The Olympic Connection

[Pygmalion]

So your nice little town wants to be a part of hosting the Olympics...

Our good neighbor, Mayor Daley, is making noise about bringing the 2016 Olympic games to Chicagoland and our local civic leaders look like they will do whatever it takes to get in on the action. "We'd move heaven and earth to be a part of it," Barrett staff adviser Paul Vornholt said.

Officials embrace Chicago Bid Plan
http://www.jsonline.com/sports/gen/jan06/383132.asp

So, how does Milwaukee strengthen its position in terms of the number of events it might possibly host? What venues might it want to build to make itself a real part of this effort? How would a 25,000 seat stadium enhance Milwaukee's chances of being a real player and a real part of the effort?

"It would make a great headline and a great show-stopper to say Milwaukee hosted the 2016 Olympics," said Sheehy, president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce.

Looks like we may have another credible argument for a stadium and one that comes with some enthusiasm.

[mrtandy]

Well you would think that some of the Matches in the Mens or Womens Soccer Tournament would get played there.

[PhantomTollbooth]

Well you would think that some of the Matches in the Mens or Womens Soccer Tournament would get played there.

Yep - between our stadium and the new Fire stadium in Bridgeview those would be some pretty sweet places for games.:D

[sprintjeløy1926]

Does anyone know if there are minimum requirements for Olympic venues? My first thought is that a 25,000 seater would be too small but that's not based on any hard fact.

[mrtandy]

They are planning to use Linfield's Windsor Park (20500 capacity) for the 2012 Football Tournament.

[Paul Schmidt]

America has a habit of selling more seats for Olympic football than Europe does.

Overreaching generalization (but, in this case, I suspect it's correct): Euros know it isn't really top shelf football. A large subset of Americans are Olympic-crazy and barely care what sport they're watching.

IIRC, the Atlanta Games used RFK (57K), Citrus Bowl (70K), Orange Bowl (80K), and Legion Field (74K?) in addition to Sanford (90K) for football in '96. I kind of doubt they'll want a 20K park for Olympic football... but field hockey is another matter.

[skyscraper]

America has a habit of selling more seats for Olympic football than Europe does.

Overreaching generalization (but, in this case, I suspect it's correct): Euros know it isn't really top shelf football. A large subset of Americans are Olympic-crazy and barely care what sport they're watching.

IIRC, the Atlanta Games used RFK (57K), Citrus Bowl (70K), Orange Bowl (80K), and Legion Field (74K?) in addition to Sanford (90K) for football in '96. I kind of doubt they'll want a 20K park for Olympic football... but field hockey is another matter.
Football isn't an Olympic sport.
Or did you mean soccer? Because that's what it's called here in America.

[Paul Schmidt]

Football isn't an Olympic sport.
Or did you mean soccer? Because that's what it's called here in America.

Funny thing is... when the Atlanta organizers put out the ticket pamphlets to get Olympic tickets, they referred to it as football (most of the time, anyway).

I, for one, use soccer a lot around Englishmen and football a lot around those who get anal about it here. Heck, I do it without thinking, so my obvious love for controlled chaos is a bit subconscious.

[Zak1FCK]

Saw one of the games at RFK, Tunisia vs Nigeria or Cameroon. It was packed, about half were Americans and the other half natives of the countries playing in the match.

[olderandwiser]

I wonder how many potential soccer venues there might be within a 200 mile radius of Chicagoland. Think a collegiate football (the pointy ball type to make it perfectly clear) stadium would be OK with the Olympic Committee? Is an Olympic competition a paid rental or does the hosting venue have to pour money into the event? Will everyone and their brother lobby to host events? (Just one of those wandering trains of thought.)

Certainly would be a great event and great publicity.

(If Chicago's a realistic candidate to host, Peter's in like flint, what with that fancy new Bridgeview Stadium and all!)

We need big bucks.

[Pygmalion]

Milwaukee loves field hockey. I don't know if the leaders of the community are aware of that but a clear majority, 89%, are field hockey fanatics. Miller Beer has a whole local campaign built on the community's love for field hockey. The Fonz was actually gripping a field hockey stick over his head when he jumped the shark. William Rehnquist had those stripes on his robe as an homage to his field hockey days at Shorewood (Milwaukee suburb for those of you not in the know). Eric Benet ultimately got busted for cheating when Halle asked what all those notches were for on his field hockey stick.

A stadium to hold Olympic field hockey events is a no-brainer and if local officials miss the boat on this one you're going to see recalls like you've never seen.

Or we can just build a 70,000 seat soccer stadium. We'll fill that puppy no problem.

[bettendor]

Milwaukee loves field hockey. I don't know if the leaders of the community are aware of that but a clear majority, 89%, are field hockey fanatics. Miller Beer has a whole local campaign built on the community's love for field hockey. The Fonz was actually gripping a field hockey stick over his head when he jumped the shark. William Rehnquist had those stripes on his robe as an homage to his field hockey days at Shorewood (Milwaukee suburb for those of you not in the know). Eric Benet ultimately got busted for cheating when Halle asked what all those notches were for on his field hockey stick.

A stadium to hold Olympic field hockey events is a no-brainer and if local officials miss the boat on this one you're going to see recalls like you've never seen.

Or we can just build a 70,000 seat soccer stadium. We'll fill that puppy no problem.

a 70,000 soccer stadium? Only if the Packers move to Milwaukee...