GUADALAJARA -- Fate.
It may have been one of the Toronto bid committee's biggest allies in winning the 2015 Games.
One of several reasons the power-brokers within the Pan American Sports Organization wanted to see Toronto win had to do as much with where it is, than what it has.
It has to do with branding, marketing and the huge market just south of our borders. While nobody would come out and say so, PASO is concerned with its diminished image in North America. At the last Games the U.S. didn't send its best athletes and, even more financially crippling, no U.S. TV network showed the least bit of interest.
While the Games are hugely popular in Latin America, PASO wants to polish its image in the global sports fraternity and to do that it needs exposure north of the Rio Grande. The next best thing to an American host city is, well, Toronto.
"This gives (PASO) the ability to expand its brand and they're hoping that having the Games in Toronto will encourage the Americans to send their best athletes to the Games again," said a source involved in Canada's bid but asked for anonymity.
"Plus, Canadian networks reach into the U.S."
Fate helped a second time with news this week that the 2011 Games in Guadalajara are in financial trouble. That comes on the heels of the Commonwealth Games debacle in New Delhi. Construction has not even begun here on some of the venues, especially the all-important athletes' village, and organizers were ordered this week to put up a $50-million performance bond to ensure work gets under way.
This has been exceedingly embarrassing for PASO president Mario Vazquez Rana, who has personal links with the city. He said this week if not for those links it is likely Guadalajara would have faced more severe sanctions.
As a result, PASO wasn't about to take another financial gamble and Toronto's bid was soundest economically.
"The Pan Ams hadn't been north of the 49th (parallel) since 1999 and this time the math just looked like it should work for us," said Toronto bid committee chief operating officer Jagoda Pike.
Speaking of which, Pike is now out of work. Sort of. Within the next 90 days the bid committee disbands and must be replaced by an organizing committee which has to select a CEO, president and chairman. Pike would like to stay involved but wasn't prepared to say in what capacity.
There are several candidates. One of the most intriguing is Chris Rudge, CEO of the Canadian Olympic Committee but due to retire after the Vancouver Games in February.
Rudge said it would be "inappropriate" for him to speculate on any involvement. "I've got a job right now."
But he didn't say he wouldn't be interested, either. "I'd always be prepared help," Rudge said. "If I've got some experience that might help I'd be happy to sit down and talk, but let's not speculate on career changes right now."
