And they're off! It's an Olympic event most of us will never see. It winds, like a marathon, through exclusive receptions, like one hosted by Athens' mayor. At stake — the ultimate gold — the 2012 Summer Games.
New York City's Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff is here to win — to bring home the billions of dollars in revenue an Olympic franchise would mean to New York.
“Yes, I think every contact, every discussion, every meeting potentially has meaning,” says Doctoroff.
That’s because New York is facing off with the likes of Paris, Madrid, Moscow and the most aggressive competitor so far — London.
In a kind of “war room” less than a mile from the Athens Stadium, former Olympic champion Sebastian Coe leads Team London, fine tuning what makes his city better. For the young and hip, London is about more than sports, says Coe.
“To release their creative talents in the creative arts, whether it's film. Whether it's academic work — that is the city,” he says.
Paris is selling its glamour. Some proposed venues are just under the Eiffel Tower.
Moscow has the “River Concept.” Its entire 2012 Games would unfold along the Moscow River, reducing road traffic and — in theory — the terror threat.
Madrid, meanwhile, is playing the "wild card" —even though Barcelona hosted the 1992 Summer Games.
After initial presentations earlier this month, Paris appears to be the front-runner. Moscow is running last. But insiders agree the real lobbying has just begun.
Since the 2002 Salt Lake City bribery scandal, rules for lobbying are strict. So bidders are meeting International Olympic Committee members where they can, like the IOC's Athens hotel lobby — rooms are off-limits.
They’re also meeting at Olympic venues, like the gold-medal softball game where Doctoroff managed to rub elbows with IOC President Jacques Rogge and other members, pitching between innings that his city is the only one that could afford the 2012 Games.
“The revenues will come from TV rights, sponsorship and licensing fees and ticket sales,” says Doctoroff.
The finish is only 11 months off — that's when the IOC must pick a winner.
“The people behind the scenes are really, in essence, playing a game within a game,” says Robert Case, sports management professor at Old Dominion University.
Until then, whether it's New York humor or British art, the schmooze is on and let the best host win.