U.S. OLYMPIC COMMITTEE Senator will work to prevent move

Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell wants to keep the USOC in Colorado Springs.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell will do all he can to keep the U.S. Olympic Committee in Colorado Springs even if that means scuttling congressional efforts to overhaul the scandal-plagued organization.
"I'll use whatever tools I have as United States senator to make sure that we're represented in this bill or it doesn't go anywhere," the Colorado Republican said Wednesday.
Discussions have been taking place for years in Olympic circles about moving the committee's headquarters to a major metropolitan center, and support could build if New York City wins its bid to host the Summer Olympics in 2012.
Not among reforms
The issue was not among reforms recommended by either a Senate task force or the committee's own panel. Since the 2000 Games in Sydney, the Olympic committee has had four chief executives and three presidents and endured a bribery scandal involving Salt Lake City's 2002 Winter Olympic bid.
Campbell sought to head off a move by trying to designate Colorado Springs as the committee's permanent headquarters in legislation that he is developing with Sens. John McCain and Ted Stevens. The bill would make sweeping changes to the governing structure and require congressional oversight of the committee.
According to Campbell, McCain and Stevens balked at his demands, instead offering to require a super-majority vote of the proposed 13-member board of directors to move the headquarters.
That's not good enough for Campbell.
Could derail plans
His opposition could derail McCain's plans to have the changes to the committee's congressional charter signed into law by early August.
A spokeswoman for McCain said he declined to comment. Stevens' spokeswoman said the senator has recently expressed support for keeping the headquarters in Colorado Springs.
There is merit to a move, said Stephen A. Greyser, a sports marketing professor at Harvard University.
"That doesn't mean it has to be their only headquarters, but it would help them if they had a headquarters nearer to where one can readily be face-to-face, in touch with the major marketing partners, event organizers and the like," he said.
As it is envisioned, a committee move would include only the top governing officers, marketing directors and communications staff, said an Olympic source familiar with the discussions.
The athletes training center would remain in Colorado Springs, along with coaches and support staff.
Campbell said he does not necessarily disagree that having satellite offices would be worthwhile, but was adamant that the designated headquarters stay where it is.