Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Olympics didn’t get to the final stages. Indeed, it got the fewest votes of the four cities in the mix.
The International Olympic Committee has narrowed the choices down to Rio and Madrid.
The Obama charm offensive made no difference at all.
Ann Killion’s got a tough-minded assessment that hurts badly, and since it’s my hometown. But it’s very, very true:
“Then there’s the harsh reality of the past two Olympic Games held in the U.S. – they were both total embarrassments. Right now on CNN, A.D. Frazier – the former COO of the Atlanta Games – is speaking and he seems quite shocked at the rejection of Chicago. But he should probably take some of the blame.
“The Atlanta Games were a disaster of crash commercialism, poor organization, with a bombing and murder added to the mix. The sour taste from Atlanta lingers, 13 years after the Games were held.”
Not surprisingly, Dave Zirin attributes the distaste to the 43rd Commander-In-Chief:
“The global community, after eight years of sneering contempt from Washington DC, isn’t ready to rinse with the Obama mouthwash.”
The rest of his post is just as execrable.
