Chicago faces controversy before big pitch

[Conor Dary]

What could be more hypocritical than an IOC official, after all without US tv the Olympics would be kaput.


"International Olympic Committee officials this week cranked up the heat on their longstanding crusade to reduce the share of Olympic television and sponsorship money that funnels to the United States Olympic Committee, Chicago's bid partner.

The rhetoric has been searing: "It's unfair, scandalously unfair, that the government of the richest country in the world doesn't pay a dime to [Olympic] sport and we have to subsidize American athletes," Hein Verbruggen, an honorary IOC member and one of the most vocal Olympic leaders on the issue, told the Tribune on Wednesday."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ ... 2961.story

[gh]

go to the Headlines archive on the front page and type in "Chicago" for a half-dozen or more stories along this line in the last week. Note that even Dick Ebersol of NBC says USOC should bend in one posted yesterday.

[Conor Dary]

I know there have been oodles of stories on this topic, but this story had such a splashy title in the print edition and besides, the IOC is visting the Windy City today, and it is not looking good.

However, I still believe Chicago will 'win' the 2016 games. Then Chicago will have a fancy track in Washington Park and we can then have the NCAA meet here again. :P

[gh]

Serious question: who would act as the host institution with Chicago and Northwestern not being in the game anymore? As far as I know, at least nominally the NCAA requires a specific school to be "in charge."

[Pego]

Serious question: who would act as the host institution with Chicago and Northwestern not being in the game anymore? As far as I know, at least nominally the NCAA requires a specific school to be "in charge."

What was that school in Sacramento? Sac State? What about Indianapolis? Indiana/[email protected]? There is a UofI-Chicago, just a stonethrow away from Washington Park. I didn't think Northwestern has a T&F program at all. Am I wrong? Too lazy to look it up.

[Conor Dary]

Serious question: who would act as the host institution with Chicago and Northwestern not being in the game anymore? As far as I know, at least nominally the NCAA requires a specific school to be "in charge."

Perhaps Loyola University on the North Side, where Tom O'Hara still holds the mile record (I, of course, had to ask). My nephew is being recruited by some schools and we went to visit Loyola a couple of weeks ago. They are in process of building a new outdoor track.

[gh]

If the Olympics is impending and there's a facility in place, I suspect it would take very little encouragement for Loyola to volunteer to be the frontman for what would probably end up being something run by the Chicago equivalent of the Sports Commission that did all the heavy lifting in Sacto.

[kevinsdad]

Depaul University would also be a potential host school

[Conor Dary]

Depaul University would also be a potential host school

I don't know anything about De Paul, except that their basketball team went 0-18 in the Big East. If they have a track team they sure keep it a secret. However, Loyola is a solid Division 1 team and having talked to the men's coach I think they would love to be the frontmen for an NCAA bid.

If Chicago gets 2016 in October, the track in Washington Park would hopefully be in place for a meet by 2014 or 15.

[gh]

If by "track in Washington Park" you mean the Olympic Stadium, history (other than the Bird's Nest) would seem to tell us that they'll still be slapping the last coat of paint on it as the athletes begin the march-in at the Opening Ceremony!

[Conor Dary]

If by "track in Washington Park" you mean the Olympic Stadium, history (other than the Bird's Nest) would seem to tell us that they'll still be slapping the last coat of paint on it as the athletes begin the march-in at the Opening Ceremony!

I am afraid you are right. And with the slowness that the Daley crowd moves they will be still painting the lines on the track on opening day.

Still it should be a nice track after the Olys, which wouldn't be the case if it was in Soldier's Field.

[gh]

Didn't the most recent of plans call for basically tearing down the stadium once done, like Atlanta? :-(

[lonewolf]

[they will be still painting the lines on the track on opening day. .

Semi-humorous incident: A few years ago a major university put in a sparkling new facility. Construction was delayed weeks by bad weather. They were literally painting the lane markings on the morning of first meet on the new track.
In the first race on the new track, Mens Decathlon 100m, every runner broke the worlds record. After a 30 minute hiatus, they moved em back 10 meters and re-ran the race.

[gm]

[they will be still painting the lines on the track on opening day. .

Semi-humorous incident: A few years ago a major university put in a sparkling new facility. Construction was delayed weeks by bad weather. They were literally painting the lane markings on the morning of first meet on the new track.
In the first race on the new track, Mens Decathlon 100m, every runner broke the worlds record. After a 30 minute hiatus, they moved em back 10 meters and re-ran the race.

They should have finished it SOONER! :wink:

[lonewolf]

Were you there, gm? Dunno what gave you that idea, I thought I was being ambiguous..