USOC CEO Takes Aim at Ambush Marketing
New CEO Scott Blackmun is off to a fast start with the U.S. Olympic Committee.
On Tuesday, his first official day, Blackmun hosted a full staff meeting in Colorado Springs, Colo. The USOC marketing team in New York, international relations team in Irvine, Calif., and U.S. Olympic Training Center personnel in Lake Placid, N.Y., and Chula Vista, Calif., dialed in via video phone.
Blackmun stood on a stage and took questions for more than an hour. He also met with the senior executive team for 90 minutes, held one-on-one meetings with staff members, did some media interviews and spent a chunk of time going over USOC Vancouver plans.
Blackmun and USOC chair Larry Probst will arrive in Vancouver on Feb. 8 and will take part in team processing, where they will meet many U.S. athletes. The U.S. team will have about 210 members. The USOC leadership will also host a media reception at USA House.
For Blackmun's second day on the job, the gloves were off. In a press release, the USOC lashed out at ambush marketers who are trying to associate their products with the Olympics and the U.S. Olympic team.
While not named by the USOC, Subway and Verizon are the two companies that most concern the USOC. Ads for Subway star swimmer Michael Phelps swimming his way across the U.S. towards Vancouver. While no rings are seen nor is there mention of the words “Vancouver” or “Olympics”, the ad makes it clear Phelps is headed to the Olympic city. The Verizon ad includesOlympian Bonnie Blair, multiple medalist in speedskating.
"It is incredibly disappointing to see American companies taking advantage of the spirit of the Olympic Winter Games for their own profit, and at the expense of America's Olympic athletes," Blackmun said.
"Olympism is based upon a spirit of fair play, and ambush marketing clearly violates that spirit. The USOC extends our sincere gratitude to all our official Olympic sponsors and suppliers. In the U.S., the USOC would be unable to support America's athletes and send the best prepared U.S. Team to the Olympic Games every two years. It is the financial generosity of these companies that enable U.S. Olympians to reach for their dreams, and in turn, inspire all Americans."
The USOC will launch an ad campaign next week to thank and recognize the USOC's official partners, sponsors and suppliers.
Blackmun was expected to end the day on a more uplifting note, accepting a check for $9.7 million from the U.S. Olympic Foundation at a dinner in Colorado Springs. The money brings the total sum of grants awarded by the USOF to the USOC and its member organizations to $244.6 million since 1986.
EOC Executive Meets in Rome
The European Olympic Committees new-look executive committee met for the first time in Rome on Tuesday.
EOC president Patrick Hickey presided over the meeting and gave a report to members. Secretary general Raffaele Pagnozzi also presented and there was a report from the director of the EOC’s office in Brussels.
Gunilla Lindberg, secretary general of the Association of National Olympic Committees, also reported in her role as an EOC ex- officio member, spending some of her time updating members on planning for the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games that opens in August.
The 12 executive committee members for the 2009-2013 cycle, who were elected at the EOC congress in Lisbon last November, are: Togay Bayatli, Alejandro Blanco, Spyros Capralos, Guido de Bondt, Janez Kocijancic, Zlatko Matesa, Octavian Morariu, Colin Moynihan, Piotr Nurowski, Klaus Steinbach, Marc Theisen and Efraim Zinger.
Philippine Olympic Committee Executive Board Meets
The Asian Games and Youth Olympic Games will be the top focus of the Philippine Olympic Committee this year.
The POC Executive Board met recently and discussed participation in the two events plus the Asian Beach Games.
"All of us are obsessed with the youth because the IOC is obsessed with it," said POC board member Mark Joseph, president of the Philippine Aquatics Sports Association.
Joseph will serve as YOG chef de mission, it was decided at the meeting.
Joey Romasanta will be Asian Games chef de mission and Jeff Tamayo is the Beach Games chef de mission.
With reporting from Mark Bisson and Karen Rosen
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