24 replies to this topic

[Soaring]

Nah, I can't imagine surfing will fly as an Olympic sport. All of the 2020 bidders would have an issue with that. Surfing competitions should be left to the best surfing spots. Beach soccer? I don't really see beach soccer as a professional sport, it's more recreational IMO.

[FiveRingFever]

If I were IOC president.....

I would do away with a lot of the perks for the IOC members like private limos and extravagent accommodation requirements.
I would allow all IOC members to visit the host cities, and remove secret balloting to make each voting member accountable.
I would require sports like boxing and wrestling to seed the entrants so that you don't get the two best competitiors in a weight class face each other in the first round.
I would bring back softball.
I would give sporting bodies the ability to exceed their caps by paying for extra entrants to cover expenses for the host city.
I would consider scrapping the Youth Olympics for a "minor league" Olympics or sports festival for sports that didn't make the cut like karate, in-line skating, squash, etc.

In other words, my tenure would probably last 15 minutes.

[RobH]

Allow host cities to choose a couple of sports of their own or at the very least be a bit more flexible about the introduction of new sports. It still wrankles with me that Twickenham will be empty in 2012 and Rugby 7s will make its modern debut in Rio in a small football stadium. Surely response to the markets and local sporting cultures ought to have some bearing.

Renegotiate the sponsorship with Visa which causes a lot of ill-will towards the Games. Inconveniencing people who want to get involved with the Games - especially if they're paying taxes towards them - is not good even if it does bring in money.

Ease up generally on sponsor protection. Find a balance which allows sponsors to profit but also allows smaller local companies and those companies involved in construction to get involved if they're not and to blow their trumpet if they are (there's a thread in the London forums about this).

Reintroduce host city visits for IOC members, but under strict controls.

Unless there are genuine security concerns, insist on IOC members travelling between venues by public transport. This is going to be a news story this summer, mark my words. People don't mind athletes having Olympic Lanes, but when IOC members and other suits are driving past traffic jams in their BMWs, they'll not get much love from Londoners.

Don't pretend every city under the sun has a chance of hosting an Olympics.

Run the Youth Games as a loss-leader and be much braver with it. Use it to experiment with much greater digital content and technology (a twitter feed with a handful of followers doesn't cut it). Broacast all events on the internet rather than having most of the world not know about the evebt (deals with YouTube and the like would be better than relying on 1 hour highlights shows from traditional broadcasters).

Remove any member who has or currently serves on the FIFA ExCo.

Be more outspoken when countries are going for giganticism at the expense of human rights, workers' safety etc. Put in place (or enforce much better if there already is one), a legally binding chater that ensures host cities maintain such standards. I don't want to hear about villages and towns losing water supplies because they've been diverted to an Olympic project again, thank you.

[Soaring]

Just throwing out the question to you non American members. If you were IOC president, how would you handle relations and profit sharing with the USOC?

[baron-pierreIV]

FiveRingFever, on 21 January 2012 - 11:56 AM, said:

If I were IOC president.....

1. I would do away with a lot of the perks for the IOC members like private limos and extravagent accommodation requirements.

2. I would allow all IOC members to visit the host cities, and remove secret balloting to make each voting member accountable.

1. It's only in hindsight that I understand why perks like these were attractive to the IOC members. Until the IOC was 'in the black' after LA 1984 and going into Calgary, IOC members are/were "unpaid" positions. And while the IOC now at least pays for Business Class service for most of its members, previously, they paid their own way -- which is why the IOC "invited" aristocrats, industrialists and magnates because those kind of people could afford to pay their own way to the IOC events. (Lodging is of course, courtesy of the host cities -- altho the IOC picks up part of that bill too, on a package deal basis) So as volunteers, first-class perks like "limo" rides, etc., were small compensation for the personal out-of-pocket expenses that these 'volunteers' put out.

2. Yes, OPEN BALLOTING would definitely make for a more ethical voting!! Agree on this very strongly.

Soaring, on 08 February 2012 - 12:19 PM, said:

Just throwing out the question to you non American members. If you were IOC president, how would you handle relations and profit sharing with the USOC?

I would understand the the USOC subsists on its OWN fund-raising efforts...so I would probably let the TV revenue deal stay; and then maybe bring the USOC down like 1.5% less on the TOP deals, to placate the envious vipers in the organization.

Edited by baron-pierreIV, 08 February 2012 - 03:20 PM.