Obama To Push Chicago For '16 Games After All

Sports Betting News - September 28th, 2009 - Written by John

President Barack Obama has already made several public pitches for the city of Chicago, most notably in St. Louis when he threw out the first pitch of the All-Star game with White Sox gear on.

Now he will be making the biggest pitch of them all, traveling to Denmark to make his case for supporting the city for the 2016 Summer Games to the Olympic Committee. As probably the world's most famous Chicagoan, the President initially said he would not attend the debates because there were bigger concerns here in the states. The health care debate is still raging on and there are growing concerns over tax and social security every day.

But the leaders of all of the other prospective countries like Rio de Janeiro and Madrid have long announced that they would attend the meeting to give their cities whatever edge came with them. Chicago would've be a significant underdog if he sat on his hands a senior advisor to Obama told the AP today that he has changed his mind and will leave Thursday with his wife to meet with the IOC.

Obama will get 70 minutes to influence the board on Friday and it is already rumored that simply his presence is enough to leave an impression on the members. During his stay, he and his wife will also meet with Demark's Queen and Prime Minister in Copenhagen. His wife will probably have a good deal of influence herself. She was ranked no. 2 on the Forbes list of most rich and powerful women in the states, just behind Angelina Jolie.

The opportunity to hold an international event that can net a dramatic regeneration of the city and it's surrounding area appears all too important for the struggling city. And Obama, who represented Illinois in the Senate, has already shown a soft spot for once-powerful, now-perishing cities after picking Pittsburgh to host the G-20 summit despite criticism. Hosting the games rarely brings in revenue, but it's effect on the area can be staggering. The 1992 Barcelona Games brought in a completely new beach and port area that is still a tourist landmark today. The 2012 Games in London were enough reason to revive plans for a $15 billion underground rail system that were drawn out over 20 years ago.

And what's more, the immense scrutiny given to all projects done for the Olympics makes it reasonable to assume everything will be completed at a first-class level. The Olympics don't just improve a city. They rebuild it.

Chicago is currently a slight underdog according to DSI Sportsbook. The line is +210 to be elected. The favorite is Tokyo at +100, with Madrid just behind at +170. The biggest long shot is Rio De Janeiro at +250.

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