The Atlantic Sums Up the Olympic Race

The Atlantic website chimes in on the race to host the 2016 Olympics. Again, not a ton of new information but they do a great job of making the case for Obama...we mean Chicago:

The favorite, since bidding began, has been Chicago. At least, that's the conventional wisdom. It's geography again. The past three Olympics have been in Australia, Greece, and China. Thus, the theory goes, it's the USA's "turn" to host.

As for the Windy City's narrative, a certain Chicago politician's move to the White House provided it. Obviously, all presidents have the power to help an Olympic bid. Obama showed that by creating a new White House Office of Olympic, Paralympic, and Youth Sport a day before the U.S. bid team made their presentation in Lausanne. But Obama, and especially his wild popularity overseas, changed the dynamics of the selection process. The lure of an Obamalympics may simply be too much for the IOC to resist: Awarding the games to his adopted hometown (and scheduled for what would be his last summer in office, in the event that he's reelected), would let the IOC, on behalf of the world, thank the American people for electing him. Yet another case of the president's near-preternatural ability to put himself at the center of events.

They also handicap the sports being considered for the 2016 games. According to the article golf has a good shot. Wouldn't it be fun to see a 40 year old Tiger Woods win the first ever Olympic Gold metal in golf at Dubsdread Golf Course in Lemont, IL?