London ( CNN ) -- The organizers of the 2012 London Olympics have repeatedly asserted the value of the Games in the shape of wider involvement in sport , a lasting legacy of sporting facilities , and increased tourism . But experience from previous Games suggest differently . Not one recent Olympic host nation can point to an increase in sport participation as a result of the Olympics . Many of the stadiums built for the Greek Games are now expensive-to-maintain wrecks . As for tourism , the Olympics generally leads to a decrease in visitor spending , not an increase , as the travel industry has pointed out . Watch how Greece 's Olympic dream turns sour . Despite all this , not one politician or sports administrator has come up with a plan for a better Games , an Olympics for all . This is what my book , `` Why The Olympics Are n't Good For Us , And How They Can Be , '' uniquely sets out to do . Let 's be clear : I love sport . My book is not anti-Olympics , and I will be caught up in the excitement of the Games once they begin . But I believe the Games could have been organized differently . I am suggesting `` Five New Olympic Rings '' representing five core principles that would draw in the direct participation of the maximum number of people . Otherwise , for most citizens the Games can only be experienced via the remote control from the sofa . They might as well be taking place somewhere else , saving us both the expense and the inconvenience . So let 's see what a Games organized under an alternative vision might look like : . Ring One : A decentralized Olympics held all across Britain could have created a local Games for large parts of the population , instead of everything being crammed in to London . I would ditch the idea of a host city , and replace it with a host nation . Ring Two : Spectator attendance could have been boosted by making use of the many existing large stadiums , mainly soccer grounds . Virtually none are being utilized . Centralizing all of the events in London venues with much smaller capacities slashes the audience that can attend and results in increased ticket prices for the few , instead of lowering those prices for the many . Purpose-built stadiums also cost the taxpayer a lot more money . Read what changed the Olympics forever . Ring Three : Significant parts of the Olympic program could have been held outside of stadiums entirely , creating large-scale free-to-watch events . A multi-stage cycling Tour of Britain , a round-Britain yacht race , a canoe marathon , even open water swimming events in the country 's lakes and lochs could have been organized . A measure of London 2012 's chronic lack of ambition is the abandoning of the original plan for running the marathon through East London , which would have provided spectator space for hundreds of thousands . It has been replaced with four six-mile laps around the center of the city , reducing the potential audience by 75 % . Watch how the Olympic legacy impacted Montreal . Ring Four : Preference could have been given to Olympics sports that are universally accessible . The same few countries always win the equestrian , yachting and rowing events while entire continents have never won a single medal in these sports . Substantial investment in specialist training , beyond the means of many countries , is required to take part in these competitions . Compare this with the breadth of countries that have won medals in boxing , football , or middle- and long-distance running . These are sports requiring no expensive kit or facilities , governed by simple rules , with mass appeal . Other sports with likely high participation could be added to the Olympic roster . One of my favourite candidates is the tug-of-war , which last featured at the 1920 Games . Requiring not much more than a sturdy rope , it is easy to train for , the teams could be mixed , and the spectacle could be a real crowd-pleaser . Ring Five : The Olympic symbol could have been used as a symbol for sporting participation rather than as a logo for corporate sponsors . With priorities reversed in this way , the precious Olympics Five Rings could only have been used by voluntary and community groups to promote sport on a not-for-profit basis . Sponsors could have been forbidden any use of the Five Rings . They need sport just as much as sport needs their millions yet the Olympic authorities sell the Games short by meekly complying with the sponsors ' ever-escalating demands . Let 's not forget the biggest sponsor of all of London 2012 : the British taxpayer . I want to build a new Olympics , to take the best of the Games I first fell in love with as a child ( I still have the sticker album to prove it ) . Why , up until now , has no such alternative been even discussed ? My book seeks to redress that failure . Let the debate begin . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Mark Perryman .
Olympics assert value of Games in terms of sport , legacy of facilities and tourism boost . Comment: He proposes decentralizing Games around a nation and more free-to-view events . Olympic Rings could also be used by charities instead of by sponsors .