2016 olympics grounds

My $.02: Chicago wins U.S. bid for 2016 Olympics

Today, Chicago prevailed over Los Angeles in its attempt to be the designated bid city for the 2016 Summer Olympics. The U.S. Olympic Committee made its decision after reviewing proposals from both cities. In one corner of the ring was heavyweight champion Los Angeles, with two previous titles (1932 and 1984) and a long history of bringing prestige to the games. In the other corner, the underdog Chicago, its first time as a contender but headed by a coaching staff which included Mayor Richard "The Godfather II" Daley (It's been like, what, 30 years now? Jesus).

In the end, Chicago won the hard-fought battle, and will be competing against Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro and Madrid for the 2016 bid. The final selection will be announced in October 2009.

So what's my 2 cents?

2016 oylmpics grounds
Now I know LA was somewhat serious in hosting the 2016 Olympics, but it seems like its idea of a proposal was blowing the dust off its 1984 bid (and it's 2012 bid, which it lost to New York). We have the venues! We have money ($500 million)! We have celebrities! We have sunshine! Forget about the massive traffic problems the games will cause! People like us! Yay!

Well, it's no wonder the bid went to Chicago. Let's be honest, they do deserve it. They've got the world-city stature, they've got the sports fans (Da Bears! Da Cubs!) and they've got a plan that says we're going to host the games in the center of downtown to minimize travel time. Essentially, all they had to do was get up in front of the committee and point to LA's side, then point to their side and say, "No traffic."

Now I'm pretty biased considering that I grew up in the Midwest, where some of my fondest childhood memories involved the Lake, Soldier, Wrigley, the Field and the Shedd. But LA, unless we can offer something unique and fix the traffic issues in the city, it's time to pass on the torch. So with both a sense of pride as a Midwesterner and a sigh of relief as an Angeleno, I say congratulations, Chicago. Let the games begin.