Olympics In Chicago?

Events — By Jian Wei on July 17, 2009 at 12:00 AM

One of the interesting perks of being an intern in the City of Chicago is the access and the people that one gets to meet – especially during the weekly Wednesday Roosevelt meetings and the more prestigious Friday Brown Bag Lunches with the Mayoral Fellowship. Last Friday, we had the opportunity of having lunch with the Chicago Olympics Committee. As of this writing, the four last cities contending for the right to host the 2016 Olympic games are Madrid (Spain), Rio (Brazil), Tokyo (Japan) and Chicago (USA). It was indeed an interesting experience for me, as I believe what most people know most is only what appears in their TV screens during that few short weeks.

Chicago Olympics 2016 – Promo Video

But do we actually know what transpires behind the scenes?

One fact is made clear: The Olympics will not go to places where the people don’t want them. And that might be an issue for Chicago. Pro-Olympics marketing efforts in the City of Chicago are met with an equal if not more ferocious stampede of unfavourable reviews on the whole plot to ensnare the project in 2016. There is a purported view that most cities often lose money when the games are over, and not to mention the construction of many Olympic infrastructures that will result in white elephants. Malaysians don’t have to look far. Just take a quick glance at our Bukit Jalil Stadium and I’m sure we can get a rough picture how the Chicagoans feel.

Anti-Chicago Olympics 2016

During the lunch the Committee did do, in my opinion, a great job in explaining the nuances surrounding the Olympics: how they would raise money; and how not a single penny would come from the taxpayers; and they even have a rough accounting projection that predicts a fiscal surplus for Chicago by the end of 2016. But despite it all, as I was sitting there absorbing the barrage of persuasions belted out, I couldn’t help but to sense a small dose of skepticism for both sides. Debates have taught me that everything can be twisted to your advantage – it all falls down on how you put it across and how smart your audience is. Lies can be served on silver platter, garnished with a slight touch of rhetoric to conceal their flaws; truths can be obscured from public view, with only bits and pieces revealed to the masses.

Chicago Olympics 2016 Video Promo

The truth is, I know too little to come to a conclusion on whether the such a grand feat should ever have its roots in the place called Chicago. And besides, I don’t really care. =p

I’m not gonna be here anyway. XD