Thursday, July 07, 2005
No Olympics for NYC
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) drove a stake through the hearts of many New Yorkers when it chose London as the host city for the 2012 Summer Games. I wanted to see NYC get the Games, but the decision didn't surprise me that much. The whole bid project seemed doomed from the beginning.
The city never really got its act together on building a new stadium. That didn't help NYC's standing with the IOC. When funding fell through for the Manhattan project, the city proposed a new stadium in Queens. It came off as a desperate, last-minute move.
The city's leaders seemed overconfident about their chances. Flags with an NYC 2012 Candidate City logo were prominently displayed. That logo was pasted onto virtually every subway car. Being a candidate city isn't much of a reason to celebrate. Getting the Games is a reason to celebrate.
I hope NYC will try again. Maybe the next time around, the city's leaders will be much more organized.
The city never really got its act together on building a new stadium. That didn't help NYC's standing with the IOC. When funding fell through for the Manhattan project, the city proposed a new stadium in Queens. It came off as a desperate, last-minute move.
The city's leaders seemed overconfident about their chances. Flags with an NYC 2012 Candidate City logo were prominently displayed. That logo was pasted onto virtually every subway car. Being a candidate city isn't much of a reason to celebrate. Getting the Games is a reason to celebrate.
I hope NYC will try again. Maybe the next time around, the city's leaders will be much more organized.
# posted by Steve Seepersaud : 8:39 AM
