Where should the 2016 Olympics be held?

[Travis]

Madrid is nice but with another European city hosting in 2012 it probably should be elsewhere and I'm sure that Rio and Tokyo would both be great but.......I would like Chicago to get it. Having the completed 610 meter tall Chicago Spire (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Spire) as a backdrop would just be so dramatic.

[lionking]

About time South America got it.

[CFLarsen]

Rio, of course.

[Undesired Walrus]

London. They are building horrific new buildings in the East End for some event in 2012. If we get them in '16 perhaps we can build some Olympic stadiums there.

[DC]

Rio

[learner]

No Yeovil, Somerset, option? you missed an obvious one there! I hear the "wurzels" would be available for cultural entertainment. If they are still alive then of course.
Formation tractor driving, cider...I could go on.

[TriangleMan]

About time South America got it.
Ditto

[Professor Yaffle]

Much Wenlock.

[Ivor the Engineer]

Much Wenlock.

Clever.;)

[The Painter]

London. They are building horrific new buildings in the East End for some event in 2012.

Maybe it's a shelter to survive the asteroid that is going to hit the Earth in 2012. Yes that's the event.;)


I picked Rio

[Luciana]

I'll vote for Rio, obviously.

However, upon seeing the *astounding* opening ceremony provided by the Chinese government... *fear*. I think it will take a long while until some country can match that. Somehow I think that the London organizers are crying since last Friday, wondering how on Earth they can come close to that.

The combination of authoritarian government, willingness to prove itself before the world, millions of unemployed/ low income people willing to be put under all that discipline, the complete disregard for the opinion of locals... that will be hard to beat anytime soon.

[Tsukasa Buddha]

Rio de Janeiro.

[BPSCG]

This poll is illegitimate because there's no Planet X option. As such, the IOC will not consider its results.

Frankly, I don't give a pinch of owl snot where you have the stupid thing as long as it isn't within 500 miles (793 km) of me. We have enough goddam tourists trashing up the place with their million man marches and pro-abortion and anti-abortion and anti-war and anti-G8-summit and anti-global warming protests, and ten gazillion people strewing trash all over the place on the Fourth of July, plus the Leap Year Inauguration Day trashing - hey, buttholes, your mothers don't work here - pick up after your goddam selves!

Plus all you jerkwads with your cameras taking pictures of yourselves in front of government buildings you didn't know existed and won't be able to identify when you get home ("Is that the White House?" "No, I think it's the Washington Monument." "No, wait, it's a parking garage - see the sign?"), blocking the sidewalks and clogging the metro escalators and getting pissed off at me when you pull over to the curb and ask me where the "tourist parking" is and I reply, "Huh???"

Welcome to DC. You may think it's a good place to trash, but I have to live here and work here. Go home and don't come back until you learn some basic manners.

[Professor Yaffle]

Clever.;)

Yes, I know. But what did you think of my suggestion?...

[plumjam]

Pixar studios

[scratchy]

I would have thought that 2016 was already decided. But since its not, i vote Rio too. As someone said, its about time for South America. And, its about time someone takes the arrangement down a few notches. Everybody cant just keep on trying to top the last vent.

[CFLarsen]

I'll vote for Rio, obviously.

However, upon seeing the *astounding* opening ceremony provided by the Chinese government... *fear*. I think it will take a long while until some country can match that. Somehow I think that the London organizers are crying since last Friday, wondering how on Earth they can come close to that.

The combination of authoritarian government, willingness to prove itself before the world, millions of unemployed/ low income people willing to be put under all that discipline, the complete disregard for the opinion of locals... that will be hard to beat anytime soon.

Just re-run the carnival, replete with music and scantily clad women, and you have any other Olympic opening smothered.

I mean: Who wants to look at a guy running upside a wall (out of sync, too)?

[Kestrel]

I'll vote for Rio, obviously.

However, upon seeing the *astounding* opening ceremony provided by the Chinese government... *fear*. I think it will take a long while until some country can match that. Somehow I think that the London organizers are crying since last Friday, wondering how on Earth they can come close to that.

As much as I enjoyed the opening ceremony, we need to remember that the Olympics is first and foremost a sporting event. The focus should be on the athletic competition instead of pageantry and fancy venues.

[Darth Rotor]

First Choice: The Sudan, specifically in the Darfur region. That area needs an economic shot in the arm like nobody's business. Also, not much pollution, compared to Peking or Rio.

Second Choice: Rio.

You have to ask why?

[BPSCG]

As much as I enjoyed the opening ceremony, we need to remember that the Olympics is first and foremost a sporting event.Oh my. How touchingly naive.

