USOC Selects The Athens of America for 2024 Olympic Bid

In case you did not already hear, on Thursday the U.S. Olympic Committee selected Boston -- a.k.a. "The Athens of America" -- as the USA's applicant city for the 2024 Olympic bid process.

Titletown" joins a long list of confirmed and potential (and some surprising) bid cities from five continents (Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and North America). Rome, Paris, Berlin or Hamburg, Saint Petersburg (Russia, not Florida), Istanbul, Doha, Durban or Johannesburg and even Casablanca round out more than a dozen metropoli with 2024 Olympic aspirations.

GamesBids.com an informative archive of related news, and the organizing committee has a video series worth a peek.

I tuned in to the Team USA morning press conference and media teleconference on Friday with a few questions that weighed on me since the previous afternoon's selection: How does Boston plan to market itself as a domestically famous destination with less recognition outside U.S. borders? What specific points came up in the U.S.O.C. voting? What are more specifics of the bid? As noted in my most recent post, Boston was not my top pick, and skepticism lingered.

But most of my initial questions did get answered, and it seemed clear the Boston team plans a transparent and inclusive preparation for the many stages of the bid process. Venue plan and committee member/supporter specifics will start to be unveiled.

I like that they announced a series of public meetings and a bit of detail on community engagement. It also impressed me the committee gave a shout-out to Chicago 2016 bid team leader Pat Ryan for some innovations he introduced when The Windy City was a candidate (specifically, a type of insurance policy to prevent public funds getting flushed during the bid process).

Finding myself also enjoying the Boston Globe's initial reporting on this hometown news story. A solid opinion piece inviting public discussion set a positive tone for what comes next -- a lot of hard work. Though I'm certainly supportive and now excited about Boston as the USA's applicant city, I do think it has some tough company vying for IOC votes.

It would be nice to know more about the in-room discussions the U.S.O.C. board shared with regards to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., but the spokespersons stuck to the script when Philip Hersh and others inquired with procedural questions also on my mind. Oh, well -- transparency must be back at the Denver airport meeting rooms where those discussions took place.

One factoid learned from a brief email exchange with a Globe reporter: Though the current Boston bid team really got started in 2013, Boston's Olympic hopes (or at least the hopes of a handful of locals) go all the way back to the 1970s.

I personally recall meeting a Boston 2008 bid team executive for a pin trade at one point.

At any rate, glad to see Boston get off on the right foot for the next phase of the city's Olympic pursuits.

Images via this link and Boston 2024. Image of 2008 Boston Olympic bid pin via OlympanArtifacts.com.

USOC Asks America About 2024 Olympic Bid

A couple of nights ago, Chicago Tribune Olympic reporter Philip Hersh posted Chicago's curt "no thanks" to the United States Olympic Committee's letters asking several large city mayors a question: Can we talk?

Severing tradition to set the stage for an Olympic bid battle on home soil, the U.S.O.C. is surveying the landscape for cities interested in hosting the 2024 Summer Olympic Games. Hersh posted the text of the U.S.O.C. letter.

Five minutes later I had an email in to Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed's office asking for his response. Atlanta interested?

Around The Rings was on this story quickly. It took 24 hours for Atlanta media to finally jump into the discussion. And though it took 36 hours for Mayor Reed's office to get back to me, they did, with the following statement:

Atlanta was thrilled to host the Centennial Olympic Games and welcome the world to our great city in 1996. The games fueled the city’s economic and population growth, enhanced our international reputation as a leading global city, and continues to be a source of pride after more than a decade. We are pleased to be on the short list of cities with which the U.S. Olympic Committee will have initial conversations. This opportunity is worthy of thoughtful consideration, and I plan to discuss it with the city’s civic and business community in the weeks and months ahead. -- Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed

I'll take that as a cautious "maybe" on Atlanta's interest.

This morning I spoke with Atlanta attorney Charles H. Battle, Jr. ("Charlie"), of counsel at Miller & Martin PLLC. After serving on the Atlanta Olympic Committee (AOC) for Atlanta's successful Olympic bid in 1990, Battle was managing director at the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG), later counseling Beijing, Vancouver, Sochi and PyeongChang through winning bids (he also worked on New York's 2012 and Chicago's 2016 bids).

