Rio versus Madrid.
America's superiority.
Who's out in the first round.
Who isn't.
Someone asked me how can one still be plugged in to what is going on if you aren't there? Simple-my friends are there. I got an email from one of them last night.
We all have our favorites, and I think it is a given that it could go any way. What mistake I think we *all* are making (I am guilty of it as anyone else) is saying who goes out in the first round. I still stand on my prediction of Chicago, it not in the first round, at least by the second. The impression I am gettting is that the appearances of Oprah, Michelle and Barack can be summed up in three words: not too cool.
Of course you will have the droolers who think they can do no wrong and write about it as such. As I wrote before, you will never find a bigger supporter of the President than me. But this is one time he needs to sit put in DC and let the IOC do it's job, without outside interference.
One thing is for sure-the vote will be close. And I think each bid city has one factor that could possibly take votes from them. No one is perfect, BUT it is the severity of therse factors that could determine the vote.
Chicago: crime
Rio: crime
Madrid: Interference by former IOC President Samaranch
Tokyo: Hosted previous Olympics.
Now if you were an IOC voter, who in the above would you vote for? I have a strong message for the folks trying to take down Tokyo, you will be embarassed as hell if they win, and if they don't how close the vote will be for them if it is a two city race that has/had only one vote separating them and whoever the eventual host city is. But I stand on my prediction: Tokyo wins it all.
Then the uppity war of the words will have come to an end-for another two years, until we meet in South Africa.
