USOC Ups Its Game With New Name USOPC

The United States Olympic Committee is no more. And Team USA's longtime acronym USOC is now former. 

On Thursday the Colorado Springs nonprofit formally announced its new, more inclusive name: U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee.

In short, that's USOPC.

Has a nice ring to it ... well, five rings.

The new nomenclature -- the result of a unanimous vote by the board of directors at a quarterly meeting held in Chicago -- was several months in the making, according to leadership interviewed on an afternoon media conference call.

Team USA joins Norway, South Africa and The Netherlands as the world's only national committees overseeing both Paralympic and Olympic sport domestically. It surprised me more nations, including the United Kingdom (where the Paralympics began), are not already on board with such a change.

International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons put the USOPC's announcement into perspective.

"To see the USOPC make this inclusive statement by changing its name demonstrates the true parallel nature of the Olympic and Paralympic movements," said Parsons. "This change lays a strong foundation to transform the Paralympic Movement as we look toward the Los Angeles Games in 2028 and beyond."

In a social media post sharing a news report about the announcement, Rio 2016 Paralympics shooting competitor Tricia Downing said it was "exciting news for Team USA" while Australia's five-time gold medalist Amy Winters, who competed in Atlanta, Sydney and Athens, wrote, "Wow, this is big ... such an enormous shift from when the U.S. hosted both Games in 1996. A huge statement for inclusion."

The USOPC's CEO Sarah Hirshland said, "Paralympic athletes are integral to the makeup of Team USA, and our mission to inspire current and future generations of Americans."

"The new name represents a renewed commitment to that mission and the ideals that we seek to advance both at home and throughout the worldwide Olympic and Paralympic movements," Hirshland added.

On the media call, fellow May 14 birthday celebrant and USA Today Olympic reporter Christine Brennan "went there" asking if, in an era of rampant national divisiveness, the USOPC wished to send a broader message. Read the USOPC's answer in Brennan's column noting her 35 years and thousands of reports on the Olympic Movement.

Thursday's move pleased me -- it seems only a positive one. It will be interesting to see how new branding takes shape in the months leading up to Tokyo 2020. No word yet on new logo or pin designs, but Team USA's press release does shed some light on other updated uses.

The name change is effective immediately as seen through updated marks on social and digital platforms. Physical changes to signage at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Centers, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Sites, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee Headquarters in Colorado Springs and all associated properties will be made as soon as possible with a goal of completion by 2020. Additionally, the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame will be renamed the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame. 

I'll bet Brennan will have to correct herself, as will I, of the multi-decade habit of typing the former acronym. But it's also a safe bet many are very happy like me to put the "P" in USOPC.

Images via Team USA

Blade Runner Blues

Troubling headlines out of South Africa today as Paralympic champion and London Olympian Oscar Pistorius (a.k.a. "Blade Runner" for his prosthetic legs) was apparently detained after girlfriend and model Reeva Steenkamp died of gunshot wounds in his Pretoria residence.

Details are fuzzy, including non-police theories concerning a Valentine's Day surprise gone terribly wrong. I first read the news online then heard a South African correspondent for The New York Times on NPR's Morning Edition.

It will likely be Friday before the release of more official details about this unfortunate series of events for two South African icons.

Photo via Reuters

London 2012 Unveils Official Posters

Today the London Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) unveiled the official posters for London 2012, including six Olympic and six Paralympic designs.

Check out the full press release (including artist bios) and links to the designs!
Building on an Olympic arts tradition spanning several decades, the LOCOG-commissioned works by 12 leading U.K. artists highlight competition and athletic themes of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Looking at the collection, I am enthusiastically drawn to the work titled "Big Ben 2012" by Sarah Morris. The poster features a modernized view of the Clock Tower in a framework reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright windows. Beautiful! I want this poster in my apartment!

Another poster titled "Divers" -- created by Anthea Hamilton -- is also appealing with vivid color and silhouetted legs and Olympic rings in white.

The third and poster of note, however, sort of made me think, "Huh?!"

The work titled "Swimming" by Howard Hodgkin is described in LOCOG press materials with the following note: "The fluidity of the brushstrokes perfectly captures the movement of water and the sensation of swimming."

Not so much.

For this blogger, it sort of captures the movement of child's fingers dipped in finger paint.

