Gut Wrenching Anxiety

Upon arrival in Chicago this morning, it was a sight to see O'Hare airport dressed to the nines in Chicago 2016 Olympic bid signage. On the plane, in the concourse, on the CTA train and all over downtown, everyone is talking about THE BID.

It's been awesome to run into fellow Chicago 2016 volunteers and Edelman colleagues/friends on streets. Strangers have come up to ask about 2016 and the logo embroidered on my shirt, some to ask where the Olympic bid gear is available, others to chime in with their two cents, pontificating on the outcome of the IOC vote in less than 24 hours.

In just a few hours on the ground, have now met at least one former resident from each of the cities competing with Chicago; the Japanese CTA employee, the Madrid home-towner who works at a translation office, a Brazilian-born colleague who is eight months pregnant. No matter one's favorite in the vote, everyone has something to say.

Over at Daley Plaza, where tens of thousands are expected to view the decision tomorrow morning, more than a dozen media/satellite trucks are already set up, with more jockeying for nearby street parking. City officials and Chicago 2016 volunteers are working around the public farmer's market making final set-up decisions, and the Picasso statue is donning a giant 2016 logo "medal" and laurel wreath. This is awesome!

It almost feels like the Olympics are already on here. Nervous knots in many stomachs, to be sure. No matter what happens, tomorrow will be quite memorable.

Photo via Yahoo! News and Associated Press AP Photo/John Smierciak

Where I've Been and 2016

For Facebook and Twitter aficionados, check out this contest. The Facebook folks who created "Where I've Been" have a Twitter contest in play related to the 2016 Olympic bid.

Text from their Facebook page states:

Enter for a chance to win round-trip coach-class airfare for travel to Chicago, Madrid, Rio, or Tokyo in the Where I've Been Olympic Twitter Giveaway. All you gotta do is:

1. Follow Where I've Been (@whereivebeen) on Twitter.

2. A message will be posted by @whereivebeen at 9am CT on Thursday, October 1st. Tune in and RE-TWEET THAT MESSAGE!

Winner will be selected at random & announced on the @whereivebeen Twitter page on Friday, October 2nd.

It's that simple. The first link is www.twitter.com/whereivebeen and the second is www.twitter.com/nickwolaver. Tweet away!

UPS Delivers For London 2012

On the heels of the McDonald's Olympic sponsorship news (see previous post), today also marked the delivery of news that Atlanta-based UPS is the latest London 2012 Olympic sponsor.

(disclosure: UPS/UPS International is a client of Edelman, the P.R. firm where I work.)

More specifically, UPS is now London 2012's "5th Tier Two Supporter and 22nd domestic commercial sponsor overall."

A sampling of headlines from both sides of The Pond include the hometown Atlanta Journal-Constitution as well as Reuters London and Associated Press reports.

The UPS U.K. site also provides a bit of detail. Jolly good show!

Logo via UPS United Kingdom

Action McNews!

I always get a chuckle when Tom Tomorrow includes the ACTION McNEWS! exclamatory "newscasts" in the great This Modern World cartoons.

Today a press release arrived from the media relations team for McDonald's, which announced a new McDonald's Champion Kids program through which some lucky youngsters and their parents may win a trip to the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games. I'll bite!

According to the P.R. correspondence, "To enter the contest, kids provide videos, photos and essays about what the Olympics values (Excellence, Friendship and Respect) mean to them."

Olympic medalist and "Dancing With The Stars" champ Shawn Johnson will be the official judge of the entrants, so anyone age 11 to 14 who wants Ms. Johnson to see them, here's your chance to enter now!

Photo via the McDonald's Champion Kids site

Pele Power

Just read a Jan M. Olsen report for the Associated Press regarding the Olympic feats, and 2016 Olympic bid contributions, of Pele. Interesting read.

Contemplating some of the Rio bid's tactics, as reported in the news today, I keep coming back to a few quotes from Olympic bid-related conversations in Beijing.

During the Around The Rings breakfast event in Beijing, at which all four 2016 Olympic bid city CEOs were quizzed, Patrick Ryan, leader of Chicago 2016, made a remark that stuck with me.

He said (paraphrasing here) that one of the biggest lessons they took from previous Olympic bids was the notion that remaining humble [in the eyes of the IOC] is a key factor for the potential success of the bid by any candidate city.

Some of the Rio 2016 comments today -- at least as they were portrayed by media -- started to smack of "sans humble." When people ask me "why do you think Chicago may win?" this is now part of the response: Chicago remains humble in the process.

No matter the 2016 city chosen on Friday, the Games of the XXXIst Olympiad will be spectacular. Let the Olympic nail biting continue!

Photo via Yahoo! News and Associated Press/AP Photo/POLFOTO, Tariq Mikkel Khan

One Happy Island

I've been knocking around ideas for the blog.

Inspired by Stephen Colbert's outstanding "Better Know A District" series, here's the first edition of "Better Know An N.O.C."

Premiere "B.K.A.N.O.C." National Olympic Committee: Aruba

The Comite Olimpico Arubano is based in the capital city Oranjestad, which is one of the island's only cities. Still in the running to claim its first Olympic medal, this "One Happy Island" first competed in the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games.

According to the NBC Sports Beijing Olympic sites, Aruba's baseball players qualified to play on The Netherlands' Olympic baseball teams (unfortunately, Netherlands Baseball only reached 7th place in the Beijing Olympic baseball tournament according to this site).

Aruba is a beautiful tropical paradise, with about the most consistently gorgeous weather (I loved the constant breezes, big surf on the deserted eastern shore, and snorkeling). The casinos in the tourist district are a great place to learn (to lose some money at) roulette!

Photo via a fellow Flickr user

Planting A Seed For GOP Drivel Banter

OK, a quick departure from Olympics (well, actually, this post does discuss Michelle Obama, part of the Chicago 2016 Olympic bid delegation, so there is a five-ringed connection of sorts).

I just read the Reuters report about the First Lady's upcoming segment on the season premiere of "Sesame Street."

To promote nutrition and healthy diet, Mrs. Obama will teach young viewers about planting fruits and vegetables. This seems pretty cool to me.

Given the Red State responses (in media report comments) to President Obama's decision to head to Copenhagen for the Olympic bid, or the recent headlines regarding Obama speaking directly to school children across the U.S., I'm bracing for the Senate Minority response.

Screaming, ludicrous headlines coming to a conservative network or website soon include ...

"Michelle Obama To Plant Seeds of Deceit and Left Agenda on Leftist PBS Program!"

"Ketchup-Gate! First Lady Plants Tomatoes With Big Bird To Help Teresa Heinz Re-Enter Political Arena"

"Obamas Want Cookie Monster to Devour Childrens' Brains!"

"Snuffleupagus (think Rep. logo/symbol) Leaves GOP To Roam Obama Garden"

Any to add?

Photo via Wikipedia screen grab from "Sesame Street"