LITTLE FALLS, N.J. (AP) — Sitting in the dugout at tiny Yogi Berra Stadium as he prepared to play for the Frontier League’s Sussex County Miners, Todd Frazier recalled reading a quote from former Yankees teammate Masahiro Tanaka vowing Japan’s baseball team will win an Olympic gold medal.

“I didn’t know Masa talks like that,” the 35-year-old third baseman said. “You play for your country, you see some inner beast in people that you’ve never seen before. The quietest of people come out and roar like lions. The loudest of people come out and are like gazelles. And you just see the craziest thing.”

Frazier has experience playing Japan. Back when he was 12 years old in 1998, he went 4 for 4 and pitched two-hit ball over the final two innings as his Toms River East American team beat Kashima 12-9 in the final to win the Little League World Series.

Now near the end of his playing days, the two-time All-Star is the emotional force on the 24-man American roster headed to Yokohama for the six-nation Olympic tournament starting July 28 that also includes the Dominican Republic, Israel, host Japan, Mexico and South Korea.

Released by Pittsburgh in May after going 3 for 35 this season, the Toddfather helped the U.S. qualify for the Olympics on its second try, going 4 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs in the berth-earning 4-2 win over Venezuela on June 5 at Port St. Lucie, Florida.

When the U.S. team gathered for that tournament, Frazier was given an additional task by former big leaguer Ernie Young, the U.S. hitting coach.

“He said, `Fraiz, you know what to do. Get these guys going for every game,’” Frazier explained. “So I would bring them all together, give a little pep talk and get them fired up, kind of like we’re playing in a Super Bowl because it was Game 7 every game.”

The U.S. roster includes baseball senior citizens such as Frazier and pitchers Scott Kazmir, Edwin Jackson and David Robertson, and a handful of top prospects as Tampa Bay pitchers Joe Ryan and Shane Baz. Major League Baseball does not release anyone on 40-man rosters for the Olympics, and general managers often discourage eligible players in their farm systems.

U.S. manager Mike Scioscia, who led the Angels for 19 seasons, says Frazier brings “a relaxed focus” that filters through to the rest of his roster.

“I’ve been seeing Todd from an opposing dugout for a long time. His attitude and his commitment is second to none,” Scioscia said. “He loves this game of baseball. He loves competing, and he loves putting on the USA jersey. So there’s no doubt that his leadership was huge.”

Frazier has a .241 average with 218 homers and 640 RBIs during parts of 11 seasons with Cincinnati (2011-15), the Chicago White Sox (2016-17), the New York Yankees (2017) and Mets (2018-20), Texas (2020) and Pittsburgh (2020). He won the 2015 All-Star Home Run Derby and reached the playoffs three times but never the World Series.

He also was on the U.S. collegiate national team for the 2006 World University Baseball Championship in Havana with David Price, Jake Arrieta and Sean Doolittle and on the 2010 U.S. team for Pan American Games qualifying, joined by Mike Trout, Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Danny Duffy and Chris Archer, a group managed by Young.

“It’s just so exciting playing for your country because you’re not only representing yourself, your country, you’re representing the people that fought for your country, too,” Frazier said. “That’s how extreme it is. You want to play good for them. And when you think like that before games and you go out and play for others, good things usually happen.”

Olympic baseball is far from the high-tech life of the major leagues, where analytics departments parse spray charts, spin rates and scouting reports that some players fixate on and others ignore at their peril. When Frazier reported to the U.S., it was like a trip back in time.

“Basically, we had nothing. We had no video. We had no analytical process. It’s here’s your bat. Bring your own stuff. This is your jersey,” he said. “We got food for you. Now go out and play. Yeah, that’s what I love — everything about it.”

As recently as two years ago, Frazier had 21 homers and 67 RBIs. He hopes to regain that form.

“Making the big play, making that big hit at the end of the game, I think that’s what drives me to be the best possible player I can be,” he said. “And knowing that I still can do it, I think that fulfills me. I want to show my kids who their dad is.”

