Ryan says new poll shows greater support for games

COPENHAGEN, Denmark–Boosted by President Barack Obama’s decision to join them in Copenhagen, Chicago’s Olympic delegation held its first news conference this morning after arriving in Denmark.

The setting was a movable platform built in the middle of a swimming pool at a public sports facility.

The Chicago 2016 bid committee used the occasion to surround its leaders–chief executive  Patrick Ryan and Mayor Richard Daley– with the star athletes promoting the city’s bid.

Ryan said the bid committee did a poll last week that showed 72 percent of Chicagoans and 82 percent of Americans support the bid. That contrasts with a recent Tribune poll showing only 47 percent for and 45 percent against the bid.

Meanwhile, leaders of Rio de Janeiro’s bid team pooh-poohed the effect the presence of the U.S. president could have on the voting outcome.

“This changes absolutely nothing.  This changes nothing,” Rio bid chairman Carlos Nuzman said, in translation from Portuguese.

Sergio Cabral, governor of the state of Rio, said, “Honestly, I don’t really understand what could change.”

Asked to comment on that at Chicago’s press conference later, Ryan said, “If he (Nuzman) is talking about what (Obama’s presence) impact is on the race, we don’t know, he doesn’t know, nobody knows. The voters will determine that.”

Asked if President Obama would be meeting individually with IOC members, Ryan said there would not be an opportunity for that because of the president’s tight schedule.

“Michelle Obama will be doing that,” Ryan said.

Ryan said President Obama would answer questions from IOC members after the presentation.

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Thanks, but no thanks, to opponents of Chicago 2016 Olympic bid

Should Chicago lose the 2016 Olympic host city bid and should you happen upon one of the cause’s opponents who helped kill Chicago’s prospects, I would shake their hand, grit your teeth, look them directly in the eyes and say: “thank you.”

Thank them for depriving Chicagoans of this once-in-a-lifetime moment to showcase our fair city to the world. Show these obstructionists your appreciation for the loss of hundreds of thousands of new jobs that are sorely needed in the midst of an economic recession. Thank them for their politically-charged rhetoric that squandered our chance to eradicate recent blemishes to the city and state’s global reputation. Thank them for allowing billions of guaranteed federal dollars to slip away, earmarked for building infrastructure, renovating Chicago’s transit system, improving our schools, putting more police on the street, and enhancing other city services.

This list of saboteurs is, of course, littered with the usual suspects of government officials trying to score political points, however, it is the members of the press that have caused the most damage, as they try and boost ratings, increase circulation, and garner more of that precious traffic to their news sites by creatively manipulating data to buttress their arguments.

Because of the media’s constant criticism, public support of the Chicago 2016 movement has faded as of late, which does not look good at all to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). This is important because one of the key factors among the IOC’s criteria, and this is just a guess, is that a city that wants to host the Olympics must be comprised of residents who, for the most part, um, want their city to host the Olympics. Anything short of the appearance of overwhelming local support can be disastrous to this effort. I am betting Tokyo, Madrid and other cities are showing quite a bit of enthusiasm to win this honor, while we in Chicago play politics and our local news media peddles outrage and stirs-up controversy for controversy sake.

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USOC thinking about asking Uncle Sam for a handout

By Philip Hersh

For years, the U.S. Olympic Committee has noted, with a mix of pride and pragmatism, that its Olympic teams succeed without any direct funding from the government, making it unique in the Olympic world.

That era could be ending.

International pressure on the USOC to reduce the revenue sharing percentages it gets from global Olympic sponsorship (20%) and U.S. broadcast rights (12.75%) has led the USOC leadership to consider asking for government funding in the future.

“Potential government funding is one of the things we will examine as part of a longer term strategic plan,”  USOC Chairman Larry Probst said today. ”Please don’t interpret that to mean we will seek government funding. What I am saying is that is something that will be evaluated.”

The USOC funds its teams through the revenue-sharing money, its own domestic sponsorships and donations from the public. The USOC budget for the 2005-08 Olympic quadrennium was about $600 million, about half from the revenue-sharing money.

It has raised $4.4 million in an aggressive public donation campaign that began Memorial Day. But three major sponsors — General Motors, Bank of America and Home Depot — have decided not to renew deals that ended in 2008.

In the frequently acrimonious discussions between the USOC and the International Olympic Committee on the revenue-sharing issue, several IOC members have suggested it is time for the USOC to give up its lone wolf stance on government funding. With government money, the USOC critics say, it could take a smaller share of the other revenues, making more available to the rest of the National Olympic Committees.

