The Gregor All-Star XI

Mayor Gregor Robertson plays soccer. He has selected 10 of the city's property development elite to join him on a team to rescue the Vancouver Olympic Village. Cost overruns, financing, scheduling... it's a nightmare and it has to be finished Nov. 1 for handover to VANOC so it can become the temporary home of 2,800 athletes and officials in February 2010. 

Here is the lineup, including positions as chosen by me.

Forwards: Ward McAllister (Ledingham McAllister Properties) and Maureen Enser (Urban Development Institute)

Midfielders: David Podmore (Concert Properties), David Negrin (Aquilini Investment Group), Andrew Grant (PCI Development), Rob Macdonald (Macdonald Development); 

Defenders: Eric Martin (Bosa Development), Al Poettcker (UBC Properties Trust), John Mackay (Strand Properties), Peeter Wesik (Wesgroup Income Properties).

Goalkeeper: Robertson (Vision Vancouver/Happy Planet Juice Co.)

It should be noted that Concert was one of the five companies that were shortlisted to build the village, but withdrew in 2005 to avoid conflict of interest because the company's chairman is also VANOC chairman Jack Poole. Podmore is a busy fella. As chairman of B.C. Pavilion Corp., he is overseeing the construction of the $883.2 million Vancouver Convention Centre and $365 million renovation of B.C. Place Stadium. Both are Olympic venues.