His 7-year-old son, Blake, is the short right fielder on an 8-and-under all-star team preparing for a July 10 opener. He gets home coaching.

“He had a practice this morning. He didn’t run out a ball. So after the practice, I said, `Listen, you ever see dad not run out a ball?’ He was like, `No, not really,‘” Todd recalled. “I said. No, not `really.’ The answer is `No.′ And I’m like, you want to make it to the big leagues? ‘Yeah, I want to be like you.’ I said, well, you got to run out a ball.”

“Not being mean or anything, but just teaching him the ropes.” Frazier said.

Frazier’s fun is infectious for the U.S. and for his family, too. His wife, the former Jacquelyn Verdon, was a gymnast when they met at Rutgers in a class called public speaking for athletes.

“She got an A. I got a B, and I was pretty upset, because I thought I did a better job,” he said with a smile.

Their 5-year-old daughter, Kylie, is a gymnast and 2-year-old son Grant may play football.

“He’s the maniac,” Frazier said, chuckling.

With Blake and Kylie Kimberly that morning, practice began at home, not his wife’s ideal way to start her day.

“She complained about him swinging the bat at 8:30 this morning in the kitchen,” Frazier related. “I said Jackie, come on, let the kid swing. It’s baseball. I used to do it. She goes, `This is the weirdest thing in the world. Why didn’t you go outside?′

“I said because, first, it’s raining. And second, the bat’s right there. That’s what we do. We visualize. We do whatever. Baseball players are crazy. And she just looks at me like befuddled and said, ’We never did this in gymnastics.′ I’m like, your daughter’s over there in the family room flipping all over the couches. I said, let’s go. We started laughing.”

Home time became a benefit of getting released.

“I get to see these things now, which is great,” he said. “Do I miss baseball in the major leagues? Of course, but I’ve come to grips with it.”

Frazier has 9 years, 93 days of major league service and needs 79 days more to fully vest in the pension plan. After he’s done playing, perhaps a career in broadcasting is ahead.

“I’m going to try and get on the team by the end of the year here,” he said. “If not, I’m going to try in spring training one more time and hopefully I’ll fight my way to get one more one more year and it’ll be great.”

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LAS VEGAS (AP) — This is not how USA Basketball expected to open its Olympic summer.

Nigeria probably didn’t expect it, either.

If there was any expectation of invincibility for the Americans heading into the Tokyo Olympics, it’s already gone — after Nigeria beat the U.S. 90-87 on Saturday night, an international shocker pulled off by a roster primarily filled by little-known NBA players that found a way to beat a group of All-NBA, All-Star and max-contract performers.

“We just wanted to compete,” said Nigeria’s Gabe Nnamdi, who goes by Gabe Vincent when playing for the Miami Heat. “We know what USA Basketball means around the world and what they’ve stood for for so long.”

The U.S. had lost 11 games before Saturday in major international play — Olympics and World Cups, mostly — since NBA players began filling the American rosters with the first Dream Team in 1992. None of those losses came against a team from Africa.

“I thought that the Nigerian team played very physically, did a great job in that regard and knocked down a lot of 3s,” U.S. coach Gregg Popovich said. “Give them credit.”

Nnamdi led Nigeria with 21 points. Caleb Agada scored 17 points, Ike Nwamu added 13 and Nigeria outscored the U.S. 60-30 from 3-point range.

Kevin Durant, who had never before played in a loss for USA Basketball in 39 senior international games, had 17 points. Jayson Tatum added 15, Damian Lillard had 14 and Bam Adebayo 11.

“Just goes to show that we have to play better,” Tatum said.

A lot better.

The Americans had gone 39-0 in their last three Olympic seasons — including pre-Olympic exhibitions — on their way to gold medals and had been 54-2 in major exhibitions since NBA players began playing for USA Basketball in 1992. Plus, they’d beaten Nigeria by a combined 127 points in their last two meetings, one at the 2012 London Games, the other a warm-up for the 2016 Rio Games.

