I have to premise my comments today by saying that I am a tragic sports lover so my view is biased before we start. That said there is something very symbolic about the announcements of two events that are coming to Australia through NSW and Victoria this year.

In the NSW corner we have Nathan Rees announcement of Brian Eno as the principal behind another Sydney Festival called Vivid something or other. Now I am not disputing his involvement with some of the worlds great music acts, but  what does it all mean? The theme seems to be lights and music but unless I am mistaken that was the strategy for date nights when we were 17 not a cornerstone of establishing NSW as a place to be! I am just not sure that pictures of Brian Eno flicking light switches around the city will win over Times Square or the villages of Florence.

In the southern corner we have Victoria (the undisputed events champ) who in one foul swoop has brought (apparently for the same money) the greatest athlete the planet has ever seen. This is the guy who wins US Opens on one leg, chips in to win the US Masters with the greatest shot in history and has more google hits than solutions to the global financial crisis. Every parent who takes their kids to see Tiger swing the club will recount the stories to the grand-kids in the years to come. I know that sport brings its distortions on what is really important but, no-one will be able to dispute that this guy is "happening" now and his achievements will do so for generations to come.

At the crux is my belief that NSW has settled for second best for far too long. The three recent events we have brought to Sydney are the Powerboats, Edinburgh Tattoo and now Brian Eno. Is it just me or does this list feel like watching re-runs of I Dream of Jeanie is a better option? Now if we had Tiger in town we could make something of it ... What about a tourism shot of Tiger trying to hit a golf ball the length of the Sydney Harbour Bridge or a nine iron from the international terminal across to the Sydney Opera House? We could concurrently run fireworks, a Sydney Festival and incentives to every major corporate in the world to have an annual conference in Sydney .

My sense is we have forgotten to dream big in this city and I for one believe it is time that we did! I wish Brian Eno well in his time in the greatest city on earth but I hope it doesn't clash with the Tiger being called on TV by Sandy Roberts. So Nathan a couple of thoughts for you - if you got U2 and Coldplay to perform in Hyde Park for free then imagine the scene that concert would create across the world as the sun set on the glistening harbour and Joshua Tree boomed out. While you were at it ... what about the scene of having formula one cars roar across the Harbour Bridge as a billion people watched on TV - now that is thinking big!

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