As we count down the second til this afternoon's vote on the state kicking $300 million towards the proposed West Side Stadium, let's pause a moment and dig into the International Olympic Committee's just-released report on the 2012 Olympic frontrunners, shall we? Here's the good news for the NYC bid:
The economy is currently very stable. World Bank statistics indicate that, in 2003, the USA had the strongest economy in the world and a preliminary estimate on the average annual growth rate was 2.9% with domestic price inflation at 2.3%.Okay, we kid. Really, there's some genuine good news for New York in here. Take this, for instance: "The guarantee delivered by Madison Square Garden (basketball) is subject to future negotiations regarding the commercial conditions for the use of the venue at Games-time." Oh, man. If only NYC had a shot in hell of actually landing the Olympics, this would be like the best next seven years ever. UPDATE: An hour before today's scheduled meeting, Senate Majority leader Joseph Bruno and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said they would not support the plan, which means there ain't going to be approval today.
· No Approval for Stadium [Newsday]
· Olympic Panel Praises Paris and London in Evaluation [NYTimes]
· Down-to-the-Wire Negotiations Regarding Olympic Stadium Vote [Newsday]
· IOC Evaluation Commission Report [olympics.org, PDF]