Nigeria lost to the U.S. at the 2012 Olympics by 83 points. Lost to the Americans again four years later in an exhibition, that time by 44 points.

Not this time.

“Nigeria’s come a long way with their basketball,” USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo said.

Ike Iroegbu — a former Washington State player who some time in the G League — hit a 3-pointer with about 1:15 left to put Nigeria up 88-80. Durant scored the next seven points for the U.S.; a 3-pointer, two free throws following a turnover, then two more from the line with 16.5 seconds remaining.

Nnamdi made two foul shots with 13.2 seconds left to restore Nigeria’s 3-point edge. The Americans ran 9.7 seconds off the clock on the ensuing possession without getting a shot off, and Zach LaVine missed a pair of free throws — the second intentionally — with 3.5 seconds left.

Precious Achiuwa got the rebound for Nigeria, and that was it. It’s only an exhibition — but the upset was still of the massive variety, the 22nd-ranked nation by FIBA beating the No. 1-ranked team and three-time reigning Olympic gold medalists.

Popovich heard the final buzzer and shook hands with Nigeria coach Mike Brown, the Golden State assistant, as the Americans walked off stunned.

“At the end of the day, it doesn’t mean much in the standings as far as where we’re trying to get to,” Brown said. “But it’s a good win for us. I don’t think any African team has been able to beat USA Basketball in an exhibition game or a real game. … We’re trying to get a little bit of momentum for Nigeria and for the continent of Africa.”

The U.S. led 43-41 at the half, then pushed the lead out to 52-43 early in the third. But the Nigerians connected on 3s on their next three possessions — Vincent, Achiuwa and Nwamu all connected — and just like that, the game was tied.

Achiuwa took one 3-pointer all season with the Heat. It missed. But he connected in this one, as did Miye Oni — who made two 3s in the fourth quarter, including the one that put Nigeria up for good with 6:08 left. Oni averaged all of 1.9 points per game this season for Utah, and made two enormous shots late Saturday to help seal the U.S. fate.

“We kept the game simple,” Nnamdi said, “and came out on top.”

TIP-INS

Nigeria: Achiuwa had perhaps the night’s top defensive play with 1:23 left in the first half, reaching with his left hand to block a Durant dunk attempt. … Nigeria outrebounded the U.S. 46-34.

USA: Darius Garland and Saddiq Bey were Select Team players who got into the game. The Olympic team needed extra players because Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday and Devin Booker are at the NBA Finals. … The U.S. got 32 free-throw attempts to Nigeria’s 10.

FREE THROW DEFENSE

Nigeria’s Chimezie Metu had a brilliant play in the third quarter — committing what would be goaltending in the NBA. Durant was taking a free throw, and as his shot bounced on the rim Metu reached up and knocked the shot away. That’s a legal play under FIBA rules.

INJURY SCARE

LaVine got hurt in the second quarter on a play where he was closing out against Nnamdi. He went airborne after a head fake and came down awkwardly, grabbing at his left ankle before getting up and going directly to the U.S. locker room. LaVine was fine and returned in the third quarter.

UP NEXT

Nigeria: Face Argentina on Monday in Las Vegas.

USA: Face Australia on Monday in Las Vegas.

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TOKYO (AP) — The U.S. women’s national soccer team is in a bubble of its own making for the Tokyo Olympics, and it’s not just because of coronavirus restrictions.

The World Cup champions have become adept at shutting out all the outside noise — the seemingly endless social media debates, the TV punditry and even the trash talk that comes with being the best in the world.

“I think, especially the players that have been through these major tournaments, you figure out how to stay in the best mental headspace and sometimes that’s compartmentalizing, that’s focusing on one thing at a time and trying not to let the noise get into what we like to call the bubble,” defender Becky Sauerbrunn said. “So like, secure the bubble, protect the bubble.”

