Ueberroth Reflects On Beijing's Legacy, Prospects Of USOC Net

Ueberroth Says Beijing Games Mark China's Full Arrival On The World Scene

Q: What do you think the legacy of the Beijing Games will be?

Ueberroth: These Games are going to be an exclamation point for the full arrival of the country of China on the world scene so that it can touch all of the citizens of the rest of the world. China showed its heart in the Opening Ceremonies. It showed its culture in the Opening Ceremonies. Now, it’s showing its facilities, which are the best in the world.

Q: Each Olympic Games has a legacy unto itself. Los Angeles is remembered for rejuvenating the Olympics, Sydney for surprising everyone. What will the Beijing Games be remembered for?

Ueberroth: The ’84 Games was remembered for rejuvenating the Olympics and China entering the Olympics for the first time, which was a small footnote in history. Now 24 years later for them to be dominant shows that if you have enough resources and dedication you can achieve a lot. That’s what these Games will be remembered for -- as a turning point for China stepping forward as a worldwide dominant sports power.

Q: What was the biggest surprise for you in dealing with the Chinese authorities in preparing for these Games?

Ueberroth: There was a fairly strong anti-American feeling. (But we’ve gone) from absolute strangers to respected friends. One of the stories that’s never been told is what (USOC CMO Rick Burton) and our international folks did after the earthquake -- setting up a village in a week and housing 20,000 people.

Q: How does the USOC take the momentum from these Games and build on it in the future?

Ueberroth: It’s going to be a challenge. The network will be a big help because the idea is to take all of the sports into the American homes for parents and kids to see. Parents are younger and their kids are their focus. Taking fencing coaching into the home and also being able to remind them of the footage of the triple gold medal … will hook them.

Ueberroth Hopes To Take  Olympic Sports Into U.S. Homes

Ueberroth: I see that as important. We’re not looking at it from a commercial success point of view. We’re looking at it as a way to fight obesity. China doesn’t have this problem. We have this problem where we’re focused on a couple of sports and the computer is competing with the playground.

Q: Where do things stand with the network? Will it come to fruition within a time period?

Ueberroth: It has to get itself well established in the gap between now and the (2010) Winter Games.

Q: Do you see in that period establishing a USOC network?

Ueberroth: Yes.

Q: Do you see the existence of Universal Sports as problematic?

Ueberroth: No, I don’t. 

Q: Can they both exist and be run independently?

Ueberroth: I can’t speak to what they will and won’t do. The brand (USOC) is powerful and will do well.

Q: How critical is 2016 to the future health of the U.S. Olympic movement?

Ueberroth: It’s very important. I don’t think it’s critical. I think it’s more critical to the IOC than it is to us.

Q: Why?
Ueberroth: The kind and quality of sponsors we have will be with us through highs and lows and good and bad times. The TOP program, which was really the model created in ’84 and handed to (former IOC President Juan Antonio) Samaranch, was brilliant. It’s really funded the Olympic movement because it tied television rights and sponsors together. Most of the IOC, they don’t understand how that all ties together. We’re working hard for them to see that. It’s not that the Games haven’t been here in a long time, it’s that they haven’t really been in a major market in the United States. By major market, I’m talking about a place where major companies are located. Chicago and New York are the two spots where you really have a lot of sponsors. You can start down our roster with United Airlines and McDonald’s and so on.

Q: Can Chicago win the Games if the USOC and IOC don’t reach an agreement regarding revenue share?

Ueberroth: Yes. … It’s really not a revenue-share issue. It’s a restructuring. 

Q: Do you anticipate a resolution soon?

Ueberroth: I can’t put a date on it. We have to look at what opportunities and why. In the world of marketing, things need to be refreshed. The people who are particularly verbal have not devoted the time to understand what the issues are.

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