Chicago 2016 Olympics Bid by Richard Cunningham

Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Oprah Winfrey, the famed talk show host who recently renewed her contract to keep her show in the Windy City has offered her services to help bring the Chicago 2016 Olympic bid to a successful close according to a report in the Chicago Herald Tribune (We can just picture it now, Oprah sitting the IOC members down for a confab and saying "can we talk?"

And then the people from the committee all discussing the need for better communication and understanding, followed finally Oprah getting them to all agree and that famous "aha moment" when they say "yes, we'll send the Olympics your way, thanks Oprah!").

She doesn't have long to make her case however, since the committee will be making decisions within a week's time on October 2 in the city of Copenhagen, Denmark. However, Oprah is hoping that her star power as the Queen of the talk show circuit (in the United States and in truth the world over - The Oprah Winfrey show, along with that of her protege, "Dr. Phil" is broadcast in dozens of countries, including places as varied as the UK and Israel).

If she decides to go along for the ride, she would be joined by several other celebrities, most notably America's First Lady, Michelle Obama (Apparently the President has at this time decided not to go himself to present Chicago's case since he is busy arguing for his health care reform bill - of course even if he wasn't, after his failed confab with Benjamin Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas last week, he is probably licking his wounds and doesn't want to get into another situation where his star power may not be enough to make the case).

Another high powered star from Chicago land however will be going to make the case for the Chicago 2016 Olympic bid: none other than Michael Jordan, the famed basketball star is planning to wing over to Copenhagen and do his part to make the case.

Winfrey is still not certain to go. She has indicated that there is some talk about it and she has discussed it with Chicago's 2016 Olympic bid committee but so far nothing has been finalized. The real question of course is if the President himself is willing to take one more chance and put himself out there. Oprah is nice, but nothing would get the juices going quite like a Presidential visit.

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