It could rain free baseball cards Friday if the IOC smiles on the American Olympic bid.
Card collectors will have a reason to party if the International Olympic Committee selects Chicago as the host city for the 2016 Summer Olympic games. The Upper Deck company has pledged to give away a free pack of baseball cards to fans and collectors across the country if the Windy City gets the nod.
In February, inside its 2009 Series One Baseball product, Upper Deck released a nine-card insert set entitled: “Historic First Predictors.” The cards included “predictions” for 2009 and stated that if any of them came true during the course of the year that it would do “something big.” One card featured Chicago as the selection for ’16 Olympic host. Another card promised prizes for a National League victory in the All-Star game, but the American League continued its dominance so the promotion didn’t pay off.
Convening in Copenhagen, the IOC will pick from four finalists: Chicago, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo. President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are in Copenhagen, doing some last-minute lobbying on Chicago’s behalf. If it happens, Upper Decks says it will be one pack per person with details to be revealed after the announcement.
