The USOC evokes the "What-about-the-children?" card in negotiations with the IOC..

When I hear United States Olympic Committee (USOC) President Scott Blackmum speak, I say to myself what a really bad liar! When I hear International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge speak, I say to myself what a really good liar!

So who do you trust: the good liar or the bad liar? Answer: You grab for your wallet as tight as you can.

Here are some facts: The IOC received a payment from NBC for rights for extended Olympics coverage for  $4,380,000,000:

From The Chicago Tribune: 

"...more than 40 percent of the USOC’s four-year operating revenue comes from the 12.75 percent of U.S. broadcast rights; [ A whopping $4.38-billion for the next three Olympics I believe.]  and 20 percent of IOC global sponsorships. And the U.S. is the only significant Olympic player that not only operates without government funding but also trumpets that as a source of pride. .." 

[Link]

That's a lot of money! 1/2-billion-dollars just in broadcast revenue alone. The IOC is upset about that and they have a pretty good argument, or what I call the good liar argument: they feel our government should be subsidizing the governing bodies not the IOC. In retaliation there are whispers that the IOC is saying NO-WAY to an Olympic Games staged in the USA. Nonetheless, it's my opinion that the IOC simply wants more money

The USOC, who is making $1/2-billion-dollars-plus is stating; and I kid you not, that if they don't make that sort of money, the shortfall would have to come from the athletes themselves.

Read that last sentence slowly: The USOC, who is making $1/2-billion-dollars... (by the way, what does the USOC want to do with that money, build their own rocket ship?) ...and if they don't make that sort of money, the money would have to come from the athletes themselves!Outrageous, don't you think?

The USOC is threatening to make the athletes pay-up but isn't that what they have been doing all along? Scott Blackmum salary is about  $638,407 a year. Chuck Wielgus of USA Swimming is $800,000-plus. I do not know what  IOC president Jacques Rogge makes but none of these guys are suffering.

So, if the USOC does not get their way, how much will USA athletes have to pay to make up for the shortfall of a reduced $1/2-billion-dollar payday?

In 2008 the USOC sent 596 athletes to the Olympic Games and barring all the donations from Coke, British Petroleum and the child athletes themselves who pay dues to their respective governing bodies, the US athlete who has no chance of making it to the Olympics is being asked to pay-up if the USOC can't make their $1/2-billion-pay day.

UPDATE:  I am adding my two-cents... Make it 4-cents. I believe the USA should subsidize our national governing bodies so as to have more financial oversight and the athletes themselves can have better representation through their respective congress member.