By Dylan Butler
While Mets fans are overjoyed – and rightfully so – and Bloomberg and those who want the Olympics in New York are grateful for the second chance after the West Side Stadium project was tossed quicker than a Pedro Martinez fastball, I can't help but laugh. A few weeks ago Mayor Mike scoffed at the idea of bringing the New York Jets back to Queens, about having his Olympic Stadium in Flushing when it could be on the West Side of Manhattan.He didn't want to hear the public backlash, he didn't want hear anything. His proposed $2.2 billion stadium was going to be built. So what if the taxpayers would be paying through the nose, he wouldn't have to deal with that since he won't be the mayor in 2012.All Mayor Mike was concerned about was being known as the guy who brought the Jets back to New York, secured the 2012 Summer Olympics and got a state-of-the-art stadium built in Manhattan.He didn't count on someone standing up to him. Most bullies don't. But Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was brave. He refused to go along with the plan, just like Gov. George Pataki and State Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno apparently were. Silver said time and again that it was more important to rebuild lower Manhattan.The mayor's answer? Let's build a stadium.So when the mayor backed Silver in a corner and pushed and pushed for an answer, Silver finally had enough and gave him one. No.No Mayor Mike, Silver won't back down. No Mayor Mike, the West Side Stadium is not more important than Ground Zero.So Mayor Mike sulked, like most bullies do, and complained that no stadium meant no Olympics. But then, six days after the bully was figuratively punched in the mouth, Mayor Mike's vision had all of a sudden changed.Flushing is great! I love the Mets. Let's build our stadium here!”We're like the athlete who falls and gets up and dusts himself off and pushes ahead,” Bloomberg said.More like the bully who is finally confronted and looks for a new schoolyard.And now that I think of it, I heard about a plan for a new Shea Stadium before. And if my memory serves me right, Mayor Mike didn't care much about it.Don't get me wrong, I love the Mets getting a new home. It's way overdue. And I wish Woody Johnson would bring his Jets back to Queens to play in this new park, which will be built in the current Shea parking lot.But as for the Olympics? Thanks, but no thanks. Let London or Paris have them. If only to insure the bully doesn't get what he wants again.Reach Sports Editor Dylan Butler by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 143.
