Voice of the People
A Chicago Tribune Web log

Date: March 13, 2007
Bid for Olympics hit the bull's-eye

It's not often the egos that guide Chicago's decision-making process get things right.

So it's noteworthy enough, when it does happen, to merit applause.

Whoever was responsible for making the city the star in our recent quest for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games was spot on.

There was some quibbling that we didn't use our resident star power to try to close the deal.

Thank God those voices were quashed. You don't go toe-to-toe with Los Angeles on celebrity appeal—that's taking a go-cart to the Indy 500.

How do a retired basketball star and a talk-show host measure up against Malibu? They don't, plain and simple. And that about depletes our A-list inventory.

Oprah's not a sleazy embarrassment, like Jerry or Maury, but she still makes her living off other people's pain, progress, trauma, transition, what have you. She's a savvy businesswoman, not Meryl Streep.

And Michael, great as he was . . . was. His time has gone.

As much as I disagree with much of Mayor Richard M. Daley's politics (the assault on Meigs Field and the false justifications for that action leap to mind), the Windy City does look good, especially in summer. And there's no bigger stage than the Olympics to put our broad shoulders squarely on the international map.

So lights, camera and let's get on with the action, as long as the lead roles go to Lake Michigan, Lincoln Park and Daniel Burnham (let's forget about Soldier Field for the moment).

Chicago deserves a shot at playing the Olympic host role, and the way the city leaders went about securing that position was a shot over the left field wall and onto Waveland. It's just too bad they didn't get to give the tour in June.

Ric Hess

Chicago