Ring that bell!

First off, I will say I don't care much for John McCain. I care even less for his trophy wife. But there is one thing both presidential candidates agree on that I can approve of: tying the attendance of George Bush at the 2008 Olympic Games to human rights improvements in China.

According to a report in Around the Rings, Barack Obama said any attendance should be tied to China's improvements in their relation to the Dalai Lama. John McCain has said attendance should be tied to overall human rights improvements. It's not a popular subject with most writers and even less with those that are toeing the party line of their media employers (and there are a LOT of those around.)

Some people have said Barack Obama's comments could hurt the Chicago 2016 bid. I really don't think they will have much of an effect, since they are already in trouble, with their avoidance of the issues and refusal to answer some vital questions regarding the city's rogue cops and how they would handle policing and security, should the IOC award the Games to that city.

You don't usually get straight talk from politicians, especially in an election year. But McCain himself has said he has "bucked the party line" with his stance on some of the issues. It took a lot of guts for him to say what he did and I applaud that. But it won't be enough to garner my vote.

After the November elections, I think it will be a new day in terms of the US's relationship with the IOC, and the bidding process overall. My gut feeling is that this is going to be one ugly and bitter election in Copenhagen, the likes of which we haven't seen since Moscow 2001. And that is when corners get cut, and people start to take shortcuts. The USOC needs to keep a watchful eye on things, especially after November, otherwise you are going to see some people slide back into the old ways of doing things, which the IOC has fought a great battle to clean up.

But we're digressing here a bit. It's refreshing to see two presidential candidates tell it like it is (and how it should be) with our relationship to China and tying that relationship to improvements in human rights. I expected it from Obama and got caught by surprise by McCain.

How about us "catching some others by surprise" and holding them responsible?

And you don't have to wait for November to roll around to do it.

Seven years ago today...

...I was on a trip that would change my life-literally.

But little did I know that at the time. Everyone else knew it, except me. I was too busy working my fanny off to do battle with people who said they couldn't be taken to task, that they deserved the big prize, after Sydney beat them out.

They ultimately were proved wrong, in one sixty-second exchange, that sent 600 reporters running to their computers and the auxiliary media work room across town going dead silent. A buddy of mine was in there, and later on that day, we met up for a drink and I asked him what the reaction was.

"You could have heard a pin drop", he said. Another guy was overheard to say "She's nailed it."

When someone came up to me later and said that I "was quite prepared", I had to respond by saying that I had no choice. I was a one-man band, going up against people who had been doing this for ten, twenty or more years. With j-school degrees.

My qualifications? A passion for justice, spurned by the senseless beating of a dear friend of mine, which eventually required her to be on a medivac flight back to her home country. I didn't want it to happen to anyone else, and I wasn't prepared to toe the Party line either that so many folks here in this country were all to eager to appease.

I can't believe it's been seven years. I am still quite humbled at the years since. It's been an amazing journey, full of laughs, tears, and yes, sometimes puzzlement. But I wouldn't have done anything differently or said anything different in the years since.

Hey, I am even grateful for the jerks, because they teach me how not to present myself at IOC activities. No one is above anyone else, and no one is better than anyone else.

We're all in this together.

Stay safe, stay cool and most important, stay humbled. There is not enough of that in the Olympic media pool right now and it's desperately needed.

Thank you.

Getting loopy

I've been trying to chase someone down this week to get a response to a question. I won't mention who or where but it is one of the current 2016 bid cities. The second email just went out this afternoon. The first one was Friday. I am not saying I expect an immediate response, but a prompt one, at least within a couple of business days. Contrast this to my friends at VANOC (love you guys) who found out a little used email address and have been emailing me thier updates on that one. I very rarely (if ever) give out that address and have *never* given it out for Olympic business. I just had to smile when I recieved the first VANOC email and said to myself "you guys got it right!" Those are people who WANT to keep people like me in the loop.

Maybe if you have a secretary, you have time to chase people down. But on days like today when other non-sport related business has to be taken care of, it would be a common courtesy to take a few moments to respond, a quick email, or even something that said "we're tied up at the moment but we will get back to you within______(insert time here.)"

