err uhhh mark_twain, you are an idiot. that said, Chicago lost the bid for many reasons, not just one or two. I'm fairly confident the beating to death of an innocent pedestrian didn't help win them any votes. the $1.00 every 2 miles if you don't have an I-Pass (and who would get an I-Pass for the 2 weeks of games) and bottlenecked traffic...the lack of potential housing and training quarters (or space to build it) were just a couple of factors. I didn't see the presentations, but have heard they were not "grand". I highly doubt the bid was won to the best presentation. As corruption goes, money talks. How about we try this on for size: President Obama cannot be blamed for everything that goes wrong in this country. Maybe the thugs in Chicago who killed an innocent person could take a little of the heat, because after all, it is people like them that make this the country that goes crying "injustice" when things don't go their way. Some things in life you just have to deal with whether you like it or not. Be thankful you are an American and don't have to worry about the crimes in other countries!

Maybe we can send half of the prison population to Rio. Sounds like they'd fit in well, by the way.

Somethings are bigger than Obama's influence. Looks like the Olympic vote was one of them. It will be fun to watch the 2016 games though. I've been to Rio in August. It will be like March in Virginia. Chilly.

Chicago is used to losing. More dog teams then the Ucon!

I don't think Chicago every had a chance. The only reason it was a contender was because of Obama. Let's be serious, as a tv event, where would you rather watch the games? Rio or Chicago?Duh, Rio. That's why it came down to Madrid or Rio. Chicago is the armpit of America.

Taxpayers played for suckers, AGAIN..
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100 million dollars spent by Chicago to try to draw this crap?
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Talk about THE definition of DUMB--SES

After reading some of the blogs on MSN they make some of the comments in here look like kindergarten reading material. So I guess we could give this place a "G" rating.

Excuse me. I have to go into the can and purge after reading the anti-Obama comments on this one. These folks have still not realizied........THEY LOST!!!!!! LOLOLOLOLOL

There is no better film to understand Rio and its enormous reservoirs of utter, hopeless poverty than City of God. Still, it remains a beautiful city with hope.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317248/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_God...
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Friend of mine worked there as a banker. The women fell all over him just because he was American.

man if the Olympics were coming to Chicago...my family was going to clean up our house so that we would rent it out!! LOL

curtain:
Security will be beefed up beyond belief. A lot of the same things were said about Beijing, not to mention their atrocious human rights record of the past. You can find faults with any major world city. Brazil is a booming economy of the recent decade, and they really made a huge push for the games, and allocated WAY more $$$ then any other of the host cities (In the end it usually DOES come down to who shells out the most $$$...However; that was NOT the case with London getting them in 2012).
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lyna: I have never seen Rio on Discovery channel...I have actually been there... The major difference between there and Chicago is that in the Chicago slums they will take your wallet, sure..In Rio they will take your wallet, and kill you...No joke.

This is a good thing now they won't have to paved southern Wisconsin for extra parking, and really sucks for Gov. Dolts bullet trains.

Darn, I will not get to see the drive by shooting target event.

Guess the two big Os hurt more than helped?

kiowamohican
Go to the right section of the Chicago "ghetto" and call it a sanctuary. Slum is Slum.. lol after you get your lil wallet took and slapped around.. Or go down to Joliet and walk the hood see how that goes anything but claiming there hood and your screwed. You can't go as a tourist and come back comparing what you seen on Discovery as a noteable experience..

why then would they be given this 'honor' . I am not saying I think Chicago should have got it, but their crime rate sounds very scary.

My figure is actually a ways off...It's more like over 100 murders a week! About 5,800 alone in 2008, and that number is on the DECLINE from previous years.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sport...
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That's just the murder rate. The city has a far worse petty crime problems.

I'm glad its not in Chicago or the United States period. Our tax payers can't afford that.
Daley and his co-horts are idiots and the people of Chicago who actually thought the city could hold the largest sporting event in the world were dreaming!!
I'm going to Rio!!

curtaincall:
Rio has a FAR FAR FAR worse crime problem then Chicago..They rank in the top of the WORLD in murders..It's something like 30 murders a week. If you ever have been to Rio, you are warned OVER and OVER of the areas to avoid and never step foot in; as you will be mugged and likely killed, as a tourist. It's a beautiful city...The beaches are far and away the best in the world, but there is a HUGE crime problem that is generated in the cities slums. A problem that makes the Chicago Ghetto look like a sanctuary!

This is the best thing that could have happened, the city of chicago is not the best choice for such a world event, to much crime to hard to move around the city, ever go there during chicago fest when only 100,000 people are there you cant get from point A to point B in a timely manner. It would have been a real mess.

