[Pun]

LINK

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (CNN) -- The International Olympic Committee on Friday eliminated Chicago and Tokyo as contenders to host of the 2016 Games.

Still under consideration to host the two-week sporting spectacle are Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Madrid, Spain.

After the cities made their presentations to the IOC on Friday, the IOC members sat down to cast their votes in a secret ballot.

Ninety-seven of the IOC's 106 members are eligible to vote in the first round; seven must sit out that round because they represent one of the countries bidding for the Games.

A city must receive a majority of votes in order to win. If no city receives a majority, voting moves on to a second round, with the city receiving the lowest number of votes being eliminated, an IOC spokeswoman said.

[Mikey]

I'll share my Facebook status update here:

Chicago just hit the WHAMMY on Press Your Luck. $48 million down the toilet as a cartoon green guy sings "Cold Blooded" and has an anvil fall on him. Then Peter Tomarken flies his plane into the Sears Tower.

[punk/core]

It should have never gone to Chicago anyway. America has hosted the Olympics twice in the past 13 years. And if Spain gets to host its second one in the span of 24 years-- when South America has NEVER had one-- then that's fucking ridiculous.

[Mikey]

Oct 2, 2009 11:02:11 GMT -5 punk/core said:

And if Spain gets to host its second one in the span of 24 years-- when South America has NEVER had one-- then that's fucking ridiculous.

Spain hosting two in 24 years would be the equivalent of the U.S. hosting the Games in both Dallas and Houston a quarter century apart.

[BTR]

I know there's more than regionality--to make up a word--in play (you know, like safety and infrastructure and all that), but Madrid shouldn't get the games because that would give Europe a nice 3 out of 4. Athens in '04, London in '12, and Madrid in '16. I know Europe is diverse, but they should move it around the globe.

This opens the door for Cleveland in 2020!

Also, I like Colbert's rationale: It has to go to Chicago. It can't go to Tokyo, because they just had the games in China. And they can't put it in Rio or Madrid because the athletes can't drink the water in Mexico.

[punk/core]

Ohhhh, party time in Brazil.

[creepy]

Ohhhh, kidnapping, armed robbery, and murder in Brazil.

[BC]

Oct 2, 2009 11:25:37 GMT -5 BTR said:

This opens the door for Cleveland in 2020!

Not sure if that was sarcasm.

I follow Olympic bid procedures fairly closely. There are four big favorites for 2020, especially considering how this bid went. The European bid sems to favor an Italian bid (likely Rome or Milan) or St. Petersburg, Russia.

There will be a potential epic bid war here in North America between Toronto (which has come this close to winning twice now and an American bid that will likely be either Detroit, Boston, or the Twin Cities. While the US seems to have hosted a lot recently, this will mark the longest length of time between US cities hosting the Summer Olympics in a very long time.

The biggest threat to all of the above will be a likely South African bid (either Cape Town or Durban). Africa has never hosted the Olympics, and this selection of Rio de Janeiro since South America has never hosted one, seems to help their cause. They will also have a World Cup under their belt after next summer, so that can either help or hurt their cause.

[Habs]

The selection process for the Olympics is one of the most ridiculous things ever. The corruption on those committee is of the charts.
Now that behing said, I would love to be on such a selection committee, where do I send my resume?

[salmonjunkie]

I love Rio. That would be a great spot for the olympics. Those folks know how to celebrate.

[Outback Frito Pendejo]

Samaranch played the I'm old and about to die card (TM me) for Madrid, potentially pulling votes away from Chicago. Or maybe the committee was afraid they'd run into Jay Mariotti?

[Tommy]

Oct 2, 2009 12:05:12 GMT -5 creepy said:

Ohhhh, kidnapping, armed robbery, and murder in Brazil.

Have you been to Chicago?

[BC]

Yeah Samaranch probably did hurt Chicago, but no one was going to beat Rio de Janeiro so it doesn't matter if they were eliminated first, second, or third. You're eliminated either way. Madrid doesn't get squat for being the runner up. Chicago needs to quit bitching (is that possible?)

Mariotti was in Copenhagen, so yeah, let's blame him.