Off Wing Opinion

When the announcement was made in Singapore that London had been awarded the 2012 Summer Olympics, the U.K. delegation that was present erupted with cheers. But as far as I'm concerned, it should be the citizens of the cities who were passed over by the IOC -- New York, Moscow, Madrid and Paris -- that really ought to be cheering.

With an exception or two, the Olympics have proven to be a financial sinkhole for the city and country that win the "honor" of hosting the Games. Next up on that fiscal road to nowhere will be London and the U.K., as they embark on a seven-year hitch placating the capricious whims of the International Olympic Committee.

I pity the overtaxed citizens of the U.K. over the next seven years, as I'm sure that national budget will be larded with all sorts of goodies for the Games.

Granted, the Olympics have been the source of more than a few treasured sports memories for me. But as much as I might enjoy some of the coverage, I'm more than happy to see somebody else foot the bill.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 6th, 2005 at 12:45 pm by Eric McErlain and is filed under The Olympics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.