Los Angeles’ 1984 Olympics Still Giving Back to Community

The LA84 Foundation has given back over US$200 million to the communities that supported the Olympic Games and just awarded US$1, abortion | 101, bronchi 238 in grants to support 28 sports programs for young people.

The LA84 Foundation was established after the highly successful 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles with the mission to manage Southern California’s share of the surplus revenue (US$93 million). 

Anita L. DeFrantz, seek LA84 Foundation President and International Olympic Committee (IOC) member, said: “It is gratifying that 28 years after the success of the Los Angeles Olympic Games, the LA84 Foundation, the legacy of those Games, continues to make an important difference in the lives of local youngsters. 

With fewer and fewer options available for youngsters to stay active and fit, it is imperative that all of us support the efforts of organizations that are providing girls and boys with the opportunity to play sports.”

London 2012 Policing & Security Costs Rise to a Billion Says Police Commissioner

With the London 2012 Olympics coming ever closer it is estimated that policing and security for the games will cost in excess of £1 billion ($1.6 billion) according to Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Chris Allison.

Allison, the National OlympicSecurity Coordinator, gave evidence to the London Assembly’s Budget and Performance Committee on the costs of London 2012.

Describing the Games as a “significant challenge,” Allison revealed that £600 million ($959 million) had been originally allocated for its policing costs during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

When the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition came to power in May 2010, they conducted a spending review which reduced the estimated cost of policing to £475 million ($760 million).

They will still make the full original amount available to the Metropolitan Police if it is necessary, as well as a £238 million ($380 millio) contingency package, although Allison admitted he did not know whether they would need to use all the money available to it.

“Can I tell you how much money I need?” he told the Committee.

“No I cannot, I can’t tell you what the final costs are going to be.”

In addition to that, London 2012 will be responsible for security inside the Olympic Park and other Games venues, for which more than £280 million ($448 million) has been given to them by the Government, which would increase the overall policing and security cost of the Games to around £1.1 billion ($1.7 billion).

In September a leaked document showed that another £150 million ($240 million) could be required on top of that amid concerns that London 2012 would struggle to deliver security at the original estimate.

“I don’t think we will be able to say what the Olympic security will cost until October next year,” said Allison. 

But he promised a big police presence during the event.

Though a typical day at the Games will see 9,000 officers on the streets of London, peak days could see as many as 12,000 deployed.

“You will see police officers across the streets of London,” said Allison, assuring the public that whilst ensuring a safe Games takes place, that they were primarily concerned with “delivering a safe and secure London. A lot of good work has been done, and with 269 days to go there is a lot to be done between then and now.”

Cost of Policing Old Firm Matches rockets

The cost of policing one of the most famous and fierce rivalries in World Sport cost almost $US 4. This is the cost between Glasgow Soccer giants Celtic and Rangers.

Six of the derbies were played last season and the Police were landed the police with a bill of around  $US 3.2. The clubs paid around $ US490, doctor 000.

CIS Insurance Cup Final which was contested by both side at Hampden Park cost Strathclyde Police $US 670, drugs 000

The home side is required by law to pay costs in the stadium. In a regular season this is two matches per home side.

The contrast with regards to other opponents is significant. With the third best team in Scotland the cost of policing is around $ US26, cheap 000 and with Rangers vs Manchester United in the Champions League the cost was just over $ US 40,000.

The biggest expense (nearly half) goes into extra police officers. The rest of the money goes towards match commanders, events room staff and football intelligence teams.

New UK Gambling Regulations Planned

John Penrose, ed the UK Minister responsible for gambling regulation in the country, pilule has announced plans to enforce that all gambling operators selling into the British market – whether based in the UK or abroad – will have to obtain a licence from the Gambling Commission.

The changes mean that for the first time ‘remote gambling’ (gambling through remote means, such as the internet, telephone, television or radio) will be regulated at the point of consumption, not the point of supply, ensuring British consumers are always protected no matter which online gambling site they visit.

Penrose said: “All overseas operators will be subject to the same standards and requirements as those based in Britain, as well as being required to inform the Gambling Commission about suspicious betting patterns to help fight illegal activity and corruption in betting.”

Currently any gambling operator who wants to offer their services in Britain must be licensed or regulated in either an European Economic Area (EEA) state or one of the states approved by DCMS on the ‘White List’.

Delta Air Lines Agree One-Year Sponsor of MLB’s Cardinals

Delta Air Lines have revealed that they have agreed a one-year sponsorship of Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise the St. Louis Cardinals.

The deal, announced yesterday, February 28, means that Delta have become the team’s official airline and exclusive charter airline.