Probst said there has been no pressure from the IOC to ask for government funding, and the USOC has not put out feelers in Washington to gauge reaction to such a request.

“I have heard comments from certain IOC members along the lines of, `You know, what’s the matter with you guys?’ ” Probst said. ”I think the perception might be that if there is a lot of government funding, there would be more for everyone in the Olympic movement.”

The revenue-sharing controversy was having a potentially negative effect on Chicago’s 2016 Summer Games bid until both sides agreed in March to put off discussions until the Oct. 2 vote for the 2016 host.

“I think the issue is off the table as far as the voting members are concerned,” Probst said.

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The Olympics would be good for us — really

Cynicism aside, it’s a wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

BY MARK BROWN - Sun-Times Columnist

Navy Pier - Chicago

The Olympics would be great for Chicago. This seems obvious to me on its face, and yet I realize it has become an increasingly unpopular viewpoint.

That’s why I want to drop the usual tone of cynicism and state unequivocally:

I’m for the Olympics.

If the city loses the bid to host the 2016 Games, we will be losing out on a wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And if we lose because the public here is not on board, then it will be a tragic civic failure.

I say this being fully informed of the reasons to be opposed to the Olympics.

From the financial risk for taxpayers to the creation of another honeypot for insiders to all the potential hassles, I get it. I also understand the frustration and mistrust of Chicago citizens who have been taken for granted once too often by their political leadership.

Yet I would make the case that the benefits outweigh the risks, and that, as my mother used to say, you don’t cut off your nose to spite your face.

Which leads me to this question:

Has our city become so caught up in the “what’s in it for me” mentality that we can’t see what’s in it for US?

That’s the way it looks.

Thousands of jobs

here are plenty of benefits in the Olympics for us as a community: jobs, neighborhood development and public improvements, including a probable federally funded upgrade to our mass-transit system, to name a few. This is a multibillion-dollar undertaking — nearly all of which will come from somebody other than the taxpayers of Chicago.

What I can’t tell you is what’s in it for you individually.

I can’t tell you that the Olympics is going to put money in your pocket.

I can’t tell you that the Olympics is going to help you get a new or better job.

But there are going to be opportunities created that don’t exist today.

There are going to be thousands of jobs for somebody: construction jobs, jobs with the host committee, jobs for every entrepreneur who figures out how to make a buck off this mammoth event.

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Tokyo 2016: Support Higher Than IOC Report

Xinhua reports Tokyo 2016 says its public support rate for Tokyo hosting the 2016 Summer Olympic Games is much higher than the rate the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Evaluation Commission gave in its report released Wednesday.

Although Tokyo’s public support was rated at 55.5 per cent, the lowest of the four candidate cities, the Tokyo 2016 bid committee said recent polls conducted in the city show that support is higher than 70 per cent.

Japanese Olympic Committee President Tsunekazu Takeda said at a press conference. “the IOC’s support rate survey was conducted in April. It has increased enormously due to the continuous PR campaigns and a recent Internet survey showed 72.6 per cent of Tokyo residents support the Olympics. Whatever the number is, I can assure you the Japanese people are enthusiastic to the bidding of the Olympics”.

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Chicago 2016 Releases Statement Regarding Poll

Chicago 2016′s Patrick Sandusky released a statement Thursday morning, saying the poll was taken when Chicagoans were skeptical about funding for the Games.

The complete statement reads:

“This poll was taken at a time when, for some in Chicago, there were still questions about the degree to which taxpayers would be protected should there be a financial shortfall. In the days since this poll was conducted, those questions have been answered and those concerns have been alleviated.

“In the last week alone, two highly respected organizations – the Civic Federation of Chicago and the International Olympic Committee – have issued reports that find Chicago’s plan to be responsible and achievable, with minimal risk to taxpayers. We have also received high marks from Chicago Alderman for the safeguards that have been put in place to protect taxpayers.

“Regardless of which poll is taken, in every one, more respondents supported the bid than did not and are in favor of Chicago hosting the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“There is other polling data — commissioned by entities that have no affiliation with Chicago 2016 — that is quite different from the Chicago Tribune results.

“Earlier this week, a respected European sports marketing agency, SPORT+MARKT, announced that 92 percent of the US population supports Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The sample size was 1,037 respondents.

