You've got to give Tony Samaranch his due, even if you'd rather not. In the face of bitter criticism, with the world calling for his head, he sacrificed a few vassals last week, made his speeches, called it good and didn't bat an eye. His Excellency showed up at last week's IOC summit and essentially spit in the eye of the world.
A dictator couldn't have done any better. Which probably explains the whole thing, come to think of it.What just happened? How did he do that? Roll the tape, please, in slow-mo. First, the IOC takes part in a bribery scandal, then it investigates itself, then it kicks out a few little people, then it holds a vote to decide if it will keep the Chief and does so overwhelmingly, then it says it will produce reforms, but they'll have to get back to us later on that one. Thanks for coming.
Beautiful. The IOC was criminal, lawyer, judge and jury. If corporal punishment were practiced, they would have spanked themselves.
In the end, of course, Tony, the guy who was in charge when the Olympic scandal took place, the guy who ignored charges of bribery for years, is still in office. The world is unhappy at the outcome, but Tony and the gang not only are standing by their actions, or lack of them, they're bringing it with attitude.
"Other than having a public hanging in the square, we couldn't have done anything else to satisfy critics," said Jim Easton of the IOC.
OK, we'll take the hanging.
"I don't know what they expect," said Easton.
How about firing the whole lot of you and starting over?
"It is our organization," said Easton. "We are trying to reform it, and we should be (the ones) doing it."
Naturally, since the IOC has proven to be so capable already.
If last week's meeting was intended to allay the fears of corporate sponsors, think again. They're still hesitant to do business with an organization that has the ethics of a pickpocket. As a result, there's still this small problem of money. Mitt Romney, the new sheriff in town, has made it known that Salt Lake needs more money.
"We're pretty well tapped out," says one SLOC official of Salt Lake's efforts to obtain corporate sponsorship.
As early as January, Salt Lake Olympic officials said they intended to use a misconduct clause in the IOC's contract with Salt Lake to pressure the IOC to deliver more money for the 2002 Games. According to a report in the Deseret News, that could lead to a renegotiation of the contract, which requires SLOC to spend more than $10 million on hotel rooms, transportation, meals, flowers, chauffeurs, goodies and so forth for IOC members during the Games. All business as usual, we're told.
The IOC hasn't delivered on any of the above. The IOC's Anita DeFrantz responded by giving a little patriotic pep talk, saying she was "confident in the ability of Salt Lake City to fulfill their commitment to pull off the Games. We believe that the money will be raised for these Games. This country rises to the occasion."
Whatever, Anita. Since the IOC helped get Salt Lake in this mess, the IOC had better help Salt Lake get out of this mess. If Salt Lake doesn't succeed, neither does the IOC. Good money was wasted on the greed of IOC members that could have been better spent elsewhere, and even more money was lost in potential sponsorships. So the IOC should give Salt Lake more money and consider it payback or a refund.
Either that, or SLOC can hit the IOC where it lives -- right in the perks. Ten million to baby-sit the IOC during the Games? What, are we giving them each a gold nugget?! We could host a whole country for $10 million. Here are a few items that could probably be cut or at least seriously reduced:
$16,000 for trailers, so the IOC people can have a warm place to sit between races. How about a cup of hot chocolate instead?
$22,000 for an IOC "spouses and children's program." This is probably for entertainment. Alternative: HBO.
$23,000 for an "international dignitary program." Whatever that is.
$60,000 for Samaranch's office and suite.
$30,000 for IOC hotel decor -- flowers, banners and so forth. Alternative: Forget the flowers.
$250,000 for IOC staff rooms. Alternative: Motel 6.
$256,000 for IOC office space. Alternative: Can't they use Tony's place?
$234,000 for IOC secretaries' rooms.
$284,000 for "special products" programs. Translation: Gifts. Haven't they got enough yet?
$60,000 in miscellaneous hotel expenses. Extra towels, more soap, what?
$1 million for IOC transportation, including chauffeurs. Alternative: Give them a map and point them in the right direction.
$650,000 in breakfasts. Alternative: Denny's specials.
If the IOC objects to the cuts, SLOC can tell them, "It's our organization. We should be the ones doing it." And it's better than a hanging.