With the Beijing Olympics wrapping up, I couldn’t resist sharing this New York Times story about the mayor of Birmingham, Ala., pitching his city as host site for the 2020 Summer Games. Mayor Larry P. Langford has even proposed a $500 million domed stadium. Sound familiar?

As you can imagine, with the city’s many needs and issues, such as a rising murder rate, reaction has been laughable, at best. But you have to credit the mayor: according to the story, he’s had T-shirts and tote bags made bearing the slogan “Olympics 2020: Why Not Birmingham?”