Daley legacy may suffer over Olympic loss

CHICAGO, Oct. 3 (UPI) -- The legacy of Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley may take a hit because of his city's inability to land the 2016 Summer Olympics, an expert says.

Andy Shaw, executive director of the Better Government Association government watchdog group, said with Rio de Janeiro beating out Chicago for hosting duties of the 2016 Games, Daley could wind up being remembered more for corruption scandals, The Christian Science Monitor reported Saturday.

"It's a huge blow to the mayor. (The Games) would have been the lead to his story," Shaw said. "Now he's facing a legacy as Chicago's longest-standing mayor who suffered through multiple corruption scandals."

The Monitor said Daley, who spent a large portion of the last 2 1/2 years trying to lure the Summer Games to Chicago, downplayed the impact of the International Olympic Committee's decision Friday on his career.

"This was never about Rich Daley," the mayor said. "It was about (past Olympic greats) Jesse Owens and Ralph Metcalfe. Not me."