Detroit Olympics?

[phx1138]

What would it take for Detroit to have beaten Mexico City to get the '68 Olympics?

That would've been huge for the city, after the '67 riots.

 

[Evil Opus]

Checking Wikipedia, Mexico City won by a pretty comfortable margin. I don't really see Detroit every winning out.

 

[TheMann]

A great bid by Detroit would be what was needed for them to get the Olympics. If Detroit can pull off a great bid for them, they get them. Yes, Mexico City did win, but it could be beaten.

As far as whether it would be different, it most definitely would be. Mexico City is at 7300 feet of elevation, which is over a mile above Detroit. After the 1967 riots, it would certainly be a big benefit to the city, and I think that it might be the catalyst to stop some of the white flight that hit Detroit harder than just about anywhere else.

 

[phx1138]

A great bid by Detroit would be what was needed for them to get the Olympics. If Detroit can pull off a great bid for them, they get them.

I haven't looked at the entire history of bidding, but Detroit bid in '64, too. What they learned from failing there might have been enough to get a good enough bid next time.

Or Mexico City bungles it?

 

[Johnny Canuck]

Something to consider - after the '67 riots, might the IOC have pulled the Olympics from Detroit & given them to someone else?

 

[Lord Grattan]

Something to consider - after the '67 riots, might the IOC have pulled the Olympics from Detroit & given them to someone else?

Actually, being awarded the Olympics will hopefully/probably magnify and push the reforms and redevelopment program proposals initiated by the Cavanagh administration further along than in OTL (and remember, Detroit was regarded by many as a showcase of positive race relations during the early 1960s), which may well soften racial tensions and the discontent of Detroit's Black residents enough to butterfly the riots away.

 

[phx1138]

Actually, being awarded the Olympics will hopefully/probably magnify and push the reforms and redevelopment program proposals initiated by the Cavanagh administration further along than in OTL (and remember, Detroit was regarded by many as a showcase of positive race relations during the early 1960s), which may well soften racial tensions and the discontent of Detroit's Black residents enough to butterfly the riots away.

Since Detroit would know well in advance, the riots might well never happen. If nothing else, there should be stronger efforts by everybody involved to keep things cool til after the games...