Though to Hodgkin's credit, the painting did also remind me of a favorite R.E.M. song titled "Night Swimming" so I guess the poster is OK, just not for my walls.

Next!

Like Athens 2004's terrible selection of official posters, the rest of the London 2012 official poster series leave a bit to be desired. For instance, the illustration of two birds appearing under an inspiring message was to me, well, inspiring, yet better suited for the cartoon collections of The New Yorker magazine.

The other workz juzt make me zort of **yawn** zleepy ... ZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz ...

I guess my Olympic official poster tastes are influenced by the dazzling array of memorable official works created for LA84, Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996. LA's official works, including artists Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg and Martin Puryear, are just tough to beat. Javier Mariscal's 1992 designs, and the 1996 posters by Howard Finster and James Rizzi, stand out as exceptional.

Other favorites Olympic poster works include designs by Jacob Lawrence, David Hockney, Andy Warhol and (official or not) the works of Dallas artist Bart Forbes are personal favorites (his works for several U.S. Postal Service stamps are tops in my book).

I'm sure the London 2012 official posters will be quite popular in spite of my remarks. Would love to hear which London 2012 Olympic posters are most liked -- or disliked -- by readers of this blog, and I will send an official 1996 Atlanta Olympic Opening Ceremony postcard of Muhammad Ali lighting the Olympic cauldron to the person(s) who post the most colorful comment(s) during the next three days.

Disclosures: LOCOG and the IPC/Paralympics are clients of Edelman, the agency where I work. Photo credits: London 2012/LOCOG website.

Exploring The Olympic City

The last 72 hours were steady busy to intense, sensational to inspiring.

Saturday started with the move six blocks east (yes, "Moving On Up!" to the eastside) from a hotel to a new abode on Marinaside Crescent at a company-rented condo facing False Creek and the Olympic Village (unbelievable!).

Completed a bit of pin trading that afternoon before trekking to Horseshoe Bay for a ferry ride to the otherworldly gorgeous Bowen Island, where our Vancouver office GM and his wife hosted a client dinner at Blue Eyed Marys, a small, family-owned fine dining establishment where the menu changes monthly (delicious!).

On the ferry out to the island, one of the island's local politicos (and really nice guy) was on the front deck sharing his torchbearer story from "up north, near Whistler" as families clamored to shake his hand and pose with or hold his Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch. Very exciting to witness the spontaneous curiosity and awe of the kids of all ages checking out the local Olympic connection.

During the ferry ride back to West Vancouver, the sky was filled with dozens of synchronized searchlights (each night since Thursday there have been more and more searchlights shining upward across the city). "It's beginning to look a lot like Olym-pics" we sang in the car.

Super Bowl Sunday was a day of exploration, starting with a Sky Train ride down near the Main Press Center (MPC) and International Broadcast Center (IBC) on the northern waterfront -- what a gorgeous building that convention center turned out to be (it was a big hole in the ground when first I visited Vancouver in 2006).

From the IBC, another train got me to the Rusky Dom Sochi 2014 Russia House at Vancouver's iconic Science World. The place was under heavy transformation into what will likely be a hot ticket destination during Vancouver's Games.

I could not help but hum Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" while looking back across False Creek to the Edelman Olympic condo! The Olympic Village (just south of Science World) looks spectacular!

Also checked out the True North Media House, a social media centre for Vancouver's Games, which appeared to have a bit of work due to prepare for their planned opening this week.

Monday was an intense day of media pitching, calls, research and follow ups on a variety of fronts. Some of this work was from the desk, but we're also hitting the streets and meeting (or getting reacquainted with) an astounding number of international media across downtown. Monday afternoon also afforded me time with a national radio contributor front the U.S. as we both went through the MPC/IBC accreditation application procedures, visited The Bay (a client, where throngs of shoppers and media are in pursuit of Olympic gear) and lunch in the Vancouver's historic Gastown District.

Monday night was the first night all three Games roommates were under one roof at the condo, with our first house dinner (delicious vegetarian soup and sandwiches and Bailey's-infused hot chocolate) capping three days of adventures.

Tuesday was bookended with the Olympic Torch Relay.

At dawn, KING-TV and KONG-TV of Seattle aired live coverage of The Flame's arrival at the International Peace Arch on the British Columbia-Washington border.

During the day, more media pitching, networking at a press conference with Vancouver's Mayor at (client) Vancouver LiveCity Yaletown, a walk through of the B.C. Media Centre at Robson Square, more media and client calls. Whew!

