Could Gaming Help Chicago Become an “Olympic” Kind of Town

One thing came to mind after da Bears loss to the Panthers last night outside of whether Ron Rivera (Bears Defensive Coordinator) still has a shot to take over in St. Louis: what are the chances of Chicago getting the summer Olympics in 2016?

While the U.S. Olympic Committee has yet to make any decisions on whether an American city will even be nominated to host the 2016 Games, Jim Scherr, CEO of the U.S. Olympic Committee, stated in a press conference in Chicago that “[Chicago would] not only be an excellent host for an Olympic Games, but would have an opportunity to be a successful bidder if it chose to bide and if we chose to run.”

The biggest impediment to the Windy City’s bid: not having an appropriate venue for Opening and Closing Ceremonies. Hosting the Olympics requires a venue that would seat at least 80,000 people (the recently renovated Soldier Field only holds 61,500). While the Mayor’s exploratory committee would seek out both financial and physical aid in hosting the Summer Games from other cities, states and universities, the “gem” of the ceremonies would most certainly be in Chicago.

The idea has been circulated of possibly bringing in a second NFL franchise to Chicago that would play in a venue constructed for said team’s home games as well as for use in the hosting of the 2016 Games. While the idea of Chicago supporting a second NFL team seems daunting, there is precedent (the Cardinals played in Chicago and the greater metropolitan area until 1960). With the difficulties that bringing in a new NFL franchise presents, is there an easier solution? Maybe City Hall should look East…

Mellon Arena, home to the Pittsburgh Penguins, is run down as is the surrounding neighborhood, which apparently has great accessibility to downtown Pittsburgh. Mario Lemieux and the rest of the ownership group had threatened to leave the area, but recently announced partnering up with Isle of Capri casinos. If Isle of Capri, which owns 15 casinos throughout the US, Europe, and the Bahamas, secures the state license to operate a Pittsburgh casino, it would build the casino in the lower Hill District, with a new facility for the Penguins in the same complex. Along with this is a plan for redevelopment of the area. Of note, Mario's crew has made it clear that there is a "risk" that the Penguins will leave town if their new friends don't get the slot machine license.

Some interesting questions arise out of the Pittsburgh case. Should there be a certain distance from gaming corporations and professional sports teams in terms of funding? How appropriate is it for a professional ownership group to strong-arm the state gaming board by threatening a team leaving town if a gaming license is not given?

If the Penguins deal goes through, could this not be a model for Chicago? It is no secret that Mayor Daley wants a casino in Chicago, so why not combine the ambitions for gaming with The Games? Such a venture would not only provide Chicago with a venue necessary for host city consideration, but a venue to host events like the Super Bowl and the Final Four.

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