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Isn't Oprah Winfrey from Chicago?

That picture of Barack Obama with a lightsabre made me lol!

The bidding process for the olympics games have turned into an absolute farce ever since Tony Blair threw the rule book out of the window by having one to one private "conversations" with "undecided" members of the IOC in 2005!

It now seems totally transparent that if heads of state and A Listers do not pander to the IOCs ego by being present and pretending to like sport, the bidding city will be tossed aside without so much as passing nod.

Pathetic.

Olympic games deserve better....

What makes you say that Rio is now the bid favourite? Certainly, the betting markets don´t agree.
Chicago (at about 11/10 on) is currently viewed as being about three times more likely to win than Rio (11/5).
Tokyo and Madrid are much further off the pace at 9/1 and 12/1 respectively.
Could this be the Obama effect?

"Isn't Oprah Winfrey from Chicago"?

No, that's Al Capone and Billy Flynn.

Re 4 limbojimbo

The betting markets reflect where the betting money is, not where opinions are leaning within IOC circles. Not only are there the IOC whisperers, but the people of Chicago are not enthusiastic regarding the Olympics.

I would say right now it is neck and neck between Chicago and Rio DJ.

Re 3 The bidding process for the games is certainly better than it used to be, which this blog makes abundantly clear. Better to be won over by visits from 'celebrities and politicians' than bribes.
The bidding process is far from perfect, but it is more transparent than previous games.

Bringing celebrities and Olympians is President Obama's way of thanking Illinois, for us voting him in as Senator years ago. It is a sign of respect and honor, as well as a show of effort and support. This is particularily special for Illinois. Who knew that a little-known Senator from Illinois would become President of the USA!?!
Love the Star Wars pic! :)

Don't know about anyone else, but I'm not too bothered where it goes.

2012 is in London, so we're on about a tournament which is going to take place in 9 years time!

It would probably be a good thing if it went to the yanks. Been a while since they hosted a major international event (I'm not trying to put them down, just saying they haven't hosted one in a while)

I personally think that it would only be right for Rio to be given the right to host these games. It is amazing that South America has never hosted the games, and Rio really is a testament to a people in love with all sport, and to the spirit of the games and the re-invigoration of a society.

No8 monkeyCAYMAN: How do you get to the thinking that it has been a while since the US has hosted a major international event? If they are awarded the 2016 Games that will be their 3rd summer games in 32 years (that is 3 out of 9 Olympics), not to mention 2 winter games since 1980! As well as the no2 sports event, the 1994 football World Cup.
Japan last had a summer games in 1964, a winter games in 1998 and the football in 2002. Spain have since 1980 only had the 1982 football and 1992 summer olympics. And, although Brazil will have the 2014 World Cup, as post no9 says, the entire continent of South America has never ever had an Olympics! So how it is America's 'turn', I have no idea! Not for a long time to come!

This million dollar trip had better be paid by the Chicago Olympic Committee or Obama's reelection committee's slush fund because it has nothing to do with the Presidency, and the American people should not be paying for this publicity stunt by both Obama and his wife.

You should have also taken note of all the Chicago citizens who have actually been campaigning for Rio to get the games. One of the local TV news stations in Chicago reported the "Pro Rio" demonstrations, and was subsequently ordered by the State Government to not report the story again for fear that it would damage Chicago's chances! Free speech indeed!

I'm not surprised Chicago decided to bring out the big guns to campaign for their bid. Let's face it, they're going to need it especially considering a teenager was brutally murdered in Chicago due to gang warfare last week.

As someone born and raised in Rio, I say:

GO OBAMA! GO CHICAGO! GO MADRID! GO TOKYO!

One thing that people commenting about the dispute in Europe or US don't know or pretend not to know (in Brazil this is brought up in any serious discussion on the matter) is that corruption runs rampant in any event such as these in Brazil, with every single one of them going way overbudget, and the government being forced to pay for it, and there is not a single exception to it.

The 2014 World Cup is already with an estimated budget 9 times bigger than it was originally intended, and there's still 5 years to the tournament, BTW.

Rio is by far the less prepared of those to host the games, and to chose it is a guarantee of disaster. And I live there, so I know what I'm talking about.

And #12: one teenager was brutally murdered last week? That's terrible, but this kind of thing happens in Rio literally every single day.

I believe you when you say corruption runs rampant in events like this in Brazil. Since you were born and raised in Rio I take your workd for that and that teenagers are murdered in Rio literally every day. Now as someone who was born and raised in the south side of Chicago, believe me when I tell you that the corruption in that city for this kind of an event would at least equal that of Rio. You not only have the corrupt politicians, you have organized crime there also. I went to high school in the same neighborhood where that teenager was clubbed to death by other teenagers. I graduated in 1972 and that area was bad then. it had the highest murder rate for the entire city back then and a bad gang problem then. That seems to have gotten worse now. So I join you in saying GO MADRID! GO TOKYO!

