Sydney Lord Mayor Frank Sartor was interviewed by NBC's
Matt Lauer on the "Today" show and discussed transportation
issues around the Games. Sartor, on whether traffic will be
a "problem": "I don't think so. ... We're having some
logistical transport issues with the transporting of media
and athletes, that's a concern. But as far as public
movement and traffic, I think the Sydneysiders have been
conditioned -- when there are major events on -- to
rearrange the way they travel" (NBC, 9/13).
GAMES IN THE BALANCE? In DC, Thom Loverro writes that
with money, corruption and drug issues, the Olympics "are on
the verge of collapsing under their own weight." Loverro
writes that the "buzz in Sydney is simply the sound of bus
gears grinding" (WASHINGTON TIMES, 9/13)....Univ. of New
South Wales Center for Olympic Studies Dir Richard Cashman
said that Sydney "represent an important crossroads" for the
Olympic movement because the "critical coverage" of the
Olympics during the Salt Lake bid scandal "reflected a high
level of distrust" of the IOC in the news media. Cashman:
"If the Games work out well, the I.O.C. will recover a bit
of ground and [IOC President Juan Antonio] Samaranch would
go out on a positive note. The Olympic movement is fragile
now in terms of credibility. If the Games don't go well, it
could be immensely damaging" (N.Y. TIMES, 9/13)
BIG APPLE: NYC2012 officials announced an "ambitious"
$3.2B plan yesterday to bring the 2012 Games to the city.
Under the proposal, the city would build a "state-of-the-
art" domed stadium on Manhattan's West Side. NYC2012
President Daniel Doctoroff said that the Games "would pay
for the proposed facilities through" ticket sales,
sponsorship and TV revenues. A proposal to host the Games
will be submitted to the IOC by December 15 (NEWSDAY, 9/13).