The women’s Olympic soccer tournament starts on Wednesday. The United States, the top-ranked team in the world and the favorite to win, opens against Sweden at Tokyo Stadium.

The Americans are vying for their fifth gold medal, more than any other national team. They can also become the first women to win an Olympic gold following a World Cup title.

There’s reason to believe they’ll do just that. The group is undefeated in 44 straight games, the second-longest unbeaten streak in team history. It’s a deep squad with a formidable attack: Seventeen of the players were on the World Cup squad.

Christen Press has been directly involved in 37 goals in her last 37 matches, with 16 goals and 18 assists. Megan Rapinoe, the unabashedly outspoken winger with purple hair, leads the team with seven goals this year.

Quietly holding down the defense is goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, who has six shutouts in nine starts this year.

Naeher is perhaps the leader on the team when it comes to shutting out the noise. She eschewed all social media during the team’s run in France two years ago, and often worked on crossword puzzles before matches to chill out before games.

“Everything’s all about compartmentalizing,” the softspoken Naeher said.

Of course, it will likely be a bit easier to stay focused at this tournament. Japan is in a state of emergency because of rising coronavirus cases. As a result, the athletes participating will be in their own team or individual bubbles with strict COVID-19 protocols. And no fans will be allowed.

“It’s not the best setup in terms of being able to go for a walk or just get outside, go grab a coffee that sort of thing. That’s not available to us,” defender Kelley O’Hara said. “But at the end of the day we’ve all been doing it for a month now with national team, so it’s the reality of the tournament, of the situation, of the Olympics this year. You just kind of take it in stride and make do with what you can.”

The United States had a pre-tournament camp in Miyazaki before arriving in Tokyo on Friday in preparation for Sweden, the team that knocked the Americans out of the 2016 Olympics in the quarterfinals.

Australia plays New Zealand in the second match of the night at Tokyo Stadium. Twelve women’s teams are divided into three groups for the tournament, which is being played at six stadiums across the country.

There are a pair of Wednesday matches at the Sapporo Dome: Britain plays Chile and host Japan play Canada. Additionally, China plays Brazil and Zambia plays the Netherlands at Miyagi Stadium.

As captain of the United States, Sauerbrunn is tasked with keeping her side focused.

“It’s a skill that I think everyone needs to learn, especially in these major tournaments, because they’re not easy,” Sauerbrunn said about compartmentalizing. “There’s a lot of stress, there’s a lot of noise and so learning to knock that out, block that out, is really important.”

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TOKYO (AP) — Sweden didn’t have to bunker down on defense against the Americans this time.

Stina Blackstenius scored a pair of goals and the Swedes stunned the United States at the Olympics with a 3-0 victory Wednesday in the women’s soccer tournament.

The Americans, ranked No. 1 in the world and the favorites to win gold in Tokyo, were riding a 44-match unbeaten streak heading into the match. But Sweden, ranked No. 5, has been the U.S. team’s nemesis of sorts in recent years. The Swedes bounced the Americans from the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games in the quarterfinals, the earliest U.S. Olympic exit ever, by making a defensive stand.

This April, Sweden played the United States to a 1-1 draw in Stockholm, which snapped a winning streak dating back to January 2019 when the Americans lost to France in the run-up to the World Cup. It was the U.S. team’s only draw this year.

“Did we expect this result tonight? No,” said U.S. forward Megan Rapinoe, who did not start but came on as a substitute in the 64th minute with the score 2-0. “It’s frustrating, and it’s frustrating that it’s Sweden. They found a lot of space on us. I don’t even know how many goals we have given up this whole year. I don’t remember the last time we gave up a goal. So to give up three is not great.”

MORE FROM THE 2020 TOKYO OLYMPICS

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Sweden’s offense deserved all the credit. Blackstenius’ header into the far corner off a cross from Sofia Jakobsson in the 26th minute gave the team a first-half lead.

