Let the games arrive.

The U.S. Olympic Committee announced that L.A., Chicago, and San Francisco are the three contenders in America's bid for the 2016 Olympic Games. The committee will make its pick in March and the International Olympic Committee will announce the host nation in 2009. The 1984 Olympics were a defining moment in L.A. history because they were financially successful and bolstered the city's image at home and abroad. So the Business Journal asks:

Are you excited about the possibility of Los Angeles hosting the Olympic Games again?

Jerry Roumm

Senior Vice President of Marketing

Asset Foreclosure Services Inc.

I think it'd be great if the Olympics came back to Los Angeles. I remember when we had them over in USC in 1984 and it was fantastic. The Olympic Games bring in a lot of tourists, a lot of income, create new jobs and there's a certain sense of unity that comes along with them. Also, we could end up expanding our public transportation, like the Metro and Orange lines, in preparation for the Games and stop being so dependent on gas. I went to the Games when they were here last time and I would absolutely go to see them again because I'm getting old and I don't know how many more times I will have that opportunity.

John Wong

Vice President

Johnson Capital Huntoon Hastings LLC 

When we had the Olympics here before they had some impact, but they could have had a lot more impact if they were placed appropriately. Instead of just putting the Games in the Coliseum, if they select a venue in an area such as South Central Los Angeles that could use some redevelopment, it would have an enormous amount of benefit for Los Angeles. It has been shown in other cities that if you put the Olympic Village in certain areas, it can have a great impact in redeveloping the area. If you have an opportunity to redevelop a needy area, then why not?

Jose Alex Gomez

Director of Marketing

La Opinion

I'm very excited about the possibility of having the Olympics back in Los Angeles. When we had the Olympics here back in 1984, they opened up a lot of opportunities both for local Los Angeles businesses and for the community at large. If we had them here again in 2016, the greatest thing to do would be to open the Games to all our communities--Latino, African American, Asian American--and give them a chance to help organize and to provide goods and services. If the Games do come here, increasing the city's beauty will have to be a priority.

Lynne Davis

Senior Escrow Officer

Escrow of the West

I don't know if I'm really excited about the Games, but I do think that it will be a good thing for Los Angeles to experience once again. I didn't go when the Davis Olympics came here last time, but I love watching them on TV and I would love to go if they came again. Of course, that would also mean that there would be more people again, bigger crowds and it would be harder to get to places. It will be complicated because Los Angeles is already overcrowded. When you have something as huge as the Olympics, it adds more frustration for people trying to get somewhere in the city. But overall it would be a good thing.

Kenneth Moy

Chief Creative Officer and Senior Strategist

Grizzard Agency

I was once an aspiring Olympian marathon runner, so I keep track of the Games. And because of my work now, I'm both about doing the right things and doing things fight. So this would be a great opportunity for Los Angeles to show the world that we can get it right again. That's what really makes me excited about possibly hosting the Olympics: We can show the world that we can do things fight.