In the one corner, we have @chi2016, the official Twitter feed of the Chicago 2016 Olympic Bid Committee. We don’t put much stock in numbers, but: 4290 followers, following 579. Recent tweets include shout-outs to range of random celebrities, including Mike Ditka, Quentin Tarantino, Brody Jenner (”son of Olympic Gold medalist Bruce”), David Cook, Rachel Ray (”a huge Chicago fan”), and, twice this month, Billy Dec (the Beachwood Reporter has a deeper review of @billydec) check out and 4 exhortations over 18 hours to “Vote for Chicago atwww.insidethegames.biz!” (Despite @chi2016’s reminders 10 days ago that “polls are closing soon,” Inside the Games’ “Which City Should Win the 2016 Games” poll is still up– we’re losing.
The challengeris @2016olympicbid, the feed of the NoGamesChicago movement– or perhaps of No Games organizer Tom Tresser. 1835 followers, following 1939. (Not sure if the misleading id earns negative or extra points.) If @chi2016’s taste the last few days has been for the random celebrity, @2016olympicbid’s focus has been on factual nuggets peripheral to the bid:
- U.S. Olympic Cmte (USOC) interim CEO Stephanie Streeter is on the board of the Green Bay Packers
- As Oprah plays politics more, disrupts life for average Chicago people and considers herself elite, the queen’s TV ratings have slipped 7%
- Chris Kelly, Blago fundraiser, got millions in roofing contracts at O’Hare thanks to his buddy, Mayor Daley. The Chicago Way
- Chicago Mayor Daley opposed Barack Obama’s campaigns for Illinois State Senate, U.S. Congress and U.S. Senate primary
- Chicago, Soldier Field, Mayor Daley and Bears co-owner Pat Ryan charge the highest parking rates of any venue in the NFL
@2016olympicbid wins the Tweet-off on the 5th ballot, for joining the righteous chorus against the Olympics propaganda messages on CTA buses. (CTA Tattler notes that “we riders don’t really have any control over which city actually wins the Games on Oct. 2, so why subject us to these “commercials”?.) At this point, we could ask the same thing of the twitter campaigns….
