There's one particular page on the revamped London 2012 website that pleases me very much. It's the page describing one of the places where an Olympic event will take place. It's the page devoted to the basketball and gymnastics venue. It's the page about the O2.
The London 2012 website duly enthuses about North Greenwich's famous spiky arena. It was "originally built for the Millennium celebrations", the site explains, and it's been "transformed into a sports and entertainment arena with shops, restaurants and more."A recent entry by Neil on the London 2012 blog goes one step further and declares "WOW what a superb venue!" He and his wife were very impressed indeed after a recent visit to see Prince. "As we left we both agreed it was a shame we live just a little to far from the venue, else it would become a regular feature of our lives." Yes, really, that good.
And why do I love this particular London 2012 webpage? It's because the venue being described is called "The Dome". There's not a mention of an oxygen molecule anywhere, nor any reference to a mobile phone company with millions of pounds to spend. Nowhere is this arena described as "The O2". It's just "The Dome", like it always used to be, before the marketing fatcats moved in.
There are very strict rules on Olympic sponsorship. Sporting venues used for the Games aren't permitted to carry the name of a sponsor or a brand, not even one that's paid to be an official marketing associate. So the Olympic basketball and gymnastics events won't be held in "The O2", because that name's not allowed. And the London 2012 website will have to carry on calling it "The Dome" for at least the next five years. And I like that. Oyes, I like that very much indeed.