“The IOC’s own polling, which was included in the Evaluation Commission Report, found 67.3% of Chicagoans “strongly support” or “support” the bid, and 20.5% are “neutral” or have “no opinion.” Nationally, 61.1% of Americans “strongly support” or “support” the bid, and 30.0% are “neutral” or have “no opinion.”

“Finally, polling data is only one way to measure support. There are other, equally valid and important measures, such as the $70 million in funding that has been raised entirely from private sources in support of the bid; the more than 20,000 volunteers who support Chicago 2016; the 2643 of Olympic and Paralympic athletes who support Chicago 2016; and the 30,000 Chicago-area young people who have benefited from programs offered by World Sport Chicago. We are extremely proud and grateful for the support we have received from Chicagoans and bid supporters throughout America.

Olympic opposition getting second wind as support in Chicago fades

47 percent of Chicagoans polled favor the bid, but that support had been at 61 percent in February

By Todd Lighty and Kathy Bergen - Tribune reporters

Support in Chicago for the 2016 Summer Olympic Gameshas dwindled, with residents now sharply divided over whether the city should host the Games, a Tribune/WGN poll has found.

Nearly as many city residents oppose Mayor Richard Daley’s Olympic plans, 45 percent, as support them, 47 percent. And residents increasingly and overwhelmingly oppose using tax dollars to cover any financial shortfalls for the Games, with 84 percent disapproving of the use of public money.

The poll comes a month before the International Olympic Committee selects the host city for the 2016 Olympics. Chicago is competing against Tokyo, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro.

The new results show slippage from the 2-to-1 support found in a Tribune poll in February, and experts said the findings could hurt Chicago’s chances.

“When less than half of the folks polled indicate they’d be willing to support the Olympics, that’s certainly not an enthusiastic mandate for bringing the Games to Chicago,” said sports finance expert Dennis Howard of the University of Oregon. “I can’t speak for the IOC members who will be making the decision, but I’d be fairly certain this would not help the cause for Chicago.”

Patrick Ryan, who is leading the Chicago 2016 bid committee, declined to comment Wednesday about the poll results.

The telephone survey of 380 Chicago registered voters, conducted Aug. 27 through Monday by Market Shares Corp., has a margin of error of 5 percentage points.

The Tribune/WGN poll is the first measure of public sentiment since Daley did an about-face in June, saying he would sign the standard host city contract giving the city full financial responsibility for any losses — a move that triggered a firestorm of criticism. Until then, the city had been lobbying for amendments to the contract that would recognize the city’s limited guarantees.

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Olympic officials to hold public meetings

BY LISA DONOVAN AND FRAN SPIELMAN

Staff Reporters

Mayor Daley’s Olympic team will hold a series of public meetings around the city in the wake of the erosion of public support for the proposed 2016 Olympics following the city’s open-ended financial guarantee.

Working with local aldermen, public meetings are being scheduled so that residents in all of the city’s 50 Wards can meet with the Chicago 2016 organizing committee, aldermen and even Olympic athletes, to talk about the city’s bid for the Summer Games.

A Chicago 2016 official pooh-poohed the notion that this was damage control in the wake of Mayor Daley making a surprise announcement that he would sign an Olympic host-city contract that would leave taxpayers on the hook for any losses.

Kurt Summers, chief of staff for Chicago 2016, said this is about keeping the public informed with just 90 days before the International Olympic Committee votes for a host city. Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo are also finalist cities.

Ald. Toni Preckwinkle (4th) has accused Chicago 2016 Chairman Pat Ryan of “poisoning the well” with elected officials and their constituents by concealing the need to sign the host-city contract.

Preckwinkle welcomed the 50-ward outreach tour in hopes it could stem the erosion of public support for the Olympics.

“As a result of the mayor’s commitment in Lausanne [Switzerland], a number of us are hearing from our constituents who want to know exactly what that means,” Preckwinkle said.

“One way to deal with those concerns — an appropriate way — is to have public meetings. I’m pleased they’re going to get out in the neighborhoods. This is a good beginning. This is what they have to do. They have to get out and talk to people and address concerns head-on. The Olympics has to be a public process. This isn’t a corporate initiative. It’s got to be a public initiative.”

Pressed on what it will take to stop the bleeding of public support, Preckwinkle said, “They have to be very forthcoming on the financial stuff. There were several resolutions introduced in the City Council [demanding third-party analysis of Chicago’s bid]. They have to be responsive to those.”

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