Posted on 10/04/2009 9:10:03 AM PDT by skimbell
The Olympic Fiasco
I think most Americans were rooting for Chicago. As I wrote on NRO’s corner, I know I was. But Rio had a really convincing hope and change/ multicultural/new guy on the block case. And consider: given the recent bad windy city publicity (You Tube beatings, state and city corruption, Blagoism, Daley ward mobsterism, rumors of pre-Olympic wheeling and dealing on land angles, administration Chicago hard-ball Rahm Emanuel/David Axelrod politics, etc.), Chicago, Illinois ,was seen abroad as less competitive, far less competitive, than the other cities...
(Excerpt) Read more at pajamasmedia.com ...
Zero’s payoff to the Chicago slum lords is toast just like his Presidency.
It sure is.
This whole process is/was an exercise in cronyism, and it was refreshing to see the Chicago cronies out-cronied by the IOC cronies. I guess the Kenyan's cronies will have to find somebody else to pick up the tab for their crony-driven slum clearance projects.
Having been in and out of Chicago in the last few years, I was definitely not rooting for Chicago. No city deserved it less. They were going to destroy parks for the Olympic venues. Parks are one of the things the City has going for them.
Why would anyone want the Olympics in that criminal enterprise of Chicago?
Wonder if they would have bundled so much money for ZERO or protected his home if they knew they were going to come in 4 of 4? :)
1) “Sarkozy Drew Blood
Sarkozy really hurt Obama internationally, since his sarcastic ‘beam back down Barack’-like statement cut to the bone on the issue of such fluffy talk versus little substance: utopianism sermonizing on non-proliferation is great, but what about the spinning centrifuges? What does the Left do when the French are now to our Right? How can a weaker power sound braver than the stronger? And more principled? Europe is becoming worried, in the “be careful what you wish for” fashion about the Obama era, since the old bad cop/good cop game is up. It is now Europe good cop/US nicer cop. Much irony in this again…”
and
2) “So I’m Worried
I am not a fan of the Obama agenda. But I am don’t want an impotent Commander in Chief abroad for three very dangerous years to come. So I am worried that the U.S. will be crippled with a weak, unpopular executive, as happened to Bush (35% approvals) in 2007-8. Our currency is tanking. Our debts are climbing. Our energy needs are breaking us. Our borrowing is out of control. The country is divided in a 1859/1968 mode. And the world is smiling as Obama, now hesitant and without the old messianic confidence, presides over our accepted inevitable decline. The country needs to buck up and meet these challenges head on, since the world smells blood, whether in Iran, Russia, the Mideast, North Korea, or South America, and in a mere 9 months of the reset button.”
Doubt it....
As a former Chicagoan who grew up riding my bike in the park and picnicking by the lagoons, I say: hands off Lincoln Park!
Good analysis on both points. Thank you.
The Obama Administration, fresh from its stunning failure to bring the 2016 Olympics to Chicago, announced on Sunday that Chicago would be the site for the 2016 Equality Games.
“No medals will be given out,” said a smiling President Obama. “The idea of ‘Victory’ makes me think of the U.S. actually winning in Japan or Germany and it’s not something to be proud of.”
“So my administration is announcing a reform of the entire Sports Industry. The emphasis on winning has lead to outrageous profits by sport’s franchises, ownership groups, and athletes whose compensation is completely out of line with their teams achievements during the regular season and in the playoffs.
Therefore, I am immediately authorizing the government takeover of Major League Baseball. We’ll be reviewing ticket prices, athlete compensation levels, executive pay, and since it has come to our attention that none of the teams employ players with physical or mental disabilities, we’ll be examining the entire league for violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act....”
http://hotair.com/archives/2009/09/30/video-sarkozy-assesses-obama/
I know I wasn't. The last thing we need is several billion of graft flowing to the grifters in Chicago from the taxpayers of the US.
I was. And I think the people of Chicago won.
The parks are one really nice thing about Chicago and the thought they would going to take away some parks for venues was flat out wrong. I don’t think Chicago is equipped to handle the Olympics.
When LA hosted the Olympics, the Olympic Committee used a lot of local venues already in place for the event including dorms. They had to spruce up but not a whole sale building project. We lived in SoCal then — it was a wonderful two weeks. The following was one reason that LA was able to make a profit:
Southern California venues
El Dorado Park, Long Beach, California - archery
The Forum, Inglewood, California - basketball
Lake Casitas, Ventura County, California - canoeing, rowing
Olympic (7-Eleven) Velodrome, California State University, Dominguez Hills, Carson, California - cycling
Mission Viejo, Orange County, California - road course cycling
Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, California - equestrian sports
Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, California - fencing
Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California - football/soccer
Titan Gymnasium, California State University, Fullerton, Fullerton, California - handball
Weingart Stadium, East Los Angeles College, Monterey Park, California - field hockey
Coto de Caza, Orange County, California - modern pentathlon
Olympic Shooting Range, Prado Recreational Area, Chino, California - shooting
Long Beach Arena, Long Beach, California - volleyball
Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool, Pepperdine University, Malibu, California - water polo
Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, California - wrestling
Long Beach Shoreline Marina and Harbor, Long Beach, California - yachting
A few venues were built but Peter Ueberroth’s plan of having corporate sponsors for almost everything resulted in a huge profit no matter how much the Chicago Committee wanted to downplay LA. Chicago did not have the facilities to host the Olympics. They wanted to build a temporary stadium for the Opening ceremonies. Bad planning IMHO.
Hanson’s going LGF?
Who knows?
I propose holding the Olympics, if we must have one, in a tent city in Kansas. We build the facilities temporarily, then tear them down and ship them to the next Olympic site after the Paralympics are done. Everyone else can enjoy the fresh air and sunshine, and eat in the mess hall, like a Scout Jamboree.
The opening ceremony? Can it. Open the Games with sports. No one knows the words to the Olympic anthem and no one believes the Olympic oath. The closing ceremony? Can it. The games stop, everyone goes home. If you must have one, have the athletes show up, link arms, and sing Auld Lang Syne.
It would definitely be a better athletic event, and lessen the chance of corruption.
Works for me. The competitions themselves have in any case become almost unwatchable, for a large number of reasons.
“This reminds me of the time Obama jetted off to Copenhagen”...decades long response to every future failed Obama policy move—Hugh Hewitt BookTV CSpan2 10-4
Have any of you here at FR read any of this forum? Its an Obama forum-grassroots in action. Its says “no whites allow” You would be shocked to read what is written here.
http://theobamaforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=28&order=desc
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