1.0 link 117197 <![CDATA[The Commercial Games: How Commercialism is Overrunning the Olympics and Why It Matters]]> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-weissman/the-commercial-games-how_b_117197.html The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games have been referred to as the "People's Games," the "High Tech Games" and the "Green Games," but they could be more aptly described as the Commercial Games.

Commercialism is overrunning the Olympics. It is undermining the professed ideals of the Olympic Games, and subverting the Olympics' veneration of sport with omnipresent commercial messaging and branding.

The Olympics have auctioned off virtually every aspect of the Games to the highest bidder. In addition to multimillion-dollar sponsorship...

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