Why on Earth does New York want to host the Olympics? {Or London or Paris or Madrid or Moscow?}
First of all, the Olympics are doomed. More than any other major sports spectacle, it depends on the public believing the athletes are "clean" and competing "fairly". Well, stories like this one from today's NY Times are an indication that this is far from the case.
Unlike baseball, football, or basketball (or soccer & rugby in Europe), the Olympics has no ardent following who will not be able to resist. For many people, those sports are like an addictive drug - irresistible. The Olympics are a two week holiday that a sports fan can easily live without. And, those non-fans who watch the Olympics will surely be turned off by stories of rampant drug cheating.
So, Marion Jones, Kelli White et al, you are ruining your sports more certainly than are Barry Bonds or Rio Ferdinand.
So convinced am I that the 2012 Olympics will be a disaster that I would applaud a decision to award the games to Havana.
There is only one good reason for New York to host the Olympics and it is to shut up morons like this guy from the Boston Globe. HELLO - Norman, what does it cost to park in Boston? Last time I checked (summer 2003) it was more than NYC!
