Right to Backtrack

It looks like VANOC is getting the message that shutting the charity Right to Play out of the Olympics is, well, the stupidest thing ever (except for maybe the COA's decision to take Canadian Athletes Now to court a couple year's past--there are some real deep thinkers running the show in amateur sport in this country).

The Star's Randy Starkman is reporting in his blog today that VANOC is quickly trying to repair the PR disaster that came out of last week's report that the charity would be shut out because it had a different car sponsor than the official Olympic car sponsor.

In a letter sent to daily newspapers in Canada, Executive Vice President of Revenue, Marketing and Communications for VANOC, Dave Cobb, writes:

One of these sponsors is General Motors, which has been unfairly blamed for interfering with Right To Play’s desire to have a presence in the Athletes’ Village. Not true. To the contrary, GM has strongly encouraged us to find a way to work with Right To Play. The 2010 Winter Games, Canada’s Olympians and children across the country who participate in sport are far better off because of sponsors like General Motors.

You wanna bet that GM gave VANOC a big 'ole backslap over this. GM - the company that doesn't want little African kids to get free soccer balls. I'm sure that's exactly the image they are going for.

Regardless, it looks like Right to Play will find itself in the athletes village in 16-months time. And, that's all that really matters.