Andrew Wong / Getty Images

NYC2012 delegates, from left, Daniel L. Doctoroff, Donna De Varona, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Janet Evans, N.Y. Sen. Hillary Clinton and Bob Beamon listen to presentations for the 2012 Olympics host annoucement. The city was woefully unprepared and had no chance to be named the Games' host, writes NBCSports.com contributor Filip Bondy.

The bid’s downfall could be more complicated, involving an international slap at George W. Bush’s unilateral attitude toward the world. It could be a combination of factors, including IOC political alliances and simple continental rotation.

In any case, New York was shot down almost immediately, and then an hour later London was named the host city for the 2012 Summer Games. This was still no indication, really, of what New York had done right or wrong.

New York’s presentation came off as nothing like that of another disappointed city, Paris. New York was brash and modern. Paris leaned heavily on nostalgic images and romantic music. New York’s production featured faces of all color. Paris presented itself, on film and in the Raffles Center hall, with a sea of white, male faces.

And still, Paris lost, New York lost. The boastful talk of Doctoroff had been little more than that — false bravado, or sheer folly. His 11-year fantasy that began at the 1994 World Cup appeared to end here without an Olympics, without a stadium on the West Side of Manhattan.

There may yet be a resurrection. The natural rotation of hosts would suggest that a U.S. city or perhaps Rio (which failed to advance even this far in 2012) is the most natural successor in 2016. But this is not inevitable, especially if Doctoroff quits. Bob Ctvrtlik, an IOC member and former U.S. Olympian, said it was not necessary for an American city to lose before it wins, and that the organization may be sending a message that it wants another bidder.

Slide show: The Week in Sports Pictures   Oct. 3 - 9 Images from the baseball playoffs, NFL, college football, and more.

It doesn’t work that way. The rules are murky, and the ballgame is brand new again.

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