[Marquis de Carabas]

Baghdad

[Mashuna]

Do we have to have another one?

[Piscivore]

Hoboken

[Ivor the Engineer]

Yes, I know. But what did you think of my suggestion?...

A bit too close to me for comfort, though if they kept it as low-key as the annual Wenlock Olympian Games (http://www.wenlock-olympian-society.org.uk/index.shtml)...

[The Painter]

Baghdad

That could work. A little CGI like China did and it could be beautiful.



Hoboken

I'm dyin'

[Luciana]

And in 2014 the World Cup will be held in Brazil. Wouldn't it be a tad too much to also have the Olympics here? I think so.

World Cup in Brazil will be the coolest WC ever held anywhere. We know all about soccer and fun, fun with soccer, everything related to soccer and much fun. But the Olympics?? Dunno.

[Luciana]

Just had an idea...


Havana 2016!

[Travis]

And in 2014 the World Cup will be held in Brazil. Wouldn't it be a tad too much to also have the Olympics here? I think so.

World Cup in Brazil will be the coolest WC ever held anywhere. We know all about soccer and fun, fun with soccer, everything related to soccer and much fun. But the Olympics?? Dunno.

Brazil is into soccer? No way.:rolleyes:

Actually having the World Cup might help in that many venues and organizational skills necessary for it would help with the Olympics but the decision on where the 2016 will be held will be made long before that.

A big factor for the IOC will be issues of capability and while I don't think there's any doubt on the capability of Tokyo or Chicago, thanks to the huge economies of both cities, I wonder if the IOC will give Rio a fair evaluation?

Rio also has a stigma, perhaps unfairly, of being overrun with poverty and violence.

[Luciana]

A big factor for the IOC will be issues of capability and while I don't think there's any doubt on the capability of Tokyo or Chicago, thanks to the huge economies of both cities, I wonder if the IOC will give Rio a fair evaluation?

Rio also has a stigma, perhaps unfairly, of being overrun with poverty and violence.

I do not worry about violence. When Rio hosted the 1992 World Summit, with nearly 100 heads of State, the Army occupied some streets and suddenly this was Paradise on Earth. I remember walking through a deserted park, at midnight, carrying a big camcorder around my neck. Nowadays I wouldn't take anything flashy to that park at noon.

Poverty? Per se, it doesn't affect anything, does it? It's a fact of life here. It's not dangerous or disgusting or horrible or anything. It's just poverty.

But I really think the World Cup in Brazil is good enough.

[Sunstealer]

Mars

[EventHorizon]

And in 2014 the World Cup will be held in Brazil. Wouldn't it be a tad too much to also have the Olympics here? I think so.



It's happened before though; the Olympics and World Cup in the same country during the same Olympiad. I don't see why it couldn't happen again.

I was actually reading up on this last night and I don't think Tokyo will get it even though they got the highest score by the IOC. The vote is in 2009 and a lot of experts seem to think the IOC will be less inclined to vote for an asian city since the 2008 Olympics will be fresh in everyone's mind. Rio is a dark horse but I hope they get it. I've never been there but it seems to be a beautiful city. And they should put the Olympics in a region that's never had it before. I have a feeling Madrid is going to get it though. No reasoning behind this, just a guess.

[paximperium]

Brazil is into soccer? No way.:rolleyes:

Actually having the World Cup might help in that many venues and organizational skills necessary for it would help with the Olympics but the decision on where the 2016 will be held will be made long before that.

A big factor for the IOC will be issues of capability and while I don't think there's any doubt on the capability of Tokyo or Chicago, thanks to the huge economies of both cities, I wonder if the IOC will give Rio a fair evaluation?

Rio also has a stigma, perhaps unfairly, of being overrun with poverty and violence.

I'd love Rio to get it but I doubt it will happen. The IOC likes to take things like traffic, infrastructure, governmental support and existing sporting facilities into account when they decide a venue. I really doubt traffic has improved since I was last there. Unfortunately the stigma is warranted. It is overrun with poverty but it is slowly improving.

It'll likely be a tossup between Chicago and Tokyo although could still choose Madrid.

[Travis]

Go here (http://www.chicago2016.org/why-chicago/Pages/OurProposedVenues.aspx) to see the proposed Chicago Venues.

[gumboot]

Won't Global Warming and the Terrorists have killed us all by 2016?

[Fordama]

Aw heck, bring it back to LA! We're tan, rested, ready, and have even more venues available than back in '84.

Fordama

[Damien Evans]

Vote 1 West Wyalong!

[gtc]

Vote 1 West Wyalong!

I hear Mildura is particularly attractive this time of year.

