A Look Inside ESPN The Mag’s Olympic Preview Issue

Everything from the lack of snow in Vancouver to the tough economy and late-night talk show wars seem to have put a damper on the upcoming Olympic Games. In the current issue of ESPN The Magazine, on newsstands now, writer Luke Cyphers questions why the 2010 Winter Olympics are shaping up to be just as lukewarm as the current financial climate—and offers some suggestions on how to bring back the heat.

Excerpt from “Games Saver”:

“We should watch, and yet too many of us won’t. So what can the IOC do to rescue the Games? In a word, downsize. The Winter Games need to know what they are, and what they are not…Make the Games more compact, less expensive, more traditional. That will make them stand out again.”

Cyphers’ five ways to improve the Winter Olympics:

1. Recombine Olympic years
2. Pick one Olympic venue
3. Hold fewer events
4. Recruit more rights holders
5. Make love of country matter again

Check out the new issue of The Mag to see more on this and the 2010 Winter Olympics.