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Angelopoulos-Daskalaki Discusses
Athens Preparations On “Today” |
ATHOC President GIANNA ANGELOPOULOS-DASKALAKI was interviewed live this morning on NBC's "Today," and said of preparations, "Believe me, we are working so hard. There are so many projects that are already completed. We already tested them. We have tested 25 competition venues under real Olympic conditions. ... Of course we have some projects to be completed, but we're on time and we monitor everything with great attention." Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, on security: "We have the right budget, the highest ever in Olympic history. We have the right people. We have the right stuff. ... We'll do whatever is humanly possible because we want these Games to be unique. ... I can assure you that whatever we do now, it will show come game time. Come to Greece. I ask Americans, come to our country. You will see how important the Games are for us" ("Today," NBC, 3/25).
DISMISSED: The USOC & USATF "have been dismissed from a lawsuit filed by sprinter JEROME YOUNG, effectively ending the case." Young tested positive for the steroid nandrolone in '99, but was allowed to compete in the '00 Sydney Games. Young, whose suit sought unspecified damages, and five other Americans including MICHAEL JOHNSON could lose their gold medals won in Sydney (Alan Abrahamson, L.A. TIMES, 3/25).
IMAGE IS EVERYTHING: London 2012 Chair BARBARA CASSANI was forced to write British Prime Minister TONY BLAIR denying a London Telegraph report claiming she previously described Blair as "not that bright." Analyses by PR firms Hill & Knowlton, GCI, Bell Pottinger and Ketchum — who are pitching to win the Olympic bid business — concluded that Cassani "could cost Britain crucial votes" (Duncan Mackay, London GUARDIAN, 3/24).
MONEY MATTERS: Comcast President & CEO BRIAN ROBERTS received a $2M salary in '03, up from $1.2M in '02. Roberts also received a $6M bonus last year, unchanged from '02, and another $5.6M from exercising options in '03. Comcast Cable Division President STEPHEN BURKE's bonus rose to $5.2M from $1.2M, and his salary increased to $1.2M from $991,000. Comcast will hold its annual shareholders meeting May 26 (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 3/25)...."MONEYBALL" author MICHAEL LEWIS, on whether there will be a sequel to the book: "It wouldn't be a sequel. It would be a book that followed naturally from it. I won't be writing about [A's GM] BILLY BEANE and the management of the [A's] again. But I'm toying with an idea that's about the minor leagues" (Josh Suchon, OAKLAND TRIBUNE, 3/25).
NAMES: PRESIDENT BUSH honored the USC and LSU football teams Tuesday at the White House, calling them "co-champions" and suggesting that he "may have a way to settle which team is the true national champion." Bush: "The South Lawn is a pretty good size." Also honored during the "NCAA Fall Sports Champions Day" were the USC women's volleyball team, the Indiana Univ. men's soccer team and the Univ. of North Carolina women's soccer team (Baton Rouge ADVOCATE, 3/24)....Buccaneers RB CHARLIE GARNER read a video answer during last night's edition of "Jeopardy" (THE DAILY).
