Op Ed: Keys to 2016 Defeats

The Rio de Janeiro victory for the 2016 Olympics shows the impact of teamwork and a unique message can have on a bid. For the losing cities of Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo, the reasons for their demise might serve as a lesson for the next crop of bidders. More in this analysis from the Copenhagen IOC session, gathered from IOC members, sports leaders and other experts.

Location, Location, Location

The logic was irrefutable for the IOC to seek Olympics in the Western Hemisphere for 2016, says one member.

Tokyo would come too quickly after Beijing for another Asian Olympics.

The IOCstuck toits un-written rule: no successive summer Games on the same continent. Madrid bid leaders should have saved sorrow and energy by realizing this three years ago.

The Obama Backfire

Did the coming of President Barack Obama help or hurt the Chicago bid? Some IOC members were annoyed that they had to get on the bus at 7:15 a.m. to be at the Bella Center before the roads closed down for Obama. Televisions showed Air Force One arriving and Obama's large motorcade.

IOC members grew impatient waiting, they say, for a half hour to meet Mrs. Obama.

The Fall of Tokyo

Tokyo got sympathy votes to avoid losing face, illusory though this support proved. But it sucked away votes that might have gone to Chicago, making a first round rejection possible for the U.S. bid.

The team from Tokyo never connected with a message.

The Paso Doble

Rio and Madrid urged their supporters to vote for them in the first round so they wouldn't run the risk of an early elimination.

Like the television show "Survivor," Rio, Madrid and Tokyo banded together to get rid of the U.S., thought to be the strongest competition for Rio or Madrid if they got through to the final round. This begs the question: Why doesn't the U.S. have any alliances?

Chicago: Help Wanted

The U.S. was told to be humble, but then was found wanting in aggressiveness.

Pat Ryan, at age 72, wasn't the right face for the bid.

The well-connected Peter Ueberroth was a no-show. He was named USOC honorary president and was supposed to serve a year after he stepped down last October so he could help Chicago's bid. In fact, Ueberroth literally disappeared after he retired and was succeeded by Probst.

But Ueberroth’s absence may have been a blessing for Chicago. He has alienatedtoo manyIOC members because of his aggressive stance on the revenue-sharing issue.

Conspiracy Theories

The IOC wanted to get rid of the USOC leadership with a Chicago loss. So far, the goal may be halfway reached with the decision of acting CEO Stephanie Streeter to not seek the job on a permanent basis.

A Rio win could mean $500 million less in television rights fees, or up to a billion dollars including marketing. U.S. cable TV giant Comcast hopes to buy NBC, which might end up saving cash with lower rights fees (as would presumably any successful U.S. bidder). The chairman of NBC Sports, Dick Ebersol, is a notable critic of the USOC, helping to derail a Chicago bid. Comcast, by the way, was to be the partner of the USOC in the U.S. Olympic Network that drew the wrath of the IOC in July.

No Clout

Former IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch is no longer able to determine the outcome of an IOC election, though he has a loyal following ,evidenced by the 30 or so votes that sent Madrid to slaughter in the third round.

For Tokyo, low influence of IOC members, despite their seniority.

Bob Ctvrtlik perhaps didn't have the clout to be the USOC international vice president. Ctvrtlik and Sergei Bubka of Ukraine came off the IOC at the same time when their terms as members of the Athletes Commission expired two years ago. Ukraine made Sergei Bubka the NOC president and he was quickly re-nominated to the IOC; Ctvrtlik was left on the outside.

The U.S. has little international presence in the Olympic Movement, with not a single Olympic sport federation led by someone from the U.S.

Written by Ed Hula and Karen Rosen.