We all know Chicago’s biggest personalities are schmoozing members of the International Olympic Committee in Copenhagen on Friday. Barack and Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey and a slew of Olympians including Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Michael Johnson and Nastia Liukin accepted invites from Mayor Daley and the Chicago 2016 crew to woo the committee members. But for every seat they take up on the chartered plane, another famous Chicagoan gets denied.
Here are a few famous current or former Chicagoans whose invites to Copenhagen got “lost in the mail” — reasons courtesy of RedEye.
The rejects
Kanye West
Too easy to imagine this catastrophe: “Rio, I’m really happy for you and Imma let you finish your bid presentation, but Chicago would have the best Olympics of all time!” ap photo
Hugh Hefner
The international community hasn’t forgiven Playboy — or Hefner — for introducing cover girl Heidi Montag to a global audience. ap file photo
Pete Wentz
Shows questionable judgment for naming his first-born son Bronx Mowgli. And overall, just a little too emo to win over stuffy German IOC members.
Mr. T
Mr. T pities the fool who didn’t invite him.
Jeremy Piven
Upon landing in Copenhagen, this party-loving former Evanstonian might be tempted to come down with another case of mercury to ditch the 2016 crew for the next plane to Amsterdam.
