CT: Chicago's loss shows bitter rivalry between USOC and IOC

...Conversations with IOC members and other Olympic officials Friday produced a number of reasons factoring into the second straight slap in the face at a U.S. bid city.

--Even with an intense USOC international relations effort after New York's expected defeat four years ago, the United States is not a player in international sports politics. President Barack Obama's impressive international relations effort as a speaker in Chicago's final presentation could not make up for the nation's lack of influence in the Olympic arena.

"The United States, within the Olympic movement, hasn't engaged as well as we could have for a long time," said Bob Ctvrtlik, who filled a newly created position, USOC vice president for international relations, following the New York defeat. This (defeat) isn't just on the merits. I don't think it's anti-American. Maybe we still don't have the horsepower to do some of the politicking within the movement."

--The USOC, in its habitual revolving-door leadership mode at the start of New York's bid, went right back into that position in March, when its board unceremoniously dumped chief executive Jim Scherr in favor of Stephanie Streeter.

IOC member Denis Oswald of Switzerland cited the USOC instability as a problem and said it was his impression "this was a defeat for the USOC, not for Chicago. It was clear that between the USOC and Chicago there were differences," Oswald said. "Although everybody tried to look united, it was clear it was not."

--The apparent truce between the IOC and the USOC in the acrimonious negotiations over revenue-sharing didn't hold. And the USOC's decision to go forward with its own TV network despite IOC warnings to desist remained an irritant even when the USOC put its tail between its legs and backed off...

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