#14: I believe you too. And yeah, teenagers and people in general are being killed in absurd numbers, even cops (around 30 are killed each year).

Mind you, security for big events like this in Rio usually works pretty well, the city gets cleaner, homeless people are taken from the streets, there are more police and military patroling, and the events happen without big incidents. Afterwards, things return to normal.

#3 cry me a river

# 16 be my guest

People's geography seems have deteriorated over the years.
Firstly, Madrid's chances are very bleak after London (Europe) and so is Tokyo's after Beijing (Asia). That leaves Chicago - first timer and Rio.
Rio will be interesting as it will be South America's first Olympic location. But Brazil has security and social difference issues - the country has only recently began to get worlwide recognition,because of its OIL money. Chicago maybe the better & safer choice. Tokyo may have stood a better choice had the previous government not chosen such a weak slogan "Uniting Our Worlds" - how many world do you need to unite in the first place??? The new prime minister should just stress on " Clean Air Olympic Games!" and perhaps most African and still less developed countries may yet vote for Tokyo.

#13 - I think you'll find the murder rate in Chicago i ssomewhat similar to Rio.

South America does need an Olympic Games and with 2016 coming soon after the World Cup it would mean that the stadia and facilities used for that would not be wasted although tweaking the designs to put in running tracks may be difficult.

But yes the USA and Europe will have had tehir fair share of summer games by the time this comes around

jsadighi, I know you might not like Chicago for whatever reason but lying or telling half truths to justify your dislike is pathetic.
First of all, most of the residents in Chicago do want the games and there are no "Pro Rio" demonstrations. What you speak of is a website and the state government did not order Fox news to stop reporting on it. Fox news stopped reporting on the site because it came to realize the site had no credibility, no one knew who created the website and Gamesbids.com said they traced it back to Rio. Finally, I'm sorry that kid lost his life on the far southside of the city but what does that have to do with the Olympics? Didn't some young actor get stabbed to death in London several months ago? Does that mean London shouldn't be hosting the Olympics in 2012?

#19, The murder rate in Chicago is nowhere near that of Rio. Chicago averages 500 murders a year and Rio averages 2,700. Although Rio is a little over twice the size of Chicago, it's muder rate is still way higher.

correction: its muder rate is still way higher.

leader1111, what publicity stunt do you speak of? Representing your city and counrty has everything to do with the presidency. Since when was it a publicity stunt for a president to support his country?

To those who question why Oprah is attending -- yes, she is a Chicagoan. Her condo is up on North Michigan Avenue and her Harpo Studio, where she films her show, is in the South Loop area. She started as a reporter for a local TV station here years ago.

#19: There's only one stadium in Rio used for the WC, Maracanã, which can only host football games. All the others either have to be built, reformed, or at least done some adjustment, including the ones used in the Pan American games, which ended up costing 9 TIMES more than it was originaly intended.

And Chicago will (presumedly) use only private money for the games, whereas Rio will necessarily use tens of billions of dollars of public money, and the 2014 WC will cost tens of billions of dollars of public money as well. I am already being robbed and I don't want to be robbed again.

Oh, and about Obama: doesn't the fact that he's going in person, which he wasn't going to do at first, might indicate exactly the opposite the blogger is suggesting? By that I meant that he knows Chicago will win, and wouldn't go there if there was any risk to his reputation?

Its come down to Chicago and Rio without doubt, I am surprised that the Madrid bid got the green light with the 2012 olympics being held in London , monies better spent elsewhere for the Spainish economy.

Rio would be a great choice but there no doubt that the crime levels with affect the judgement of the IOC members. Barrack Obama will be a massive boost to Chicago, but I say it should be RIO 2016

By then the World Cup 2014 will had been and past and the country will have more experince of handling a big sporting event and dealing with Crime, Infastruture and Security issues.

Its a bid not just for Brazil but a big part of the world thats never had the Olympic and that night just swing it for Rio by a few votes,

1996 ATLANTA NORTH AMERICA
2000 SYDNEY - AUSTRALA
2004 ATHENS EUROPE
2008 BEIJING ASIA
2012 LONDON EUROPE
2016 RIO - SOUTH AMERICA

If Crime is the issue for RIo than it never stopped FIFA awarding them the 2014 World cup - did it?

No offence but I had to laugh a bit about the writter's question concerning Oprah Winfrey. I think the questions arises because of cultural differences. Oprah is, with the exception of the president, perhaps the best known living person Americans strongly associate with Chicago. Her entire national TV career has taken place from Chicago and her studios are in the middle of the city. But I am sure these fact that most average people outside of America wouldnt know so perhaps the writer has a point. Either way I am glad to see Obama going to Chicago and he might make a big difference but I have to admit I like the idea of the games in Rio!