Chicago’s Olympic Bid Doomed from the Start

I suggested in my post last Friday that the rather contentious relationship between the IOC and the U.S. Olympic Committee could be a contributing factor in Chicago’s failed bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics, and it appears I was right. Phil Hersh of the Chicago Tribune does a nice job of explaining what happened here and here.

Based on what I’ve read, it seems Chicago’s bid was doomed from the start and that many of the IOC members had made up their minds long before the final presentations were made. There was nothing that the bid committee or President Obama could say or do to change the course of things.

It is clear the USOC is in a shambles. Until it can get its act together and resolve its differences with the IOC, I see no point in putting forth any future bids by American cities to host the Olympic Games.

Reinstatement of Baseball as an Olympic Sport in Doubt

According to an article on MLB.com last week, the International Olympic Committee has made it clear to MLB that if baseball is to be reinstated as an Olympic sport, MLB players will have to participate in the Summer Games. MLB president and CEO Bob DuPuy says that Commissioner Bud Selig would like to see baseball return to the Summer Games, but it presents logistical issues for the league. While the Games are taking place in late July or August, divisional races are heating up. At this point, the league has two options. Either shut down the season for two weeks while players participate in the Games for their respective countries, just as the NHL did for the 2006 Winter Games, or allow just a few of the top players to participate while the regular season continues on.

I see problems with both scenarios. If you shut down league play for two weeks in August, teams in the divisional races could lose momentum, and it’s difficult to regain it when the teams resume play. And if you do shut down the season for two weeks, do you make up the games at the end of the season, thus extending the season well into October? The season is already long enough. On the other hand, if only the top players participate, they risk getting injured, which especially hurts those teams that are in the playoff hunt. I understand Selig’s reluctance to commit players to the Olympics. Unless MLB can come up with an alternative plan, it may be wise to say “Thanks, but no thanks.”

Eyeing the Olympic Competition

Now that Chicago has been named the U.S. bid city for the 2016 Olympic Games, there’s a lot of work ahead for the Windy City. Chicago will have plenty of global competition for the privilege to host the Olympics, including Tokyo, Madrid, Prague and Rio de Janeiro. Other possibilities are Rome; St. Petersburg, Russia; Monterey, Mexico; Doha, Qatar; and Baku, Azerbaijan.

Here’s how I analyze the competition:

** With London hosting the 2012 Games, the IOC may be reluctant to choose another European city in back-to-back Games. So Madrid, Prague, Rome and St. Petersburg may be eliminated.

** With Beijing hosting the Games in 2008 and Sydney, Australia in 2000, would the IOC bring the Games back to the Asian-Pacific region (Tokyo) for a third time in five Olympiads?

** The two Middle Eastern states, Qatar and Azerbaijan, are located near the Iranian border, so security could be a concern.

** Atlanta was the last North American city to host the Games in 1996, so the Games may be due to be hosted by a North or South American city. That’s why Chicago has a solid chance to host the Games in 2016. But no South American city has every hosted the Games which is why Rio de Janeiro is considered one of the frontrunners. Monterey, Mexico, will make have a hard time competing against the heavy-hitters.

It may all come down to Chicago vs. Rio. It’ll be hard to bet against either one.