Nanny: Salk lake City actually turned a profit. Mostly because they had a shroud business leader like Mitt Romney running the show. Corruption any payoffs, had very little to do with this decision. Yes, the IOC is all about corruption, but all you had to do was see the presentations. Chicago's was simply beyond atrocious. Most on the committee had a big X through them after Dailey and Ryan sounded like fools. Then the Obama's sealed the deal when the big ego idiots came up there and acted like Chicago should get it simply because they are from the city, and they are of course royalty. It was literally the biggest joke I have ever witnessed. It was amateur hour to a new degree. When Rio made their presentation it was professional and PASSIONATE. Madrid and Tokyo also did a FAR better job then Chicago.
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Oh well, Obama can now go and talk Iran out of getting nukes. After all, all he has to do is show up, and the room bows to his greatness. Oh wait, I guess that did not work with the IOC...How long before you will hear that the IOC is racist? I bet it's all ready out there on the blogs!

The rate of crime in Chicago really became a issue. I wonder where the crime rate is for the other contenders.

NannyBeachBum - Obama wasn't even in office when the 4 finalists were announced. The 4 finalists were selected in June of 2008.

For anyone that's ever done any reading regarding the IOC, the Obama's popularity was probably the ONLY reason Chicago made it into the final 4.
The IOC is *extremely* political, can be bought off, etc. Think of them as bad Chicago politics, ironically. It may have already been decided weeks/months ago. Chicago just didn't have the right people in the right places to pull the string for this, this time around. It also would have been very, very bad for Chicago finances and taxpayers, as the Olympics are never a profit-making event.
I DO have to admit that I was already seeing some pretty lucrative business dollar signs for that year and those 2 weeks, LOL. Eh, Rio's an amazing place and I'm sure the event will be fantastic there! The celebration they had on the ocean today was beautiful!

The tax payers are the big winners with this news because the city is broke now and would have raised taxes to pay for it. (per chicago radio station)

Darn, I was kinda hoping to turn my house into a B&B for the Swedish girls volleyball team.

I think Milwaukee should bid for 2020!!! haha...yeah right!!! Wisconsin will NEVER host the Olympics!! Come on it's Wisconsin...nothing big ever happens here!

Having just been in Chicago. My first thought would be where would they put all of the people?
The traffic there is always a problem. Curious to see who will be hosting

2020!!!!

Madison, 2020

kiowamohican - where did you see they were voted out faster than any country ever has been?

I bet Carter will say "it was racist"

Bummer...It would have been sooo cool to have the Olympics so close to home and the bicycling events would have been held in Madison. I definately would have wanted to go see it just to say I was at an Olympic event...plus I'm into bike racing. But I think the Obama's and Oprah should have stayed away. I have a feeling that's why IOC did not choose Chicago! What was Oprah's purpose to be there in the first place? I can understand the Obama's but Oprah...come on now! Michael Jordan would have made a BETTER impression on the IOC than Oprah!

There was no doubt at all Chicago would not get it. On Intrade you could have actually doubled your $$$ wagering Chicago NOT to be the 2016 host city. Did anyone see their presentation? It was BEYOND AWFUL. That clown Daley came up there to speak, and he sounded like the mafia boss that he is. Then when Ryan came up there to give the reasons "why Chicago" he could stumbled and bumbled through the teleprompter. It was literally the most unprofessional thing I have ever seen in my life. Glad i stayed up to 4Am, to just pound against Chicago after seeing that debacle. Talk about easy $$$. I am serious when I say a group of middle school kids could have put together a better presentation then those group of clowns did.
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The IOC said it was the FASTEST elimination in their history!
http://news.aol.com/article/2016-olympic...
Chicago was suppose to be the front runner, and they were the first voted out, and voted out faster then any country ever has been.
CLASSIC!

Corrupt city politicians, bad crime and the fact that we are America(think about it from a foreigner's perspective-we're trying to arbitrarily POLICE the world!) probably had something to do with this. Although you'd think we'd have a better chance, considering the corruption factor. Must be the recession...Not enough "incentive"(bribe) funds.

Would have been a great economic boom to the area. Even if it might have bankrupted some cities, a lot of jobs could have been created and current business's would have reaped the rewards, at least for a while.

sorry shown not showed.

It didn't help all the protesters that were showed on the news!

That crime that was caught on tape, the kids beating the other kid to death, probably didn't help much.

I think she was trying to get the IOC to join her book club. Even though he's not from Chicago, I think Michael Jordan would've made more sense than Oprah.

Oprah should have stayed away. What exactly did she bring to the table?????????

makessense - maybe, maybe not. We'll never know. In my opinion he was in a no win situation. If he went he'd be criticised and if he stayed home he'd be criticised.

There's always 2020 (24 years since the last US Summer Olympics). Chicago will have a head start on other US bidding cities.

Bummer....that would have been fun.

Maybe if Obama would've stayed away????

Good effort. Would've been kind of cool to have the Olympics so close.