The press just can't get enough of the bid to host the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. That's partly due to the fact that five high-profile cities are involved (Paris, London, Madrid, New York, and Moscow), and partly it's just because the IOC has convinced everybody that the host city election is a dramatic, exciting, and important event.
And really, it is not.
I started out following the bid process fairly closely, but now I'm just tired of it. Every day there are a couple of dozen news stories reporting that London's chances are looking up, or New York is in trouble; that some Olympic champion is endorsing New York, and that Moscow is still serious. There's a lot of talk about "momentum" and merit, almost as if this was an athletic competition.
Which, again, it is not.
I'll be thankful when the voting is done and we can take a break from the spectacle. If you are interested, I haven't changed my original prediction, but I would like to emphasize that New York is toast; there is no chance that New York wins this bid, stadium or no stadium. I will be surprised if they survive the second ballot. Exactly which IOC members do they think are lining up to vote for them? It's either a serious delusion, or a devious way for politicians to get a new football stadium approved.
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