With the Major League Baseball season set to start next week, players from both of the city’s professional baseball teams took time out from the final days of spring training camp to voice their support for Chicago’s bid to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The city’s passionate sports fans are high on the players’ list of reasons that Chicago would provide a perfect atmosphere for the Games. Each year around eight million tickets are sold for sporting events in the Chicago area. In 2007, a combined six million spectators attended games at Wrigley Field and U.S. Cellular Field. Players also cited the city’s many cultural institutions, world-class restaurants, entertainment attractions, accessibility and the beaches and lakefront.
“The fans in Chicago are passionate and loyal. They stand by their guys, they stand by their teams. From the Cubs and the White Sox to the Bears and the Bulls, every team is supported well and supported strong. And the fans, they are loud, they are excited and they show up to every game," said White Sox catcher A. J. Pierzynski.
White Sox designated hitter Jim Thome said of Chicago, “It’s a wonderful place to play. All of us athletes push and endorse the Olympic Games to come here.”
Several other players listed the city’s many attributes as providing something for all visitors to enjoy. Cubs second baseman Mark DeRosa stated, “I think Chicago should host the 2016 Olympic Games because of everything the city embodies: working-class city, great beaches, and great restaurants.”
Cubs General Manager Jim Hendry added, "We have the nicest fans in the world, the greatest restaurants, the cleanest downtown area; we have the best of everything."
Striking a chord that even the rival fans should be able to get behind, Ken Williams, senior vice president and general manager of the White Sox, pointed to Chicago as a microcosm for the best parts of the United States. “Whether you’re talking about the beachfront and all the summer activities or the shopping and Magnificent Mile, Chicago’s got a little bit of everything this country has to offer.”
Chicago is honored to be competing for the privilege of hosting the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games alongside such world-class cities including: Baku, Azerbaijan; Doha, Qatar; Madrid, Spain; Prague, Czech Republic; Rio de Janerio, Brazil; and Tokyo, Japan.
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About Chicago 2016
Chicago 2016 is a 501(c)(3) corporation whose mission is to seek the privilege of hosting the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Chicago. The committee’s board comprises business, civic, athletic, cultural and academic leaders representing Chicago and the surrounding Midwest region. Patrick Ryan serves as chairman and CEO. Contact: Mica Matsoff, 312-861-4826, media@chicago2016.org.