February/March 2008 Edition

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Steven Spielberg has terminated his involvement  with the 2008 Beijing Olympics Ceremonies in response to his concerns over the humanitarian Crisis in Darfur. Spielberg's name was previously linked to Paris 2012's bid to host the Games.   Roger Federer has been diagnosed with  mononucleosis. The virus produces lingering fatigue and may stay in his system for upto 18 months. David Beckham's name has been added to the list of ambassadors supporting England's attempt to host the 2018 soccer World Cup.   The format of the America's Cup is under scrutiny as 'catamarans versus multi-hulls' in a court battle between Alinghi who favor the catamarans over Oracle's preference for the multi-hull alternative.   Cricket Australia lodged a complaint with the Indian Cricket Board after it was reported that Harbhajan Singh is reported to have called Matthew Hayden 'a big liar' and Adam Gilchrist 'no saint'. London born, World Cruiser Weight champion David Haye knocked out Enzo Maccarinelli in the second round of their fight and 20 minutes later he announced he was moving onto the 'heavyweights'. A 14-man British/Irish crew claimed a new world record for rowing across the Atlantic.  They took 2 days off the previous record completing the trip in 33 days and seven hours.  History was made when John Kerr wore a kilt for his original program.  The International Skating Union had previously banned men from wearing skirts. Scot, Mike Beaumont's 195 days and six hours Paris-to-Paris bike ride across 18,000 miles and 20 countries may have broken the previous record of almost 277 days held by Steven strange from Devon, England. John Muinjo, President of the Namibia football association has claimed that players were each offered US$30,000 approx. to throw a match against Guinea at the African National Cup. Asthmatic, Haile Gebrselassie's offer to run the marathon at the Beijing Olympics if the venue is switched has been rejected. Gebrselassie has pulled out of the event due to concerns over pollution. Moscow lost out to Singapore to host the first Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2010  

spotlight on: the political debate

INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE
PRESS RELEASE SUNDAY 23 MARCH 2008:
Statement by Jacques Rogge,
President of the International Olympic Committee

The lighting of the Olympic Flame in Olympia tomorrow is a time to reflect on the role of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The main responsibility of the IOC is to deliver the best possible Olympic Games to the athletes, who deserve it.
We do this in a close and intense collaboration with the Beijing Organising Committee.
Awarding the Olympic Games to the most populous country in the world will open up one fifth of mankind to Olympism.
We believe that China will change by opening the country to the scrutiny of the world through the 25’000 media who will attend the Games. The Olympic Games are a force for good. They are a catalyst for change, not a panacea for all ills.
NGOs and Human Rights’ activists want to leverage the Games and ask the IOC to act along by their side.
The IOC respects NGOs and activist groups and their causes, and speaks regularly with them - but we are neither a political nor an activist organisation.

As I stated last weekend, the events in Tibet are a matter of great concern to the IOC. The IOC has already expressed the hope that this conflict should be resolved peacefully as soon as possible. Violence for whatever reason is contrary to the Olympic values and spirit.
The IOC will continue to respect the cause of the Human Rights. The IOC will work tirelessly with China for the welfare of the athletes and the success of the Olympic Games.

hot spot: return to the Oval

Few can forget the famous debacle at the Oval Cricket Ground in London in 2006 - now known as Darrell Hair-gate - when for the first time in Test Cricket history the match went down in the record books as a 'forfeiture' when the Pakistan Cricket team left the field of play after Darrell Hair awarded them a five run penalty for ball tampering.

The spectators' enjoyment of the game was abruptly cut short and the end result was that the  'winners', England had to pay compensation to the crowd to the tune of around US$150 million.

Now the Pakistan Cricket Board has decided to re-ignite the old controversy by asking the International Cricket Council to reclassify the match as 'a draw' or 'an abandoned game' on the basis that the accusation of ball tampering by Hair was unfounded.  Check back for updates.

hot shot: a Giant step for  mankind

The New York Giants' quarter-back, Eli Manning is very 'hot' after 'landing' a 83 yard play with 35 seconds left on the clock to beat the Patriots - the SuperBowl front runners - 17-14.   Manning sealed the fate of the Giants by setting up David Tyree for a 32 yard gain which in turn set up Plaxico Burress for the winning touchdown.

sidelines: 'fans' fuel the fire

fashion icon...... Golf TV 'powers' change

So much for the 'ideals' of sport, as some might claim it is the TV rights that 'rule'.  Yet again an example of slotting sport into the world of TV breaks and commercial constraints, the short game known as PowerPlay is becoming very fashionable for both the players and the viewers.
Players no longer need to walk the 18 holes.  Now it is nine holes of match play and experienced competitors can be back at the Club House in well under two hours.
Fans of golf for the last 500 years will find that in the normal fashion, shots are distributed according to handicap.  On each tee the player is asked to chose between two flags - the regular white flag or the powerPlay black flag which is positioned on a 'tricky' part of the green and generates extra points.  Each player must nominate at least three black flags over eight holes. Sounds complicated?  Well it's a bit like bonus points on the TV quiz 'A Question of Sport'.  If you play Home and Away and pick Away you get Bonus points if you get the answer right.
Yet more ideal program content for the BBC and there is no reason why viewers will not happily switch their loyalties to a format which may prove great entertainment for players and viewers alike.
So look forward to more golf on TV, more sponsorship and more betting.

home and away: 39th game

There is always something to complain about or change when it comes to the world of soccer and as usual there are always new thoughts on how best to raise the 'value' of the sport to even greater 'meteoric' heights. 
The latest idea to go around the system is the concept of the '39th Game'. Despite many complaints that players are overworked - and this is often said of the Premier League, the idea of an additional match for each of the teams to be played overseas certainly used up an extensive amount of newsprint over a pretty short period.
While some supported the idea on the basis that the additional revenues could in part be directed to the smaller and less cash rich clubs and/or charities other took a more 'political' position, as it was likely that each club would pocket an additional US$10 million per match plus a share of TV rights.

