With the news that Barack Obama is going to attend the Olympic Games city event, I want to register my strong preference of RIO DE JANEIRO!!!! Porra!!!!! This is why RIO should host the Olympics 2016, after Brasil wins the WC in 2014: www.almacarioca.com.br
I would also like to register my strong preference for Rio, but unfortunately, it's a close second. I'm tangentally involved in the Chicago bid and it's going to be very, very tight between Chicago and Rio. Chicago would have won six months ago, but now the question is whether Obama's involvement (the stadium will be six blocks from his house) is enough. Everyone thought Paris was going to win the last one until Tony Blair and London stole it at the end. Will the same thing happen with Lula? We'll put on a great games, but honestly, could the Barra Da Tijuca setting be any more beautiful? At least the two best cities in the world are involved here. Good luck.
I may hold a position others here won’t like, but I am opposed to the Olympics in Rio. Brazilian authorities have been notorious in the past for corruption and money-laundering. The budget forecast for the 2007 PanAmerican Games was nowhere near enough the money needed when the Games came and went. Brazil did a fair job then, but there were nonetheless logistical mistakes. The Olympics are the PanAmerican Games on steroids and then some. Except for the US and a few other delegations, everyone spoke Spanish, and that somewhat helps in Brazil. The Olympics would be a totally different ball game. Brazil is the flagship of South America in soccer and economic growth, and will not be overtaken anytime soon. And as proud as I am of Brazil’s growth in recent time, as glad as I am to see Brazil’s name now respected in international finance, there is still a lot of work to be done in Brazil. Literacy rates remain low; the gap between haves and have-nots remains frighteningly big; there is rampant crime and corruption. First-world countries like the United States have pockets of poverty and corruption too. But they manage things more seriously than what we’ve seen in Brazil. I was not too thrilled w/ Brazil’s candidacy for the 2014 World Cup, and wrote a few posts here about that. I still think Brazil will experience some problems in 5 years. How many stadiums are ready by FIFA standards? Are the transportation, infrastructure, hotel networks, and police/security forces all ready, or will they be ready, in 5 years? The argument can be made that if Brazil does a good job with the 2013 Confeds Cup and the 2014 World Cup, Brazil can and will use that experience to do a better job managing the 2016 Olympics. That sounds like the best argument so far. Something tells me the Olympics may indeed come to Brazil this time. I'll be happy if it comes, of course, but I'll remain skeptical. I would not be great disappointed if it went to another city (but not Chicago, because the US gets it too often). My vote is for Tokyo; Spain had it in 1992, and the Japanese have experience hosting the Olympics: Tokyo 1964 and Nagano Winter Olympics, 1998.
Great points, but you also have to remember that “Brazil” wouldn’t be hosting the Olympics, but ”Rio de Janeiro.” Big difference. The Olympics can be overrated, but the great benefit of hosting is the opportunity to “rebrand” the city in the eyes of the world. In Chicago, for example, we have to replace the old 1920’s gangster-violent and tough, gritty “ER” caricatures. Incredibly for the world’s 6th richest city, we lag greatly in foreign investment- images of other US cities are better defined. For Rio, a similar opportunity exists to get past the Copacabana Beach/Favela sterotypes and rebrand the city as a center of global finance, the gateway into SA markets (everyone wants to go there, but they need an excuse). It’s kind of dumb, but these things help create thousands of jobs and opportunities (If Rio did host Brazil would have to get rid of the stupid visa requirment that hinders tourism). Its also an opportunity to use massive investment to plan city growth and social investments over a six year period. Coupled with the Tupi Oil Fields and 2014 WC it could revolutionize the city. Whether or not it’s taken advantage of is up for question, but I like what Lula is doing. And you are correct, Rio WAAY oversold the Pan Am games and the promised infrastructure did not arrive. Here’s a great article from the NY Times on Rio: For Brazil, Olympic Bid Is About Global Role http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/28/world/americas/28brazil.html ps. lately I’ve had to hide my affinity for Rio in Chicago; I recently accidentally held a long conversation with a professor about the Chicago Bid, while not realizing I had a bright yellow 1998 Brazil shirt on
Definitely Rio for me. The whole process had always been synomous with bribery and corruption and I don't see how this selection is any different. It's all one, big scam. If it weren't for the fact that Chicago and Rio have been disclosed at that favorites, I would go with Tokoyo too. However, since it is not the case, I say Rio. If any city would benefit the least from staging the Olympics. As is the case in most major American cities, the rank and file citizens of Chicago would benefit the least from the Olympics. This whole thing will just put money into the pockets of somebody's cronies and political supporters. Forgive me if this has already been mentioned, but I would be curious to know of the recent beatings of two school kids have been aired outside of the US. The incidents have received heavy coverage in the US..
