Starting in 1964 (Tokyo) I've been in or near the cities that hosted the Olympics — both summer and winter — several times and the story has been the same every time. The IOC hypes the process, gets a bunch of boosters on their side and convinces the city fathers that all kinds of benefits accrue to the host city. Almost never happens. The taxpayers pay an arm and a leg for some slap-dash stadium, lots of sub-standard housing that becomes an instant slum and enough security to keep Israel safe for a decade.

A few people show up, bickering nations beat their collective chests when "their" athletes win and Nike and Reebok pay a few winners mega-millions to hawk their shoes that cost $3.50 to make and sell for $135.

And the taxpayers pay for it all. And the IOC trundles off to eight or ten more countries to bamboozle the local yokels into supporting their flamboyant lifestyles.

I've been saying since '64 that the only way I would ever support the Olympics is to build a permanent site on one of the Greek islands and once every four years invite the few thousand best athletes in the world to compete.

And make damned sure a national flag never flies over the island. Then it would be about the athletes.

JMO,

david