Will the Winds Blow the Games Back to L.A.?

Seven years after Los Angeles organized its first Summer Olympics, the Southern California Committee for the Olympic Games was founded in 1939 to bring back the Games. A mere 45 years later, the goal was achieved.

On Monday, John Argue, the committee’s chairman, said he and his colleagues are about to begin another bid. At the rate they have established, we can expect the Summer Olympics here in 2040 or ’44.

Argue, not surprisingly, has a more optimistic timetable. He hopes to get in line for 2008, believing that would position Los Angeles among the front-runners for 2012.

First, however, Los Angeles must win designation as the U.S. Olympic Committee’s official candidate. The USOC’s executive committee meets this weekend to consider whether to enter a bid for 2004. Indications are that it will. Cities that already have begun campaigning include Seattle, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati and New York.

“It’s like the conference championship games,” Argue said. “If we don’t win there, we don’t get to the Super Bowl. But given our track record, I’d say we’re a very credible candidate. I think we will be the U.S. bid city.”

The USOC would choose its candidate in 1999, two years before the International Olympic Committee vote for 2008. The USOC’s executive director, Dick Schultz, warned prospective bidders last week that the world might not be eager to return to the United States after the problems in Atlanta.

“That might damage some cities, the unknown entities,” Argue said. “Los Angeles, I don’t think it would damage us. We’ve built relationships with the IOC.”

If the vote were tomorrow, my guess is the IOC wouldn’t give Los Angeles a third Olympics when there remain entire continents, such as Africa and South America, that haven’t had one. But, as Argue pointed out, no one knows what kind of political or economic winds might be blowing at the turn of the century that would force the IOC to seek a safe haven, as it did in 1932 and ’84.

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With the Yankees winning the World Series and the Packers in the Super Bowl, can the Celtics be far behind? Answer below. . . .

This will be the 28th consecutive Super Bowl involving USC alumni. The only game in which the Trojans weren’t represented was Super Bowl III in 1969. . . .

After more than holding his own against Buffalo’s Bruce Smith and Denver’s Alfred Williams, Jacksonville offensive tackle Tony Boselli finally met his match Sunday in another former Trojan, New England defensive end Willie McGinest. . . .

The Angels are opening negotiations with outfielder Tim Salmon, whose contract expires after next season. He’s worth no less than Eric Karros, who signed a four-year, $20-million deal last week with the Dodgers. . . .

Tom Lasorda will lead a round-table discussion Wednesday night at the Friars Club. . . .

UC Irvine can’t win a men’s basketball game, but its sailing team is ranked 11th in the nation. USC’s is 12th. . . .

Answer: Yes.

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The announcement Monday will not have the kind of impact Peter O’Malley’s did last week, that the Dodgers are for sale, but it very well could mark the end of another institution that has charmed Southern California sports fans for decades.

After 37 consecutive years, promoter Al Franken said there will be no L.A. Invitational indoor track and field meet in February. Last winter, when Sunkist dropped its sponsorship, the meet was saved by the Sports Arena and the L.A. Sports & Entertainment Commission. But Franken’s search for a sponsor in subsequent months proved futile.

There was hardly a track and field star over the last four decades who didn’t compete in the meet. After all tickets were sold, fans without them broke down a door at the Figueroa Street entrance in 1961 and stormed into the Sports Arena to see Wilma Rudolph. Kenya’s Kip Keino ran for the first time in the United States there in 1966, losing to Jim Ryun. Mary Slaney competed there for the first time when she was 13 and never lost. Four world records were broken on the same night there in 1986.

“It’s a sad day for me,” Franken said. “It’s been such a big part of my life. We’ll try again for ‘98, but it’s difficult to start something up again.”

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While wondering who won tomorrow’s matches in the Australian Open, I was thinking: It’s nice to see some things again, like the Packers going to a Super Bowl, Bobby Ross coaching and Kevin Stevens scoring.