TEAM PITCHES L.A. AS VENUE FOR OLYMPICS.

Byline: KERRY CAVANAUGH Staff Writer

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and a team of business and political leaders will make their first pitch this morning to bring the 2016 Olympics to Los Angeles.

In a two-hour meeting with the U.S. Olympic Committee, the L.A. delegation is expected to listen more than talk as games organizers describe the competitive and expensive bidding process that draws interest from cities around the world.

Villaraigosa hopes to emphasize the city's diversity, economic strength and willingness to work with the Olympics officials in order to woo the international summer games to Los Angeles for the third time.

``During the meeting, the mayor will convey to the USOC that the city of Los Angeles is a city built for the Olympic Games, where we have and will have world-class sporting venues, international sports fans and a history of Olympic success, at no taxpayer expense,'' said Darryl Ryan, a spokesman for the mayor.

So far, the USOC has met with officials in Houston, Philadelphia and Chicago. They will visit L.A. this morning and San Francisco in the afternoon.

After the round of visits, the USOC will extend offers to select cities to make a bid for the 2016 games. The committee will then choose one of the bidding cities next summer to represent the U.S.

The International Olympic Committee will make the final host city selection in 2009.

Los Angeles has hosted the summer games twice, in 1932 and 1984, which is both to the city's advantage and disadvantage, said Jack Kyser, chief economist for the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp.

The Olympic Committee may want to offer the host opportunity to a new city. Or they may want a proven track record and existing sports facilities.

``We're probably one of the best-positioned cities in the country,'' Kyser said. ``You have a huge local interest and that's always the ace in the hole for Los Angeles. It's a huge market that is always interested in sports.''

Perhaps more importantly, L.A. hosted the first privately funded games in 1984 and ended with a multimillion-dollar surplus.

Those games were organized by Peter Ueberroth, who is now chairman of the USOC, and who has said efforts to secure the Olympics should come from private interests, not public coffers.

New York City, together with civic donors, spent an estimated $50 million on its bid for the 2012 Olympics. London was chosen instead.

Villaraigosa and supporters have said they would bid and host the Olympics without spending tax dollars.

``Our intention is to do it the same way we did it in 1984, with privately financed games,'' said David Simon, president of the Southern California Committee for the Olympics.

Details on the city's presentation were unavailable. USOC officials have said they don't want a high-profile bidding war and have asked city leaders for a simple, discreet meeting and restrained comments to the media.

The mayor's delegation includes: Council President Eric Garcetti; Barry Sanders, chairman of the Southern California Committee for the Olympic Games; Tim Leiweke, president of Anschutz Entertainment Group, which developed Staples Center; and Casey Wasserman, who owns the Los Angeles Avengers.

kerry.cavanaugh(at)dailynews.com

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