When I was a kid, I loved the Olympics. Today, I feel very differently, as the games have become wildly over-commercialized and quasi-professionalized, as doping and judging scandals have tarnished the games, as the coverage has been packaged for "human interest" (just show me the games, not someone's friend's sister's brother-in-law's cat that overcame cancer), and as it's all generally been dumbed down.
As if all that's not bad enough, for some bizarre reason these games were awarded to a human rights abusing, environmentally disastrous nation (will our athletes compete in gas masks, oxygen tents, or what?). I think this pretty much sums up my feelings about the PRC hosting the Olympics (also, add the PRC's support for Myanmar's vicious junta to the list).
Anyway, the bottom line is that I will probably watch none or almost none of the Olympics. Apparently, I'm not alone, as the latest CNN "Quick Poll" has just 26% out of around 240,000 respondents saying they're going to watch "as much as possible," while 31% say "no, not interested" and 42% say "maybe a little."
How about you? Will you be watching and why (or why not)?
I do think that the Olympics used to mean so much more though. That meaning has dropped off in the recent past. I blame Atlanta. Athens was beautiful. Truly inspiring.
The Cold War was great for the Olympics. Even though the Soviets sat out the 1984 Olympics, I still remember the games in LA being a ton of fun to watch. Some great television and great performances -- fewer doped up athletes too -- especially with the East Germans sitting out the '84 Olympics.
The China angle plays into some of those other negative reasons that you point too in a lowered interest level (e.g. the doping, judging scandals, and increased commercialization of the games).
Sally Jenkins in the WaPO had a great front page (of Sports section) editorial the other day on how the Olympics are not done for sport or for athletes or even for participating nations - no, they're for a much loftier goal - money.
We may think China is immoral for all they do - but the Olympics would be nowhere without loyal Americans over at GE and Coke (two companies I otherwise respect and enjoy) who are eagerly going after the biggest new market in the world - and willing to put up with the sins of the host nation.
Final note: something's going to happen. Either the scares of a terrorist attack will come to fruition, the Chinese will go a bit too far trying to put down a political protest, some athletes will realize they're health is too important for this and publicly quit - or some combination. I'm not certain, but I've got a pretty strong feeling...
For now, I'll stick with MASN - go Nats!
Lowell, just like you, I loved the Olympics growing up. But yes, the commercialization and the sappy stories are too much.
My favorite Olympics ever were Lillehammer in 1994. The spirit seemed awesome, the games were good, the little villages were cool.
The only bit of good that I see potentially coming from the games will be the scrutiny placed on the Chinese in terms of their environmental abuses. If they can clean the air quality with such little effort for men and women to run, jump and kick in circles, then why will the rest of the world not take immediate action to reduce the harmful emissions of their industrial complexes?
I guess doing the right thing on a daily basis doesn't impact the sell of official Olympic ring shaped French Fries or special series Coke cans like the thickness of a hazed out NBC broadcast, huh?
I think I'll read a book or go for a walk, instead.
Compound that with my strongly held belief that sports are meant to be participated in and not watched.
Compound that with the modern Olympics being more about Victorian ideals of European Gentry and Class Elitism (that that is finally, recently, been on the decline since the games got rid of the "amateur" requirement).
It's cool to see someone redefine what the limits of human speed/endurance/jumping/strength are... but the mess we have to go through to see that in the USA is not worth the effort.
I miss BBC feeds in QuickTime. Back in 2001 it was a fantastic way to see stuff American networks refused to cover (or simply did not have bandwidth for).
That could raise interesting questions... and may stimulate an exchange of ideas.
Maybe... perhaps... I hope....
No skater; no US participation.
Further, the pollution level is unacceptable for our athletes. If the event is outdoors, then masks will be required, as will oxygen. The fine particulates in the polluted air which get into the lungs (ours, too)cause huge problems.
Did the Olympic committee just overlook the pollution? How could they--ya can see it on TV even!
The country has gone all out for economic growth, no matter the cost. To the Chinese people, they get to experience affluence for a while. My feeling is that it is all a big house of cards and will come tumbling down someday.
Otherwise, I have little of no interest in watching spoiled professional athletes compete for endorsements and future earnings.
Oh, you think you can just skip those channels? Highlights will be on every local and national newscast. They'll be extensively featured on CNN, MSNBC, and FoxGOPCommentaryInterspersedWithNewsItems (as well as their websites). And they'll fill ESPN, ESPNNews, Comcast Sports.
If that's not enough, the Olympics will also be mocked on The Daily Show and Colbert Report.
You may not want to. But you'll watch.
A sports enthusiast at heart..it really is about the athletes competing (but arrggghhh-NBC and anticipating all of those commercials..hello mute button)
It still amazes me that China, a communist country, is the second largest holder of U.S. debt...($191 billion) Japan is the largest at $715 bil.
So, might as well sit back and enjoy the show--and hope China doesn't call in our loans.
Tennis, basketball, baseball, soccer, etc., all seem superfluous to me -- these sports are decided for real elsewhere.
But once every four years, I do get pretty excited for the swimming, diving, and track and field. So, I'll watch the finals in these sports (if I can put up with the rest of the schlock coverage).
My grandsons now swim competitively and I see how hard they work, how much they progress from one year to the next, how hard so many young kids work. They do it, not not necessarily to be "like Mike," though some of them do, but to swim for life, and to do their very best.
Millions of kids will be watching. And millions will get off the sofas and turn of their Game Boys and Wiis (though at least Wiis get one out of the chair--in addition to being too fun) to exercise at one recreational sport or another. And that is a good thing.
As others have noted here, big sports do get too much attention, too much of our collective monies, and create couch potatoes in the process. But Olympic athletes don't have to be role models for being perfect people, only people who do their best. The athletes staying active and fit is a role model the world's children, especially here at home, need now more than ever.