You meet the same people on the way up as you do on the way down. Being selective in trying to get your message out doesn't work. Witholding info only tells me you have something to hide.

And if you do, rest assured, I will find out about it and scribe it here.

BOCOG would tell you it's not worth it.

Friday's Random Thoughts

We're boiling hot down here. Looks like it's going to be a rough summer. The utility companies are going to be making their money, that's for sure. And it's only mid-June!




Gus Hansen got his butt kicked big time on Poker After Dark this week. And who's the beoytch with the newsboy cap that has such a nasty attitude?

We're seeing some very sordid cases of animal abuse this week. I say it's a short route from killing animals to killing humans...the FBI stats prove it.

Boris Johnson, who is the Mayor of London has said "enough" with London 2012's spiraling costs. He's just cut a major chunk of the promotion budget for Beijing. Good doing!

Raise your hand if you have had a case of that nasty summer flu that is going around.

One of the nicest (and funniest!) tributes to Jim McKay that I read this week was from someone who said "Say hello to Cosell when you get there!" (And maybe Tim Russert can act as moderator once the arguing starts!)



Back on Monday morning-be good.

Copenhagen cool

We've awhile to go before October, 2009 rolls around. Athens, Cairo, Mexico City and Singapore were also in the running to host. The Bella Centre is where it all will be happening. What might we expect from this Session? My gut feeling is lots of surprises, benefiting it's laid-back atmosphere.

I don't anticipate (at least, not right now) a lot of bitter arguements, along the lines of what happened in Moscow in 2001. That one was high drama, for sure. The va-va-vroom feeling of Singapore filtered down to what happened in 2005.

Of course, lots can happen between now and then. I don't think the current calm and collected feeling is going to last for very long. We've got a little more than 1 1/2years to get worked up...and I am sure someone will say something to someone somewhere (got that?) and the gloves come off.

Copenhagen is a most befitting host. I have never been there but am looking forward to it. A friend of mine has been there and she said it was a wonderful and friendly place. And someone is coming away with a really big prize.

We're all staying calm-for now.

Ten issues I would like to see the IOC resolve-once and for all

1. The cost to stage the Games. When Jacques Rogge was elected in 2001, he said at the time one of his goals was "to bring the cost of staging the Olympic Games down." Eight years later costs are higher than ever, including the amount of money spent on the bids.

2. Get a handle on corruption. Some members of NOC's are still getting caught with their hands in the cookie jar. Despite what comments that came out of Sport Accord said, it didn't end with Salt Lake 2002.

3. End the double-dipping. You are either a television executive or a IOC/NOC official. You can't be both.

4. Address the issues of Tibet. Rogge's refusal to meet with Students For a Free Tibet while in Athens this week was disgraceful.

5. Resolve the issues of Munich. The families deserve it---and the 30 seconds of silence at every Summer Games.

6. Get a handle on London 2012 costs. They're out of control and going only one way: up, way up.

7. Be open to the idea of a Summer Games in the Fall. Doha's people claimed the proposal for their Games in October was what doomed their bid.

8. Get more proactive about new media. The IOC has made great strides and progress in this area, but they still have a long way to go to catch up.

9. Stop saying that they "don't get involved in politics." A lot of the same issues that come up again and again are because of the IOC's refusal to get involved. Some of these issues would be resolved if the IOC had the gumption to step in and take a stand.

10. Find out what links there are to BALCO. Some athletes have been caught but what will it take to make someone sing?

D-Day in Greece

Wednesday's predicted to be a good day for Tokyo, Rio and Chicago.

The others? Get ready to pack up and go home.

Doha might just sneak in-barely. But it's going to be a dogfight, and it's going to get nasty, especially if Hein Verbruggen's comments today regarding the Chicago bid are any indication.

My money is still on Tokyo and my previous comments about Chicago being the first one out at Copenhagen's IOC Session next year still stand. This is going to be one bitterly fought battle, and we've been thru it before: city perceived to be the front-runner flames out when the actual voting goes down.

Let the bellyaching begin!