In other words, Battle knows a thing or two about Olympic bids. But what of Atlanta's prospects for 2024?

Battle quickly pointed out Atlanta would have serious work cut out for it to make a case for a bid. Paraphrasing Ambassador Andrew Young in an Around The Rings article, Battle said there's a "been there, done that" perception that would be tough to crack.

"The IOC is looking to go to new places," said Battle.  "So [for Atlanta], it's not realistic. There's not a new story to tell to come back to Atlanta."

Not even with a new stadium for the Atlanta Falcons.

I asked Battle about the trend in IOC selection of host cities that bid multiple times (Salt Lake, Athens, Beijing, Vancouver, Sochi and PyeongChang each one after multiple bids), and Chicago's prospects as a repeat bidder that already politely declined the option.

"Chicago had a very outstanding technical bid and might have had a great opportunity," said Battle. "But sadly Chicago and New York got tied up in the IOC/USOC revenue issue."

For Battle, New York (a.k.a. "the capital of the world") is the most compelling city -- stateside and worldwide -- yet to host the Olympics.
"New York could have a great story," said Battle.

Battle also mentioned some other players on the USOC's mayoral mailing list, including Olympic bid enthusiasts from Tulsa, Okla., and cities in western New York.

"The thing that is tough is that bidding is very expensive, and hosting is even more expensive," said Battle. "Atlanta, or any city, would be hard pressed with questions in the decision they make (to bid)."

And if Mayor Reed calls Battle to chat?

"I'd be happy to talk to them," said Battle when asked if Reed was in touch (as of 11 a.m. today, no calls received). "I just don't think this is something Atlanta would seriously consider."

For this Olympic blogger, I tend to agree that New York is the world's most prominent city missing from pantheon of Olympic host cities. Mapping out the potential Olympic host cities in my lifetime (the next 40 to 60 years), from my view, the USA may only host the summer Games one or maybe two more times now through 2072. New York and Chicago are, to me, the greatest prospects. And with Chicago already removing itself from consideration for 2024, well, that's disappointing.

Not yet sure how I'd feel about Atlanta giving it a go. But I do think the USOC should bid for 2024. Definitely. I heard somewhere that the important thing is not to win, but to take part.

Photo via this link

A Stitch In Time Saves Nine

Kudos to the U.S. Olympic Committee, which unfurled a new fundraising campaign that should sew up some hefty donations to Team USA.

Through the "Raise Our Flag" campaign unveiled in tandem with 100 days to go until the London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony, the national Olympic committee for USA invites anyone with a stitch of patriotism and a Visa credit card to fork over $12 (a bargain by many modern fundraiser standards) for an honorary, virtual loop of thread in the American flag to be carried into the Olympic Stadium on July 27.

The purchasing process is quick, easy and also impressive in its social media savvy -- in less than two minutes and with just a few clicks, I selected the quantity of stitches to purchase, entered payment details then crafted a Tweet-length dedication for thread marks No. 2861 and No. 2862 in case you want a peek -- these initial two donations are in honor of my mother, a seamstress, and father, who is a retired federal employee.

What I love most about this fundraiser is how simple it is to see who else is donating (assuming they opt to share their name disclosed via the online donor wall), and also the ease with which others may be guilted into a donation via Facebook, Twitter and other social media means.

For instance, as of tonight (Friday 20 April), many of the leading Olympic journalists -- such as USA Today's Christine Brennan, the Chicago Tribune's Philip Hersh, CNBC's Darren Rovell and Around The Rings' Ed Hula -- did not yet post a donation to the domestic portion of the Olympic Movement that's inspired their work and countless keystrokes of reporting. When they donate I will cheerfully update this post to reflect their generosity.

Not too many of the big sponsors' CEOs or USOC staff -- like Chief Communications Officer Patrick Sandusky -- yet purchased their stitches. But it's been a busy week and the program is new, and there's still time for these and other key folks to contribute.

It is cool to see two donors confirmed so far with the surname "Ross" (though neither with the first name Betsy) and that USOC CEO Scott Blackmun purchased several loops about which Julie Andrews listed among a few of her favorite things.