[SezMe]

First Choice: The Sudan, specifically in the Darfur region. That area needs an economic shot in the arm like nobody's business. Also, not much pollution, compared to Peking or Rio.
You don't think a couple of hundred thousand bodies rotting in the noon day sun might not qualify as pollution?

[Damien Evans]

I hear Mildura is particularly attractive this time of year.

We shall have to undergo a fully government funded trip to find out!:D

[Travis]

You don't think a couple of hundred thousand bodies rotting in the noon day sun might not qualify as pollution?

Give them a few weeks and they become valuable fertilizer.

[SezMe]

Brings new meaning to Soylent Green.

[Darth Rotor]

You don't think a couple of hundred thousand bodies rotting in the noon day sun might not qualify as pollution?
Nope. It's a mass flow rate of gases problem. Wind currents take care of that.

DR

[maxfrost]

Springfield.

[SezMe]

Peoria.

[enrique]

Rio way better!

[Alex Libman]

I'm not a big fan of the Olympics or of large cities, but I voted Tokyo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo) because that's the city where those games would make the most sense in a free market. It has more people willing to pay high ticket prices, better infrastructure, if the games are meant to represent "world peace" then Japan has been setting a very good example lately (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_index#2007-2008_Global_Peace_Index_rankings), and you just know they'll be trying to one-up China so the games would be extra good. :D

[WildCat]

I'm hoping after the China human rights debacle the IOC won't want an Olympics that features military armored personnel carriers in the streets to keep the natives from getting restless which would be the case in Rio.

Besides, it's the best hope we have here of the city actually fixing the trains so it doesn't take over an hour to get to O'hare from downtown!

[RadioactiveMan]

Rio. That way, it'll have been two and a half decades since a North American Summer Games, upping the odds Minneapolis will get the goods.

If I'm working Customs at MSP by then, I'll be sure to arrange some vacation around that time, though...

[snoop_doxie]

Madrid is nice but with another European city hosting in 2012 it probably should be elsewhere and I'm sure that Rio and Tokyo would both be great but.......I would like Chicago to get it. Having the completed 610 meter tall Chicago Spire (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Spire) as a backdrop would just be so dramatic.

i voted for Chicago, only because it is closest to me in Southeast Michigan.
but canada is the obvious choice, they have a lot of extra room right? :p

[Emerson Street]

Much Wenlock.

I am amazed that you know of my home town!:)

[Travis]

I'm not a big fan of the Olympics or of large cities, but I voted Tokyo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo) because that's the city where those games would make the most sense in a free market. It has more people willing to pay high ticket prices, better infrastructure, if the games are meant to represent "world peace" then Japan has been setting a very good example lately (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_index#2007-2008_Global_Peace_Index_rankings), and you just know they'll be trying to one-up China so the games would be extra good. :D

I'm betting that you could turn a discussion of a radical lesbian panda worshiping cult into free market propaganda.

Honestly I don't think Tokyo will get it due to the proximity to Beijing. The IOC tends to rotate continents so in 2016 the Americas will be due which is part of why Rio and Chicago are the front runners.

[LashL]

i voted for Chicago, only because it is closest to me in Southeast Michigan.
but canada is the obvious choice, they have a lot of extra room right? :p

Canada is hosting the 2010 winter Olympics, though, so both Toronto and Montreal dropped their 2016 bids when the IOC decision on 2010 was made.

I voted for Rio, perhaps somewhat hastily because of personal experience and fabulous memories :) but thinking about it further, Chicago might be able to pull it off, as might Madrid. Tokyo - no, I don't see that happening.

[snoop_doxie]

Canada is hosting the 2010 winter Olympics, though, so both Toronto and Montreal dropped their 2016 bids when the IOC decision on 2010 was made.

thank you LashL, this is great news! actually it only makes sense. where else should the winter olympics be held? :D the bonus is i could hop in my car and be there in a couple of hours. wait.....will there be curling?:D

I voted for Rio, perhaps somewhat hastily because of personal experience and fabulous memories :) but thinking about it further, Chicago might be able to pull it off, as might Madrid. Tokyo - no, I don't see that happening.

ahhh, Rio, that seems like a perfect place to party! i mean have an international sporting event.

[Lonewulf]

Antarctica.

[RadioactiveMan]

Antarctica.
Unfortunately, the folks at McMurdo are too busy to put together anything more than a half-assed proposal to the IOC.

[Tsukasa Buddha]

Besides, it's the best hope we have here of the city actually fixing the trains so it doesn't take over an hour to get to O'hare from downtown!

Agreed.

[IMST]

Rio would be awesome. You just don't hear enough Portuguese in day to day life. If you live where I do.