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Archive for “Olympics” news
Philly’s Olympics Hopes Are Gathering Steam
By Joel Mathis 5/15/2013
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Oh, so we're actually serious about pursuing the the 2024 Olympics for Philadelphia? Appatently so: The Philadelphia Business Journal reports that Sen. Bob Casey has sent a letter to the International Olympic Committee in favor of the city's bid.
The Inky reports:lll
“Philadelphia is a world-class city that would be an ideal fit for the 2024 Olympic games,” Casey said in a news release. “Playing the Olympic games in Philadelphia would have a major impact on job creation and economic growth in Southeastern Pennsylvania and across the state.”
Casey’s letter to Larry Probst, III, chairman of the U.S. Olympic Committee, played up Philly’s
Philly Should Absolutely Not Try to Host the 2024 Olympics
By Dan McQuade 4/24/2013
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The year is 2024. Some swimmer (who's, like, eight years old now) has become America's latest Olympic hero. Five gymnasts (who are five now) brought home another gold for Team USA. Anthony Davis—this year's likely NBA Rookie of the Year—has led America to another basketball gold medal. (Since this is a fantasy, let's say the coach is Allen Iverson.) And there's a young kid from Philadelphia, mid-twenties. He's just a teen right now, but in 2024 he is America's next great distance running hope. On the final day of the Olympics, in the games' signature event, he's going down Broad Street, breaking away from the Kenyans and Ethiopians and surging into the lead. The crowd gets louder as he enters the Olympic Stadium. The track heads in the audience are going bonkers as one of our very own is about to become the first American to win the marathon since Frank Shorter in 1972. As he crosses the line ...
Philly May Bid On 2024 Olympics. Because We Have The Money, Apparently.
By Joel Mathis 4/23/2013
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6ABC reports that Mayor Nutter has sent a letter to the United States Olympic Committee, expressing Philadelphia's interest in hosting the 2024 Olympics. "The Philadelphia region has enthusiastically embraced the prospect of bidding on and hosting a future Olympic Games, and we look forward with great anticipation to the opportunity to work with the USOC on this project," Mayor Nutter said in the letter.
And why not? Our school district is broke, currently. The city's budget situation is such that it can only be discussed behind closed doors. And it's not like hosting the Olympics is expensive or anything:
Cities that vie to
Blade-Runner Oscar Pistorius Granted Bail
By Simon van Zuylen-Wood 2/22/2013
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Despite casting doubt on the case of double amputee Olympian Oscar Pistorius, Magistrate Desmond Nair has granted bail to the accused murderer. "The defense has failed to show this court there is a weakness in the state case," he said during a long-winded, two-hour address that followed the completion of arguments in a courtroom in Pretoria today. But he also criticized the state for failing to do enough background research on why Pistorius constituted a flight risk, and ultimately, apparently reluctantly, let Pistorius free (for now). When he announced his decision, the Pistorius family members in attendance erupted with a
Nutter Won’t Commit Philly To 2024 Olympics Bid
By Joel Mathis 2/21/2013
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The U.S. Olympics Committee is soliciting bids to host the 2024 Summer Olympics, but Mayor Michael Nutter isn't so sure Philadelphia will be making the attempt. “Other than the wonder and the spectacle of it, we’re talking about something that is 11 years away, that the United States Olympic Committee has to decide whether to bid or not. So we are prematurely premature,” he told CBS Philly. “Everyone loves the Olympics. It’s certainly very exciting. It would be an honor just to have it in the United States, let alone in Philadelphia. But again, there’s no way of knowing what is
Detective Calls Oscar Pistorius “Flight Risk.” Really.
By Simon van Zuylen-Wood 2/20/2013
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Oscar Pistorius, the South African Olympian "blade runner" under arrest for the murder of his girlfriend, has been deemed a "flight risk" by a detective who doesn't think he should be granted bail. Making it surely the first time a guy with prosthetic legs has been classified thusly. Then again, Pistorius is a bit faster than your average double amputee. Detective Hilton Botha, you are a funny man. [AP]
5 Sports That Should Be in the Summer Olympics
By Dan McQuade 2/13/2013
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After nearly 2800 years, wrestling is no longer an Olympic sport. Yesterday, the International Olympic Committee dropped wrestling for the 2020 Olympics. This was shocking, as modern pentathlon was the sport expected to be in most jeopardy, and how can you have the Olympics without wrestling? The purest forms of measuring athleticism are track and field ("athletics" as the rest of the world calls it), weightlifting and wrestling. What could be more simple? Running, jumping, lifting, throwing, wrestling. Who's the most athletic of these men and women? Let them wrestle to find out!
Wrestling Dropped From Olympics, Ending Games’ Tradition of Sweaty Homoeroticism
By Joel Mathis 2/12/2013
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AP: "IOC leaders dropped wrestling from the Olympic program on Tuesday, a surprise decision that removes one of the oldest Olympic sports from the 2020 Games. Wrestling, which combines freestyle and Greco-Roman events, goes back to the inaugural modern Olympics in Athens in 1896. The last sports removed from the Olympics were baseball and softball, voted out by the IOC in 2005 and off the program since the 2008 Beijing Games. Golf and rugby will be joining the program at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro."
VIDEO: Michael Phelps Sinks a 150-Foot Putt
By Mike Bertha 10/05/2012
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Since retiring from being the best at the Olympics, Michael Phelps has done what everyone in retirement does: picked up golf. Why should you care? Because on Friday, during a Scottish pro-am tournament, Phelps nailed a 150-foot putt. It's not fair that he's this good at this many things. Did I mention that he's won 22 Olympic medals?
