The USOC's renewed effort to get approval for a federal
tax checkoff is examined by Mike Spence in the Colorado
Springs GAZETTE TELEGRAPH. The effort is "the first of
many the USOC is expected to make" to Congress. USOC Exec
Dir Dick Schultz: "We need to be very proactive in
Washington D.C." The USOC is taking on a larger role in
sports programs for the disabled, taking money -- "perhaps
lots of it," to properly operate programs. Schultz "hopes"
the federal government can help. Schultz: "I think the
disabled sports program is an important issue." USOC
officials have lobbied for a tax checkoff before -- "in
vain." In the early '90s, former Rep. Dan Rostenkowski,
then Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, "killed
it." If the tax-checkoff is successful, it could provide a
significant source of money, perhaps $25M, to the USOC --
the only national Olympic committee that doesn't receive
some sort of government subsidy. The last time the USOC
received any government funding was after the government-
ordered boycott of the '80 Moscow games. The USOC's budget
for '97-2000 is $393M, $30M less than its budget for '93-96.
Schultz: "Once we get through this quadrennium, I think the
USOC is going to find itself in very good shape financially"
(Colorado Springs GAZETTE TELEGRAPH, 12/8).
HELLO, SYDNEY: A lack of investor interest in the
funding of Sydney's Olympic Stadium for the 2000 Games has
led to the offer being "extended while underwriters look at
the possibility of selling the units overseas."
Applications for the $291M issue would be accepted up until
this Friday. The offer includes guaranteed seats to each
session of the Games and securities in the company which
will own and manage the stadium (FINANCIAL TIMES, 12/7).
BUST A MOVE: Colorado Springs, CO, could soon become
"the volleyball capital of the United States." USA
Volleyball leaders are "pondering" a possible relocation of
the U.S. men's and women's national teams from San Diego to
Colorado Springs (Colorado Springs GAZETTE TELEGRAPH, 12/7).
TAKE ME TO THE RIVER: NBBJ, the design company
overseeing new facilities for the Bengals and the Univ. of
Cincinnati, has been chosen to study whether Cincinnati "has
what it takes" to host the Summer Olympics in 2008. The
study, which will examine every venue that exists or is
planned within a 100-mile radius, is due next spring
(CINCINNATI BUSINESS COURIER, 12/9).
NAGANO TICKET SALES: Nagano will have "roughly" as
many tickets for sale for the '98 Games as Lillehammer did
in '94, but only 15% will be offered to the foreign public.
Of the 1.28 million tickets, more than 700,000 will be sold
to Japanese people, and 370,000 will be reserved for
sponsors and the "Olympic family" (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/10).