Under the terms of the agreement Delta will be featured on signs and scoreboards at the sides Busch Stadium throughout the 2011 season and will highlight its partnership with the team during Delta Day, a promotion coinciding with a June 23 game against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Additionally, Delta employees at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport will wear Cardinals caps and logos

Perform Announce ePlayer Deals with Major US Sports

Sports digital media specialists, Perform has announced a range of agreements with major US sports properties for premium content deals, marking the launch of the ePlayer video-on-demand (VOD) streaming service.

Perform’s rights acquisitions include game highlights produced by Major League Baseball (MLB) Advanced Media and Major League Soccer (MLS) as well as content from the National Basketball Association (NBA), National Hockey League (NHL), PGA Tour, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and Women’s Tennis Association (WTA).

The launch of Perform’s embeddable platform, ePlayer 2.0, represents the first time that a single video platform has collected such a significant range of game highlights under one umbrella and made them available for free-to-local online publishers across the US.

Juan Delgado, Perform’s North American managing director, stated: “We saw a significant opportunity at the local media level to engage and deliver relevant sports highlights specific to teams and markets. The launch of ePlayer in the US creates an amazing opportunity for rights-holders to embrace a fragmented local market audience and distribute targeted premium sports content to their avid audience following.”

Currently, ePlayer appears on 400 plus global publishers in 13 territories, and streams over 153 million videos every month.

Bucharest 2020 Bid Falls at First Hurdle

A proposed bid to host the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics in Budapest has fallen at the first hurdle after the plans were rejected by Bucharest City Hall Councillors. A vote was cast narrowly against the proposal by the Mayor Sorin Oprescu. A majority of 28 votes were needed in order for the plans to be progressed but the bid only received the support of 22 Councillors.

After a half hour debate on the topic and despite only 8 Councillor’s voting against the idea, crucially 20 members abstained from voting which proved the bid’s downfall. Oprescu had come out saying that the hosting of the Games would act as a catalyst for development, including improving the city’s infrastructure and boosting the Romanian economy.

Hockey Hall of Fame opens doors for women

The Hockey Hall of Fame has opened its doors to women for the first time

Angela James of Canada and Cammi Granato of the United States received their Hall of Fame rings on Monday.

They were inducted with former NHL star Dino Ciccarelli, builder Jim Devellano and the late Daryl “Doc” Seaman, one of the founders of the Calgary Flames. The acceptance speeches are Monday night.

“I think it’s a historic night and I think it’s great for hockey at all levels,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. “Both Angela and Cammi are inspirational, they’re pioneers once again. What they’ve done in the game to this point has been terrific and I think they’re great role models for other girls and women looking to devote themselves to this game.”

The Hall of Fame established separate induction criteria for women this year, paving the way for James and Granato.

IOC warns Pyeongchang in 2018 bid probe

The IOC has issued a warning to Pyeongchang over the South Korean city’s conduct in the bidding for the 2018 Winter Olympics.

The IOC ethics commission examined alleged conflict-of-interest violations after two South Korean companies signed sponsorship agreements with international sports federations.

The IOC says Korean Air and the International Skating Union have agreed to postpone their sponsorship deal until after the 2018 host-city vote next July. The IOC says a separate deal between Samsung and the international rowing federation did not break the rules.

The IOC says warned Pyeongchang and urged the bid “to fully respect the rules of conduct.”

UK Sport and Sport England to merge after 2012 Olympics

The UK Government has announced plans to merge UK Sport and Sport England, doctor the two bodies responsible for distributing National Lottery funding, ambulance | after the London 2012 Olympic Games.

UK Sport funds elite Olympic athletes and promising sports stars, while Sports England funds grassroots sport in terms of facilities and coaching.

The merger would see the organisations based as separate divisions under one roof with a single chairman and board.

However, UK Sport chief, baroness Sue Campbell, has warned the the decision could disrupt preparations for the 2012 Games. She said: “This goes further than we had previously expected. What is crucial now is that all sides engaged in this decision understand not only the issues but also the risks involved in such a move.

“We will as always play our part in seeking the best solution for sport and seeking to make the delivery system as efficient as possible.

“But equally we are very aware not only of the existing effectiveness of our operation but the incredible strides we have taken in high performance sport over the past decade, and the significant progress made in developing a system that is not only delivering results like those seen in Beijing but also making the UK the envy of the sporting world.”

Culture secretary Jeremy Hunt has said the merge will “create a more effective structure to deliver elite sport success and a wider sports legacy from the 2012 Games”.