Live Reaction: Chicago Loses Bid for 2016 Olympics - 10-02-09

CHICAGO - About three hours after Chicago was eliminated from hosting the 2016 Olympic Games, Mayor Richard Daley made his first public statement, saying he was disappointed and that a 2020 bid for Chicago may not be in the offing.


"I'm disappointed but you go on with your life." Daley said, adding that Chicago may not be getting in the diding for the 2020 Games. More.. "It's already in this hemisphere, with Rio, and it would not make sense for an American city to try again in 2020. It's in this hemisphere and they have to move somewhere else."

Asked about whether this effects his political future, Daley said: "Wait, wait, wait. This was never about Rich Daley. It was about Jesse Owens and Ralph Metcalfe. Not me."

"This was not a political gamble," said the mayor, who appeared poised and gracious when he did address the media. "This was not a political adventure. It was a commitment on behalf of the city to get the Olympic and Paralympic games."

Daley was not even at the meeting center for the first round of voting. He was en route to the Bella Center, where the IOC meeting was held, when he heard Chicago had been bumped. He had the driver turn the car around and went instead to a supporters party at a Copenhagen nightclub, Axelborg, right near the Tivoli Gardens.

Later, Daley said he wouldn't do anything differently. On the media, he noted that reporters from other bid cities were unabashed supporters of their bids, unlike the Chicago press.

"I've been to Rio and have been interviewed by press there, and every time, their reporters say, 'Thank you, very much. But we are a much better city.' I respect that strong emphasis on the press, that they were supporters. It was overwhelming. This is not to criticize you, but they say ours is the best city. They are really behind the city."

Daley said he had spoken to Obama, who was still on Air Force One. He "personally thanked him on behalf of the United States."

Daley said he had no prouder moment than listening to Michelle Obama's speech.

"We've come on a long journey, and the city is better for it," Daley said. He thanked Pat Ryan, the business community and labor community. Asked if he'd shed tears, he first said no before adding, "Sure, you have tears, you're disappointed. I love my job. Chicago really shined here."

The mayor also had high praise for Oprah Winfrey.

"Talk about a cheerleader. She was fantastic. She did everything possible," he said.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Live
• Reaction:
• Chicago
• Loses
• Bid
• for
• 2016
• Olympics
• 10-02-09

[SPIRITOF76goeson]

Why the hell arent those people at WORK?????

[pawtucket999]

YES WE CAN......NOT !!!!!

[TLJAWSIMIB]

@kris254 CHICAGO'S SKYLINE IS BORING!. IT ONLY HAS HANCOCK, AON, TRUMP & WILLIS BUILDINGS!. THAT'S IT!..

[TLJAWSIMIB]

@beerborn LOL!.

[TLJAWSIMIB]

@Shmiggle2000 WHY DO YOU HATE TOKYO!?.

[TLJAWSIMIB]

@StewieGiliganGriffin LOOK FOR IT YOURSELF!.

[TLJAWSIMIB]

@dtw777 WHAT HAPPENED!?.

[artistinstinct]

THIS WAS A LOSS FOR THE OPTION FOR CHICAGO TO SHOW WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT! AS A CITY OF LITERALLY AMAZING HOPES AND WORK ETHICS....our GREAT CITY ALWAYS HAS THE CHANCE TO BETTER ALL THE OTHER THINGS of CONCERN WITH IT'S PEOPLE......may we strive together to bring THE WORLD HOME!

[funkbrother216]

@funkbrother216 Look, I know you hate Obama but that's no reason to start talking out of you ass and embarrass yourself with your off-base critique and your sad attempt at defending them.

[funkbrother216]

@tjbollman1 Ahh, the needless strawman argument, another right wing tactic. I wasn't talking about days off given by the county or by any party. I've never heard of such. I specifically said time off given by their employer. Don't try to change what I said into something that's easier for you to rebut. Also, I never remarked on where YOU were. Except for security, all inaugural expenses are covered by private donations to the party, including clean up which the city billed to the DNC.

[tjbollman1]

@funkbrother216 Further, Tea Partiers were NOT given pad days off by their party, their county etc and not one mode of transportation was free to them. MY hard earned tax payers paid for those drunken bums to party for 4 days to celebrate Baracks election. I wasn't there...I WENT TO WORK!

[tjbollman1]

@funkbrother216 Wow you sure twisted that all to hell. Who mentioned percentages missing work? And if you had bothered to keep up with the news during all of the events mentioned, you would know that even the Lefty main stream media was unable to find so much as one scrap of trash left behind by the TeaParty ralliers, and in general they had all cleared out almost immediatly. This was not hard to find info...you could have been informed if you had been man enough to want to know the truth.