The United States, which came out stale, had its best chance of the opening half in the final moments when Rose Lavelle’s shot hit the post. Coach Vlatko Andonovski made changes for the second half, subbing in Carli Lloyd for Alex Morgan and Julie Ertz for Sam Mewis.

But Blackstenius scored again in the 54th minute, beating goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, as the Americans continued to struggle. Lina Hurtig added the final goal in the 72nd.

Sweden goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl acknowledged the win over the favorites was encouraging, but it’s still just the beginning of the tournament. Ahead are group games against Australia and New Zealand.

“I know for a fact that you can go very far in a tournament even if you lose to the USA or whoever you play in the first game,” Lindahl said. “So in the end I don’t know how much it means, but for sure we showed the world and ourselves that we can play well against a team like the U.S. or any team.”

The loss was the first for the United States under Andonovski, who took over when former coach Jill Ellis stepped down following the team’s World Cup victory in France. Late in the match, Andonovski sat expressionless on the bench.

The Swedes were without Magda Eriksson because of injury. The team said she has been training, but because of the compact schedule of the tournament she was held out of the opener.

Tokyo is Sweden’s seventh Olympics. After getting eliminated by Sweden on penalties in the quarterfinals five years ago, U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo famously called the Swedes cowards for their defensive tactics.

Sweden went on to win the silver medal, losing to Germany 2-1 in the final.

The United States has been to all seven Olympics that have included women’s soccer, too, winning four Olympic gold medals, more than any other nation. The team is vying to become the first to win Olympic gold following a World Cup title.

In 2008, the United States also lost its first match, 2-0 to Norway, but went on to win the gold medal.

“I think ultimately as an athlete you go through ups and downs, and this is a hard result but it’s the nature of a tough tournament,” U.S. forward Christen Press said. “It wasn’t going to be easy. We weren’t going to breeze through six games no matter what. So here we are.”

It was just the sixth time that the United States had lost by three or more goals.

Sweden now leads Group G heading into Saturday’s game against Australia in Saitama, while the United States faces New Zealand at the same stadium. The top two teams in the group advance to the knockout round.

“It is what it is,” Rapinoe said. “We got bopped, and we have two more games coming quick and fast. And now we know exactly what we need to do. We need to win these games and eventually get out of the group and go from there.”

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The Paralympics is coming. in the middle of the pandemic.

Much of the circus has departed Tokyo but there is another round of athletic events to go with the Paralympics portion of the 2021 International Olympic Committee’s sports gala scheduled to start on August 24^th. The International Olympic Committee got very very lucky with the far bigger main Olympics in that there was not a significant COVID-19 Olympic Village outbreak while Tokyo was in a lockdown. The IOC will leave behind quite a legacy, Japan will be paying off the debt of the big event for years or maybe decades with little to show for their money. The IOC ran roughshod over the Japanese government in that the IOC, not the Japanese government, was in charge of whether the Olympics should take place during a health crisis. That seems about right as the IOC actually thinks it is a sovereign country not an athletic association. The IOC has permanent observer status at the United Nations.

After the Paralympics, the IOC’s next show is in Beijing and that is the February 2022 Winter Olympics. The rhetoric will be increasing with the calls on countries to boycott the event for two reasons. China’s human rights record and Uyghur oppression. The United States has accused China of committing genocide on the Uyghurs. Amnesty and Human Rights Watch have published reports accusing China of crimes against humanity. China, according to some, still has not provided answers about the origins of COVID-19. Japan is also going to have to make a decision shortly after losing billions of dollars or yen on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Does the country support a Sapporo 2030 Olympics? There were quite a few people in Japan who wanted this year’s event called off and it would seem unlikely they want the 2030 event. A decision on who gets the 2030 games comes in 2023.

