London calling, but spurned Chicago will be watching

Admit it. You'll be parked in front of the television Friday night with a bowl of popcorn in your lap and a chip on your shoulder.

London hosts the 2012 Summer Olympic Games with opening ceremonies airing at 6:30 p.m. Chicago time. The theme is "Isles of Wonder" inspired by William Shakespeare's "The Tempest." The production is supposed to transplant viewers to a quaint British countryside with horses, chickens and sheep. Directed by Oscar winner Danny Boyle, the show includes a cast of 10,000.

Chances are, Chicagoans will not be critiquing Boyle's interpretation of Shakespeare. No, we'll be comparing London's production to what Chicago could have done four years from now. Folks here still have mixed views on Mayor Richard Daley's bid to the host the 2016 summer games. The city's early elimination remains a sore spot for some and a well of relief for others. Watching the London games will be a reminder of the moment three years ago when the president of the International Olympic Committee announced, "Chicago, having obtained the least number of votes, will not participate in the next round."

But we had the president of the United States ? and Oprah!

Proud Chicagoans who gathered at Daley Plaza for the live announcement quietly dispersed, disappointed. For others, the rejection was welcome news. Hosting the games can be a logistical and financial nightmare. A University of Oxford study projects the London games will be the most costly ever at around $13.4 billion. That's 101 percent over the city's original budget.

The competition each year to outdo previous opening ceremonies is intense, too. The grandiose Beijing production of 2008 will be a tough act for London to follow. The Chinese enlisted ? we're not kidding ? weather manipulation to ensure it didn't rain. That's right. In addition to the astonishing technical displays, the government tapped its Beijing Weather Modification Office to break up cloud formations before they reached the city. Opening ceremonies unfolded under a clear sky.

So go ahead, London, with your 145 days of rain each year. Good luck.

Just imagine: If Chicago had been chosen to host the 2016 games, taxpayers could have been on the hook for a cloud separator.

But Chicago was not picked, and that means viewers here can languorously watch the games. We can enjoy opening ceremonies without angst about topping them as the next host city. We can hope for another Kerri Strug moment when she nailed a crucial vault landing with an injured ankle. We can hope for another Michael Johnson or root for a Dream Team. Some of us might even cross our fingers for another Tonya Harding-esque melodrama.

This year, Olympics viewers will meet Oscar Pistorius, a South African sprint runner who lost his legs as a baby due to a congenital defect. He is set to become the first double amputee to compete with able-bodied runners. We will see Holley Mangold? a weightlifter who stands 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighs 350 pounds ? compete in a sport she discovered only three years ago. And we can cheer track and field star Lolo Jones, a 29-year-old devout Christian who endured a poverty-stricken childhood. She made headlines recently when she revealed she plans to remain a virgin until marriage.

Are you hooked yet?

Go ahead. Grab the biggest popcorn tub in the pantry. Brush away the chip on the shoulder. Chicago won't host the next summer Games.

And then watch in awe at the athleticism.

No matter where it's hosted, the Olympics are still the world's largest home game.

Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/ct-edit-olympics-20120723,0,1322280.story?track=rss

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