Rio de Janeiro Awarded 2016 Olympics

This is the first time that the Olympic Games will be held in South America. It's about time. Certainly they could have held the games in Japan, the US or Spain, all of whom have had the Olympics before--but at least a new venue will make the proceedings more interesting. And given that Rio is one of the top cities in South America, it is well deserved honor. Rio's a fun town and the Brazilians are very open and nice people. Brazil is also a nation which is an up and coming power in Latin America. The Olympics will only highlight this new emerging dynamic. Irishgit points out the impacts that the games can have on the host city. Given Rio's legendary poverty and corruption, don't be surprised to hear of graft and scandals emerging, along with the displacement of poor people from local neighborhoods to make way for new development. As for the impact on Barack Obama, I thought it was a waste of political capital to go all the way to Copenhagen just to make his presentation to... Read more

The culture shock may be too much for many repressed Americans, but let the games begin....

Well, it's about damn time. The Olympics are awarded to a city that prides itself on eroticism. The buzz is that we're in for a real treat... Nude pole vaulting (women only) Nude high hurdles (women only) Nude, fully automatic rifle competition (women only) Nude synchronized swimming (women only) Nude fashion contest (women only) Nude Coxinha cooking contest (women only) Nude cocoa butter wrestling (women only)...and the one I'm really looking forward to... The nude, greased-down Thigh Master competition (women only) Here's a little taste for you. It's a clip of the São Paulo Middle School For Girls! Girls! Girls!Competition Cheerleading Squad. Yes, guys! This is how Brazilian women look in middle school! Obrigado, São Paulo! (Disclaimer: Because São Paulo is plagued with street crime, tourists will be allowed to carry automatic weapons. But, they have to walk around naked...women only)

I was hoping against hope for Chicago, but I thought Rio was in the running all along. This is a huge loss for Richie Daley and Barack Hussein. I can see little Richie throwing himself on his sword for the City with the Big Shoulders, but the PRESIDENT? Who in the world is advising him? Why would he risk such a loss of prestige and loss of face?Chicago went out in the first round--a terrible humiliation. I guess BH knows that he can bullshit the Pod People, Obamaniacs and such over here, but offshore it is a different story. The hard-headed people on the Olympic committee are not going to get the vapors from a windbag. This lack of perspective by our glorious leader leads to arrogance a la Jimmy the Joke Carter.Rio is a big story. Barack Hussein landing with a big splat is a bigger story.I am sure the mayor is really disappointed. His strict gun control measures have totally wiped out gun crime in Chicago, and we were all ready for the horde of visitors. Go figure.

Excuse me if I don't jump up and down with enthusiasm. As the resident of the city where the next Winter Olympics are to be held, and a keen observer of the effects it has had here, many of which are negative, I don't regard the awarding of an Olympic games to be a boon to the general populace. Essentially, a lot of developers are getting extremely rich, a lot of folks at the poor end of the spectrum are getting displaced and otherwise screwed, local businesses are finding themselves cut out of most opportunities for economic benefit, the bill to the taxpayer keeps rising with no end in sight, and the possibility of getting a ticket to any of the premier events if you're a middle income local is negligible. From sitting right here, it doesn't look all that great to me.

I give this story 1 Star only because I could care less About the Olympics. This isn't a Huge deal for us but it is Probably a big deal for Brazilians. I'm Glad for them, Rio de Janeiro Always seemed like a pretty Swinging city.

Keep in mind it's still 7 years away. I don't see why anyone outside of Brazil should really care ,unless maybe The Chicago Chamber of Commerce. Of course, the paranoid, morons with signs types will say "That uppity melato tried to shoot a race mixin' ray out of his eyes at them there forin judgers but they was able to stop him and now not only is the Laffalympics not comin' to Capybara Gonads, it ain't even coming to the city named after that band that Peter Cetera done ruined!"

Hmmm.....Lake Michigan vs. the beaches of Rio? While I'm sure Chicago has a better infrastructure to support the Olympics, Rio is probably a more appealing choice for the many IOC committee members who haven't gotten laid in several years. I'm tellin' ya, if Henry Warnimont made the call, Chicago would've had the Olympics.

I won’t lie, I laughed my ass off when the results were shown. The ego maniac is really getting a good dose of reality outside the Chicago political machine. I’m sure Richard Daley was shocked as well, it was the first rigged contest he lost.

I happened to be watching CNN zoom around the world to the four prospective sites this morning in anticipation of the awarding of the 2016 Olympics. The scene in Japan was a few businessmen in an office somewhere. Chicago was a big party, looked cool. As was Madrid. But Rio was extraordinary. Hordes of people singing and dancing on Copacabana Beach with Rio as the glorious backdrop. I don't know how these things are decided (other than bribing the committee members), but joy and passion around hosting the event seem like they should matter. In this regard, the right city won. Rio is a world class city, with sports mad inhabitants. Congratulations to my Brazilian friends, and I wish Rio nothing but joia and alegria for 2016. Some video:

Not the hugest of huge stories, but if the party they had today is any indication, we're in for a hell of a show...

The Olympics are always a big deal, and its huge news for Brazil to be awarded 2016's summer games. Without knowing the details of their bids, it seemed like the right move to have these games in Rio de Janeiro. The Olympics have never been held in South America, and since this is supposed to be an international competition, it makes sense to bring it to South America's largest country. Japan, Spain, and the United States have all hosted the Games relatively recently, so taking it to a new location seems like a great idea to me. With the 2008 Olympics in China, the 2010 World Cup in South America, and the 2016 Olympics in Brazil it really seems like those making the decisions to support these events are following the trend of globalization.

good for them. nice to see different countries get the chance to host the Olympics.