Evan Weiner’s books are available at iTunes – https://books.apple.com/us/author/evan-weiner/id595575191?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss  

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Brad Marchand is not happy. Neither is Vladimir Tarasenko. And they are not alone.

A handful of NHL players are voicing their frustration over the league’s decision barring them from participating in the Beijing Olympics. Even though the agreement between the league and NHL Players’ Association was contingent on pandemic conditions not worsening and disrupting the season, many say they are upset they were never given the choice to go.

Marchand, Boston’s top left winger who would have been a shoo-in for Canada’s Olympic roster, ripped the league and union for bringing back taxi squads to keep the season going but not to push through February with players given the option to go to Beijing.

“For all of you who want to pipe back about forfeiting pay while being gone, (yeah) not a problem,” Marchand said in a lengthy Twitter post. “Let the players make their choice.”

Letting players make individual choices to leave their NHL teams for the Olympics was never on the table. The possibility broached by Marchand and Tarasenko happens more in soccer, which allows players to go on loan to national teams for international competition when a season is not paused.

Tarasenko would have been one of Russia’s top forwards at the Olympics and said he would have left the St. Louis Blues to represent his country if given the choice.

“Of course,” he said. “You would be surprised how many people choose to go.”

Alex Ovechkin said he wanted to go to the Pyeongchang Games in 2018 even if the NHL did not participate. The Washington Capitals captain relented before training camp in 2017, with he and other players begrudgingly accepting the Olympics would go on without them and hoping 2022 would be different.

A second consecutive Olympics without the NHL has some looking back with sharper anger to 2018, when the International Olympic Committee would not pay for travel and insurance costs as it did five times from 1998-2014. Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos said players were “robbed” of the chance four years ago.

“Obviously this year with what’s going on in the world, it’s a little more understandable,” Stamkos said. “But the last Olympics where we weren’t able to go because of different issues with the NHL, now it just stings even more knowing that for some of the older guys, this is probably their last chance.”

This was probably the last chance for Stamkos, teammate Victor Hedman and a generation of NHL players. And while the extension of the collective bargaining agreement includes a provision for the 2026 Olympics in Milan and Cortina, this year has shown there should be only pessimism and doubt until the puck is actually dropped at the Games with NHL players there.

With the next Olympics more than four years away, what about another World Cup of Hockey like in 2016? Marchand’s teammate, Taylor Hall, is in favor of that.

“Going forward I’d like to see a World Cup format again and try and make that just as important as the Olympics in people’s minds,” Hall said.

The only problem is it’s not at all the same in players’ minds. As Stamkos pointed out, “The Olympics are the Olympics, and there’s really nothing that can compare to that experience.”

GAME OF THE WEEK

The Winter Classic is back for the first time since New Year’s Day 2020. The St. Louis Blues visit the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night at Target Field in Minneapolis. It’s expected to be 7 degrees Fahrenheit (minus-14 degrees Celsius) with a wind chill of minus-3 at puck drop.

“I see how cold it’s going to be, but I don’t know how cold it will feel,” said Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington, who joked about trips to the cold tub to build up a tolerance to below-freezing conditions. “We’re going to do our part layering up and do the best we can to be ready for it.”

LEADERS

Goals: Leon Draisaitl (Edmonton), 23; Assists: Connor McDavid (Edmonton), 32; Points: Draisaitl and McDavid, 49; Ice time: Thomas Chabot (Ottawa), 27:20; Wins: Andrei Vasilevskiy (Tampa Bay), 21; Goals-against average (minimum 10 games): Tristan Jarry (Pittsburgh), 1.93; Save percentage (minimum 10 games): Igor Shesterkin (N.Y. Rangers), .937.

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BEIJING (AP) — The first so-called modern Olympics took place in 1896 in Athens. But the inaugural Winter Olympics were not held until 1924 in Chamonix, France.

Calvin Coolidge was the American president at the time, and Vladimir Lenin died that year in the newly established Soviet Union. A new car in the United States cost as little as $300.

