The AP's Samuel Petrequin noted French President Francois Hollande is "considering a bid for the 2024 Olympics" after losing the '12 Games to London. Hollande said that he "would back a bid if 'all the conditions of success are present.'" France "ruled out a bid for the 2020 Olympics after Annecy lost the 2018 Winter Games to Pyeongchang, South Korea." Hollande "did not mention a city, but France is expected to consider a bid from Paris" for the '24 Summer Games. That would "coincide with the 100th anniversary of the 1924 Olympics in the French capital" (AP, 7/30).
GOING SOLO: SB Nation's Bomani Jones said U.S. women's soccer team G Hope Solo should not be penalized for her tweets about NBC's Brandi Chastain because “being obnoxious alone is (not) something that should get you disciplined.” Jones: “Hope Solo over the years seems to have a really interesting tendency to make these things wind up being about Hope Solo and not the team that she’s on” (“Around The Horn,” ESPN, 7/30). CBS' Jim Rome said of Solo, “If anybody’s ruining it for the fans, it’s you for cracking a commentator simply doing her job, said nothing inflammatory and is still beloved within the sport.” Rome: “Forget hitting mute, your fans are going to hit ‘Unfollow’” (“Rome,” CBS Sports Network, 7/30). ESPN’s Michael Wilbon: “Solo is a raging egomaniac now who doesn’t know anything about the role of the commentator, but she will in three years when she gets cut and she’s in a TV studio” (“PTI,” ESPN, 7/30). SPORTING NEWS' Brian Straus wrote under the header, "Women’s Soccer Tourney All About Hope Solo, Just As Hope Solo Wanted” (SPORTINGNEWS.com. 7/30).
CLIENT ATTENTION: AM LAW DAILY's Brian Baxter noted attorney Jeffrey Kessler, who left Dewey & LeBoeuf for Winston & Strawn in May, is "headed to London on Thursday" to see South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius "race for the first time." Dewey defended Pistorius in '08 "amid his attempt to qualify to compete in the 400-meter dash at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing." Kessler also will "be on hand to see U.S. sprinter Sanya Richards-Ross, who he is representing in a litigation and arbitration dispute with a sponsor." She is also married to Jaguars CB Aaron Ross, "whose agent is Kessler's son Andrew." Kessler said, "I have never had the experience before of having one, let alone three, clients and friends competing in the Olympics. So this is an event I simply could not miss." Baxter noted that tally "leaves out some of Kessler's clients," including Team USA men's basketball players F Carmelo Anthony and G Chris Paul (AMERICANLAWYER.com, 7/30).
FIRST MOM: In Denver, Mark Kiszla asked, "Is Michelle Obama running for Team Mom of the U.S. basketball team?" Kiszla wrote, "Here's a minor complaint: Don't NBA stars already get enough love? And what does an Olympic fencer or archer have to do to get a hug?" The presence of Obama Sunday for Team USA's victory over France "was a reminder that the country's eyes are fixed on NBA stars whose mission is gold or bust" (DENVER POST, 7/30).
CASHING IN: In London, Hough, Furness & Magnay report performers from the Opening Ceremony are "'cashing in' on their moment in history by selling props and costumes online for thousands of pounds." Volunteers have "placed a variety of items on eBay" for as much as US$7,838. While Games officials insisted that they "were happy that any props 'go to a good home' other performers labelled the decision as 'crass,' 'disrespectful' and not in the spirit of the Friday night’s performance" (London TELEGRAPH, 7/31).
MISSING THE MARK? In Toronto, Mark Zwolinski noted more than 60 statues of Olympics mascots Wenlock and Mandeville "are scattered throughout London, and judging from reaction on the streets, there’s confusion as to what the mascots are, let alone what they are trying to represent." Rather than the "animal or toy themes of most mascots," Wenlock and Mandeville "appear like probes or robots." CFL Toronto Argonauts Dir of Education Programs Jason Colero said, "When I first saw it, I didn’t quite know what it was to be honest. And if you have to have someone explain it, then you might miss the entire thing ... that’s the big challenge with mascots" (TORONTO STAR, 7/30).
