It seems Rio is hoping gang warfare soon becomes an Olympic sport as nigh two weeks after landing the 2016 Games, 14 people were slain during a weekend of drug-related bloodletting. The festivities included eight buses set on fire and a police helicopter being shot out of the sky. The chopper was "likely brought down by .30- and .50-caliber machine gunfire," according to Agencia Brasil.
A local peace group estimates 9,000 people have died in drug-connected violence since January 2007. Let's see ... that's more that 270 a month ... yeah, I can see the International Olympic Committee opting for Rio instead of Tokyo, Chicago or Madrid.
One other city that has seen it's fortunes evaporate into violence and a shortness of sporting machismo is Detroit, Michigan.
Once a pinnacle of all things on wheels, the city has suffered the rapid decline in automobile manufacturing (no more Pontiacs) and a government takeover of GM; a mayor who cannot keep his pants on or manage to credibly lie about it; and a "professional" football team that went winless in 2008 (and lost the first two games of 2009).
Most recently the Detroit Tigers baseball team would have got the Motor City running with a spot in the postseason playoffs, but somehow managed to lose four of their last five games and simply slink away, limp tails between their legs.
But the capper has to be a marathon held today where three people died within 20 minutes of each other. The first was a 65-year-old dude who fell and hit his head (OK, that's understandable) and then a 36-year-old and a 26-year-old both collapsed, croaking afterwards.
Huh? Was there a heat wave in October there? Nope. Overcast and temps in the 40s. Sheesh.
I'm thinking the folks in Cleveland will be losing their "Mistake on the Lake" moniker to to those clods across the pond. It's going to be a loooong winter up there.
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