Chicago's Bid for the 2016 Olympic Games

[Viper]

Well, Chicago losing means Minneapolis has a chance for 2020. Maybe the Vikes can get a new stadium out of the deal, althought I think the Gophers' new stadium would be serving the purpose for the games.

If by that you mean TCF Bank Stadium as the "centerpiece" venue for track & field and the opening/closing ceremonies, not a chance. They'd have to rip out the entire lower bowl of the place just to fit the running track in. There's no way they'd be willing to make such a drastic alteration to a stadium they just built. Besides, football season would start up again within weeks of the end of the Olympics and they'd need their lower bowl back.

In any case, I do suspect the Minneapolis bid may just be a backdoor stealth effort to get a new Vikings stadium built. The Twin Cities area already has almost all the sports venues it would need, either already in place or easily convertible as such. The only major venue it's missing at this point is the track & field stadium... which just happens to be about the same size of venue that an NFL team would need. In that case they could design it for track and field, but with only temporary seats for the upper deck. Then once the Games are over they could remove the upper deck, rip out the track, lower the field and build a "lower-lower" bowl beneath the original lower bowl to take advantage of the extra space freed up by getting rid of the track. Alternatively they could leave the upper deck in place, but then the Vikings would end up with a huge-@$$ stadium that they can almost never sell out*, sort of like what the Jaguars have now.

[*] Except, of course, for games against the Packers, in which case Packers fans would make up most of the crowd.

[Still MIGHTY]

My personal prediction for 2020 might be an African venue, maybe Cape Town or somewhere else in South Africa? I think 2024 might be a more realistic target for a North America games.

As for places like Dubai, there is no fixed date for when the games have to be held. But also remember that the games have been held in all sorts of climate, so the heat would not necesarily be considered a problem.

If you think the IOC would even consider giving South Africa an Olympiad after the difficulties they've had preparing for the World Cup next year, you are mistaken.

I think once the IOC sees South Africa pull off a succesful World Cup that will bolster the countries chance for an Olympics. The IOC has voiced support for the idea of a games in Africa, and save for a few North African cities, beyond South Africa, there isn't much chance of another African city hosting the games.

Any "success" South Africa has in 2010 has already been overshadowed by FIFA almost taking the World Cup away and sending it back to Germany.

See thats where your wrong. There is a long history of worries over whether or not major sports events will go off ok, and I think I am write in saying that only in 1986, when the World Cup was moved away from Colombia, has a governing body actually had to pull the trigger. I remember a ton of stories about Athens being under serious jeopardy in 2004, but things come together. There is almost always a 'plan B' in place if a major event has to be moved. And it almost always never gets used. Noone ever remembers it, because the competition gets under way and goes, well damned well. As will happen in South Africa next year. Its not like South Africa doesn't have some history of hosting major multi national sporting events successfully, especially given the central part the 2005 Rugby World Cup played in the modern history of that nation.

I think you meant the 1995 RWC. A Youth Olympic Games for a South African city, yes. Getting "The Varsity"...no.

Yeah typo there!

All I will say is that there are some great South African cities that are used to big sporting events, and that to take a somewhat dismissive attitude to the opportunity comes across as somewhat patronizing to a few great possibilities.

I would almost go as far as predicting that if the Football World Cup goes off well next year, there is a good opportunity that the 2020 game will be in South Africa.

You also have to remember though that the traditional time for the Summer Olympics is during the winter in South Africa.

Just sayin.

[NJTank]

Well Australia is in the Southern Hemisphere too and they hosted a Summer Olympics in 2000.

[DarkJourney]

Well Australia is in the Southern Hemisphere too and they hosted a Summer Olympics in 2000.

and in 1956 as well (Melbourne)

[The_Admiral]

lot of demonstrating knowledge of southern hemisphere seasons itt

[Joshawaggie]

Well, Chicago losing means Minneapolis has a chance for 2020. Maybe the Vikes can get a new stadium out of the deal, althought I think the Gophers' new stadium would be serving the purpose for the games.

If by that you mean TCF Bank Stadium as the "centerpiece" venue for track & field and the opening/closing ceremonies, not a chance. They'd have to rip out the entire lower bowl of the place just to fit the running track in. There's no way they'd be willing to make such a drastic alteration to a stadium they just built. Besides, football season would start up again within weeks of the end of the Olympics and they'd need their lower bowl back.

In any case, I do suspect the Minneapolis bid may just be a backdoor stealth effort to get a new Vikings stadium built. The Twin Cities area already has almost all the sports venues it would need, either already in place or easily convertible as such. The only major venue it's missing at this point is the track & field stadium... which just happens to be about the same size of venue that an NFL team would need. In that case they could design it for track and field, but with only temporary seats for the upper deck. Then once the Games are over they could remove the upper deck, rip out the track, lower the field and build a "lower-lower" bowl beneath the original lower bowl to take advantage of the extra space freed up by getting rid of the track. Alternatively they could leave the upper deck in place, but then the Vikings would end up with a huge-@$$ stadium that they can almost never sell out*, sort of like what the Jaguars have now.

[*] Except, of course, for games against the Packers, in which case Packers fans would make up most of the crowd.

That's just what I had heard in the past, that the new Gophers' Stadium was going to be part of the Olympic package, I have no idea if that was to mean the centerpiece or not. It could have been lies too. Who knows. I hear things.

[HedleyLamarr]