However, prudence prevailed, as England plans tactics to win the right to host the 2018 World Cup.  By alienating Fifa, the European governing body, UEFA and governing bodies around the world with an already crowded schedule including Euro 2008, it is difficult to imagine that this Premier League initiative 'had legs'.

And as the 'internationalization' of soccer continues, Fifa's president, Sepp Blatter calls for a quota scheme for the number of foreign players in domestic leagues.  He wants teams to field a minimum of six players from the country where the club is based; but as with most new ideas it will raise other unanticipated considerstions, including a potential breach of European Law.

sport culture: Olympic flame

The iconic Olympic flame was first introduced at the Amsterdam Olympics in 1928.  Like many other aspects of the Games, the role of the 'torch' has grown by olympic proportions in recent years and best highlighted by Spanish Paralympic archer, Antonio Rebello igniting the cauldron at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona by shooting a flaming arrow.

The Olympic torch relay of the Modern Games always begins with a ceremonial lighting of the flame at Mount Olympia in Greece - this year disrupted by protests against China, hosts of the 2008 Olympics and Paralymics.  And as it continues on its journey through 23 cities across and five continents ending in China where it will tour the country for 3 months before arriving in Beijing for the start of the Games on 8.8.8 at 8.00pm local time, it will likely encounter other 'hurdles'.
This 'big deal' world tour contrasts vividly with the 1976 Montreal relay which 'relayed' a laser beam via a satellite from Athens to Ottawa and is illustrative of the ever expanding IOC empire.
With corporate sponsors and celebrity participation, the relay has become a high-profile component of the Olympics and where the Olympics go often controversy follows.
For example, Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone invited past Olympic sprinter, Linford Chritie to participate as a torch bearer along the London route; however, his action has been widely criticized because Christie was banned for using drugs.


starting blocks: a high profile reprieve? copyright: BBB WorldWide 2008

All eyes on athletics - the flagship sport of the 2008 Summer Olympics/Paralympics as the British Olympic Association (BOA) now finds itself in something of a quandary.  The only country which enforces a lifetime Olympic/Paralympic ban for any athlete caught taking illegal substances, the self-imposed British-only ban is under the spotlight while the fate of sprinter Dwain Chambers is   decided. 
Back pre-London 2012 days and pre-ban, Chambers ran the fastest 100 metros on record, yet showed little interest in the potential of London hosting a Summer Games.  How time flies and now - shortly after his two year ban ended-  he wants back into the Olympic family and the right to represent Team GB.
Chambers decision not to continue to pursue a career in American Football, found the ex-record holder preparing for the World Indoors and the 2008 European (Outdoor) Championships.
Winning a Gold at the Indoors and taking home a Silver from the Europeans, Chambers looked poised to be on the podium at Beijing... but hey, he isn't eligible to compete!
So Chambers is preparing to take legal action against the BOA.
Sebastian Coe, vice-president of the international Association of Athletics Federations has called for a minimum four year ban for the likes of Dwain Chambers who was caught taking steroid THG, but this does not resolve the outstanding issue of Chambers eligibility at this year's Olympics.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the BOA, Lord Moynihan is looking to raise several million pounds to challenge any potential reversal of the BOA Olympic ban and intends to appoint the very best lawyers to defend their position.  Watch this space.

life after..... winning

It should come as no surprise to the residents of Sochi, Russia that winning the right to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games - in this case the 2014 Winter Games - has a natural legacy.  Once again, the infrastructure developments required to meet the demands of hosting such a high-profile events will entail the 'relocation' of some members of the local community, even if it is just a few miles away!

After the Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, passed a bill known as the “Olympic law”, which will speed up the confiscation of property, Sochi residents anticipate that their city - which is close to   the mountain resort of Krasnaya Polyana and well known as a spa destination - will be re-purposed as a worldclass destination. It has been suggested that around 4,000 residents will be asked to move to make room for the organizers to host 'the best Games ever!".

The challenges of turning any city of any size into an Olympic host city tends to become clearer when the print version becomes reality. As the summer holiday choice destination for Russian leaders past and present, the future prosperity of Sochi will likely be guaranteed whatever the final tally and the residents may in the end also see some benefits. Around US$13 billion in state and private investment was pledged towards the Games but the original estimate did not include all the infrastructure costs such as upgrading energy and water supplies, railways, roads, a new airport and sports facilities, in addition to the cost of buying the necessary land.   With costs escalating only a few months after the award, some projections estimate that the budget may double.  And just out of interest, this compares with the US$3 billion cost of the Turin Winter Games in 2006 and the projected US$4 billion for Vancouver in 2010.