First Time, Long Time: WSCR-AM's Terry Boers

Boers Says Chicago Residents Confident City Will Get Olympics

This week's "First Time, Long Time" focuses on Chicago's bid for the '16 Games ahead of the IOC's vote on the host city next Friday in Copenhagen, Denmark. Terry Boers, who co-hosts "Boers And Bernstein" from 1:00-6:00pm CT weekdays on Chicago's WSCR-AM, tcook time out with staff writer Preston Bounds to discuss the Windy City's Olympic aspirations.

Q: As of late, what volume of calls do you get on the Olympics compared to calls about the local teams?

Boers: It's been mostly football lately. We broach the topic every so often, because there's been news about it. Plus my partner (Dan Bernstein) is so adamantly against it that every once in a while he just fires off.

Q: Roughly what percentage of your callers are in favor of Chicago as an Olympic city, and how many are opposed? What are their reasons for being for or against the bid?

Boers: It's a pretty good split. Some people just tend to follow the lead. I listen to the station other times of the day, and some hosts are more pro and they get people to agree. For those that are against, it's because of the cost. And for people who have lived in the city, I don't know why you would trust Chicago politicians who say everything will be fine and we're going to stimulate the economy. What they're doing, what they do with everything, is line their own pockets. You know, that's the great Chicago tradition.

Q: Do most listeners feel that Chicago will actually win the bid to host the '16 Games?

Boers: There seems to be a real air of confidence that they are going to get it. I don't know how reliable that is, but there certainly is a very strong belief that Chicago is going to get the Games.

Q: How do listeners feel about President Barack Obama and the White House's involvement in the bid process?

Boers: He's done his public service message, but the papers are pressing him very hard to go to Copenhagen. Some people are mad at Michael Jordan because he is not going. Obama's popularity in Chicago remains fine, but the full-court press is on him to go.

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