So, a needle pulling thread may eventually see donations posted by President Obama, Oprah Winfrey or even Steve Martin and costars from The Three Amigos (famous for exclaiming "We can sew!" and "Sew like the wind!" -- though not sure we may count on a donation to Team USA from amigo Martin Short, who is Canadian; oh, well, they've got red mittens to sew north of the border).

I sincerely hope this fundraising program meets tremendous success. Like the headline of this post proclaims, a stitch in time saves nine (and it's all about the Benjamins).

Photos via USOC

So Long, Dick E.

Last week Dick Ebersol resigned from NBC Sports, where he championed the network's signature style for presenting the Olympics. Though this is a big change for NBC, the IOC and the Olympic Movement, this is, to me, a change for the better.

The change also provides a real opportunity for the next Olympic broadcast producer to right things that NBC skewed a bit in the last 20 or so years of five-ringed telecasts.

I'm not a fan of NBC's "storytelling" method for showcasing the "Olympic drama" -- though it was an interesting approach that I first noticed during a Barcelona 1992 Olympic segment regarding the surviving family members of the 1972 Munich Olympic terrorist attack, to me the NBC/Ebersol presentations of the Games jumped the shark with the over-the-top broadcast of Kerri Strug and her stuck landing in Atlanta Olympic gymnastics competition.

Why does the NBC style bother me?

During the Atlanta Olympics, some Olympic Village colleagues and I learned about the IOC's live feeds that provide commercial and commentary-free channels of all warm-ups and competitions in progress. It is possible, in the Olympic Village and other Olympic venues, to view the "gymnastics channel" or "tennis channel" or any other Olympic sport channel courtesy of multiple camera positions inside each venue, broadcast via the International Broadcast Center (IBC).

While most of America was watching/listening/enduring John Tesh nearly soiling himself over Kerri Strug's Olympic feat, I was watching the same drama unfold with commentary-free comfort of the Olympic Village. The drama was just the same -- perhaps more so -- as we also got to see athletes compete who were ignored by NBC.

Once you've viewed the Olympics in this commentary/commercial-free format, there is no topping it (unless, of course, you have a ticket to an Olympic event and view it live and in person).

To me, NBC continuously misses the boat by adding over-the-top commentary and "storytelling" to the mix. The Olympic "drama" of the world's best athletes is all the drama one needs -- viewers don't need Tesh droning on and on with faux-expertise.

To his credit, I do usually enjoy Bob Costas' informed perspective on competition, and select sports commentators also bring some interesting flavor to the mix. Also, to Ebersol's credit, he did take the Olympic viewer experience to a new plane, and the Olympic Order bestowed upon him is deserved. The Olympic Movement is better for all of Ebersol's creativity, leadership and contributions.

I just wish NBC would cut back on the storytelling and showcase a broader international mix of the real drama of global competition. People will watch it with as much, if not more, interest, in my opinion.

No matter which network picks up the U.S. Olympic broadcasting rights for Sochi 2014 and Rio de Janiero 2016 in a few weeks, when the IOC determines the Games broadcaster of the two post-London 2012 Olympiads, I hope they will seize this post-Ebersol opportunity to assess the IOC commentary-free format and consider a sport-by-channel offering that will let the viewer determine for themselves the "drama" unfolding on screen.

Could be a real treat for viewers to enjoy IOC-pure format (with all the new technology at everyone's fingertips, why not empower viewers with on-screen options to learn more about ALL of the athletes in the competition rather than only the Americans?).

Chicago Tribune Olympic reporter Philip Hersh also poses some interesting questions about Ebersol worth a read at the Globetrotting blog.

It will be interesting to see where Ebersol turns up next in Olympic circles.

Photo via AFP/Getty Images/Stephen Lovekin at this link

Olympic Headlines

Just read a couple of inspiring Olympian stories from recent news reports: NOLA.com reports on 1948 Olympic bronze medalist Herb Johnson delivered an inspiring commencement address; hope to see him return to London next summer! The Houston Chronicle showcases a speedskater to watch in the lead-up to Sochi 2014. Also a great read, Chicago Tribune international sports columnist Philip Hersh's update regarding IOC President Jacques Rogge's delayed reaction to Osama bin Laden's death. Happy reading on this happy Mother's Day.