And tonight brought the arrival of the Olympic Torch Relay to the City of Richmond and "The O Zone" Olympic party area (definitely worth a visit during the Games -- I think my eyes spotted a Dutch House on site).

Tens of thousands of locals gathered on what was, from what I could tell, a high school track and field area transformed into an outdoor concert and party venue. After some interesting live music and a lot of jockeying for a decent camera position, the Olympic flame reached The O Zone via torchbearer Rick Hansen (a client), Canada's world famous "Man In Motion."

If you don't know Rick Hansen, you should!

On several short lists of Canadian favorites who might ignite the Olympic Cauldron on Friday night at B.C. Place, during the 1980s Hansen won Paralympic gold medals before hitting the road -- a LONG road of more than 25,000 miles across 34 nations -- to raise millions of dollars for spinal cord injury research.

More importantly, Hansen championed a movement to create an inclusive and accessible world for the disabled. His leadership during the last 25 years brought more than $200 million to the cause, but in his words tonight in Richmond, the journey is not over yet and his best work is still in front of him.

Well said!

In case you are wondering: Yes, that song from the film "St. Elmo's Fire" was inspired by and written for Rick Hansen's tour (once you learn about Rick, the lyrics really do take on a whole new meaning with so much more importance than any scenes of a youthful Demi Moore, Rob Lowe and Emilio Estevez). And during March and the Winter Paralympics in Vancouver, the Man In Motion 25th Anniversary is on March 21.

Here's to another 25 years!

And here's to less than three more days and nights to the Big O!

Vancouver Bound

Excitement is growing as there are just 29 days to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic opening ceremonies.

Closer to home, it's less than a week before my own relocation to British Columbia for a six-week assignment via Edelman, the P.R. firm where I work.

Edelman's roster of Vancouver Olympic clients includes two Worldwide Partners, the leadership of the global Paralympic movement, top global and Canadian brands, nonprofits tied to Vancouver's organizers and one of Canada's national heroes.

I can hardly wait to hit the town and get to work!

My colleagues to the north set up Edelman2010.ca, accessible from January 12 to March 31 for information regarding clients:

• 2010 Legacies Now, the first of its kind nonprofit organization within the Olympic movement, focused on creating social legacies for all of British Columbia


• GE, Worldwide Partner of the Vancouver 2010 Games


• Hudson’s Bay Company, National Premier Partner and Official Outfitter of the Vancouver 2010 Games


• International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the global governing body of the Paralympic Movement


• LiveCity Vancouver, THE destinations to capture the colour and spectator experience of the Vancouver 2010 Games, including free family entertainment and performances from headline artists


• Oakley, supporting almost 300 athletes worldwide by providing customized eyewear for competition


• Panasonic, Worldwide Partner of the Vancouver 2010 Games


• Petro-Canada, National Premier Partner of the Vancouver 2010 Games


• Rick Hansen Foundation, Rick is a true Canadian hero, having wheeled 40,000 km around the world; he’s co-mayor of the Olympic and Paralympic Athletes’ Villages and will host "The Difference Makers," a 17-part program on CTV during the 2010 Winter Games

And the good word from Vancouver is that there are at least two more "to be announced" projects/partners on deck, while my colleagues in New York are working on sharing details about client Zagat, which just published its Vancouver 2010 Pocket Guide (I'm picking up a copy for my Olympic packing list).

This is my third Olympiad via Edelman, and the first where I won't be working at a B.C. Canada Pavilion (as in Beijing) or B.C. Canada Place (as in Torino), enriching experiences of 2008 and 2006, respectively.

Each Games, with then-client The Province of British Columbia, taught countless lessons about Vancouver, Richmond, Whistler and all the Olympic host province locales and offerings. It's very cool to approach the eve of actually residing in B.C., and to soon experience the region in detail, if only for 40-or-so days. Looking forward to creating new Games experiences and stories (and blog posts!) very soon.

Photo via Flickr user www.claytonperryphotography.com

Kicking Myself

I'm kicking myself for missing today's NBC Sports premiere of their Paralympics special coverage. They have a range of special broadcasts taped in Beijing, providing U.S. audiences with more opportunities to connect with Paralympians. Here's a link to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) press release with more details (disclosure: the IPC is an Edelman pro-bono client). Marking calendar now for the upcoming broadcasts.