USOC backs off disputed Olympic TV network plans

BERLIN -- The U.S. Olympic Committee had everything to lose and nothing to air.

That made the decision to postpone plans for its own television network, in deference to the International Olympic Committee's wishes, an easy one.

"There is no question that we underestimated the intensity of the reaction that we got from multiple constituents," USOC chairman Larry Probst said Sunday, after meeting with IOC president Jacques Rogge and deciding to postpone the effort.

With the vote only seven weeks away, Probst decided it was best to set this dispute aside and remove an easy reason for IOC members to vote against Chicago on the Oct. 2 ballot against Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo.

"The USOC wants to do everything it can to help support the Chicago bid," Probst said. "We want to see Chicago win the bid. Anything we can do to help to support them, we're going to do that."

Patrick Ryan, the chairman and CEO of Chicago 2016, said he appreciated the USOC's decision.

"We applaud Larry Probst and the USOC for making a strong statement of partnership by stating that the USOC would secure the full support and cooperation of the IOC before moving forward with the Olympic Network," Ryan said in a statement.

The IOC criticized the USOC for "unilaterally" announcing the launch of the TV network on July 8, saying it raised complex legal questions and could jeopardize relations with Olympic broadcaster NBC.

One big question was, 'What's the rush?'

Other than suffering some embarrassment, delaying things is essentially a no-lose proposition for the USOC, which still had no definite start-up date, no programming and not enough cable carriers committed to airing the network despite its deal with Comcast.

Probst said the USOC anticipated a neutral-to-positive reaction, not what it got, and conceded "the execution on this could've been better."