it off and not have a recession afterwards.
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Scrote
Madrid is unlikely to win as it would be directly after London. Plus Madrid is full of thieves these days, it's awful.
I think the games should stay in Greece. I can't imagine why cities line up to run up billions of dollars of debts building stadia that will only be used for a couple of weeks, whilst the IOC takes all the profits. Why not make the IOC pay for everything and see if they can make a profit?
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2020hindsight
smartacus
Ishihara is the biggest proponent of the Olympics in Tokyo. Not sure why but I would guess it's a lot to do with his oversized ego. Fully 60% of Japanese polled don't support the 2016 Olympics in Tokyo, so that must certainly hurt it's bid.
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smartacus
2020hindsight
My point is that no matter what negative opinions people have of Ishihara, it will not, nor should it be a factor, in the vote. The IOC couldn't care less about Ishihara's nationalistic views. As I said before, he won't be in office in 2016, anyway. Tokyo's bid will be judged as its rival cities' bids will be - on its merits. I don't know if Hatoyama's visit to Copenhagen will make a difference at this late stage.
As for public opinion, polls are up and down. I saw one in August claiming 71% support for the games in Tokyo. I think you'll find that if Tokyo wins the Games, support will increase as the Games get closer and Olympic fever takes hold. It will certainly give the economy the boost it needs.
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Kronos
I would assume after Beijing and London, it would go somewhere in the Americas. Chicago or Rio (my pick) are the best candidates.
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tclh
Whatever happens I do not want to see president or prime mnister, head of government, to be there...its just too political .Foreign Minister should be the limit.
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PepinGalarga
Tokyo already had its chance to open up in 1964. We're still in the stone age here, socially and morally.
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stirfry
ideally the Games should remain at 2 neutral sites, one each for Winter and Summer Games, with all nations contributing some resources and the IOC running it
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mackemack
I hope Tokyo wins...it'll give me an excuse to visit again.
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MrUSA
Obama should be fixing our economy, not flying to Denmark for a personal errand.
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smithinjapan
PenelopePitstop: "I hope Tokyo gets it! I think Japan really needs an incentive like that to open up to the rest of the world."
Sadly, it's just the opposite. While of course a FEW Japanese would say things like 'we don't need foreign opinion' or what have you if (when) Japan is rejected as host, giving Tokyo the games would show that Japan can still be as xenophobic as ever and be considered a worthy candidate of world games. Ishihara in particular is a racist lout who time and time again has showed his hatred and contempt for foreigners, calling us all criminals and worse. Giving Tokyo the games would say nothing needs to be changed in this regards and that it's okay.
Alphaape: Methinks Rio is close enough to the equator that even in winter it's quite temperate. It's roughly the same latitude as Madagascar, etc. Could be wrong though (have never been there in any season).
2020hindsight: "Ishihara is the biggest proponent of the Olympics in Tokyo. Not sure why but I would guess it's a lot to do with his oversized ego. Fully 60% of Japanese polled don't support the 2016 Olympics in Tokyo, so that must certainly hurt it's bid."
More than that, much of the people who DO support the Olympic bid only started to do so recently, when things began to gain momentum. Ishihara was the ONLY person who voted in favour of hosting the games and then pulled the 'I am governor, so what I say goes' card when he realized he was alone in it. Most of Japan was angry about it and still smarting from how badly Osaka lost in the 2008 bid, and how much Japan spent on pushing it until they gave up.
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smithinjapan
MrUSA: "Obama should be fixing our economy, not flying to Denmark for a personal errand."
Obama can fly to Denmark to try and get Chicago the games and be no different than any other politician who has used funds to do the same, or in the case of the previous president -- much more for much worse. The games are something positive, unlike war and what not or personal vacations at a ranch for 30% of one's career. The leader of Japan was saying he might go, and other politicians from Spain and Rio have gone as well for the final pitches. Drop the hatred already.
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smithinjapan
MrUSA: "...not flying to Denmark for a personal errand."
Forgot to touch on this last part: securing the games for your nation is not 'a personal errand', or don't you know the difference?
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Kapuna
I vote for Rio de Janeiro. It is a beautiful, fun place.
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MrUSA
It is a personal errand because it does nothing to benefit our country. But it certainly benefits him and his image. America has enough debt thanks to this President and previous Presidents. We don't need to take on more debt for the Olympic games that do nothing for us. Instead the games should go to a country like Brazil that has never had the opportunity to host the games before.
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Badsey
It will all come down to the Obama "bailout" -I mean stimulus. Chicago is $10B in the hole, -so that means the Olympic bailout will be about $100B.
I would like to see Japan do a Winter Olympics again. I didn't like how Turin happened with low turn-outs to the events (TV coverage was good) and I know Japan can do way better than that. Plus make it look awesome on HDTV. Costs would be lower for Winter Games.
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rogerbentham
how about kabul? just joking.
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Jbizzle
Mr America or whatever your name is: man! you should really try to get out a bit instead of worrying about what our president is doing every second. Yu don't have anything better to do? Nothing constructve to say? You aren't adding to the discussion, only showing your hatred. Get a life....
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Sarge
I agree with Kapuna - give 'em to Rio!
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smithinjapan
MrUSA: "It is a personal errand because it does nothing to benefit our country."
The the war in Iraq was a personal errand for GWB?
I could give dozens of other examples to show how flawed your logic is, but you clearly don't want to see them and don't care to believe that the president is, in fact, working in your best interests. If it were a personal errand it would justify what you say and not make him look good at all, would it? It's simply drawn your ire and that of many a Republican (see yesterday's world thread) because HE's doing it.
That being said, I don't think that the games are an entirely GOOD thing -- they bring a lot of bad with them, too -- but they aren't going to bring the apocolypse to Chicago and the US like you see to think they will (and oddly they won't when you think of Rio). It will spur quite a bit of industry and create all sorts of new jobs, etc. Much of this is short term, but not all.
Anyway, as said, it's clear you're not here to argue WHY Chicago would be a bad choice, only that Obama is (yawn) in the wrong.
On a similar note as above, and one reason that I think Brazil is better for it is that it actually COULD help the country more along terms of sustainable growth than it would in other countries. Japan saw this with the Olympics in the 60s, but it would be detrimental to them now. I don't know the situation in Spain all that well, admittedly, but I'm quite sure they are out of the running. It would do very well for Chicago in the short term, but I could see them putting the venues to better use, after the fact, than, say, Beijing has... or Tokyo would.
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Jbizzle
^^^^ thank you smith. Elagant
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Midnightpromise
As an American of some 50-years that calls near Chicago "home" I can say; who in their right mind would want to visit Chi_town if they didn't have to????!!!!
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kisekicaroline
tokyo should definitely win! go tokyo!!!
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softail213
Chicago is beautiful! Tokyo would be great too and Rio is Beautiful. It is a shame that it has become so political.
Where ever the place, wish 'em good luck!!!
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