From 1924 through 1992, the Winter and Summer Olympics were the same year. In ’92 the Winter Games were celebrated in Albertville, France, followed by the Summer Games in Barcelona.

Then change came.

Since 1994, an Olympics has been held every two years. The ’94 Winter Olympics took place in Lillehammer, Norway, followed by the Summer Games in 1996 in Atlanta. Nagano, Japan, was next in 1998 with the Winter Games. That pattern was broken by the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games until 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Beijing Winter Games open on Friday, just six months after Tokyo closed. They’ll be followed by the Summer Olympics in 2024 in Paris. Here’s a breakdown of why things have unfolded as they have.

WHY WERE THE GAMES MOVED TO EVERY TWO YEARS?

Olympic historian Bill Mallon suggests the International Olympic Committee was looking for more revenue. The IOC, he says, “thought they could get more sponsorship money by spreading the Games out more.”

Every two years also kept the Olympics in the public eye, and the move dovetailed with the increasing commercialization and professionalization of the Games. The trend was underlined when, for the first time, professional basketball players from the NBA — the American Dream Team — were the marquee stars in Barcelona.

BEIJING: FIRST FOR BOTH WINTER AND SUMMER

Beijing is the most unlikely city to be the first to host both Summer and Winter Olympics. Of all the Winter Olympic hosts, it has the least tradition in winter sports.

Beijing was a longshot for 2022 until six European countries — including favorites Norway and Sweden — dropped out for cost or political reasons. Germany and Switzerland said “no” in referendums. The IOC was left to choose between Beijing and Almaty, Kazakhstan.

According to Mallon, writing to The Associated Press, the Canadian city of Montreal — the host for the 1976 Summer Olympics — tried but failed several times to land the Winter Olympics.

Montreal put in bids for the Winter Olympics in 1932, 1936, 1944, and 1956. Montreal finished second in 1936, 1944, and 1956. It also tried for both Games in 1944 and 1956. And Quebec City, not far from Montreal, made a bid for the 2002 Winter Olympics.

A MUCH SMALLER GAMESADVERTISEMENT

The Beijing Winter Olympics are expected to draw about 2,900 athletes from about 90 national Olympic committees. The Tokyo Olympics six months ago attracted 11,000 from just over 200 national bodies

.Full Coverage: Winter Olympics

As with Tokyo, organizers say there will be no fans from abroad and only a smattering of “selected” local fans.

Both the Winter and Summer Olympics run over 17 days, which means there are many fewer events daily at the Winter Olympics.

As recently as 1980 in Lake Placid, New York — the “Miracle on Ice” year — the Winter Games lasted only 12 days.

Three venues have held the Winter Olympics twice: St. Moritz, Switzerland (1928, 1948), Innsbruck, Austria (1964, 1976), and Lake Placid (1932, 1980). The Italian ski resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo will get its second in 2026 after holding the Winter Olympics in 1956.

Sapporo, Japan, which held the 1972 Winter Olympics, is a top contender for 2030. The IOC has not said when it will announce its choice.

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The country has the money to land both events.

Somebody invented the term “sportswashing” which describes someone or some country using sports to improve a reputation to take attention away from controversial subjects. An example of sportswashing taking place according to the definition of the term is LIV Golf, an organization supported by the government of Saudi Arabia. Phil Mickelson joined that tour where he has a chance to make more money than the PGA Tour despite knowing Saudi Arabia’s human rights record which includes the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the oppression of women and LGBTQ+ groups, as well as the alleged torture and disappearance of activists. Mickelson called the Saudis “scary mother” blankety blanks. Mickelson has his name on an antitrust lawsuit along with LIV Golf and six other golfers that claims the PGA Tour has used monopoly power to try to squash competition and has unfairly suspended players. LIV Golf lawyers told the court that without a favorable ruling, its ‘ability to maintain a meaningful competitive presence in the markets will be destroyed.’

