With Dallas's recent hosting of the Super Bowl, I had read that there was talk of a possible Dallas Olympic bid for 2020. However, if whoever was proposing this had actually done his or her homework, they should have heard that the United States Olympic Committee has decided to forgo bidding until it has repaired its strained relationship with Lausanne (the IOC). So, with that in mind, let's take a look at the American cities with Olympic dreams:
The Good.
Chicago | Sacrificial lamb of 2016
The last US city to bid for the Olympics, the Windy City presented a pretty good plan to the IOC for 2016. It featured an Olympic Village on the Lake Michigan coast and a temporary stadium for track and field (which I think is the only sustainable/responsible option for any North American Olympic host). Chicago's urban area has a population of 8.7 million spread over 2100 square miles, and it boasts one of the largest mass transit systems in the country - the "L" subway system is second in length (behind NYC) and third in ridership, behind NYC (shocking) and Boston (actually shocking).
While its 2016 bid was technically superior to eventual winner Rio de Janeiro, the USOC - a major player in the bid process - was in an embarrassing state and not in very good standing with the IOC... the people who ultimately decide which cities become Olympic hosts. With its infrastructure, resources, and vibrant sporting culture (more than just "da Bulls" and "da Bears"), I hope they try again when the time is right.
Boston | Don't you hate it when puzzles have one piece missing?
Now, I know what you're thinking: Boston is too small to host the Olympics! Actually, while the City of Boston is pretty small, the city's urban area has a population of 4 million spread over 1800 square miles - putting it on par with recent Olympic hosts Sydney and Athens. And as stated above, its "T" subway system has the second highest ridership in the country. Also good for Boston is its high density of colleges and universities - not only providing potential venues, but a cheering section of millions of alumni around the world who called Boston home for four or more of the best years of their young lives.
Beyond the Pats, Bruins and Red Sox, Boston enjoys a rich athletic tradition. The Boston Marathon is the oldest annual marathon in the world and - I love this - the first gold medalist of the modern Olympic Games was James Connolly, a Boston native and student at Harvard. In fact, most of the American medalists from 1896 were from the Boston area. In my opinion, Boston would make a formidable candidate.
Unfortunately, public opinion might be difficult to persuade. Bostonians had to put up with cost overruns, annoying traffic delays and general mismanagement of the Big Dig - which has ultimately improved the city - and local politicians might not be willing to gamble their careers on something that many community groups see as "frivolous."
But stay tuned.
The Bad.
Los Angeles | Marathon runners are faster than LA commuters
I'm not going to go too in depth with this one: hosted twice, miserable public transportation and traffic, smog, wildfires...
Minneapolis/St. Paul | Five Cheerios could make the Olympic rings
With an metro population of just over 3 million, Minneapolis and St. Paul are a little on the small side for an Olympic host. It also lacks the experience and infrastructure for dealing with large influxes of visitors. I've never been to Minnesota, but I think I would like this area; it seems like a great place to live. However, that does not mean it would be a great Olympic host. While Americans are capable of great things, I do not believe any pleasant American city could host an event like the Olympic Games.
Dallas/Fort Worth | Don't mess with Texas
While it certainly has the size and population worthy of an Olympic host, Dallas and Fort Worth are lacking in other areas. International visitors need extensive public transportation to travel between hotels and venues, and these cities probably won't be able to correct their deficiency in this key area. Besides Texas's big attitude and financial clout, I don't see how Dallas could hold its own against a field of world-class cities.
The Ugly.
Tulsa | Um... what?
Where do I begin? Severely lacking public transportation, population, culture... but unless Luxembourgeoise duchesses crave baby back ribs (I want my baby back, baby back...) and love pushing Native Americans off the land we moved them to, I doubt anyone in Colorado Springs or Lausanne would take this bid seriously. I hope not, anyway.