I didn't know the international press had covered the incidents and if it had an impact on the Chicago's Olympic bid. That's all. I could have stated that better..but was 1am in the morning..
Wow! So, CB, who do you go with now? I'm still sticking w/ Rio. Can't really bring myself to support Spain.
2013 Confeds Cup 2014 World Cup 2016 Olympics OK, Brazilian government. Put the beer glasses down. I'm happy too. Now get MOVING and START BUILDING.
A few predictions: 1. Pelé will be the last man on the torch relay. 2. Brazil will win the men’s soccer gold medal and at least silver in the women’s side. 3. Brazil will win the men’s and women’s volleyball tournaments. 4. Argentina will be viciously booed in the opening ceremony and when they play, in all sports (except women’s gymnastics, as they’ll probably send a lovely 18-year-old brunette who’ll have all the reporters drooling). 5. There will be news of drunk American twentysomething men being found unconscious in the beaches after nights of partying with everything except their underwear missing. 6. The Brazilian government will mount a security scheme not unlike what Colombia had for the 2001 Copa América. 7. The Brazilian government will forcibly evacuate a lot of the poorest of the poor, for the 2014 and 2016 events. 8. There will be a competition between CBF and the BOC for resources. 9. Two of the stadia for the 2014 World Cup will be used for the 2016 Olympic soccer tournaments. 10. Past Brazilian Olympic athletes, such as Ronaldo, Ronaldinho Gaúcho, Romário, Daiane dos Santos, Hortência, Oscar Schmidt, Gustavo Kuerten, and Joaquim Cruz will take place in the torch relay on opening day. 11. There will be some obscure group from the Middle East who will come to Brazil to engage in terrorist strikes against US and UK athletes, but once in Copacabana beach, they’ll renounce their violent beliefs (and shout out “Deus é brasileiro” in their respective languages), renounce abstinence from alcohol and go on caipirinha binges, and conclude that the 72 virgins promised to them were all made in Brazil. And they’ll stay for good. 12. Awash in cash and investments from the 2013 Confederations Cup, 2014 World Cup, 2015 Copa América (which will be a success in large part thanks to the infrastructure from the previous year’s World Cup) and 2016 Olympics, Brazil will be the undisputed leader of South America in economics and power, eclipsing every other nation even far more than it already does now, and will by 2020 achieve its goal of securing a seat in the UN Security Council. 13. Galvão Bueno will cry and lose his voice more than once during live broadcasts. 14. Maradona will boycott the games and talk trash. 15. Pelé will, at the age of 76, finally win an Olympic medal, as he’ll be brought in to the pitch at the 85th minute to replace one of the forwards during the final match, and opposing defenders will be too scared and too much in awe of him in their presence to try to mark him seriously. He’ll score a goal at the 93rd minute and every Brazilian soccer fan on Earth will have a collective emotional orgasm (and I’ll be the first). (11, 14, and 15 are written in humor)
16) After missing the WC'14, to which Honduras qualified and reached the semis, Zelaya finally decides to leave the Brasilian Embassy and attend the OGs closing party. .
Do you remember Eco 92? That's what I imagine only bigger. I expect there will be some kind of truce with the drug lords as there was then.
since M.J. didn't bother to show up, and Pele did, I say Brazil earned it.... Its now theirs to lose... However after watching Ciudade de deus documentary (their was a documentary in the special features of the movie), its looks tough for the Brazilans to accomplish. Hopefully they succeed, South America deserves the olympics.