International Olympic Committee

So, it's official.

From the New York Times account:

"In its last pitch before the members, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg had tried to head off claims by other cities that New York would be back to compete for the 2016 Games. The mayor vigorously argued that he could only guarantee this leadership team and this plan for 2012."

So, will Dan Doctoroff be back or not?

This is the second time his team has lost out--though NYC 2008 pulled out before the International Olympic Committee's final vote after the IOC told the United States bid cities their chances of hosing the Summer 2008 games were nil and offered to refund their entry fees.

From the Times account, in May 1997:  read more »

'"It's very disappointing; we were very far along," said Dan Doctoroff, president of the organizing committee called NYC 2008. "The time for New York, I believe, was now. Crime is at its lowest level in 30 years. The quality of life is improving. There is a supportive political establishment. Most of all, I think there is a new, emerging spirit that says we can dream again, we can do big things again. That made it the right time. Whether 2012 is the right time, I think we have to step back and evaluate."'

Those are Ladbroke's odds against New York's winning the 2012 Olympic Games.

And if you want a sense of the hunger for good news, and what some might call wishful thinking, over at NYC2012, the metaphorical champagne corks were popping there when the bookie cut the odds from 50-1.  read more »

But while the professional oddsmakers are usually a pretty good place to turn, the structure of the Olympic Committee makes this hard to predict. One odd fact: International Olympic Committee members are on the body for life, and so the membership includes a weird array of sports bureaucrats including Vitaly Smirnov, who was appointed when he was vice-minister of sport of the Soviet Union.

If Plan A for the city's Olympics bid was the West Side stadium, whither Plan B?Whiffs of a continge  read more »

City Hall is so thrilled with the Economist's upbeat survey of New York City -- on newsstands for visiting International Olympic Committee members -- that Dan Doctoroff's spokeswoman sent an excerpt around to the press list, something they never seem to do with any of our articles.

We imagine they particularly liked this piece, headlined "The Mayor's Political Liabilities Are Assets for the City."  read more »

For some reason, they didn't send out this new Reuters story about the Olympic Village site. The title: "Toxic Mess."

Also, we hope the folks over at New York Press aren't seeking any tax exemptions anytime soon. Their cover story this week, in big black lettering, is "Olympics Go Home."

Standing before a crowd of high-school students that had been nicely primed—the students leaped to  read more »

Dan Doctoroff, the deputy mayor for economic development, says he doesn't gamble.  read more »

Until recent events in Salt Lake City, I thought a half-pipe wasthe nicotine-delivery system my ance  read more »

Within days now, the gnawed remains of two splendid human rituals will be hauled before us on televi  read more »