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Pan I Am, Green Cash And Ham
 Posted
11/7/2009 10:00:00 AM
If the 2015 Pan American Games are dispatched with the kind of organization seen at yesterday's bid announcement, it'll be screwed. Reporters caught the announcement on Omni 2 by mistake when it broke into the popular telenovella "Scorpions y Cigarellos".
You think that, maybe, one of the political bigwigs down in Mexico could have thumbed a Crackberry note to the bid party in Toronto that things were running ahead of schedule? David Miller's daughter, who's down Mexico way with dad to pick up a few tips on foreign influence peddling, probably tipped off half her Facebook friends before we found out.
Even with three of the worst politicians in Ontario history on hand, there was much to smile about. Hamilton will get a new CFL stadium. GO Transit is adding one train daily westbound from Union but it won't stop anywhere, it goes right to the Willowbrook Yard for repairs. Hamilton will get a new CF...I covered that.
Why is track and field being showcased in Hamilton? The rest of the games are indoor soccer and soccer rioting. Track and field is the show. Why does Toronto's bid include only BMO Field, where the soccer-fans-are-crushed-to-death-against-the-fence event is scheduled?
Where are the opening and closing ceremonies? Keswick?
Anyway, Toronto needed this shot in the arm. The money is going to start flowing immediately and the benefits far outweigh the nusances. The TTC has already announced it will extended bus service on the 79 Mount Pleasant run past 7:00 PM on even nights, except Thursdays and Mondays.
The Toronto City Centre Airport on the island will allow its 300 foot ferry run to be used for the swim competitions. I read that one guy who sells oversized flags at the Petro Canada on Dixie south of Derry is stocking up on his St. Kitts-Nevis supply.
Toronto lost Olympic bids in 1896, 1904, 1912, 1924, '28 and 1932. Sure, Hitler beat us to the punch in '36 and even though we won BOTH bids in 1940 and 1944, the Second World War overshadowed our Games and only neutral Spain participated.
This win, spearheaded by a mayor who's not running, a former Premier who wasted tens of millions on an election nobody wanted and then lost his own seat and current Premier who'll be back to practicing law by 2015, helps wash away the bitter losses of Olympic bids, Worlds Fair bids, the Miss America pageant, the Goddo reunion tour, Al Qeda's annual team-building retreat and, the snub that still stings, "Where In The World Is Matt Lauer?" on the Today Show.
You'll see. In 2015 we'll be back to asking foreign reporters and tourists on the street:
"Do you guys like us?".
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Mike Stafford
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Are you ever going to post blog responses again?... The controversial responses were quite entertaining
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Posted By
Michael C
On
11/7/2009 3:18:33 PM
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