Saudi Arabia is looking to expand its presence on the global sports platform. The country is aiming to host a World Cup and an Olympics. Since World Cup organizers gave its 2022 international soccer tournament to Qatar, there is no reason why FIFA would say no to the Saudis if indeed the country does bid for the event. It appears that Egypt, Greece and Saudi Arabia will proceed with a plan to host the 2030 World Cup. Saudi officials have said the Olympics would be the country’s “ultimate goal” in its expanding sports portfolio. The Saudis are not among the countries which include Indonesia, Germany, Mexico and England thinking about putting in a bid for the 2036 Summer Olympics. Both FIFA and the IOC would take Saudi money.

Evan Weiner’s books are available at iTunes – https://books.apple.com/us/author/evan-weiner/id595575191?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss

Evan can be reached at evan_weiner@hotmail.com

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A number of countries plan to bid for the Games.

For politicians and business leaders of countries there is something seductive when they think about the Olympics. They want to host the event although that does not seem to square with the local population. Many a politician has attempted to nab an Olympics for his or her city, state or country and many have failed because the local citizens don’t want to put up money, be inconvenienced by Olympics rules which may range from closing off roads during rush hour to banning speakers at public libraries who point out things like the cost of the event. But political and business leaders still go after the Olympics and try to convince people that spending billions of dollars on a two-week sports gathering will have immeasurable benefits although the actual event is a money loser.

Mexico is the latest country that wants to host an event. International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach stopped by the country recently and found out that Mexico wants the 2036 event. Political and business leaders in Egypt, England, India, Indonesia, Qatar and South Korea also have expressed interest in holding the 2036 Games and Germany may also make a run at the event although it would coincide with the 100^th anniversary of the Berlin or Hitler Summer Olympics and that might not be in good taste although the IOC never does anything in good taste. Bach received a letter of intent from the Mexican Olympic Committee which outlined the reasons the IOC should choose the country. “Mexico has, in various cities and regions, the sports, economic, and hotel infrastructure to celebrate successful, austere, and universal Olympic Games that promote the values of peace, brotherhood, and justice in what we believe.” Olympic values are questionable at best. The Olympic movement wanted to expel women from the event and has given dictators the event.

Evan Weiner’s books are available at iTunes – https://books.apple.com/us/author/evan-weiner/id595575191?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss

Evan can be reached at evan_weiner@hotmail.com

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Victoria has bailed out of hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

The people who are responsible for spending public money for major sports events in Victoria, Australia didn’t get the memo from their United States counterparts. The one that reads you must spend the public’s Australian dollars on sporting events to make the people who bring you these events happy.  Victoria will not be hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games, which is one of the world’s biggest sports competitions. The Commonwealth is a group of 54 nations that were once a part of the British Empire. The United States is not part of the Commonwealth because some British citizens decided in 1776 that they had enough of King George III and went to war to break away from Britain.

The problem with the 2026 Commonwealth Games started when Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced that the city pulled out of hosting the games. The reason? Money. The event was too expensive. “Today is not about finding fault with those cost estimates,” Andrews said. “Frankly, 6-7 billion Australian dollars for a 12-day sporting event, we are not doing that, that does not represent value for money, that is all costs and no benefit.” Mega events such as the Olympics and the FIFA’s World Cup in soccer are touted as leaving a legacy but more often than not, there is no tangible legacy from the mega events except for debt that the public has to assume. But there are politicians and business leaders who will ignore the reason Victoria has said no to hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games because of finances. Political and business leaders in Scotland, London and Birmingham in the United Kingdom might be interested and in Canada, Alberta leaders are thinking “what an opportunity, let’s host the games” because of the allure of being a host city and making money although it is a money loser.

Evan Weiner’s books are available at iTunes – https://books.apple.com/us/author/evan-weiner/id595575191?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss

Evan can be reached at evan_weiner@hotmail.com

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